TERAPROOF:User:rorynoonanDate:02/01/2015Time:12:29:33Edition:05/01/2015Monmonecho050115Page:15 Zone:EE

Monday, January 5, 2015 NEWS 15EE - V1

RIGHT: Dave Foley ofAvondhu BlackwaterPartnership Ltd, right,with John Howard ofRathcormac Game andWildlife Club, checkingthe plans at the CorrinNature Reserve nearFermoy.

Plans to develop a nature reserve in North Corkto protect native species and habitats from

depredation are now in their final phase. Yetthe work is by no means finished. Those behind

the project have appealed for funding andvolunteers to come on board to keep it going

By KIRSTY TOBIN

LEFT: The grey partridge— ‘‘its preservation isour key aim,’’ says JohnHoward, of theRathcormac Game andWildlife Club.

Picture: David Keane

● TO follow progress atthe Rathcormac NatureReserve, or for details onhow you can getinvolved, visitwww.rathcormacgameandwildlifeclub.ie

The Nature Reserve is being funded by Rathcormac Game and Wildlife Club.

Follow itsprogress

Nature Reserve will be a hugedraw in the North Cork area

IN 2006, John Howard, of theRathcormac Game and WildlifeClub, approached the AvondhuBlackwater Partnership, inFermoy, with an intriguingidea.The club was anxious about falling

numbers in local wildlife populations.Habitats were being lost through re-clamation, building, drainage and thedevelopment of the M8 motorway. Thegrey partridge was dying out.Something, they felt, had to be done.The proposal? A Nature Reserve, to be

located on six-acres of land the club hadbought with their own revenues.The reserve would focus on conserva-

tion, attempting to protect native spe-cies and to protect habitats from furtherdepredation.“Those six acres are going to be saved

from the bulldozer for ever more,” saysJohn Howard.“Wedon’t intend to bring in any exotic

or unusual species, just native plantsand animals. Particularly the grey part-ridge — its preservation is our keyaim.”Avondhu Blackwater, without hesita-

tion, agreed to fund the project to a valueof €68,319.15 under the LEADER RuralDevelopment Pro-gramme 2007-2013.Explaining the

justification forfunding of thismagnitude, ValerieMurphy, pictured,CEO of AvondhuBlackwater, said,“The reserve willbe one-of-a-kind inthe north Corkregion and, assuch,will be a hugedraw.‘‘It’s also hugely important to safe-

guard the future of local habitats andlocal wildlife populations, and that’s anethos we try to embody and support atAvondhu Blackwater.”The reserve is a huge undertaking,

sure to yield manifold results. Valeriesees the benefits of the reserve surpass-

ing conservation and tourism. The re-serve will act as an education tool forlocal schools, allowing students the op-portunity to see, first-hand, the benefitsof creating an environment in whichendangered species can thrive.Furthermore, the reservewill serve as

a fabulous amenity in which nature canbe appreciated and enjoyed by all andsundry.John, for his part, agreeswithValerie,

but he also hopes that the reserve willshow gun clubs in a new light.“Game clubs are finally being recog-

nised for their conservation efforts, butthere still needs to be more recogni-tion.‘‘We don’t shoot anything that’s rare

or endangered, and every one of ourmembers is as dedicated to wildlife asthey are to shooting.”The proof is in the wildlife — since

work on the reserve began, local specieshave started flooding into the protectedspace, and club members are optimisticthat this influx of wildlife will grow astime goes on.Now, the final phase of development

on the extensive project is coming to aclose, yet the work is by no meansfinished, and the club is desperate forfurther funding, and for an investmentof time.“While we couldn’t have gotten to the

stage we’re at now without the help offunding from Avondhu Blackwater, it’sgoing to take even more money to keepthe reserve going, so we’re looking fordonations.”The club is also looking for gardeners

and landscapers who would like todesignanarea of the grounds, andwouldlove for someone to sponsor the place-ment of covers on the reserve’s threepools.The viewing area, standing high

above the reserve, is affording stunningviews over the ever-changing landscape.And so it becomes clear that the reservewill very much be an evolving entity.Entry to the reserve will be granted

free of charge.