BTCV : CVNI : Tree Campaign

2009 is an important year for us at Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland as we celebrate our 25th birthday. BTCV also celebrates its 50th year (we are the Northern Ireland region of BTCV) with Mud, Sweat and Cheers. So it's birthday greetings all round before we carry on with the job of inspiring people, improving places.

Our biodiversity project is busy putting together a programme of work that you might like to join in with. We need volunteers to help us improve our 'priority habitats' - those that are considered to be threatened.

We also have a "biodiversity in Northern Ireland blog" online. Read about what we're up to, issues that affect our natural world, how you can make a difference and much more. Leave your comments and let us know what you think.

And this month's featured habitat is Wet Woodland.

Wet Woodland
"Wet woodland" describes a range of woodland and scrub that occurs on poorly drained or seasonally waterlogged soils.

It is an extremely good habitat for insects and other 'invertebrates' like snails and spiders, supporting a very large number of species, many of which are now rare in Northern Ireland.

Alder, birch and willow are normally the predominant tree species, with ash and oak on drier areas.

The boundaries with drier woodland may be sharp or gradual and may change with time, so wet woodland frequently occurs in a mosaic with other woodland habitat types and with open habitats such as fens.

In general, wet woodland is unmanaged in Northern Ireland and is often used for grazing and shelter by livestock. Wet woodland also provides cover and breeding sites for the otter and is of value for bats and a number of breeding birds.

Wet woodland is found on a range of soil types including nutrient-rich mineral and acid soils and nutrient-poor peaty soils. It can be found on floodplains, on fens, mires and bogs, along streams and hill-side flushes, and in peaty hollows.
Read more about Wet Woodland

Help your local biodiversity!
If you'd like to get out into the countryside and do a little bit for the environment and can spare a few hours, we need you! We're busy putting together lots of practical, hands-on activities for you to get involved in. Most events will be open to all ages, are led by an experienced leader who will show you what to do and how to do it, and they're fun. There might even be biscuits and a well-earned cup of tea!
Find out more about our events

Read our blog
Our new blog is finally online. We'll be writing regularly about all things biodiversity in Northern Ireland and beyond, keeping you in touch with what we're up to, what we've done, how you can get involved and more. Feel free to leave your own comments, questions and suggestions.
Visit the Biodiversity blog

Throughout the whole of 2009, we're celebrating the fact that we've been helping people make their communities greener for 50 years (25 years here in Northern Ireland).

We'd really love you to join in by helping our thousands of volunteers get muddy for a good cause.

The Mud, Sweat and Cheers appeal is all about getting stuck in to make places better for people to live in.

Every tree that's planted, every stream that's cleared, is one more practical step towards a healthier planet. And that's something we can all cheer about!

More about Mud, Sweat and Cheers

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