Slieve Donard: Signs of life after devastating mountain fire
Slieve Donard: Signs of life after devastating mountain fire
Three years after a major fire, NI's highest mountain is showing signs that habitats are recovering.
Just over three years ago Slieve Donard, the highest peak in the Mournes, went up in flames.
That fire burned long and deep, with plant and animal life paying a heavy price.
Since then efforts to revitalise the mountain have been ongoing – with conservationists saying progress has been made.
Full recovery, however, will likely take decades.
High above Thomas’ Quarry, a team from the National Trust has been working on that revitalisation.
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Just over three years ago Slieve Donard, the highest peak in the Mournes, went up in flames.That fire burned long and deep, with plant and animal life paying a heavy price.Since then efforts to revitalise the mountain have been ongoing – with conservationists saying progress has been made.Full recovery, however, will likely take decades.High above Thomas’ Quarry, a team from the National Trust has been working on that revitalisation.James Fisher, the trust’s lead ranger, said the work is tailored to suit the scale of damage caused.“Over 300 hectares of the upland habitat was burned," he said.“In certain areas the burn went right down into the peat and the recovery has been slow.
From a distance those dams resemble a sort of ad hoc staircase winding its way up the steep incline.
On closer inspection, they are not just filled with water but with an array of plant life.Mr Fisher's colleague Linus Voksepp says the dams are already reaping dividends.“The damming slows the water fall off the top of the mountain and that helps build up organic materia,l which is a good thing," he says.
Further down the mountain – below the burn zone - a team of workers from the Mourne Heritage Trust is installing new trails made of local stone and wood.
But the problem persists.Last week 64 firefighters dealt with a blaze near Hilltown.Near Rostrevor Maria O’Grady, Bridget Higgins and other members of the Hiking Hens Walking Group also rose to the occasion to put out an abandoned fire.
“We were coming down from our hike at Pierce’s Castle with all of our hens and on the way home we came across a campfire that was blazing at Yellow Water.
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