Belfast Hills Newsletter - Autumn/Winter 2012

Almost 400 species of plant, animal, insect and bird wererecorded at our first-ever Belfast Hills Partnership BioBlitz atCave Hill. We have been busy since then gathering, analysingresults and confirming some impressive and rare species.A bioblitz is a recording of species - taken within 24 hours in an area -that helps preserve, manage and protect our native wildlife. Our studyincluded the grounds of Belfast Castle and Hazelwood and took place inMay with a control hub installed inside the castle to collect and identifythe data.Thanks to the study, this area of the Belfast Hills is now known to beabundant with wildlife including badgers, bats, Irish hares, birds of preyand a host of fascinating insects. A total of 390 species were foundincluding the rare Mossy saxifrage and Cryptic wood white butterfly.“The event for which Belfast City Council provided financial support aswell as the National BioBlitz Network, attracted over 100 people whohelped us survey the area over the 24 hours,” saidprojects officer Rose Muir.“We had experts on hand from the Botanical Societyof the British Isles, the NI Bat Group, ButterflyConservation, Belfast city council’s biodiversity

officer and staff from the NorthernIreland Environment Agency. They

helped everyone record andidentify species they had found. “The results will help us ensurethe survival of habitat and speciesin the Belfast Hills. Many thanks toall those who took part and we’llhopefully see more people for next

year’s bioblitz on Divis and BlackMountain.”

Pipistrelle bat© Laurie Campbell

Badgers

Cryptic wood white © Robert Thompson

Skylark

Rare species Mossy saxifrage

Reed bunting

Emperor moth

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The Belfast Hills Partnership hasspearheaded the arts project aspart of its Heritage Lottery-fundedlandscape partnership schemewhich seeks to connect localcommunities to the hills aroundthem. Belfast City Council alsoprovided funding.Year six and seven pupils fromCavehill and St Therese of Lisieuxprimary schools in north Belfastteamed up to cast the basalt andmineral-style stonework. Theycreated thier artwork - resemblingthe rock from which the BelfastHills are formed - at a local foundry.The seating is located at one of themost scenic areas of Cave HillCountry Park - just below the iconiccaves - where many hill users stopto enjoy stunning views.Belfast Hills Partnership outreachofficer Jo Boylan said the seatingwould stand as a great achievementin the years to come for the youngpeople involved.“Seeing the young people cast theircreation in the foundry was reallyamazing and they must have a greatsense of achievement to see theactual installation of their seat nowon Cave Hill,” she said.The project is the brainchild of theCave Hill Conservation Campaign,

Schoolchildren from the Cave Hill area have taken sculpture to new heights in the Belfast Hills with theinstallation of a seating area inspired by the local environment.

which took a leading role workingwith the artist and the two schoolsthroughout the six-month process.Cormac Hamill from the Cave HillConservation Campaign said theseat was at a well-used resting place. "It is at a natural stopping pointwith great views and is comfortableto sit upon,” he said.Liam McGuckin principal of Cavehillprimary said it had been agreat opportunity for thechildren of Cavehill andSt Therese of Lisieux“to work together on

what has been a great project whichwill benefit the whole community”.Patricia Reid principal at St Thereseof Lisieux said the children hadbeen “inspired”.The deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast,Tierna Cunningham, praisedeveryone involved.“It is good to see local people takingan active interest in theirenvironment and it is particularly

good to see something concreteand long-lasting like this project

emerge from that interest. Ialso welcome the idea toinvolve local schools. I amsure all the effort they have

put into this project willhave given them aneven greaterappreciation for thebeauty of this area,”she said.

Aaron Aiken and Michael O’Prey,

past P7 pupils of St Therese of

Lisieux primary school

Eleven-year-old MeganMcCann from Cavehillprimary school at thefoundry making a seat forthe slopes of Cave Hillwhere people can now stop,have a rest and look out onstunning views

The seating area in tune with the

local environment, is now installed

below Belfast’s famous Cave Hill and

was created by Belfast artist Alan

Cargo and the children of St Therese

of Lisieux and Cavehill primary

schools in north Belfast


“I had loved the photographs of thehills that were hung up on the walls inthe offices. Jim kindly offered me anyof the images to paint from the photorecords of the Belfast Hills Partnership,”our painting postie said.“I loved this image and so I’mabsolutely delighted at t he recognition.Thanks to the Belfast Hills foropening up their photo library.”Jim Bradley congratulated Martinaon her painting.

“Martina’s Hatchet Field shows thegreat beauty of the changingseasons in the Belfast Hills. Thevibrant colours she uses reallydraw you into her painting.”Martina’s tutor DA Morrison saidsubject of autumn in the HatchetField was a clear winner.“Martina has done an excellent oilpainting. She is a perfectionist whohas shown her flare for colour,texture and detail,” she said.

Our postie is first classfor Belfast Hills paintingA painting of the Belfast Hills by apostal worker from Belfast has beenvoted best in show by her peers.

Martina Rogers who dutifullydelivers post to the Belfast HillsPartnership created this beautifuloil painting of the Hatchet Field onBlack Mountain.

The picture comes from aphotograph taken by Belfast HillsPartnership manager Jim Bradleyas autumn descends on the hills.

Martina who paints at the Dunleweycentre in Belfast is a gifted artistspending her time being inspired bythe Belfast Hills when not deliveringletters below in the city.

Her family also owns part of thelocally-known Hatchet Field whereshe lives.

Her painting was given first placeprize by her peers at the WestBelfast Arts Society and has beenhanging in the Gerard Dillon galleryin An Culturlann on the Falls Road.

The ripening scheme entitled Sharingour Space, has been cultivated byGroundwork and ColinNeighbourhood Partnership.

The result is an eight and a half acresite on the Colinglen Road thathas taken root to become acommunity allotment site with

over 30 plots. Grow your own enthusiasts have beentending to their fruit and vegetablesover the past few months and thefruits of their labour is plain to see.“We are immensely proud of theproject and the facility is already asource of community pride andactivity,” said Groundwork’scommunity gardener Mick McEvoy.Colin Neighbourhood Partnershipdeveloped the project and secured£460,000 from Peace 3 funding to

Everything is coming up cabbages,sprouts, carrots and parsley at thenewly opened Colin allotments.The site is an impressive space thatis sprouting a taskforce of keen localgardeners – from novice to greenfingered experts – producing all sortsof freshly-grown produce.

transform the former derelict site.The grand opening as the harvestmoon ripened in September, providedlocally grown and freshly cookedproduce along with displays of therange of vegetables, fruits andenvironmental products made on site.Annie Armstrong, Manager of ColinNeighbourhood Partnership (CNP)said the site would be extended.“The next stage is for Groundwork NIto work with CNP to fully develop thesite. More allotment plots will bemade available, there will be moreamenities on site and also theopportunity of future training forbudding allotment enthusiasts.”If you are interested in taking up acommunity allotment contactMichael George at CNP on 9062 3813or email [email protected]


Brave New HorizonsThe users of New Horizons have been hard at it with our volunteer officerFreddie Harris exploring the Belfast Hills and doing a sterling job improvingthe landscape. Organised with the help of Celine Loughlin from Action MentalHealth, this latest outing at Slievenacloy (pictured right) involved hedgeweeding at the site. The centre in Antrim aims to enhance the quality of lifeand employability of its clients. Five events have been completed with groupmembers who have been walking the hills and learning about places like CaveHill and Divis and Black Mountain. “The group has been involved in walks andtalks and now they are taking part in practical tasks. They are doing a great jobwhere the benefits to the hills’ environment can be clearly seen,” said Freddie.

For the latest list of Events log onto www.belfasthills.org/events

Please note: All children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Suitable clothing and

footwear should be worn. Dogs are allowed on some walks but only if kept under control.

Parts of some walks can be steep or difficult

Bilberry picking on Cave Hill Nine-year-old Beth McCourt with herhandmade kite on Divis Mountain

Kite making on Divis MountainTitanic walk on Cave Hill

The rewards of bilberry picking on Cave Hill

Our bus tour


A Dickens ofa carriageCharles Dickens (pictured below)may never have heard of CharlesHurst, but that didn’t stop himindulging in a spot of impulsive carbuying - during a visit to the Belfast Hills.

The author made three visits toBelfast, in 1858, 1867 and 1869, togive public readings of his work,and received a hearty welcome oneach visit.

But while he was in the city as thesocial historian John Gray explains,the ever-adventurous author “wentup the Cave Hill and bought ajaunting car”.

“The oddest carriage in the world,”observed Dickens, after thisspontaneous purchase, “and you’realways falling off, but it is gay andbright in the highest degree.

“Wonderfully Neopolitan.”

A jaunting car was a light two-wheeled carriage for a single horsewhich usually seated two or fourpassengers back to back. The foot-

boards projected over thewheels. It was the typicalmethod of travel for people inIreland at the time.

No records of what happened tothe Cave Hill jaunting car existand sadly there are no picturesof the illustrious authortravelling in it. But next timeyou go to Cave Hill, rememberthat you’re treading where thegreat Charles Dickens went ona jaunt.

The prolific travel writer laterwrote of Belfast: “Tremendoushouses there. Curious people,too. They seem all Scotch, butquite in a state of transition,’

and looked back on his “delightfuldays” in the city with fond affection.

For Charles Dickens, Belfast was “afine place with a rough people”. Hethought our citizens “a betteraudience on the whole than Dublinand the personal affection therewas something overwhelming”. Thiswas his reaction to his first visit inAugust 1858.

Dickens had first contemplatedvisiting Ireland in 1842 with a viewto engaging in some travel writing.It did not happen, and in any case,his contemporary, WilliamMakepeace Thackeray, beat him toit with The Irish Sketch Book (1843).

Nonetheless Dickens includedIreland in his first major tour as areader of his works in 1858, andapart from Belfast also visitedDublin, Cork and Limerick.

Above: Dickens bought a jaunting car similar to this one while out on Cave Hill


A moth trap making and surveyingevent attracted insect enthusiaststo the Belfast Hills Partnershipoffices earlier this autumn.

This joint initiative also involvedButterfly Conservation NI and theField Naturalists Club withparticipants making moth traps,bringing them home overnight and

seeing what they caught with thehelp of the experts.

Jim Bradley manager of the BelfastHills Partnership said it was thefirst of hopefully many such events.

“This was a very enjoyable, practicalcourse in which we made our ownmoth traps for a fraction of whatthese traps would cost to buy.

“It’s all a push from the threebodies to get as much information,as many types of moths and asmuch recording of our local wildlifeas possible.

“We built the moth traps onSaturday and those taking part tookthem home to return to the officeson Sunday with what their traps hadcaught.

“This event will build up a picture asmoths are a good indicator of howour wildlife is doing,” said Jim.

It’s your Belfast Hills: The Partnership brings together statutory bodies with a role to play in the Belfast Hills,including Belfast, Lisburn, Newtownabbey and Antrim councils. These representatives are joined by people from thefarming, community, commercial, recreation and environmental sectors. All have pledged to work together tobenefit the Belfast Hills. Charity No: XR70288 Company No: NI053189

Address: 9 Social Economy Village, Hannahstown Hill, Belfast, BT17 OXST: 028 9060 3466 • F: 028 9030 9867 • E: [email protected] • www.belfasthills.org

FARMERS ON COURSE TO LEARN IT SKILLSThe Rural Development Council (RDC) is offering computer training to farmers and their

families in various locations throughout Northern Ireland.The initial teaching will be on a basic, introductory level suitable forpeople with little or no previous computer experience. It’s free to takepart in the course. The target is to deliver training to at least 300 farmfamily members before December this year. The programme will alsoprovide opportunities for farming families to train together.For more information, please contact Anne Marie Bell on 028 8676 6980.

Funders of the BelfastHills Partnership

Lurgan Design & Print Tel: 028 38 321 255

Moth trappers being put through their paces byCatherine Bertrand from Butterfly Conservation

Pink-barred sallow

Volunteer Stephen Craig at themoth trap making event


Documents

Belfast Hills Newsletter - Autumn/Winter 2012