Exciting event announcement! Friday 5 June Feasting on Weeds Foraging Walk at Victoria Park, 11am - 1pm Friday 19 June Birds of Colin Glen Bird Watch at Colin Glen, 10.30am - 1pm www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/belfast-hi... Part of Belfast City Council’s Tree Strategy programming.

For anyone without Bank Holiday plans why not head out to the Glencairn Blossom Festival?! Perfect for all the family, the Blossom Festival takes place this Monday 25 May from 11am - 2pm at Glencairn Park.

We will be out this week with Glencairn Community Project & Glencairn Neighbourhood Association for the big community clean up this Wednesday from 11am! If you are a local resident who wants to help out and can spare some time feel free to come along to the bridge on Forthriver Way.

Bookings are now live! belfasthills.org/events/cyano...

In June we are delighted to be teaming up with local artist Polly Garnett to bring you a Cyanotype Workshop! This is the perfect opportunity to explore your creativity & create your own sun prints to take home. Tickets are £3 via our website from 10.30am tomorrow: belfasthills.org/events/cyano...

Today marks the beginning of #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek. This year’s theme is Action. Mental health is something we can all take some time out to look after, even on our good days. If you are supporting a friend or loved one through a mental health challenge be sure to take care of yourself as well.

This week attendees at our Riverflies course learned to identify Mayflies, Stoneflies & Caddisflies (under recorded in NI) to genus level. Thanks to Craig MacAdam, BugLife & Helen James, National Museums NI for their delivery of this course; and to @belfasthills.bsky.social for facilitating!

Thanks to Farming Life for covering tomorrow's event! www.farminglife.com/country-and-...

Belfast Hills Partnership have teamed up with NIFRS & PSNI to encourage local communities to reduce their risk from wildfires. Over the coming weeks we will be out delivering Firewise leaflets to at risk communities so they know how to protect against wildfires. belfasthills.org/newsroom/are...

We are delighted to announce the 2nd instalment of the Big Walks on Saturday the 2nd May. Focusing on the Celtic Wheel, this walk celebrates Bealtaine. While spaces are free, booking is essential as spaces are limited. Get booking now! belfasthills.org/events/belfa...

Dive deeper into the world of Freshwater Insects during this two day course with @cedarrecordsni.bsky.social Buglife & @belfasthills.bsky.social - Wednesday 6th - Thursday 7th May - 10am-4pm - Belfast Hills Partnership Offices - £66 nationalmuseumsni.digitickets.co.uk/event-ticket...

Calling all bird nerds, this is not an April Fool! Bookings are now live for our Spring Birdwatch at Valley Park. Join our Conservation Officer Geoff for a morning of birdwatching and learn some basic identification skills. Snap up your free space on our website: belfasthills.org/events/sprin...

Farmers have a unique role in safeguarding the natural environment. To highlight the positive steps being taken in the Belfast Hills, we have sat down with three young farmers, including Kyra, to discuss the nature friendly farming practices: belfasthills.org/newsroom/far...

Project Manager - Mourne Park with Woodland Trust, full-time, fixed term position, home based with regular travel to Mourne Park and around Northern Ireland c-js.uk/4bwIvCz

Many thanks to Channel 5 for featuring us in their Love Nature mini documentary! www.channel5.com/show/love-na...

Join this year’s #CityNatureChallenge, April 24–27 & contribute to the world’s largest #CommunityScience event 🌍 With National Museums NI, Wild Belfast, @bsbibotany.bsky.social & BugLife All you need is the free @inaturalist.bsky.social app📲 Join the project: www.inaturalist.org/projects/cit...

Wildfire prevention starts with you! If you see a wildfire report it via 999 ASAP. Don’t ever tackle a wildfire yourself; get away from the scene of the fire as quickly & safely as possible as flames can spread incredibly quickly.

Bookings are now live! belfasthills.org/events/geolo...

We're delighted to announce our new lecture series, Geology of the Belfast Hills! This short lecture series explores the story of our planet using the Belfast Hills as a local case study. Tickets cost £20 (£15 concession) & are available at 10am tomorrow morning belfasthills.org/events/geolo...

Our work took us to Northern Ireland this month 💧 Gareth Pedley has been undertaking walkover surveys of the Crumlin River catchment, identifying pressures on water quality, water quantity and habitat availability. His report will also highlight ways to improve the river for fish and other wildlife.

Tomorrow marks International Day of Action for Rivers! The theme this year is Protect Rivers, Protect People. Find out how our newest project takes action to improve the Crumlin River, a tributary of Lough Neagh. belfasthills.org/projects/cru...

The deadline for the draft Nature Recovery Strategy has been moved to Wednesday 15 April 2026. Have your say here: www.daera-ni.gov.uk/news/deadlin...

Wood Anemone can be a sign of ancient woodland. Found between the trees @ulsterfolkmuseum.org, this slow-growing pollinator food plant was once thought to be a lucky charm. Last year we received 77 records of Anemonoides nemorosa. Let us know if you see any this year!

‘Whitewell, Cave Hill’s Lost Village’ is a valuable historical account of an exceptional place & time that could easily have been lost in its entirety. The film is being shown at the Theatre at Mossley Mill on Saturday 14 March 2026 at 7pm. Tickets are £11.50: theatreatthemill.com/book/?show=1...

Thanks to The News Letter for sharing this article highlighting the challenges farmers in the Belfast Hills face from illegal scrambler use. www.newsletter.co.uk/country-and-...

Bookings are now live!

We are delighted to announce that we are teaming up with The Edible Flower for a Spring Greens foraging walk and cooking class at Colin Allotments! Tickets are £30 per person and go live tomorrow morning at 10.30am - set your reminders now to avoid disappointment! belfasthills.org/events/sprin...

Farmers have a unique role in safeguarding the natural environment. To highlight the positive steps being taken in the Belfast Hills, we have sat down with three young farmers, including Martin, to discuss the nature friendly farming practices: belfasthills.org/newsroom/far...

Thanks to Farming Life for highlighting our ongoing work to tackle rural crime in the Belfast Hills. www.farminglife.com/business/ufu...

We're delighted to team up with Green Woodwork Ireland for a Spoon Woodcarving Workshop as part of our Belfast Tree Strategy programming with Belfast City Council. Friday 20th March from 10am - 2pm Bookings go live tomorrow morning at 10am! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/spoon-wood...

Logainmneacha Shléibhte Bhéal Feirste le @cnagaeilge.bsky.social Bígí linn agus foghlaim faoi stair na logainmneacha ar shléibhte Bhéal Feirste, an tábhacht a bhaineann leo agus iad mar chuid dár n-oidhreacht roinnte. Saor in aisce: belfasthills.org/events/logai... @snagaeilge.bsky.social

Carnmoney comes from the Irish ‘Carn Monaidh’ meaning ‘cairn of the hill’. There was likely to have been a cairn - a stone pile marking a burial site - on the hilltop which could place human influence on Carnmoney Hill as far back as the Bronze Age, two thousand years ago. #placenames

We're delighted to launch our 2026 Events Programme! We hope there is something here for everyone; from those interested in history & heritage to nature lovers & those looking for family friendly events. You can visit our website for more information: belfasthills.org/events/

⚠️ We've had reports of seabirds washing up. Please report ALL species of dead birds ⬇️ 📍 In England, Wales & Scotland: www.gov.uk/guidance/... 📍 In Northern Ireland: www.daera-ni.gov.uk/... 📍 In Republic of Ireland: aviancheck.apps.serv... #UKBirding #BirdingWales #BirdingScotland

We are delighted to feature in today's Country Diary in @theguardian.com Read about Mary Montague's reflections on participating in a riverfly survey here: www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Apply for our Young Bird Observatory Visitors Programme grant ➡️ www.bto.org/ybov Each year the BTO provide a number of grants of up to £250, to support young people looking to visit one of the accredited British and Irish Bird Observatories. Closing date: Sunday 1 March. #UKBirding

Collinward is an Anglicised version of the Irish, ‘Coll an Bhaird’, hazel of the baird. The hazel tree is associated with fertility, wisdom & protective powers against evil. The ‘baird’ was more than likely a poet from the O'Hagan clann & allocated to the Gaelic lords of the area, the O’Neills.

‪2 very last minute spaces have just opened up for our FREE Tree Nursery event tomorrow (Tuesday 17 February) as part of the @niscifest.bsky.social! Snap them up here: belfasthills.org/events/ni-sc...

Spotted clouds of frogspawn or the first bright yellow burst of Lesser Celandine? We want to hear from you! If you have spotted early signs of Spring please submit your sightings to our website. This is one of the easiest ways to help nature #citizenscience belfasthills.org/biodiversity...

2 spaces have just opened up for our FREE Tree Nursery event on Tuesday 17 February as part of the @niscifest.bsky.social! Move quickly, this event booked out extremely quickly: belfasthills.org/events/ni-sc...

The modern name Cave Hill is fairly self-explanatory as there are a series of 5 caves in the basalt face of the rock. A 15th century Irish source refers to it as ‘Beann Uamha’ (hill of the cave). It's also known as ‘Beann Mhadagáin’ or Ben Madigan, referring the Ancient Irish King, Matudán (857 AD)

We welcomed a group of students from @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social Dentistry & the QUB Dental School Sustainability Committee to the hills on Saturday for some tree planting. The students got stuck in despite the wet weather and we planted an amazing 225 native saplings! Well done everyone.

Ligoniel Improvement Association currently have a vacancy for a Regeneration Project Coordinator. If you are interested in applying please email [email protected] or call 028 9039 1225 to request an application pack.

Introducing...the Trainee Ranger class of 2025-6! 🎓 Last night our Trainee Rangers attended their Celebration Night after they successfully completed the 15 week Scheme. This was a chance for the young people to showcase the work they done & celebrate their achievements. Well done everyone!

Squires Hill is supposedly named for Henry Le Squire – a 17th century lawyer, Constable of the Castle and Sovereign of Belfast (from 1635-36 and again in 1639). George Benn’s ‘History of Belfast’ deems him ‘the most important inhabitant of Belfast at that time.’ #placenames

Farmers have a unique role in safeguarding the natural environment. We sat down with young farmers to discuss the nature friendly & climate adaptive farming practices that are being employed to consolidate the future of our food systems & the Belfast Hills. belfasthills.org/newsroom/far...

Wolf Hill comes from the belief the last wolf in Ireland was killed at this alleged spot in 1692. However, a few places throughout Ireland that lay claim to this title. Early records indicate that 'Sleacht an Fhir Mhór' was the name of this hill, which translates directly as ‘cairn of the big man’.

Our new ‘Journey to 30x30’ project funded by DAERA is joining a global movement to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030. In the Belfast Hills, we will be working directly with farmers, quarries and community groups to restore nature on their land. Check out our webpage- lnkd.in/ejpEqTfw

The Big Walks are returning for 2026! The walks celebrating Imbolc take place on Sunday 1 February 2026 with various starting times depending on the route you choose (Cave Hill, Divis & the Black Mountain or Ligoniel Dams). Booking is essential for this free event: belfasthills.org/events/belfa...

Divis is the highest peak in the Belfast Hills standing at 478m above sea level. Its name comes from the Irish word, ‘Dubhais’ meaning black ridge. Similarly Black Mountain is a translation of the Irish ‘Sliabh Dubh’. Both names refer to the dark black basalt bedrock of their formations. #placenames