************************************** Saturday 28th December ***********************************
Our Carlow branch invite you to join them for and outing to the BirdWatch Ireland east Coast nature reserve in County Wicklow. Officially opened in 2009, the East Coast Nature Reserve (ECNR) is our largest reserve covering 92ha. It forms part of the extensive Murrough Wetlands, an important coastal wetland complex which is designated as a Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation.
Originally, the grasslands were intensively farmed, with tree-lined watercourses and a conifer plantation growing within the fen. Now, following management through an EU LIFE project between 2003 and 2007, the reserve offers a variety of habitats, from rare fen to wet grasslands to birch woodland, which can all be explored on foot through marked walking trails and observation hides.
