Teamwork is the path to success for National Trust Rangers
A National Trust spokesperson said that rangers from across the National Trust sites have come together to put their collective skills and experience to use for a conservation project at the iconic Glenn River path at the base of Slieve Donard.
Attendees included National Trust rangers and volunteers from throughout Northern Ireland as well as the North Lakes District National Trust footpath team, Mourne Heritage Trust and a mountain path specialist from Upland Access Ltd.
As a conservation charity, the National Trust encourages Rangers to meet to share best practice and this year the team were tasked to rebuild and future-proof the path to Slieve Donard which has become severely eroded. The summit of Slieve Donard sees 100,000 people treading the path each year and meaning conservation work is essential to ensure protection of the surrounding habitat.
The Mourne Mountains have been designated as a Special Area of Conservation by the National Trust, and therefore its Rangers work diligently to protect the delicate ecosystem of the Mournes as it has started to show signs of wear and tear. The Mournes Path Project is a two-year project which sees Rangers repairing ‘braided’ tracks, where walkers have created multiple routes and re-landscaping some of the areas around the upland paths to ensure they are accessible to the public.
Mount Stewart Area Ranger Toby Edwards said: “As Rangers, we generally work on our own in isolated areas or small compact teams. It can be easy to get fixed on working on your own patch, but these meet ups are a great way to come together to support on the already brilliant work that the Mourne Rangers are doing.
“Work with the Rangers from across the other National Trust sites provides the opportunity for the regional teams to get out to different locations together, share experiences, develop and hone their skills. For Rangers new into the sector they can expand their skills base and for Rangers like myself it’s a chance to polish up the skills I have already acquired and put them to good use.”
As part of the initiative Rangers continued their conservation activities and took the opportunity to carry out night-time species surveys of the NNR Murlough Dunes.
About National Trust
The National Trust is a conservation charity founded in 1895 by three people who saw the importance of the nation’s heritage and open spaces and wanted to preserve them for everyone to enjoy. Over 100 years later these values are still at the heart of everything they do.
They look after coastlines, forests, woods, fens, beaches, farmland, moorland, islands, archaeological remains, nature reserves, villages, historic houses, gardens, mills and pubs. We restore them, protect them and open them up to everyone.
The National Trust is actively supported by almost 97,000 members, and around 2,500 volunteers in Northern Ireland. Over two million visitors enjoy our sites every year. They encourage everyone to enjoy and care for our nature and heritage. In doing so, advocate for the protection of the environment across all of Northern Ireland, not just at our own local sites.
For more information and our full calendar of activities and adventures, go to: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/days-out/northern-irelandN
Pictured are National Trust Rangers Toby Edwards, Clare O’Reilly, Marc Vinas Alcon and Patrick Lynch at the conservation project at the iconic Glenn River path to Slieve Donard.
Rangers from National Trust, North Lakes District National Trust footpath team, Mourne Heritage Trust and a mountain path specialist from Upland Access Ltd at the conservation project at the iconic Glenn River path to Slieve Donard.
