The woodlands of Florence Court have been given a new lease of life following the recent addition of trees donated by the Rotary Club of Enniskillen.

This donation of the native species of trees to Florence Court House and Gardens will help replace ash trees felled due to ash dieback, improve the biodiversity of the grounds, and support diverse local wildlife.

On Wednesday, April 27, the National Trust welcomed staff and pupils of two local schools – St. Mary's Primary School, Killesher and Florencecourt Primary School – who helped plant the new trees at Florence Court.

Henry Robinson and Kenny Fisher, representing the Rotary Club, supported National Trust staff and volunteers from all departments to facilitate the planting.

The pupils from the schools brought their break with them and sat in the sun at the visitor centre to enjoy their snacks after all their hard work.

Speaking on behalf of the Rotary Club of Enniskillen, Henry Robinson said: "At an all-Ireland level, we were encouraged to get involved in environmental issues and try to promote sustainability and in particular, tree planting.

"As a club in Enniskillen, we applied for and were successful in getting some trees provided by Rotary Ireland that we were able to share with the National Trust at Florence Court."

"Delighted" to be able to participate in the planting exercise with the two primary schools, Henry added: "On behalf of Rotary, I would like to thank the National Trust for co-ordinating the exercise and ensuring that the trees are planted where the public will derive benefit from the trees in years to come."

Commenting on the benefits of the tree-planting exercise, David Seaman, National Trust Area Ranger, said: "Not only are we forming new partnerships but we are also replanting trees which will replace some of the ash dieback cut-outs.

"We hope that this is the start of more partnership work with the local schools surrounding Florence Court House and Gardens."