Exploring
the natural world

Protect

Narrator: The Ecos Millennium Centre is working with people of Ballymena to protect their local environment.

Woman 1: My name is Debbie Sayers and I am the duty manager here at the Ecos centre.

When we first opened this was an environmental centre but in the last couple of years we have diversified into other areas. We still have two galleries with interactives in them about sustainability and diversity, but we have diversified into a conference venue, office accommodation for outside organisations…

We’re set within 150 acres of parkland so the recreational activities are still there for the walkers, the dog walkers, the bird watchers and that sort of thing, and we have the little park outside for families. So we have a lot of activities to cover, a lot of ranges of needs.

Man 1: My name is Martin I just came here with my daughter and cousin because we like coming down here during the time when it’s festive and there’s nice weather and stuff like that. So they can come and enjoy the park and play about.

Child 1: It’s a nice area to come for a walk, and we do enjoy it.

Man 2: We come every… I’d say about four or five times a year we’d come here, because it’s nice to come down here, and they feed the ducks and all that, as well. So, it’s nice on a hot sunny day like today as well.

Man 3: Well, I’m from Ballymena anyway and I’ve lived here for about 25, 30 years and it’s nice to come here and have somewhere where the children can learn about the environment, where they can have nice peaceful walks and enjoy the countryside, because prior to that there wasn’t really much around here at all.

Woman 2: I’m here for four children because there is a park, they can go into the Eco Centre and they love coming here to ride their bikes. And because they love the park and feeding the ducks and there is a variety of things they can do for a couple of hours.

Narrator: This is a Big Lottery Fund podcast, for more information go to: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Local people in Ballymena are making their contribution to protecting the environment through the Ecos Millennium Environmental Centre

Local people in Ballymena have been able to get a range of environmental projects off the ground thanks to their involvement with the Ecos Millennium Environmental Centre, the only one of its kind in Northern Ireland.

Built on 150 acres of marshland on the edge of the town, Ecos comprises a visitor centre with two interactive galleries, a nature park managed by the Ulster Wildlife Trust and a conference centre.

Ecos attracts 27,000 visitors every year, the vast majority of whom are local residents who have become increasingly involved since it opened in 2000.

Local people raised £16,000 to plant trees, build fencing and install bird hides, and a number of community organisations got together in 2010 to undertake a river clean-up operation.

In addition, the Ulster Wildife Trust employs an outreach officer whose work with local schools on environmental issues has helped several of them secure ‘green flag’ status, marking their successful commitment to continuously improving their environmental performance.

did you know?

• Set in 150 acres of parkland
• One of only eight places in Northern Ireland to be home to the Irish Ladies Tresses Orchid
• The first environmental centre to open in Northern Ireland