List of Areas of Special Scientific Interest in County Londonderry facts for kids
An Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) is a special place in Northern Ireland that is protected because of its unique nature or history. These places are found all over County Londonderry, and this article lists them for you!
ASSIs are important because they help protect amazing wildlife, rare plants, interesting rocks, and even old buildings or structures. It's like giving these places a special shield to keep them safe for the future.
What are ASSIs?
An Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) is a special area in Northern Ireland that the government protects. The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) is the group that decides which places become ASSIs. They are part of the Department of Environment.
These areas are chosen because they are very important for nature or for their history. Protecting them helps keep our environment healthy and preserves important parts of our past.
Why are Places Chosen?
Places become ASSIs for different reasons. They might have:
- Special Animals: Like rare birds, insects, or other creatures.
- Unique Plants: Such as unusual flowers, trees, or mosses.
- Interesting Rocks and Land: This includes cool rock formations, ancient landscapes, or special soil types.
- Historic Man-made Structures: Unlike some other protected areas, ASSIs can also include old buildings, mines, or other structures made by people. These are chosen if they are very rare, have a long history, or are just really interesting. For example, old mines like the Whitespots mines in Conlig are protected because of their unique history.
ASSIs in County Londonderry
Here is a list of the special protected areas in County Londonderry:
- Aghanloo Wood ASSI
- Altikeeragh ASSI
- Altmover Glen ASSI
- Ballyknock ASSI
- Ballymacallion ASSI
- Ballymacombs More ASSI
- Ballynahone Bog ASSI
- Ballyrisk More ASSI
- Banagher Glen ASSI
- Bann Estuary ASSI
- Binevenagh ASSI
- Bonds Glen ASSI
- Bovevagh ASSI
- Carn / Glenshane Pass ASSI
- Castle River Valley ASSI
- Coolnasillagh ASSI
- Crockaghole Wood ASSI
- Curran Bog ASSI
- Dead Island Bog ASSI
- Drumbally Hill ASSI
- Errigal Glen ASSI
- Ervey Wood ASSI
- Gortcorbies ASSI
- Lough Beg ASSI
- Lower Creevagh ASSI
- Lough Foyle ASSI
- Lough Neagh ASSI
- Loughermore Mountain ASSI
- Magilligan ASSI
- Moneystaghan Bog ASSI
- Ness Wood ASSI
- River Faughan and Tributaries ASSI
- River Roe and Tributaries ASSI
- Smulgedon ASSI
- Sruhanleanantawey Burn ASSI
- Teal Lough and Slaghtfreeden Bogs ASSI
- Teal Lough Part II ASSI
- Toome ASSI
- Tully Hill ASSI
- Wolf Island Bog ASSI
For information on similar protected sites in other parts of the United Kingdom, you can look up List of SSSIs by Area of Search.
