Students in Ennis have visited Drumcliffe Water Treatment Plant to take part in a tree planting initiative.

Irish Water welcomed 4th class students from Ennis National School, who lent a helping hand with planting native trees at the site.

Members of Irish Water's South West Region Biodiversity Forum, staff from Green Belt Forestry, EPS, and Clare County Council, greeted the students at the treatment plant last week to plant 50 trees in time for Christmas. 

The pupils arrived on site ready to learn more about how the River Fergus provides Ennis town with all of its drinking water, and about the Alder, Oak, Birch and Hazel trees that would soon be thriving in the area. 

The Drumcliffe Water Treatment Plant is soon to have some 5,520 trees planted over the coming weeks where it will eventually become a wild and wonderful habitat for Jay Birds and Red Squirrels.

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Speaking at the event, Chair of Irish Water's South West Region Biodiversity Forum, Anna Brosnan, said: "There are smiles all round today. We have all had such a lovely time with 4th class students of Ennis National School. As part of today's tree planting event, we have also erected a plaque at the gates of the treatment plant marking the occasion. It is a wonderful thought that in 20 or 30 year's time, these children might be walking the lovely hills and lakes in Drumcliffe and look up to see the trees they planted when they were young.

"Trees are the lungs of our planet and without them, we wouldn't survive. Irish Water treats around 1.7 billion litres of clean drinking water across the country and returns around 1.6 billion litres of treated wastewater safely to the environment every day. This means our sites cross a range of natural habitats."

Anna added: "By planting these 5,520 trees and putting a stop to the regular mowing of the grass at the treatment plant, Drumcliffe Water Treatment Plant will soon become home to even more different types of wildlife and insects.

"Irish Water recognises the urgent need to increase our efforts to halt the decline of biodiversity. We are committed to building infrastructure that protects and, where possible, enhances our ecosystems. By reducing the number of times we cut our grass on-site, and in our gardens at home, we are giving plants more time to flower, and in turn more chances for pollinators to survive. We can all play our part in protecting and enhancing biodiversity."