Woodlands and forests are places of great beauty and mystery.
They are three dimensional at the human level, we can walk into a wood and be dwarfed by the trees in a way that is not possible in grasslands or bogs.
They are places of fairy tales and folklore, romance, and poetry.
Even within small woodlands it is possible to feel isolated as the trees reduce the view and cut off outside sights and sounds. Indeed, it is much easier to get lost in a relatively small wood than on a mountain!
The trees themselves form the woodland habitat and at the same time provide habitats for other plants and animals which live in and on the trees.
Our native woodlands, contain a great variety of plant and animal life or ‘biodiversity’ and are a very valuable part of our natural heritage.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service have produced a report “Ireland’s Woodland Heritage”
Download it from HERE