Wild Nephin National Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wild Nephin National Park |
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| Páirc Náisiúnta Néifinne Fiáine | |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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View of the park from the southwest
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Map of Wild Nephin National Park (green) within County Mayo
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| Location | County Mayo, Ireland |
| Area | 150 km2 (58 sq mi) |
| Established | 1998 |
| Governing body | National Parks and Wildlife Service |
Wild Nephin (which means Néifinn Fhiáin in Irish) is a special national park in the northwest part of County Mayo, Ireland. It covers a huge area, including much of the Nephin Beg Mountains. It also has one of the biggest areas of peatland (a type of wet, spongy ground) in all of Europe. This peatland is called an Atlantic blanket bog and covers about 150 square kilometers.
Wild Nephin is a very unique place for plants and animals. It was first created in 1998 and called Ballycroy National Park. Later, in 2018, it got bigger and was renamed Wild Nephin. There are plans to help the new areas, especially Nephin Forest, return to a more natural state. This is called rewilding. The park even contains the most remote spot on the Irish mainland, far away from roads and towns.
Wild Nephin is also a candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC). This means it's a very important place for nature. It's also a Special Protection Area and part of the Natura 2000 network, which protects important natural sites across Europe.
Contents
How Wild Nephin Was Created
The European Union has a rule called the Habitats Directive. This rule says that certain habitats (natural homes for plants and animals) and species (types of animals or plants) need to be protected. Ireland made this rule part of its own laws in 1997.
One of the habitats that needs protection is the blanket bog. The bog at Ballycroy is super important because it's one of the largest and best examples of a blanket bog left in Western Europe. Because of its importance, Ballycroy was made a national park on November 1, 1998. The park is managed under a law from 1954 called the State Property Act.
In 2017, the park grew even bigger! About 4,000 hectares (that's like 40 square kilometers) of forest and mountain land were added. This land used to be managed by a company called Coillte and had lots of planted trees like pine and spruce. Now, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) manages this new area. They plan to let it return to a wilder, more natural state through rewilding.
Amazing Features of the Park
Wild Nephin National Park has many cool features. You can find huge blanket bogs, tall cliffs, and important river habitats here. The blanket bog is one of the largest areas of peatland left in Europe. Protecting this bog is important for the whole world. It provides special homes for many different species. Some rare plants, like Hamatocaulis vernicosus, grow here.
The Owenduff River is also a very important part of the park. It's the only river in Western Europe that still flows through a large, untouched blanket bog. This river is also a vital place for salmon and sea trout to live and breed.
Birds and Wildlife
The Owenduff area is a key spot for many migratory birds. These birds stop here to rest, eat, and raise their young. Some of these birds, like the Greenland white-fronted goose, are protected by the European Union Birds Directive. Other rare birds you might see in the park include the whooper swan and the fast peregrine falcon.
Mayo Dark Sky Park
Wild Nephin National Park is also known as the Mayo Dark Sky Park. This is Ireland's very first International Dark Sky Park! It means the park has very little light pollution, so you can see the stars, planets, and even the Milky Way incredibly clearly at night. It's a fantastic place for stargazing.
Visitor Centre
If you want to learn more about the park, there's a visitor centre that opened in 2009. This large building is about 700 square meters. It has amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean and is located in Ballycroy village. The centre is open every day from mid-March until early November.
See also
In Spanish: Parque nacional de Wild Nephin para niños
