Wild Belfast, Queen’s University planners and some in the council hope to make Belfast the first national park city on the island of Ireland… A series of public conversations kick off this evening in the city centre. Find out more here 👇 open.substack.com/pub/theearth...

What can we celebrate already as a city? Where can we do better? #WhatIf #BelfastNationalParkCity

Our #Belfast #NationalParkCity workshop is well underway. Attendees are writing a postcard to themselves from 2050. They've been asked: 1) What do you see? 2) What's changed locally? 3) Who's here, and what's their r'ship with nature? 4) How do you feel living here? What would you say?

Thanks to Slugger O'Toole for allowing me to write about the joyful insurgency taking place here in Belfast to explore the idea of Belfast becoming a National Park City and the power of asking "What if". You can check it out here: sluggerotoole.com/2025/10/18/w...

This Robin has developed camouflage.

Typically a univoltine species (i.e one flight season April to June) in Northern Ireland the Holly Blue butterfly, a protected species, has developed a second flight season, likely due to our warming climate. This one was seen outside its typically associated flight season in Garvagh yesterday.

The media propensity to run "police probe [cultural figure x]" stories is corrosive to our polity. Few if any of these probes get anywhere, but the No Further Actions never get similar prominence. And what lingers are the police interventions, as if such activity is normal and to be expected.

We need more urban green infrastructure. Every development using private or public funds should be required to include it. European heatwave caused 2,300 deaths in 10 days: www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/...

Did you ever wonder where all the starlings went at the Lagan Bridge? Wild Belfast member Dawn re-tells the beautiful and poignant story of the murmurations disappearance, and return. Article by @wildlifeni.bsky.social → bit.ly/3ZQ9Rx2 #Murmurations #WildIreland

Digitising our workshop on how we make Belfast a National Park City - outcomes en route! Fab contributions so far: - We're a confluence of past and future - Make natural heritage last as long as built heritage - Make gardens a public good Get involved - email [email protected].

As the OEP outline the importance of protecting wildlife at a local level, and the value of local wildlife sites in doing so, councils across Northern Ireland are showing no ambition in Local Development Plans to zone new sites, or are revoking them entirely. www.theoep.org.uk/report/local...

We're taking our exploration of #Belfast as a National Park City into one of Belfast's best loved meanwhile sites. I'll be joined in discussion with our host Gawain as well as Perla from Sustrans and Lizzy from Belfast Hills to explore a National Park City, what to celebrate and how we can do more

Whenever they come crocodile-tearing at your doorsteps, remember this. This action plan was to address water quality issues affecting Lough Neagh and beyond, their political cowardice compounds the issue. #DUP #UUP #TUV #SINNFEIN

“Where did all the starlings go?” This was the question Lagan rower Dawn Patterson brought to Wild Belfast. Watch as Dawn re-tells the beautiful and poignant story of the murmurations disappearance, and return. Article by @wildlifeni.bsky.social → bit.ly/3ZQ9Rx2 #Murmurations #WildIreland

Meadow restoration taking shape at PEC in Botanic Gardens. These are what traditional grasslands would have looked, smelt and buzzed like. Bravo to upsurge project, Belfast City Council and partners. Let's see more of this 👏🦋🐝🐞

It's #worldswiftday and I'd like to share a story with you about our swift mural. Equipped with a solar powered caller to attract swifts to the nesting bricks, we had one issue - how to turn the caller on (>10m high) once the swifts arrived?

Join us at Queen's University on Tuesday 10th June from 10am for a discussion reflecting what if we treated Belfast like a National Park. We'll hear from an array of experts and muse how Belfast can be better for us and biodiversity. Register here: lnkd.in/evrHtZGs

Remember to register for the Planning at Queen's University Belfast and Wild Belfast conference asking "What if Belfast was a National Park City?" E.g. what if schools and universities offered nature rich green infrastructure to encourage ecological awareness and an asset for communities?

🗞️Authors from the @ipbes.net #InvasiveAlienSpecies Report have published the Global Impacts Dataset of Invasive Alien Species derived from the report, creating a global resource for investigating and managing the impacts of invasive alien species. 🌍🧪 Read more in ‪@nature.com‬ bit.ly/43APoP7

What if Belfast was a National Park City? After last year's "Making Space for Nature' conference that's the question we'll be exploring in our next conference on the 10th June with Planning at Queen's University Belfast. What if we had better access to green space?

We're calling for more sites to be zoned to protect nature by Belfast City Council. We have international ambitions to protect and manage 30% of our land & seas by 2030, why isn't this percolating through to how we approach planning? m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/environ...

Belfast is taking part again in the #CityNatureChallenge! We want to put Belfast as high up the global league table and assert our position as a hot-spot for ecological recording. Get involved - all you need is your phone and appropriate clothing ⏬🐝 www.inaturalist.org/projects/cit...

My take on the parakeets in the Waterworks story. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

We've submitted our consultation for the extension of opening hours (with most of the heavy lifting done by the fab Erin Mckeown). In principle Belfast City Council have our support, we can't expect people to care for nature if they can't access nature. But here's what we're calling for:

There's no reason for Labours toryesque behaviour. Developing with nature creates better, more climate resilient schemes. Accreditation schemes such as Building with Nature exist that orientate schemes to produce high quality #GreenInfrastruture. Mandate it. www.buildingwithnature.org.uk

This👇 is how it should be done We need changes to the #PlanningBill to make developments like this the norm rather than the exception www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Talking about the importance of our urban green spaces today with the BBC. These spaces are the foundations of our urban biosphere. We must manage them better for biodiversity. We aspire to manage 30% of the planet for biodiversity by 2030 but where is the ambition to renature our public estate?

YELLOW RATTLE!!!! First year in new urban house and this is a fine sign that the l(y)awn is diversifying. Tense next couple of weeks to see if more establishes 🤞

WILFRID THE CUCKOO IS IN GUINEA

I've just nominated Wild Belfast @wildlifeni.bsky.social animal.movementforgood.com/index.php?cn... @wildlifeni.bsky.social

Hiya folks! We are organising a campaign to win £5k for Wild Belfast. £5k would be a huge deal for us - in 5 seconds you could help us pay for our core costs for *5 years*. Can you nominate us (see link below - closing date 23rd Feb). Thank you ❤️💙💚 animal.movementforgood.com/index.php?cn...

So positive to hear Tim Smit from the Eden Project in conversation with @wildlifeni.bsky.social @niscifest.bsky.social talking about the potential of Belfast, all in the beautiful surroundings of the Elmwood Hall @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social

Reposting favourite coastal shots shared with the Global Shorelines project over the last 5 years. Mull. @iolowilliams.bsky.social Orphir, Orkney. Matt Tebbutt White Park Bay, Co Antrim. @edwardpollard.bsky.social Village Bay, St Kilda. @wildlifeni.bsky.social Maybe share a coast you love.

How different birds would act on a first date...a thread. (From us to you this #ValentinesDay) 💕👇

Tonight as part of #NISF25 Late Late Love Lab I'm discussing queerness in wildlife. We'll discuss our polysexual, polygender world and show how nature is not only queerer than we suppose but is queerer than we can suppose. nisciencefestival.com/events/late-...

Join us on the 16 February in Victoria Park to learn about the wintering birds there! Book a free ticket at www.wildbelfast.org/events-1/win...

On the Lagan with @barrabest.bsky.social today telling the story of the return of Belfast's starling murmuration at Albert Bridge. You'll see more of us on Barra’s Return of the Wild.

It's becoming increasingly apparent that Idiocracy is a before it's time documentary. www.bbc.com/news/live/cl...

Fair play to the Belfast Cycle Campaign and @sustrans.bsky.social for calling the Department for Infrastructure out on this. DfI have been a law onto themselves for too long dodging difficult decisions on active transport. Hopefully this will signal a step change. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I'm taking part in a Conversations event with QUB on nature in the city. For instance, Belfast has a road map to protect 30% of its area for biodiversity by 2030. To meet it depends on how they manage their green spaces, see alt txt & come along for more info. docs.google.com/forms/d/1Z6f...

Absolute green washing nonsense from Chancellor Rachel Reeves on @bbclaurak.bsky.social this morning. The Labour Government are on a "mission for growth" and the UKs environment and climate targets needlessly appears to be the fuel.

With the winds dying down don't forget this weekend is #BigGardenBirdWatch. All you need to do is fill your bird feeders, grab a coffee / tea, and record what visits. Find more info here: www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happen...

Making our city beautiful

Something that every council, school, cemetery, playing pitch, garden and housing commons could be rolling out right away to benefit #urban #biodiversity. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

So instead of stopping the causes, add more medical intervention?

Some pictures from our (Wild Belfast) Starling murmuration event at the Albert Bridge on Saturday. Thanks to all of those who popped along! (photos work of talented @MalMccann)

For #abnicreativityweek we're celebrating how the arts, supported by #Belfast2024, have allowed us to celebrate our wildlife and help to conserve endangered species. For more information visit wildbelfast.org/living-murals-1 @artscouncilireland.bsky.social

New report out that records that reducing the mowing done in urban and suburban grass can boost pollinator abundance by 170%. www.conservationevidencejournal.com/reference/pd...

#Climateemergency , coming to a town near you. Whether it's inconvenient or not.

Heartily recommended. A great example of what joined-up thinking and persistence can do for biodiversity.