A UNIQUE business is offering people the chance to own a little piece of Ireland, while at the same time helping to conserve the country’s landscape.
The goal of Emerald Heritage is to protect, preserve and enhance the quantity of native Irish woodland and wildlife through restoration and expansion.
The estate is located within the famous ‘Nine Glens of Antrim’ and is an extension of Craigagh Wood.
It has been officially designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty and is known for its spectacular scenery.
Customers purchase a small plot of land and those funds are then reinvested into planting trees and purchasing further land to restore and protect.
Lyn Nelson, who was born and raised in the North Coast of Ireland, is Director of Emerald Heritage Ltd.
“I learnt through the local press about the very serious situation facing our Irish native woodlands and how deforestation over the centuries had impacted upon the whole of Ireland’s landscape to the present day,” said the mum-of-two, who splits her time between the Channel Islands and the North of Ireland.
“During my visits home to see my family I was horrified to learn that Ireland is the least wooded place in Europe.”
The EU woodland average is around 34 per cent but, Lyn says, it could take Ireland at least 80 years to get to that level, even with the work local government and charities are doing to tackle the issue.
The North of Ireland, for example, currently has a mere 1-3 per cent of native woodland left.
And so drawing on her acute business sense and determination to make a difference, Lyn teamed up with her friend and colleague, John Langlois OBE, to develop Emerald Heritage.
“We simply refuse to rely on Government grants, goodwill or donations,” Lyn said.
“Instead we want to involve the community, children, volunteers and landowners alike to get involved by inviting them to come and plant trees and take pride of their very own plot of land.”
“We already owned land in the beautiful area of The Glens of Antrim and realised that we could make a difference with the public’s help,” Lyn added.
“By inviting them to purchase their own little souvenir plot with Emerald Heritage, together we can ensure that this valuable natural resource will never be destroyed by developers or the like, thus ensuring its conservation for future generations.
“We will plant the trees on their behalf, with the funds raised from the sale of the plots. The woodland will then be allowed to regenerate naturally and provide a safe haven for wildlife and people alike — in perpetuity.”
Emerald Heritage has also teamed up with the Ulster Historical Foundation, a charity based in Belfast that helps people to trace their Irish roots.
“Our vision for the future is to create woodland of many hundreds of acres which will be protected forever and will leave a stamp on the Island forever,” Lyn said.
“We want to encourage our landowners from all over the world to come and visit this area of outstanding beauty and proudly take them on tours around the north coast of Ireland — I am pretty sure they will also be compelled to see the whole of Ireland and its beauty.”
Visit http://emerald-heritage.com/ to find out more.
See More: Emerald Heritage, Ireland, Preserve Woodland
