THE Woodland Trust, the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, has acquired a major tranche of new land in the Belfast Hills.
The Trust has taken ownership of 98 hectares next to Cave Hill Country Park, with plans to conserve and restore the site. It plans to open the woodland to the public for free, once works are completed on site.
Northern Ireland currently has the lowest tree cover within Europe at just 8 per cent, of which 4 per cent are native trees and 0.04 per cent is ancient woodland.
Ian McCurley, director of Woodland Trust Northern Ireland, said: “We want to thank Biffa Award who have donated £550,000 and NIEA who have funded £50,000, allowing us to purchase the land in Belfast Hills.
“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.
“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.”
Rachel Maidment, Biffa Award grants manager said: “We are extremely privileged to be able to support the Woodland Trust Northern Ireland’s project to purchase 247 acres of land at Cavehill Wood to support woodland creation, improve existing habitats and create new habitats.”
The new site borders Cave Hill Country Park, which attracts over 270,000 visitors every year from Belfast and the surrounding areas and will link existing pathways through Divis and the Belfast Hills.
It will also be a vital piece of the jigsaw linking current Woodland Trust sites at Carnmoney Hill, Monkstown Wood and Throne Wood, providing free outdoor spaces for the local community in north Belfast, Newtownabbey, South Antrim and the greater Belfast area.
The news comes after the charity committed to planting 50 million more trees in the UK by 2025 to help tackle climate change.
