Page 11 - BPW-UK - E-news - Edition 123 - July 2024 - Binded

The Growth of McLoughlin’s Wood – 2 years on!

My opportunity to do something worthwhile and environmentally friendly in my retire-
ment came in August 2021 when I responded to a call for landowners to undertake tree
planting under the DAERA Forest Expansion Programme. I was accepted for this pro-
gramme in March 2022 and my 12-acre plot in beautiful rural County Antrim became
the home of McLoughlin’s Wood.

A local conservation company planted the 6350
trees of 10 different native species – oak, alder,
beech, birch, hazel, rowan, wild cherry, field ma-
ple, crab apple and scots pine for me and since
the initial planting, approximately another 800
native species trees have been added to the for-
est!

Initially the area looked like a forest of bamboo canes
but over the last two years they have grown rapidly
and the landscape has changed completely. I am
committed to this scheme for 10 years and so by the
end of that it really will be a fully grown forest.

President Jo was keen to see the forest development
when she was in Northern Ireland for the BPW NI In-
ternational Lunch and, as you can see, the very obvi-
ous growth of the trees.

As the project continues, I hope there will be many op-
portunities for lots of you to visit and try out the se-
cluded picnic areas, which have been incorporated into
the forest, for yourself in the coming months and
years.

There will always be a welcome for you in McLough-
lin’s Wood.

Jacqui McLoughlin

BPW Northern Ire-