Why not view County Tyrone's wild flora in print

The Centre for Environmental Data and Recording (CEDaR) and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) today launched ‘The Flora of County Tyrone’.

The book has been written by Ian McNeill and provides details of each plant to be found growing wild in Tyrone. Speaking at the launch Caroline Mhic Daeid, Chair of Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI) said: “The publication is a celebration of County Tyrone, its scenery, its geology and its plants”.

NIEA Director of Natural Heritage, Graham Seymour said: “This new flora takes us back to the roots of nature conservation and will inspire us to engage with the environment around us – a fitting landmark for the ‘International Year of Biodiversity’.

“The publication of this book should be seen not so much as an end product but rather the beginning of a new era of recording – where the next generation will have access to a detailed account of how habitats and species may be affected by environmental changes.”

Dr Sinead McCartan, NMNI Head of Collections, Research & Interpretation welcomed the book saying: “It is a treasure, well written and authoritative - a book you can dip in and out off.”

Notes to editors:

1. CEDaR is a partnership between Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), National Museums NI (NMNI) and the environmental recording community of Northern Ireland.
2. The book is available from the National Museums Northern Ireland and from all good bookshops priced £25/€30 plus package and posting. Please note bank charges will apply if paying by BACS. For further information contact info@nmni.com or call +44 (0) 28 9042 8428 BSBI - Botanical Society of the British Isles.
3. NIEA provided funding for this initiative of approx £15,000. These costs were largely associated with printing.
4. A flora is not just a summary of botanical records but a context in which to present information on plant diversity within a geographic area. For example the book contains details on plant rarity, plants that have become more common through time, plants that are declining and plants of particular interest. One of the central themes of the Northern Ireland Biodiversity Strategy is to make more locally-relevant information available. This is one such compendium of information and a notable milestone in 2010, International Year of Biodiversity.
5. All media enquiries should be directed to the DOE Press Office on 028 9054 0003. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.