Long and Muir visit tree nursery at Magilligan Prison

Run by prisoners and capable of producing up to 70,000 trees annually, the new nursery, within the walls of the prison, includes Holly, Guilder-rose, Hazel, Crab-apple, Willow, Bird-cherry and Wild-cherry trees.

The ‘Justice for Woodlands’ project is a joint venture between Magilligan Prison, Binevenagh Landscape Partnership Scheme, Woodland Trust, Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust, and was established in 2022 after the receipt of an award for £54,190 from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

During their visit Justice Minister Naomi Long and Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir spoke to staff and prisoners involved.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said: “This project will build on ecological and climate resilience by providing native trees for the creation of new woodland or expanding existing woodland.

“A significant element of the tree planting is also connecting people with nature. Prisoners are learning new skills and through educational opportunities, external training on tree nursery maintenance and development, they are growing trees for communities against which they have offended.”

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir said: “Additional tree and woodland planting will be essential to enable us to mitigate against climate change and to deliver nature recovery.

“I am delighted with the progress that this project has achieved since the initial funding from my Department. Many of the native trees grown by the prisoners and staff at Magilligan will be planted in woodland expansion projects across Northern Ireland to create a long-lasting legacy from which our communities will benefit.

“It is also good to see trees being grown from local seeds and cuttings. Planting locally grown trees reduces the need for us to import trees and lowers the risk of bringing diseases into local populations.”

Aisling Gribbin from the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust, said: “The Magilligan Tree Nursery is the first large scale nursery of its kind in Northern Ireland and only the second in Ireland which does not rely on European imported stock.

“The prisoners are integral to a lot of the seed collection, processing and managing the trees in the nursery, and they also play a part in the planting of the new trees in the local community.”