The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough, Councillor Audrey Wales MBE, has revealed how pleased she is at the volume of volunteers attending at the various ‘Friends of’ meetings this year. Cllr Wales said: “We have had a fantastic turn out at our Friends Of meetings which have been running each Saturday in January.
“Our Friends Of groups are now running at Bashfordsland Wood & Oakfield Glen Carrickfergus, Ecos Nature Park Ballymena, Town Parks Larne and Carnfunnock Country Park,” she said.
Already in 2017, Mid and East Antrim’s ‘Friends Of’ volunteers have helped with bird ringing at Bashfordsland Wood & Oakfield Glen, willow coppicing at Ecos Nature Park, creating a wildlife pond at Town Parks Larne and removing snowberry, an invasive species, from Carnfunnock. Throughout the year, volunteers will continue to help with a wide range of practical tasks such as nest box building, tree planting, river cleans, invasive species removal and wildflower planting.
Our ‘Friends Of’ groups are a great opportunity to get outside in the fresh air, meet likeminded people and learn new skills, all the while protecting and improving your local green space. Volunteering can help participants to gain confidence and self-esteem and can also have health benefits as you are being active outdoors. Volunteering provides huge opportunities to enhance your CV to impress future employers or help with university applications. And of course, it can be great fun!
Upcoming Friends of meetings: Friends of Bashfordsland Wood & Oakfield Glen, Saturday 11 February, meeting at Oakfield Community Centre; Friends of Ecos Nature Park, Saturday 18 February, meeting at Outdoor Education Centre; Friends of Town Park Larne Saturday 18 February, meeting at Bankhead’s Lane and Friends of Carnfunnock, Saturday 25 February, meeting at visitor centre
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