September Climate Champion, Roy Spence

This month, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council are proud to celebrate Roy Spence as our Climate Champion for September – a passionate and tireless advocate for the environment who has dedicated both his professional career and personal life to tackling the climate crisis.

Roy has spent over 25 years as a forester in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, working to improve woodland habitats and biodiversity across the region. More recently, he has taken up a new role with the River Blackwater Catchment Trust, where his focus is firmly on environmental protection, water quality, habitat restoration, heathland recovery, and education on climate issues. His expertise ranges from carbon capture to invasive species control, and he is committed to passing on his knowledge to younger generations through school education programmes.

Roy’s work has also gained national recognition – he has appeared on BBC News discussing the threat of wildfires, and he now chairs a wildfire group to protect Slieve Beagh, working closely with the RSPB, Ulster Wildlife, Butterfly Conservation, squirrel groups, and government departments. Several years ago, Roy designed the National Woodland Network Project, a water protection initiative presented to local councils and political leaders, which, if implemented, could provide long-term solutions to challenges such as the current Lough Neagh crisis. Remarkably, this project was developed entirely in his own time.

Beyond his professional achievements, Roy leads by example in his personal life. At home, he grows his own fruit and vegetables organically and has transformed his garden into a flourishing wildflower meadow to inspire others to move away from sterile lawns towards habitats rich with plants and pollinators. With his son, he spends weekends lifting litter from local roads, and he builds bird boxes, bat boxes, insect hotels and feeders to support local wildlife. Roy is also an active voice online, sharing articles and social media posts to raise awareness of environmental issues.

Roy’s tireless work is a reminder that individual action, combined with professional expertise and community collaboration, can make a real difference in the fight against the climate crisis.