ULSTER Wildlife said they were “so pleased” to be able to acquire a 90-acre area of farmland in Fermanagh which is set to be turned into a major new nature reserve to benefit the community.
The nature conservation charity recently confirmed that it has purchased land in Derrygonnelly, formerly owned by the Nixon family and managed by George Ferguson, for the new reserve.
Director of Land Management at Ulster Wildlife, Peter McEvoy, feels that the development of Fedian Nature Reserve could lead to a massive increase in wildlife and biodiversity in the area.
“We knew it was a special place, reminiscent of fields time had forgotten,” explained Mr McEvoy.
“It is home to one of the few remaining remnants of species-rich grassland and centuries-old woodland in Northern Ireland – two vanishing landscape types that tell the story of what’s been lost, and what we still have time to protect.
“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure a site of exceptional nature value, something that would take tens, if not hundreds, of years to recreate,” added the Ulster Wildlife director.
Fedian Nature Reserve will continue to be actively farmed, with low numbers of cattle grazed across the site to maintain the wildflower-rich grasslands in the rural Derrygonnelly area.
Northern Ireland Director at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Dr Paul Mullan, said they were pleased to pledge £150,000 funding to support the development in the Derrygonnelly area.
“We’re committed to supporting nature recovery, and with Ulster Wildlife securing this haven for nature, it means that this vital habitat and the species found there can thrive,” Dr Mullan said.
“It’s a wonderful example of our natural heritage, combining precious, ancient woodland and an intact example of pre-war farmland.”
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