'Major boost' for nature in Northern Ireland

9 July 2009 -

Travellers looking to see nature in Northern Ireland will be pleased to hear that a major boost for the country's wildlife has taken place on Rathlin Island.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, has purchased 52 hectares of land to safeguard some of the most threatened wildlife.

According to the RSPB, several different species will benefit from the deal, including choughs, lapwings, corncrakes, snipe and Irish hares, all of which have suffered over the last 40 years.

Patrick Murphy, from the HLF, said that the move is of critical importance as it will allow the nature in Northern Ireland to prosper.

"It was critical for us that this incredible natural resource, a site of rich biodiversity and essential to the conservation of a variety of endangered species, was protected and made available for everyone to appreciate," he stated.

In other news, a new country park has now opened in Londonderry, known as Derry.