What We Do
Our core activities dictate what we do on a day to day basis. However, we frequently apply for additional funding to carry out specific project work. Here is a flavour of what we are currently working on.
Mournelive showcases the work of Mourne Heritage Trust. The Trust was established in 1997 to manage the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It is an independent limited company and a registered charity, dedicated to protecting and enhancing this special landscape.
The Mourne AONB is located in the southeast of Northern Ireland and covers 570 square kilometres (57,000 hectares). It includes the Mourne Mountains, a beautiful coastline, and the ancient uplands of Slieve Croob. The area is rich and varied, with lakes, reservoirs, farmland, drumlins, beaches, and sand dunes creating a distinctive and diverse landscape.
The Trust’s mission is:
‘To sustain and enhance the environment, rural regeneration, cultural heritage and visitor opportunities of the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and contribute to the well-being of Mournes communities’.
To illustrate, the following graphic provides a quick overview of our work.
Countryside Services
Our Countryside Service team undertakes a wide range of work across the AONB. Their day-to-day activities change with the seasons and, increasingly, with weather conditions. This work includes:
- Litter management, high Mournes car parks
- Maintenance of the Play Parks in Tollymore and Castlewellan Forest Parks
- Maintenance of a number of green lanes/rights of way
- Stile, fence and bridge maintenance in the high Mournes
- Assist with post-storm tree clearance
- Invasive species control
- Maintenance of a number of Interpretive Panels across the AONB
- Monitoring user numbers and events
Erosion Control
The Trust has a long-standing commitment to erosion control in the area.
The Covid-19 pandemic brought a surge in visitors to the Mournes, straining popular walking routes. Some areas already faced challenges, underscoring the need for a strategic path management approach. Thanks to increased support from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, we now have a dedicated Upland Team in place from 2024.
Sustainable Paths
The long-term sustainability of paths is crucial. Paths must cope with more visitors and extreme weather, while keeping users comfortable and protecting fragile habitats.
Over the years, we’ve built up experience that has helped us refine our techniques. This image shows a path where we’ve blended two styles—stone pitching and ‘branch and aggregate’—to work naturally with the landscape.
Forest Rangers
Our Forest Rangers work across Castlewellan Forest Park and Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor. In these locations, they are responsible for maintaining mountain bike trails, ensuring routes are kept clear of debris and fallen trees—particularly as storms become more frequent.
Moreover, their on-the-ground presence allows them to engage directly with trail users, which subsequently leads to practical improvements. For instance, after observing trail use, a fallen tree was moved to a popular resting spot. Consequently, it now offers informal seating while seamlessly blending into the natural surroundings.
Healthy Heathland
A key part of caring for the Mourne landscape is the heathland management project. Increased recreation, inconsistent grazing, and wildfires have damaged the area, affecting the habitat and species. The Healthy Heathland project has focused on developing best practices tailored to the Mournes.
Eroded peat hags are an increasing concern in the Mournes. To tackle this issue, numerous dams have been created to improve water retention and promote regeneration. In the high Mournes, we use stones and large coir rolls—made from coconut husks—to build these dams. These dams help control erosion and support faster vegetation growth.
Peat+ Project
Mourne Heritage Trust is delighted to be a partner in the PEAT+ project – a €19.2 million cross-border project to restore peatlands, enhance biodiversity and combat climate. Work on this exciting new project will commence in early 2026.
The project is led by local nature conservation charity Ulster Wildlife and is funded by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
Sustainable Tourism
“Caring for Mourne” involves working closely with local businesses to promote sustainable tourism principles. From the outset, the Trust has placed a strong emphasis on sustainability, beginning with the Natural Resource Rural Tourism Initiative (2003–2007). During this period, the area achieved the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism, becoming the first destination in the British Isles to receive this recognition.
Since then, continued funding has enabled further investment in the landscape. For instance, the Mourne Mountains Landscape Partnership (2013–2017) secured around £3 million to support local projects, strengthening the area’s natural, built, and cultural heritage over time.
Leave No Trace
The Trust actively promotes the “Leave No Trace” principles (see below):
- Plan ahead and prepare.
- Be considerate of others.
- Respect farm animals and wildlife.
- Travel and camp on durable ground.
- Leave what you find.
- Dispose of waste properly.
- Minimise the effects of fire.
- For further information, please follow this link: Home – Leave No Trace Ireland
Wildfire Management
The Mournes has a long history of wildfires, which have affected the area in many ways. In 2007, local organizations joined forces to create the Safer Mournes Partnership, aiming to tackle fire and crime through education and practical community safety advice.The partnership includes representatives from the Mourne Heritage Trust, NI Fire & Rescue Service, PSNI, Forest Service, National Trust, and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
The Cost of Wildfires
In May 2011, a small fire near Annalong quickly escalated, spreading across 10 square kilometres within hours and devastating an area of European significance while putting lives at risk. At its peak, firefighters from 61 of Northern Ireland’s 68 fire stations fought the blaze, with flames reaching heights of 40 feet and spreading faster than a person could run. By the time the fire was extinguished, it had destroyed one-third of the heathland within the Mourne Wall.
The scale of this devastation persuaded the Partnership that more needed to be done. Thankfully, the government funded a team of experts to visit the area. They produced a report that recommended preventative measures. It also outlined actions to manage fires more efficiently.
In April 2021, a fire caused significant damage to Slieve Donard, Thomas’s Mountain, and the Glen River Valley. A few months later, the Environment Minister allocated £332,000 to the Mourne Wildfire Recovery Project, led by the National Trust. This funding is to support habitat management, future planning, monitoring, stakeholder engagement, and equipment needs. The Donard Nature Recovery Report (published in April 2025) details conservation efforts to address the damage caused by this fire.
Strategy, Policy Development and Partnerships
Mourne Heritage Trust’s ‘Caring for Mourne’ framework is guided by the Mourne AONB Management Plan, which sets a vision to protect and enhance the landscape through collaboration with key partners.
Four interconnecting themes form the basis of the management plan:
- Mountain, Countryside and Coast
- Historic Environment
- Sustainable Communities
- Enjoying, Appreciating and Understanding the Mourne AONB
The Trust represents landscape priorities in local, national, and international forums, and contributes to policy development and sharing best practices.
Examples of key networks include:
- Northern Ireland Environment Link
- Landscapes NI
- National Outdoor Recreation Forum
- National Landscapes Association
- Europarc Federation
… to name just a few.
We maintain ongoing communication with central and local government policy makers. We also respond to government strategy consultations, highlighting how proposals may affect the area.
Mourne Groups
Local groups, key partners, and stakeholders support our advocacy efforts by working closely with the Trust. Such groups include:
- Mourne Outdoor Recreation Forum (MORF) – convened by the Trust and SportNI
- Mourne Wildfire Group – a collaboration with NI Fire & Rescue Service and the high Mournes Partnership (including key public landowners such as the National Trust, NI Water and Woodland Trust).
These forums help the Trust understand key issues affecting the AONB, shaping policy and operations for greater impact.