NI Water has stepped up its efforts to plant 1 million trees on over 500 hectares of land between 2020-2030 with a planting ceremony in the Mournes.

A number of representatives were in attendance to celebrate the planting of over 23 thousand trees near Fofanny Water Treatment Works in the Mournes.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, CEO NI Water Sara Venning said: "We are in a climate emergency and NI Water is helping, in partnership with others, to address this, collaborating in creating a green and prosperous future for us all.

"Using NI Water land to plant trees offsets the carbon emissions from NI Water's electricity consumption. Trees being planted near our rivers and streams helps reduce the effect of climate change by capturing carbon and slowing river flow.

"Looking across at this landmark site today, where over 23 thousand trees have been placed, we have visible evidence of the difference we are making in the fight against climate change."

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NI Water has already planted over 150,000 trees in some of the 24 drinking water catchments in Counties Antrim and Armagh. Trees planted close to riverbanks help prevent bankside erosion; as much of the water used for our drinking water comes from our rivers and lakes, trees act as a natural filter.

Working in partnership with Forest Service and the Woodland Trust Northern Ireland over the last 10 years, NI Water has planted a diverse range of trees, native to Northern Ireland, to encourage our flowers and fauna to flourish. Trees also provide a home for wildlife and shelter for spawning fish.

CE Forest Service John Joe O'Boyle commented: "This new woodland that we are visiting here today, is a great example of the effective partnership between NI Water and Forest Service, working with the Woodland Trust, to bring forward publicly-owned land suitable for planting trees. We are all becoming more aware of the importance of trees and woodlands in helping to mitigate climate change and in adding to the diversity of our environment, bringing health and well-being benefits for people to enjoy."

Ian McCurley, Director of Woodland Trust Northern Ireland, added: "We at the Woodland Trust have a crucial role to play and so does everyone. To be able to create new native woodland means more for nature, more for climate and more for people. To increase tree cover in Northern Ireland, we need to pursue a mix of approaches, at a variety of scales appropriate to the landscape. Our partnership with NI Water allows us to create woodland on a landscape scale in order to help reach net zero carbon emissions and tackle the declines in wildlife."