by gearóid ó muilleoir

CONOR McKinney’s dream to turn the whole of Belfast into a national park is close to reality.

The city has been put on the world shortlist to be a National Park City – only four cities worldwide have won the honour.

Ecologist Conor has championed Belfast for many years,even though he admits he’s a blow-in from Derry!

And he’s delighted we’re on the shortlist, along with Glasgow, Southampton, Cardiff and Rotterdam, who are all bidding to join London, Adelaide, Chattanooga and Breda who already have the status.

The campaign for Belfast to become a National Park City was launched by volunteers from Wild Belfast and Queen’s University who want to establish a deeper connection between city communities and the urban nature on their doorsteps.

Belfast’s place on the shortlist was announced at Queen’s last Wednesday night by explorer Daniel Raven-Ellison, who founded the National Park City movement.

Daniel said: “Every National Park City is unique to its own place and landscape, and it has been incredibly inspiring to hear how the campaign in Belfast has seen the potential for how becoming a National Park City can accelerate efforts to bring the benefits of connecting with urban nature, and to improve and enhance community-led local nature recovery across the city.

“We’re excited to welcome Belfast into the National Park City family in the next few months when they are ready to make their full application.

“The team in Belfast will now work with their communities to develop the necessary partnerships, plans and ambition and follow the 10 steps and 23 assessed criteria as set out in the Journey Book before undertaking a peer review process in the next few months.”

Perla Mansour of Wild Belfast said: “Achieving National Park City status will help us all to celebrate the living landscape that encompasses Belfast's hills, woods, coast and streets.

“We want to empower everyone to recognise that we are its custodians and, in that role, reflect on all we can do to better protect and enhance it.”

Neil Galway of Queen’s said: “Inspired by the world’s National Parks, National Park Cities work together for better lives, health and wellbeing, relationships with nature, responsible consumption, improved places, habitats, air, water, sea and land, and time outdoors, culture, art, playing, walking and cycling.

“Belfast will develop their own version of the Universal Charter For National Park Cities which was originally created with contributions from people in over 50 countries.

“It offers an opportunity to create a city that both enhances biodiversity and promotes spaces that foster healthier and more connected lives.”

Conor McKinney – who was nominated for an Aisling Award last year – is the man behind the four living murals that Dúlra recently wrote about, murals which not only promote wildlife but which actually help them by containing swift or bat boxes.

He told Dúlra: “We don’t spend enough time celebrating how good Belfast is – and this is from a Derry person.

“Let’s celebrate what we've got but reimagine what the city could be. Imagine you’re in Belfast in 2050 – what would you like to see?”

And he says that making Belfast a National Park City will mean the authorities have to up their game and “shoulder that responsibility” when it comes to the protection and promotion of nature.

“We can market that, that we’re not just a city famous for a civil war and a maritime disaster,” he says.

Architecture will be affected too.

“We have to build with nature,” he says. “You can orientate a design team from the start so they can embed green infrastructure from the design stage.”

And Conor has the very example of how planning can help – or harm – nature, because he managed to highlight how light pollution was affecting roosting starlings under the Albert Bridge – and got it stopped.

He calls the movement to make Belfast a National Park City a “joyful insurgency” and he hopes to build a wildlife guardian network across the city, a sub-community of wildlife gardeners.

“The National Park City will attract corporate sponsors who help green allies and empower people. We have a Night Tsar, but we should also have a Nature Tsar,” he says.

“These principles help people take their future in their own hands.”

• If you have any nature questions, or have photographed anything interesting, you can text Dúlra on 07801 414804.