The Ballymoney Stream EIP project 2021/22 was designed by the Ballymoney Community Group to assess, improve and protect the biodiversity of their coastal stream catchment. While the Community Group was originally set up to address environmental issues, the project provided the opportunity for farmers, landowners and families to get involved. This project combined different environmental concerns and people in a collaborative approach to create a mini-case study for biodiversity protection and restoration.
One of the planned actions by partners of the Ballymoney Stream Catchment Biodiversity Pilot EIP Project was in relation to wetland restoration. The aim was for the wetland to be restored through field stream floodplain enhancement by linking enlarged rain floodwater overflow ponds.
When looking for suitable wetland plants to enhance the vegetation in the wetland, the project team quickly realised that native, Irish-grown wetland vegetation was difficult to obtain, with most suppliers importing vegetation. This risks the introduction of new invasive plants.
As a solution, the project coordinators, who had a wetland pool on their land, focused on building their existing pond to increase native wetland vegetation which could be suitable as a nursery for donor wetland plants which are ready to go into other people’s pools and streams to restore their wetlands, improve water quality and biodiversity. After consulting expert advice, they confirmed there were no invasive species in water, and so the wetland vegetation in this donor pond was safe and suitable to replant upstream and in other wetland areas to be restored.
Upon monitoring at the end of the project, the donor wetland vegetation has a 98% survival rate, adding to wetland restoration, biodiversity and water quality while avoiding the introduction of new invasive species through importation of the plants.
This approach is replicable on a wider scale in this area, or in other locations for those who wish to enhance local plant diversity for wetland restoration.
For more innovation about this innovation, contact Leo at leo@erinn.eu.
