The 250-acre site near Cave Hill will be transformed into a conservation woodland for wildlife and to help fight the climate crisis.
One of the most recognisable parts of the Belfast skyline, Cave Hill and the surrounding Belfast Hills surround the city and offer a stunning backdrop. So, it’s exciting news as a Belfast Hills site is to be transformed into new conservation woodland.
The 250-acre site will be turned into a brand new conservation woodland for wildlife and to help in the fight against the climate crisis. Locals will also be able to visit the forest once works have been completed.
Improving Northern Ireland’s tree cover – shocking statistics
At present, Northern Ireland has the poorest level of tree cover in the whole of Europe, with only between 4% and 8% percent being native trees and 0.04% ancient forest.
The scheme through which the Belfast Hills site is to be transformed into new conservation woodland is part of an initiative to improve this figure while also giving locals access to nature.
With the help of the Biffa Award, which awards grants to communities and environmental projects, The Woodland Trust Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) purchased the £600,000 site with the aim to transform the space.
A haven for wildlife – a home for various species
Broadleaved trees that are native to Northern Ireland will be planted on almost two-thirds of the 250-acre site, and the remaining third will be kept as grassland to provide a home for native plants, such as the wild honeysuckle flower that attracts bees and other insects.
Speaking on the news Ian McCurley, director of Woodland Trust Northern Ireland, said,
“This is an incredible investment, and we are excited about the opportunity to create a new native woodland within a short drive of the population of greater Belfast, Newtownabbey, and South Antrim.”
Hopes for the future – doing what is right for the planet
The new conservation site is part of the plan to increase tree cover in Northern Ireland to 12% by 2050 as a means to help fight against the climate crisis.
McCurley said, “To be able to create woodlands on this scale means more for nature, more for climate change, and more for people.
“We need to rapidly increase tree cover to help reach net-zero carbon emissions and tackle the declines in wildlife. We want to conserve the land in the Belfast Hills and restore it to a beautiful habitat for people and nature.”
The Belfast Hills site that is to be transformed into new conservation woodland will border to popular Cave Hill Country Park, which attracts an astounding 270,000 visitors every year, and will link the existing paths between Divis and the Belfast Hills.
As well as providing a huge benefit to the environment and the wildlife in the area, locals will also be granted free access to the woodland providing those living in the surrounding areas with the perfect opportunity to get out in nature.
