Winter Tree Planting Events

Hedgelaying Workshops - Free Family Fun: Hedgelaying Workshops on Saturday 15th & 29th November 2014 at Diamond Jubilee Wood in Whitehead from 10am to 3pm. Hedgelaying is a traditional management technique. Ever wondered how it’s done? Well now is your chance! This outdoor event is FREE. Please wear suitable clothing and footwear. Link: http://www.carrickfergus.org/events/item/577/hedgelaying-workshop-day-one/

 

Tree Planting - WW1 Memorial Copse: 400 young trees will be planted in a WW1 Memorial Copse at Bashfordsland Wood on Sunday 16th November 2014. f you would like to plant a remembrance tree in memory of a loved one who has passed away, please come along.  We are meeting at the Red Fort Park entrance at 11am on Sunday 16th November.  For further information please contact Alison
028 9335 8044 / alison.diver@carrickfergus.org. Link: http://www.carrickfergus.org/events/item/593/tree-planting-ww1-memorial-copse/

 

Celebrate the Christmas Hedgerow: Celebrate the Christmas Hedgerow on Saturday 6th December 2014 at Eden Allotment Gardens & Community Centre from 11am to 3pm.  Join hedgerow experts for guided walks, foraging, exploring biodiversity and planting hedgerow trees. Inside activities include bouncy castle, face painting, balloon modelling and a chance to make Christmas art and crafts plus taste hedgerow food and drinks. Link: http://www.carrickfergus.org/events/item/579/celebrate-the-christmas-hedgerow/

Woodland Walk at Bashfordsland Wood

Photo from Woodland Walk (on Monday 28th July) in Bashfordsland Wood with Dermot Hughes. Part of Love Parks Week.

Evening Birdsong at Bashfordsland Wood

Join well-known bird expert Dot Blakely (seen on TV's BBC Wildweek Live), to find out more about birds in and around Bashfordsland Wood.

 

Birdsong can be soothing and relaxing, cheerful and inspiring. In fact, a recent survey by the National Trust found that birdsong is our favourite spring sound! So don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to hear Birdsong at Bashfordsland Wood guided by televisions Bird Expert Dot Blakely (from BBC’s Wildweek Live).

Bird enthusiasts often get up at the break of dawn to hear the calls of our common birds including chaffinches, sparrows and finches. But this month Carrickfergus Borough Council is taking a more laid back approach with a dusk chorus event at Bashfordsland Wood.

This will be a wonderful experience for the whole family - ideal for all ages and both keen birdwatchers and novices. Dot will help you identify our different birds by their songs and answer any birding questions. Bashfordsland Wood is a prime location for Carrickfergus bird life - come and hear for yourself!

This evening performance is tuning up on Friday 30^th May. Meet at 7pm at the entrance to Bashfordsland Wood at Red Fort Park, off Marshallstown Road. This event is outdoors so please wear appropriate clothing and footwear.

For further information please contact Ben Simon on e-mail biodiversity@carrickfergus.org

Event Link: http://www.carrickfergus.org/events/item/537/evening-birdsong-at-bashfordsland-wood/

Planting the Hedgerow - Free Fun Day Out

 

 

Come along to this free event and help thicken up the hedgerows around Bashfordsland Wood. Find out what wildlife our native hedges support and why they are one of nature's greatest assets.

EVENT DETAILS: Saturday 5th April 2014 from 10am to 1pm at Bashfordsland Wood.(Meet at Oakfield Community Centre 10am sharp then a short walk to Bashfordsland Wood).

This outdoor event is FREE. Please wear suitable clothing and footwear.

Event Link

Top Tips for Blackberry Picking

Take a container and search out brambles near you - try Bashfordsland Wood in Carrickfergus or Diamond Jubilee Wood or Beach Road Nature Reserve in Whitehead.

Try to pick blackberries that are away from the roadside (traffic fumes can impair the fruit) and avoid picking fruit from lower branches as they may have been visited by animails!

Blackberries don't keep for long so either eat them within 24 hours of picking or freeze them. If you are freezing them, lay them in a single layer on a baking tray in the freezer and then once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag

Remember to pick your blackberries by Michaelmas Day (29th September), by legend - the day the Devil spits on them, making them inedible.

Blackberry Recipes at the BBC

Get Fit for Free in the Fresh Air of Bashfordsland Wood

LtoR: Lee Gorman, Jamie-Lee Mogey, & Stacy Keatley

Carrickfergus Borough Council has unveiled a new outdoor gym in partnership with The Woodland Trust and generous funding from BIFFA Award. The twelve-piece gym provides a great work-out in the beautiful surroundings of Bashfordsland Wood. The gym is completely free to use and is suitable for all, from experienced gym goers to beginners and offers any user of the park an opportunity to increase their physical activity. Designed to give a mix of cardiovascular, strength and toning exercises, each piece of equipment has clear guidelines for proper use and information on which part of the body it is benefitting.  

Alderman May Beattie, Chairperson of the Parks Sub-Committee said: “The Council is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our residents. This outdoor gym shows how we continue to maximise the services available in our parks. The installation has been specially configured to allow users to get the maximum benefit of the equipment in the shortest time. By concentrating the equipment together, we have made things easier for people in the park who want a quick exercise routine during their lunchtime or after a walk. Physical activity produces real benefits for people and is important for all ages and abilities. It can help you keep a healthy weight and help improve your mood, reduce anxiety and protect against depression. Other outdoor gyms in the Carrickfergus Borough area are located at Diamond Jubilee Wood and Blackhead Path in Whitehead. These gyms provide a fantastic opportunity to get fit on your doorstep and I would encourage people to try them out.”


The BIFFA Award is a multi-million pound environmental fund, which utilises landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services.

Link: Bashfordsland Wood

78 species found at Moth & Butterfly Hunt

At the weekend a Moth & Butterfly Hunt took place at Eden Allotment Gardens and Whitehead Diamond Jubilee Wood. The event was a great success with 78 different species of moth & butterfly found over the two day monitoring period. The results prove the rich and diverse habitats and species which exist in Carrickfergus Borough. The scale of the results impressed Catherine Bertrand, from Butterfly Conservation Northern Ireland. Catherine said "The measures Council has taken to extend habitat provision and protect wildlife in Carrickfergus has resulted in a healthier environment, not just for wildlife but for everyone who lives here."

The Moth & Butterfly Hunt was part of the Love Parks Week initiative, which takes place between Saturday 21st and Sunday 29th July 2012. Events this weekend include:

Whitehead's Marvellous Medicine Walk with Marian Partridge on Saturday 28th July at 11am meeting in Blackhead Car Park.

A Woodland Walk at Oakfield Glen & Bashfordsland Wood with Dr Ben Simon on Saturday 28th July at 2pm meeting in Oakfield Community Centre.

Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet on Saturday 28th July in Shaftesbury Park. Gates open at 6.30pm. Show starts at 7.30pm.

Around the Allotments Photographic Exhibition by Stevie Gill (28th July 2012 - 8th August 2012) at Carrickfergus Museum & Civic Centre.

All events are free. For further information visit http://www.carrickfergus.org/events/item/263/love-parks-week/

Love Parks Week Photographs

Blooming Wild Day Out at Amphitheatre Mill Ponds on 27 July 2011

Jason Ashton, Katie Tyrrell, Sophie Brown, Samantha Thompson, Emma Thompson & Paul Browne at the Blooming Wild Day Out at Amphitheatre Mill Ponds on 27 July 2011.

Butterfly Counting at the Blooming Wild Day Out at Amphitheatre Mill Ponds on 27 July 2011.

Phil, Tristan, Crystal and Kallista McClean at the Blooming Wild Day Out at Amphitheatre Mill Ponds on 27 July 2011.

Molly Summervale at the Blooming Wild Day Out at Amphitheatre Mill Ponds on 27 July 2011.

 Declan Lee at the Butterfly Count at Eden Allotment Gardens on 25 July 2011.

Big Butterfly Count at Bashfordsland on 25 July 2011.

Carrickfergus Borough Residents Join the Big Butterfly Count

Resident’s of Carrickfergus Borough joined the UK wide count for butterflies in their gardens, local parks and at an event in Eden Allotment Gardens and Bashfordsland Wood.

The Big Butterfly Count is a nationwide survey that is taking place between 16th and 31st July. Local people are encouraged to get involved in saving our butterflies and help build a picture of how butterflies are faring in Carrickfergus Borough and across the UK.

Anyone can take part, anywhere, anytime before the end of July. You can take part at home, in your local park, at your local nature reserve or green space. All it takes is going outside for 15 minutes on a sunny day and recording how many butterflies you see. Even seeing no butterflies is really important as this helps us gather information on areas where we need to focus conservation efforts and increase awareness and understanding of these fragile creatures. Seven out of ten butterflies in this country have seen declines in the last decade with some even facing extinction.

Sir David Attenborough who is the President of Butterfly Conservation. He said: “The Big Butterfly Count should be great fun. Butterflies are extraordinary, heart lifting creatures – visions of beauty and visions of summer. Butterflies in profusion tell us all is well with nature. When they decline it’s a warning that other wildlife will be soon be heading the same way. So with the Big Butterfly Count we’ll be doing more than just counting butterflies – we’ll be taking the pulse of nature. “

Catherine Bertrand, from Butterfly Conservation Northern Ireland said: “The measures we take to protect butterflies in Carrickfergus result in a healthier environment, not just for wildlife but for everyone who lives here. I would encourage Carrickfergus residents to come along to the Butterfly Count events at Eden Allotment Gardens and Bashfordsland Wood. ”

New Orienteering Course in Carrickfergus

People in Carrickfergus Borough are being offered a new way to stretch their legs and their minds, with the launch of a new permanent orienteering course at Bashfordsland Wood and Oakfield Glen.

 The Mayor of Carrickfergus, Alderman Jim McClurg officially opened the new course and its accompanying map which was funded by Carrickfergus Borough Council. At the launch, 100 local secondary school pupils took part in a competition laid on by NI Orienteering.

Alderman McClurg said “We want to encourage as many people as possible to explore this beautiful woodland area and get fit at the same. Orienteering is a fun way to exercise both your leg power and your brain power. It’s also been proven that exercising in woodland and other green spaces boosts both your physical health as well as your mental health. The beauty of this area is the open access for active recreation, which lends itself perfectly to orienteering. Permanent orienteering courses like these are aimed at beginners and improving orienteer’s who want to practice their skills and enjoy a walk, or run in the woods. I would like to thank NI Orienteering for all their help and advice to make this project a reality and a big thank you to the Woodland Trust who manages Oakfield Glen.”

Helen Baxter, NI Orienteering said “Orienteering combines outdoor adventure and fun, it is ideal for people of all ages, shapes and sizes. Orienteering involves using a map to navigate round a series of control points that are marked on the ground by red and white flags. Orienteering maps are specially drawn to a large scale with lots of detail. The sport provides a healthy mix of physical activity and mental challenge. Map reading skills are learned while having fun finding the markers on your course. Everyone can take part at their own pace. It’s perfect for children, who can run around in a fun, safe, controlled environment and also excellent for adults wanting to shape up, try something new and meet new friends.”

If you would like to try orienteering, visit the Council website www.carrickfergus.org for events or to download the course map. The map is also available at Oakfield Community Centre. The NI Orienteering website (www.niorienteering.org.uk) has lots of events and advice on Orienteering throughout Northern Ireland.”



Orienteering Course at Bashfordsland Wood



Friends of Bashfordsland Wood & Oakfield Glen

Want to take a direct role in improving Bashfordsland Wood & Oakfield Glen?
The Friends of Bashfordsland Wood & Oakfield Glen is a voluntary group of local residents who want to dedicate some of their time, energy and effort to caring for and improving this green space area.
A Friends Group is a number of interested local people coming together with the aim of improving the appearance, facilities, conservation value and safety of their local park. Anyone can join and give as much or as little time as they want.
Bashfordsland Wood is Carrickfergus’s newest parks and is managed by Carrickfergus Borough Council. Oakfield Glen is managed by The Woodland trust. Representative from both organisations will be at the first meeting which takes place on Wednesday 11th May, at 7pm in Oakfield Community Centre.
For further information please contact Carrickfergus Parks & Countryside Service on 9335 8000 or email parks@carrickfergus.org

Download an application form to join the Friends of Bashfordsland Wood & Oakfield Glen

Frog Video at Bashfordsland Wood

Have enclosed below a video of frogs and their spawn at a pond in Bashfordsland Wood.

Fun Day at Bashfordsland Wood

Have uploaded some photographs of the Family Fun Day at Bashfordsland Wood yesterday.

The Wilson family from Carrickfergus are shown some willow weaving techniques.

The Blackstock family from Lisburn at Bashfordsland Wood.

The Grant family from Carrickfergus enjoying the events at Bashfordsland Wood.

The rain and hale did not put off members of the Black, Green and McKnight families that attended the Family Fun Day at Bashfordsland Wood.

The Hamilton family enjoy the fun day at Bashfordsland Wood.

Family Fun Day at Bashfordsland Wood

On Saturday 26th February you will be spoilt for choice with all the activities and entertainment on offer at the Family Fun Day at Bashfordsland Wood.
The day offers a variety of activities including face painting, storytelling, samba drumming, guided walks, willow weaving and arts and crafts.
PROGRAMME OF EVENTS

Storytelling sessions 12.45pm, 1.45pm & 2.45pm
Guided walks 1pm and 2pm (meet at marquee)
Drumming Workshop - 12.30pm, 1.30pm & 2.30pm

Parking is available at Oakfield Community Centre. Bashfordsland Wood  is located at Red Fort Park, off Marshallstown Road, Carrickfergus - see location map.

Love your parks this Valentine's Day

...A stroll in the park will do wonders for you!
Did you know that just five minutes of exercise in a park has been shown to boost your mood and self esteem?
Show your local park some love this Valentine's Day!
Visit us at http://www.carrickfergus.org/environment/parks-and-open-spaces/love-parks-week/

Tree Planting at Bashfordsland Wood

Carrickfergus pupils from Oakfield Primary School planted trees in support of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers today.

The tree planting event took place at Bashfordsland Wood (Red Fort Drive off Marshallstown Road) on 28 January 2011 as part of the launch of Carbon Army in Northern Ireland.

Carbon Army is the climate change campaign organised by BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) - it’s all about taking local action on a global problem. The Carbon Army campaign is providing opportunities for positive action to help tackle climate change.