Conservation and education at a Sligo woodland thanks to a... local shopping centre

An 88-acre site near the Easkey River includes a bog which will be at the heart of a Hometree biodiversity restoration project to support unique bog species and provide habitats for birds, kingfishers, and otters

Ray Ó Foghlú and Jon Dunt, centre manager at The Canopy. Picture: Vincent Monahan / Duck Upon Rock Productions

A shopping centre’s efforts to be more green haven’t stopped at solar panels and recycling bins — one Sligo mall has put nearly 90 acres of woodland on its 'shopping list'.

The Canopy (formerly Johnston Court Shopping Centre) in Sligo has teamed up with conservation and nature restoration charity Hometree to create a permanent native woodland with the aim of promoting land regeneration and biodiversity.