The WHAT of Belfast? The Forest of Belfast. You don't believe it? Belfast is known for its gantries, its shipyards, its relics of the industrial revolution, more recently for its modern housing, its revitalising in the last few years, even before the peace broke out, but it is not for its trees. Nevertheless, here is a neatly bound, well laid out and carefully put together publication on the trees of Belfast, subtitled The Forest of Belfast.
It's an imaginative label for an urban tree initiative launched a few years ago, aimed at conserving and managing existing trees, increasing the planting of suitable trees, particularly in places of public access like parks and, overall, in promoting an interest in and an appreciation of trees and forestry. The Forest of Belfast includes all the trees within the Greater Belfast area, reaching south to Lisburn and along the Lough to Hollywood on one side, and to Greenisland on the other. It appears that there is not much remaining of what ever original tree cover was around the city. But as it develops, the City Council sees to it that avenues of trees and pockets of woodland are planted in parks, playing fields, housing estates, roadsides and river edges. The authorities also want to encourage the planting of trees in gardens.
There are not many large plantings of, say, the prosperous Victorian age, though the mansions of the industrialists along Belfast Lough, in many cases good broadleaves, would still be in condition. Then there are the trees that lie under Mc Arts fort in what was known as the Shaftesbury Estate in other times, from which gamekeepers used to chase adventurous youths on rambling expeditions. And there is Belvoir Park. Most recent plantings are of birch, oak, willow and alder.
There is a need for more planting of the tall, branching woodland species and large conifers, says one of their pamphlets. And all the usual, good reasons for tree planting in cities are given: combating noise pollution, trapping dust, smoke and fumes, providing wildlife habitat and, of course, making the place look better. Good luck to Belfast's Forest. Trees are non political, non sectarian, good for everybody. On another day there will be a look at some of the details.