Local people enjoyed a guided culinary and foraging walk around Peatlands Park this week and had the opportunity to brew their own pine needle tea and produce their own apple juice.
The event was organised by a new environmental grouping established to celebrate and protect the important wildlife habitats between the River Blackwater and the Bann. The development of the group and its lively programme of events is part of the outreach work of the CANN project, which is delivering conservation work restoring the raised bog on the site through re-wetting and clearing of invasive rhododendron. This was one of a series of events that are all advertised on Facebook, search for https://www.facebook.com/HfN.BlackwaterBann to find out more.
People of all ages took part in the exploration, enjoying the last sunshine of autumn (along with a couple of showers), and tasting some of the riches of the season.
“Our guide, Daniel Monaghan, a local teacher and story-teller,took us on a walk around the park and explained the different habitats of bog and woodland here at Peatlands Park. We learned about the properties of sphagnum moss and the role bogs can play in combating climate change” said Paul Higgins who lives locally.
“On the way round, we gathered pine needles and apples from the local heritage orchard and sampled our own freshly pressed apple juice and enjoyed the refreshing taste of pine needle tea” he continued.
