Volunteers and conservationists have been fighting scrub on Scrabo Hill in Newtownards to increase numbers of a small reptile not widely known to be a native of Ireland.
The common lizard is the only terrestrial reptile in the country and Scrabo has been identified as having an existing lizard population. However, due to scrub encroachment, the usable habitat was slowly being lost so a programme of works was devised by the Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership with the 'Dragons in the Hills' project.
The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Karen Douglas, visited Scrabo Tower last week where local volunteers were working to upgrade the habitat for the local lizard population.
