In Northern Ireland – the Woods on your Doorstep (WOYD) project was made possible thanks to a £5m grant from the Millennium Commission, confirmed in September 1996. The project had special significance to a country which fares badly in terms of woodland cover. Northern Ireland is one of the least wooded regions in Europe with just over 6 per cent woodland cover, compared to the European average of 44 per cent. Furthermore, the majority of this is non-native, conifer plantations. The project made a valuable start at redressing this situation with the creation of 51 new native woods throughout the country. As well as offering wildife, landscape and recreation benefits, the new woods were a positive and lasting tribute to the new millennium.
This was the start of the Woodland Trust in Northern Ireland.