Conor McKinney
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wildlifeni.bsky.social
Conor McKinney
@wildlifeni.bsky.social
540 followers 840 following 110 posts
Wildlife conservationist based in Northern Ireland, working to give wild things and places a voice. Founder of https://www.starlingecology.co.uk/ and http://www.wildbelfast.org.
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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?
The conversation continues this week as we hear from local activists who will help steer us towards thinking "What if Belfast was a National Park City?"

Come along, it just might be the start of something extraordinary.

Register here: forms.gle/dAfCeSb3VaWT...

#NationalParkCity #Whatif
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...
What if Belfast was a National Park City?
Conor McKinney is the founder of Wild Belfast and a local wildlife activist / conservationist; What if? is a powerful question. In a time of myriad health, climate, ecological and social crises it can...
sluggerotoole.com
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.
Reposted by Conor McKinney
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.
The police investigation in to Kneecap was huge fucking news. Days of headlines pushing the fact it had the police involved. Dropped without a word. I’m so fucking angry with the government, the police and the complicit media.
Reposted by Conor McKinney
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.socialbit.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].
We need all new council Local Development Plans to strengthen for levels of protection afforded to local nature sites, and to increase the number of these sites.

Many priority habitats, such as Open Mosaic Habitat remain in zoned and this should be addressed.
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...
Local nature recovery has an important part to play in helping government deliver its ‘win-win’ for the environment and economic growth, says OEP report | Office for Environmental Protection
www.theoep.org.uk
In addition we'll be joined by Cllrs Aine Groogan, Tara Brooks and @seamasbelfast.bsky.social to discuss how we bridge the gap to become a National Park City and what makes for influential advocacy.

Come and be part of the conversation!

Programme below:

www.playthinkbrink.com/Friday-13th
www.playthinkbrink.com
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
Reposted by Conor McKinney
“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.socialbit.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 👏🦋🐝🐞
Enter our heroes from NI Fire and Rescue Service Belfast Central Station who popped in to lend a hand!

A huge thank you to our local heroes who are also playing an important role in Swift Conservation #worldswiftday.

You can hear (& see!) our living, singing mural on Bruce Street, Belfast.
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
These questions and more will be part of the discussion. If you're interested in what Belfast might look like as a National Park City come and join the conversation.

Keynote speaker: Cecil Konijnendijk with other announcements very soon!

Register:

lnkd.in/e4N-NHQW

(Graphic by Siobhán Keogh)
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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?
Reposted by Conor McKinney
IPBES @ipbes.net · May 21
🗞️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 development and parks were more biodiverse?

If you're interested in what Belfast might look like as a National Park City come along and join the conversation.

Keynote speaker: Cecil Konijnendijk with other announcements very soon!

Register here:

docs.google.com/forms/d/1SAe...
Making Space for Nature: Belfast National Park City
Tuesday 10th June - 10.00-4.00 David Keir Building Room 0G.012 Join us for the launch of a city wide discussion that aims to make Belfast the first National Park City on the island of Ireland. We'll...
docs.google.com
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?