The Barrack Hill Town Park Steering Committee would like to create a wetlands area with a walk & cycleway loop adjacent to the Ballywilly Brook just off the Ballyloskey Road. This action was recommended by the Biodiversity Action Plan as a result of the Biodiversity Audit commissioned by ECO Carn of which BHTP is a member.
- This development will have multiple benefits for our community: It will enhance the biodiversity of the area where planting of native flowers, plants, hedges and trees will be protected and more will be planted providing food and shelter for many of our endangered pollinators and animals.
- It will provide access and a pathway along the Ballywilly Brook which will enable the removal of the invasive species of Himalayan Balsam.
- It will help to mitigate flooding by catching surface water, slow the flow, and through the deep-rooted plants, flowers and native trees in the wetlands, will assist water to sink into the ground. Flooding of the Millbrae is a perennial problem, and this development should help mitigate this problem using nature-based solutions.
- The planting of reeds along the sides of the pond and in the wetlands will help clean the water before it enters the river leading to less pollution in the stream due to silt and ground run off into the stream.
- The planting of flowers, hedges, and trees provide a carbon sink, enhancing the Decarbonisation Zone plan in Carndonagh.
- The BHTPSC hope to link the pathway along the Ballywilly Brook to a 5km path/ cycleway linking the park, the Moville Road, the Balmain housing estates to the Sacred Heart Church and to all the local schools again adding to our Decarbonisation Zone plan and the development of active travel in our area.
- In addition, it will act as a tourist attraction bringing economic benefit to our area.
- We believe that this development will provide educational benefits to our young people in the form of biodiversity education, water testing and understanding of the impacts of our actions on water quality. It has the potential to fulfill some of the Junior Cycle Framework Skills, along with elements of the Junior and Leaving Cert Geography/ Science/ Biology and Agricultural Science syllabi. It is our-long term aim to develop a Biodiversity Centre where Post Primary students could carry out their practical projects. We could provide a resource for all the Inishowen pupils. It will also have health and well-being benefits for our young people when engaging in these educational activities.
- The Loop Walk along the wetland area and Ballywilly Brook will be a great resource for those with all levels of mobility who wish to benefit from spending time in green spaces as well as reaping the wellbeing benefits of listening to the sound of water. There are health & wellbeing benefits for all users and walkers within the area.
On receipt of funding from Lawpro for this project the Inishowen Rivers Trust were appointed to carry out further research that is currently ongoing.
photo by Catherine Turner