 The
Ecologist's Tale
8-9-06
Charlotte Webbon from Hankinson
Duckett Associates, ecologists on the Lafarge Consultancy
team, is quizzed on the time she and two colleagues
spent surveying the site as part of the Environmental
Assessment that was undertaken to help guide the plans
prepared for the redevelopment of the old works and
quarry.
| The
Magheramorne ecology team (from left to right):
Kevin Patrick, Charlotte Webbon and Adrian Meurer |
How long did you spend on site?
Because the site is so huge, and has many different
types of habitat - coast, cliffs, grassland, woodland,
ponds - we spent a lot of time doing ecology survey
work to make sure we covered everything. In total,
the three of us spent over 60 days (and nights!)
on site between us. |
What sort of things did you look for?
A site as big as Magheramorne has a lot of potential
for wildlife to occur, and we did surveys for lots
of different things, including rare plants, birds,
bats, otters and badgers. |
Did you find anything unexpected?
One day I was in the quarry and heard a noise on
the slope above me. It was so steep that I didn’t
think anything could be up there, but I looked up
and saw a herd of feral goats! There are about 10
that live mainly in the quarry, but sometimes they
can be found around the rest of the site, even on
the beach. Local people apparently know about the
goats, but to me they came as a real surprise. |
Will any of the ecology suffer as
a result of the proposals?
No. The results of the surveys were taken into account
during the development design, to make sure that
the proposals will not affect any important habitats
or wildlife.
Where some impacts on wildlife are unavoidable –
like, for example, where works will be needed to
make the quarry cliffs safe - measures will be taken
to ensure that any impact is minimised and dealt
with in an acceptable way. This includes things
like providing alternative sites for nesting birds
and roosting bats, doing works at a time when wildlife
is least likely to be affected, and replacing any
important habitats which may be affected by the
development works.
In addition, the development incorporates measures
to enhance the biodiversity of the site, including
the creation of a reedbed and ponds, planting of
new areas of shrubs and trees, and provision of
bird boxes and floating islands for nesting and
roosting birds. |
Will the public be able to see the
birds and the wildlife?
Yes, most definitely. The aim of the development
is to allow visitors not only to come and enjoy
the beautiful scenery but also to find out more
about the ecology. There will be a visitor centre
with disabled access, bird hides and walks around
the site, so anyone can come and have a look around
on the paths that will be marked. |
What were the best and worst things
about doing the surveys?
The best - the people and the Guinness! Everyone
was so friendly and welcoming, which is just what
we needed when we were spending so long away from
home.
The worst - the lovely Northern Irish weather. It
got a bit bleak at times, particularly when a biting
wind and horizontal rain were howling over Larne
Lough in January! |
The old lime kilns provide
potential roosting sites for bats. |
|
Bee Orchids: one of the
protected species found at Magheramorne Quarry.
|
|
