A strong feature of the Quoile area is bio-diversity, wetland and rough grazing habitat, along with the crisscross pattern of hedges and field boundaries.

Local farmers and land stewards can help to protect the River Quoile:

• Fence off to protect waterways on your land – to reduce river pollution and reduce erosion.
• Ensure correct effluent and slurry management – to reduce river pollution.
• Plant trees by river ways – to reduce soil erosion and in turn river pollution.
• Responsibly use fertiliser on your land and soil-sample annual – to ensure best fertiliser usage and reduce fertiliser run-off, which in turn will reduce river pollution.

CASE STUDY

Finnebrogue Estate Farm is 600 acres of mixed farmland located along the banks of the River Quoile outside Downpatrick. Farm manager, Mark Sandford says they’re committed to cleaning up the Quoile and have already begun their journey by committing half the land to rewilding. They have reintroduced hedgerow, wetland habitats and are restoring an ancient oak woodland. In fact, over the past three years they have planted 40,000 trees on the farm to restore boundaries, restock the land and help redress bio-diversity.

Mark says he knows the Finnebrogue Farm is not perfect and there is still plenty of work to do, but it is a journey. He urges all local farmers and land stewards to share their journeys, no matter what stage they are at.

Farming is central to conserving the Quoile area, and here are some additional  ways that farmers and land stewards in the area can support:

• Maintain hedgerows and field patterns
• Graze sheep or cattle
• Allow Brent geese to graze agricultural land when eelgrass is in short supply
• Reduce shore poaching by livestock
• Woodland management
• Maintain high water quality in streams
• Retain wetlands
• Rewilding

If you are a land steward or farmer along the River Quoile, please get in touch and find out how to support the campaign and what help is available to you: hello@cleanthequoile.com

Show your support for the Clean up the Quoile campaign by signing our petition.