A woodland in Portadown has been given a welcome expansion, thanks to new trees planted as part of an initiative by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) Borough Council in partnership with NIE Networks, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and the local community.
Volunteers from the organisations came together to plant around 600 native species trees at Corcrain Woodland, adding to the established woodland which was originally planted back in the year 2000 as a ‘Millenium Wood’.
Local Councillor Lavelle McIlwrath took his turn with the spade at the event which is the latest in a series of successful tree-planting initiatives led by ABC Council’s Conservation Team.
Each year, NIE Networks are forced to cut back and cut down trees as part of the ongoing maintenance and safety of the electricity network.
To offset the removal of these trees, NIE Networks is working with The Conservation Volunteers to offer free trees and planting support to schools and communities and will be planting around 14,000 young trees in locations across Northern Ireland during the 2025-2026 winter tree-planting season which runs until Springtime.
A variety of native species such as Alder, Downey Birch, Cherry, Aspen, Rowan, Oak and Willow were planted during the event, and it is envisaged that the area will enhance the area for the community as well as becoming an important habitat for local bird species and other wildlife.
ABC Council is delighted to be working in partnership with TCV and NIE Networks on this project. The area will be extended in spring 2026 with another tree planting event and the Council already have more sites identified that can be planted out in the coming years as part of this joint work.
