Spring 2006

Published by The Belfast Hills

Partnership

66% of the total NI level. • High levels of domestic illegal fly tipping across the Hills have an enormous im-pact on the landscape & scenic value of the hills. ● Current waste policy & management give cause for serious concern for the well being of the wildlife, landscape, residents and agriculture in the Hills. This study highlights the urgent need for greatly improved waste management and policy for what is recognised as a precious environ-mental asset to the citizens of Northern Ireland.

The Belfast Hills Partner-ship hit the headlines with a new strategic Environmental Assess-ment of waste in the Belfast Hills. The study attempted to provide a picture of the overall impact of all waste management policy and practice in the Belfast Hills; an area of 4400 hectares of rural upland close to the urban areas of Belfast, Lisburn and Newtownabbey. The results of this study were launched at Belfast City Hall on 15th March 2006, helping to highlight the serious effects of waste in the Belfast Hills. Its key findings were that:- ● There are 27 times

more waste facilities per area in the Belfast Hills than the NI average. • Almost 1 million tonnes of waste can be legally landfilled in the Belfast Hills every year, including roughly 30% of all Northern Ireland’s construction and demoli-tion waste. • It is estimated that 150,000 tonnes of illegal waste are dumped in the Belfast Hills every year. • Current plans to close the Dargan Road site will add a further 400,000 tonnes every year. • Following recent planning decisions, levels of household waste dumped in the Belfast Hills could hit

Mystery Bus Tour of the Belfast Hills

Let the staff of the Belfast Hills Partnership take you on a mystery bus tour on the 19th August, around the Belfast Hills, allowing you to discover some of its hidden gems. Book by phoning 028 9060 3466.

Inside this issue:

Enjoying the Belfast Hills!

2

Farming Focus: RSPB bird survey

2

Walking in Colin Glen

3

Wildlife focus: Bluebells

3

Site focus: Hazelwood

4

Upcoming Events

4

Environmental Education

5

Hills Access Code

6

Environmental Volunteers

5

Major Report on Waste in the Belfast Hills Released

Caring for the Hills, their Wildl i fe and People

NEWSLETTERNEWSLETTERNEWSLETTER Issue 2

Enjoying in the Belfast Hills

Farming Focus: RSPB Bird Surveys

farms and a wide range of important flora, wild-life, archaeology and have stunning land-scapes. The Bel fas t H i l l s Pa r tne rsh ip d raws together a wide range of interest groups including community, statutory, commercial, environ-mental, recreational and agricultural sectors to provide a coordinated and integrated approach to managing the Hills so that you may get maximum enjoyment walking in the public sites, while preserving the hills for future gen-eration. For further details on where to walk in the hills contact the Belfast Hills Partnership on 028 9060 3466, or check out the ‘where to walk’ section o n o u r w e b s i t e www.belfasthills.org

The Belfast Hills are renowned for providing a unique backdrop to a thriving urban area. From Colin Mountain in the south to Carnmoney Hill in the North, the hills have sheltered Belfast, Lisburn and Newtownabbey for centuries. With an increasing number of publicly accessible sites, the general public may now walk over roughly 30% of the Be l fast H i l ls . Walkers within the hills

are rewarded with magnificent views across the city and beyond. For instance travelling from Black Mountain to Divis provides views of Belfast Lough, the Castlereagh Hills, the Ards Peninsula, the Isle of Man, Scotland, Slieve Gullion and the Mournes on one side, and on the other the Sperrins, Antrim Plateau and Lough Neagh. However the hills are much more than a back-cloth to the city. They are home to communities,

a t tached to agr i -environment schemes as supporting evidence, but do not guarantee a successful application. Taking part is simple, all you have to do is provide a map of the farm area you want surveyed. For more information on how to take part in the RSPB Volunteer & Farmer Alliance call 028 9049 1547 .

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is offering farmers a FREE survey of the birds found on their land. The surveys are confidential and there is no further obligation once com-pleted. The RSPB will pair you with a local, trained volunteer who carries out three surveys between April and June. The

results are collated and an A3 computerized map is produced showing where the birds of conservation concern were found. A list of all species seen on the farm is also compiled. The RSPB will then provide you with the latest land management information on how to help particular countryside bird species. Survey results can be

Higher Force Challenge

Programme

Higher Force Challenge is a cross community programme involving young men from the Shankill & Ardoyne. The programme consists of team building activities, personal development sessions, and social events aimed at encour-aging cooperation, under-standing, trust, and friendship. One of the most important aspects of the programme is the environmental surveys covering the Belfast Hills. Supported by Belfast Hills Pa r t ne r sh ip , t hese surveys go some way to raising the general awareness among ‘city bound’ young people regarding the issues, concerns, and potential of the Belfast Hills. Bill Andrews (HFC)

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Walking in Colin Glen

Wildlife Focus: Bluebells

the history and wildlife found in the park. The Forest Park is a Commu-nity Woodland managed by Colin Glen Trust, and provides a city haven in which to enjoy the wildlife and beauty of the coun-tryside. If you wish to explore Colin Glen Forest Park for yourself self guided routes are provided through way-marked trails of varying lengths and difficulties allowing a you to enjoy one of Belfast’s hidden jewels.

We held our winter walk in Colin Glen one crisp Saturday in January to help work off the festive excess as part of the B e l f a s t H i l l s Partnership’s events programme.

The walk was attended by an enthusiastic group of people, coming from as close by as the Stewartstown Rd, and as far away as Poland!! Colin Glen Forest Park is a beautiful wooded river glen nestling at the foot of the Black Mountain in the Belfast Hills. It com-prises of 200 acres of

scenic woodland, river, open grassland, water-falls and wildflower areas. In the Forest Park there is a broadleaf woodland of Oak, Ash, Beech, Willow and Hazel trees, as well as a range of wildflowers, insects and birds including Grey Herons, and Sparrowhawks. Jim Bradley, Manager of the Belfast Hills Partner-ship guided us through the network of paths while informing us about

If you take a walk through some of the wooded areas of the Belfast Hills such as Hazelwood, Colin Glen F o r e s t P a r k o r Carnmoney Hill, stop and admire the richly scented bluebells found under the shelter of the trees. Bluebells are a native flower, which love shady conditions and will grow in most soil types. The

stem of a bluebell may grow up to 20 cm high w i t h t h e f l o w e r s (resembling bells) borne on short stalks on one side. The plant survives the winter as a bulb, although seeds are produced as well. The bluebell’s latin name is Hyacinthoides non-scr ipta , and their appearance lets us know that spring has truly

arrived. They appear April to June, making the most of the sun before the tree cover closes over. But don’t just read about the beautiful bluebells – get out there and see them for your-self! For more information on where to go in the Belfast Hills area to spot bluebells contact us on 9060 3466.

Woodland Café now

Once you have walked through Colin Glen Forest Park why not treat yourself by calling into the Woodland Café recently opened to the public by celebrity chief Paul Rankin.

The Café serves mouth watering treats such as tray bakes and scones as well as homemade soups, freshly filled sandwiches and much more. The café is situated in Colin Glen’s Visitor Centre on the Stewartstown Rd.

Site Focus: Hazelwood

alongside the zoo. Hazelwood is accessed from Belfast Zoo Car Park. Anyone wanting further information on this path, or walking at Cave Hill should contact; the Bel-fast Hills Partnership’s Office on 9060 34666 or Colm McCann, Belfast City Council Countryside Officer by telephoning 90662259 or emailing access@ belfastcity.gov.uk Colm McCann (Belfast City Council)

Hazelwood, tucked in behind Belfast Zoo, is a little known part of Cave Hill Country Park. In 1914 a system of path-ways was constructed through the woodland. These paths were the brainchild of Andrew Nance, the general manager of Belfast City Tramways, and formed part of the pleasure gardens created at Bellevue to encourage people to use the trams. Anyone visiting the site, until recently, would have been disappointed to find these paths were unkempt, muddy under-foot and hard to negotiate. To overcome this difficulty Belfast City Council, which owns the site, undertook some remedial work. With little more than a strimmer, spade and sheer man

power the old stone pitched path was un-covered. Despite being constructed so long ago, this path provides a good foundation for today’s walkers. The old path twists and turns all the way up through the woodland to a fine view-point over Bellevue and North Belfast. Visitors now have easy access through Hazelwood, which is a Local Nature Reserve. From here they can continue to Cave Hill and McArt’s Fort, or make a circular trip down by the caves and back

The National Trust, one of Northern Ireland’s leading conservation charities, is celebrating awards for Divis and the Black Mountain which only opened to the public

in July 2005. The property has won the ‘ A m a z i n g S p a c e s ’ category at the National Lottery Awards, having already been voted Northern Ireland’s

favourite Lottery-funded project. The property also won the Aisling Award for out-standing commu-nity endeavour. The National Trust bought Divis and Black Mountain in

2004 With the help of a grant of £1.33million from the Heritage Lottery Fund . Immediately work began to restore and reclaim the land, as well as to provide much sought after public access. Today Divis and Black Mountain offer free access to an immense expanse of wonderful open space, wildlife, flora and fauna for everyone including local schools, youth groups, a rambling

Upcoming events

group for people with disabilities and fitness groups - all of whom make regular use of the mountain and what it has to offer.

•Food For Free: Gather & cook with ingredients found in the forest. Sat 22nd April 11am-2pm. •Woodland Delights: Walk Carnmoney hill. Sat 29th April 11am-1pm. •Bears & Bluebells: Guided walk through Belfast Zoo & Hazel-wood. Sat 6th May 10am-1pm. Booking required. •Slievenacloy official opening: Tue 4th July 2pm-5pm. •Over The Hill: Walk Cave Hill, Wed 5th July 10.30am– 2.30pm. •Walk & Picnic on Slievenacloy: Sat 29th July 11am– 2pm.

For more details Tel: 028 9060 3466

or visit www.belfasthills.org

Award Winning Divis

Colin Glen Environmental Education Programme -all change!

Environmental Volunteers Network

small gift and souvenir outlet. The education program has been funded for the last three years by Lisburn Peace and Reconciliation, funding which will be coming to a close at the end of June. The Trust is exploring new ways of supporting the project in order to maintain the high standard and provision of education here at Colin Glen. The education team and programme will be up-dated to be better able to cope with a new and challenging situation. Look out for a new education programme commencing in autumn this year. Maurice Turley (Colin Glen Trust)

Environmental education has been a priority for Colin Glen Trust for many years. Pond dipping, minibeast hunts and river studies are just a few of the activities available for schools, colleges and community groups. The diverse eco-system of the glen offers opportunities for studies of woodland, grassland and aquatic habitats. Other programs include soil studies and waste

management/recycling workshops. In fact, you name it; Colin Glen can probably do it. Currently employing four members of staff, the education team has been in increasing demand, reflecting the quality of the program as well as the growing need for environmental aware-ness in schools. The conveniently located Colin Glen Centre is well equipped to cater for the needs of school groups, providing briefing facili-ties, lunch facilities, inclement weather cover, public telephone and audio visual facilities. The Forest Park Centre has recently been upgraded to include interpretative panels and interactive activities. The Centre also houses a

Some of the foremost environmental organisa-tions that offer volunteer opportunities have come together to form the Environmental Volunteer Network (EVN). This network is very sig-nificant as, for the first time, the Belfast Hills Partnership, Colin Glen Trust, Conservation Vol-unteers Northern Ireland (CVNI), The National Trust, The Royal Society

for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Ulster Wildlife Trust and The Woodland Trust have all come to-gether to work on practical conservation projects. The idea behind the net-work is simple; by work-ing together we can achieve more. It’s a great idea to broaden and enhance volunteers’ experiences through working with other

organisations. The Network has been en-thusiastically received and we are very pleased with the progress to date. Visit the Belfast Hills Partnership website for more information about the network and how you can get involved at www.bel fasth i l ls .org/news.php

Introducing Therese

The Belfast Hills Partnership would like to welcome Therese Bateson, its newest member of staff. If you phone the Office with any questions or con-cerns you will be greeted by Therese our Admin Officer. Therese, originally from Magherafelt, but now living in Belfast, is a keen advocate of the Belfast Hills.

Hills Access Code

The Belfast Hills Partnership have been working along with various access officers, landowners, farmers, the Environment and Heritage Service and community groups to produce an access code with general guidelines on how to look after both yourself and the environment when out and about on the Belfast Hills, see http://www.belfasthills.org/downloads.php Due to the increasing number of publicly accessible sites, the general public may now walk over roughly 30% of the Belfast Hills. Check out our websites “where to walk” section for more details on how to get to the various public sites, www.belfasthills.org.

A big thank you to everyone who sent us in their photo-graphs of out and about the Belfast Hills. So far we have received over 90 photo-graphs. Watch out for them in future leaflets!

Caring for the Hills, their Wildlife

and People

Contact the Belfast Hills Partnership for help and advice with any concerns or questions regarding the hills, their wildlife and people. Also let us know what you would like to read about in future newsletters. Postal Address:163 Stewartstown Rd, Belfast, BT17 OHW Tel: 028 9060 3466, Fax: 028 9030 9867, E-mail: info@belfasthills.org www.belfasthills.org

Photograph Thank you

Partnership’s Aims and Objectives

• The conservation and enhance-ment of the natural, cultural and built heritage of the Belfast Hills.

• Management of the existing recreational use of the Belfast Hills.

• Raising of awareness and encouraging individuals to care for the Belfast Hills.

• Active contribution to the economic regeneration of the hills.

• Support and assistance to farmers and landowners under pressure from urban develop-ment and from inappropriate forms of countryside recreation.

Core Partnership Funders:

•Environment & Heritage Service

•Belfast City Council

•Lisburn City Council

•Newtownabbey Borough Council

Charity No: XR70288 Company No: NI053189

Any views expressed by individuals within this newsletter do not necessarily reflect

those of the Belfast Hills Partnership.

Paper from a sustainable source: Please recycle when finished reading this newsletter or even better pass it on!

Check out our new

community website page!

The Belfast Hills Partner-ship’s latest edition to its website is a community section which will keep you informed about all the latest community i ssues wh ich the Partnership is currently i n v o l v e d i n . W e particularly want to hear your views and priorities on issues and concerns you have regarding the Belfast Hills. Go to www.belfast hills.org and click on ‘Community’.

The Ulster Wildlife Trust

is offering free ‘Cafre trail’ environmental training courses for youth and community groups at Greenmount. For more information phone 028 944 26601.