Woodland Creation: nature-based solutions

The Woodland Trust Northern Ireland are working with farmers across the Faughan valley to create a resilient farming landscape for the future.

Planting the right tree in the right place has many benefits including shading shelter for livestock, preventing soil erosion, and flood alleviation. We're working with local partners to bring to the landowning community the support that they need to access grants for hedgerow and woodland creation. So, that we can get trees and woods into the landscape to create that sustainable future.

Through our local partnership with the Loughs Agency and NI water, we have already worked with dozens of landowners to deliver repairing planting schemes and wet wood projects along the river Faughan and its tributaries.

At this dairy farm near Claudy the landowner has planted a riparian buffer and installed the wet woods. The field of the wet woods was a good silage field, in the dry season, but is prone to flooding. There was already some woodland that wasn't being utilised. The buffer and the wet woods both slow the flow and minimise the impact of flooding whilst crucially reducing the sediment and nutrient flow from the farm into the river Faughan which is designated as an SAC and an SSI.

It also helps to future proof the farm and the river against any potential accidents including pollution. In such an event this wet wood system will buy the farmer time by trapping the runoff before it reaches the river until other measures can be put in place. For this farmer, this project is a way of making the farm more resilient for the next generation. His son now works the farm and his grandchildren are interested in the wildlife the trees and ponds will attract.

I’m Gareth Robinson of Robinson Concrete we have land here approximately 10 acres which we wanted to plant with the forestry expansion scheme.

We felt that it's a really beautiful area and we wanted to try and offset the carbon footprint of our business. We're extracting with minerals and sand gravel in the area so we want to try and do a small bit to help the area. Hence, we've went ahead and planted the scheme beside us here.

So, we're really pleased with the outcome and all the assistance that we got through the whole process. It's been illuminating for everybody.

The Woodland Trust works hard to restore and protect our existing woodlands while creating new native woodlands across Northern Ireland. We aim to support and advise landowners and the farming community. To create new trees and woods and create those resilient landscapes. Through our support and working with partners, communities, our volunteers, we hope to create a sustainable tree landscape for the future.