There’s been a massive increase in the number of people visiting Coillte’s recreation forest in Tipperary this summer.
Coillte’s visitor tracker shows that more than 3,500 people went for a walk around Glengarra Wood in Burncourt between June and August, when COVID restrictions were lifted.
This is in stark contrast to the lockdown months of March and April.
Speaking to Tipp FM News, Pat Neville from Coillte says people have been more conscious of getting out for fresh air when they can:
“The social distancing part is really important but the benefits of a walk in a forest are really good. There’s a lot of research to show – and we all know the benefits of walking are good for our heart – but there’s evidence to show that a walk in the forest is good for your mental health as well. So it strengthens your heart and your mind.
“There’s good evidence to show that we can really unwind and feel better after taking a walk with nature, for example in a forest.”
However, with more visitors, Pat says there has been an increase in litter in some forest areas:
“We’ve seen a mixed response to that. So right around the country, not just in Tipperary, we’ve seen visitor numbers increase and in certain hotspots we have seen an increase in litter.
“So, with that in mind, we’re part of a government campaign that’s running at the moment called ‘Love this place, leave no trace.’ It’s just asking people to be really responsible and the stuff that they’re bringing to the forest, to bring it back home with them as well.”
