Wild Spaces

Wild Spaces

Newry and its hinterland has a wide variety of habitats and sites and I want to compile a list of these spaces for people to visit. There are certain places I like to visit for particular organism groups such as hoverflies or bryophytes. That being said, I am always scoping out new spaces where I might find interesting wildlife. I have categorised the sites by county and have included what they are good for species wise.

County Down:

• Daisy Hill Woods – native and exotic trees, hoverflies, bumblebees, wildflowers
• Rostrevor Oakwood – one of the few remaining ancient oakwood in Ireland; native trees, bryophytes, lichens and wildflowers
• Cranfield Beach – a little further outside Newry; rock pooling, seaweeds, shark and skate egg cases, coastal botany
• Newry Greenway – estuarine and freshwater habitats – trees, bryophytes, birds, wildflowers, invertebrates

County Armagh:

• Derrymore Woods – owned by the National Trust; trees, woodland flowers, invertebrates, fungi
• Camloch/Ballymacdermot Mountain – heathland habitat; bryophytes, ferns, trees, pollinators, amphibians, wildflowers
• Camloch – freshwater plants, solitary bees, wading birds, bryophytes
• Sliabh gCuillin Forest Park – parkland and heathland; bryophytes, trees, ferns, wildflowers, invertebrates
• Fathom Forest/Flagstaff – dry heath and woodland; bryophytes, ferns, wildflowers, oceanic species, invertebrates
• Canal Wood – along Newry towpath; hoverflies, butterflies, wetland plants, amphibians, dragonflies, wildflowers

County Louth:

• Ravensdale Forest Park – Coillte owned plantation; bryophytes, epiphytes, oceanic species, wildflowers
• Carlingford Mountain – upland calcareous habitats; bryophytes, ferns, wildflowers

There are other places which I frequent but are not easily accessible or are not public land. However, there is an immense amount of biodiversity from all these sites and can all be reached easily and within a 15 minute drive from Newry.