A large area of the Ward River Valley is dominated by the non-native Cherry Laurel shrub. Work is due to start this week to remove the invasive species and this work is likely to have a dramatic effect on certain parts of the park. The Cherry Laurel shrub which is very common in gardens around…
The campaign to stop excessive aircraft noise are holding a protest at Fingal County Council offices next Monday, during the council meeting. The protest is being organised by FORUM (Fingal Organised Residents United Movement) and Fingal and Meath East Residents Groups and aims to pressure Fingal County Council to stop the DAA breaching their planning…
An outflow pipe near the Seatown Road was found to be pouring oil into the Broadmeadow Estuary. Fingal County Council staff worked to stop the flow of oil from the pipe, using oil absorbant ‘booms’, and have started an investigation to locate the source. The Special Area of Conservation, where recently an Osprey bird was…
A plan to increase, or stabilise, the population of otter, kingfisher, dipper, bats, salmon, brown trout and badger in the Ward River Valley is now part of Phase 1 of the Fingal Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-2030. This plan, which was originally unfunded and effectively shelved, is now one of the first 20 projects prioritised in…
IMAGE CREDIT: John Fields @dublinjohnski on Twitter At the Swords end of the Broadmeadow Estuary, birdwatchers have reported seeing an Osprey which seems to have travelled to Ireland from Scotland. The bird of prey, which feeds on fish, was identified as a three-year-old which was ringed as a juvenile in the Tweed Valley in Scotland.…
Some remarkable images of what the Ward River Valley as it will look should the proposed three projects were unveiled at a webinar this week. The three projects – the sports hub in Brackenstown, the Walled Garden restoration, and the historic canal rewetting – are all proposed as part of the first phase of projects…
This year the Mayor’s Awards will honour individuals who go to extraordinary lengths for their communities. These are people making a positive contribution to their local community and are inspiring others to do the same. They could be an older person proving that age is not a barrier to giving back to others, somebody who…
In a major boost for nature restoration in Swords, Fingal County Council have unveiled plans to fully fund its Biodiversity Strategy meaning two major nature projects in the Ward River Valley and the Broadmeadow Estuary will go ahead. Now a plan will be put in place to protect salmon spawning grounds on the Ward River…
Just as the DO NOT SWIM notice on the iconic Velvet Strand in Portmarnock was lifted last week an extension to the DO NOT SWIM notice in Balbriggan was announced. The notice on the North Strand in Balbriggan, which was first issued on July 25th, has now been extended after tests continued to find elevated…
Farmers around Swords will be able to receive payments for land with up to 50 per cent given to scrub, thicket, woodland habitat, and rock. These areas were previously ineligible for farm payments, and this led to farmers removing these high nature value habitats. This process was devastating for wildlife that relies on these pockets…