Conor McKinney
@wildlifeni.bsky.social
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.
Founder of https://www.starlingecology.co.uk/ and http://www.wildbelfast.org.
Reposted by Conor McKinney
Wild Belfast, Queen’s University planners and some in the council hope to make Belfast the first national park city on the island of Ireland…
A series of public conversations kick off this evening in the city centre.
Find out more here 👇
open.substack.com/pub/theearth...
A series of public conversations kick off this evening in the city centre.
Find out more here 👇
open.substack.com/pub/theearth...
Belfast becoming a national park city could ‘bring people together’ says Wild Belfast founder
A new campaign to make Belfast the first national park city on the island of Ireland could be just the thing to bring “people together” rather than “tearing them apart” says Wild Belfast founder, Cono...
open.substack.com
October 20, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Wild Belfast, Queen’s University planners and some in the council hope to make Belfast the first national park city on the island of Ireland…
A series of public conversations kick off this evening in the city centre.
Find out more here 👇
open.substack.com/pub/theearth...
A series of public conversations kick off this evening in the city centre.
Find out more here 👇
open.substack.com/pub/theearth...
October 20, 2025 at 6:39 PM
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?
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?
October 20, 2025 at 6:18 PM
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?
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?
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...
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
October 19, 2025 at 11:56 AM
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...
sluggerotoole.com/2025/10/18/w...
This Robin has developed camouflage.
August 15, 2025 at 12:13 PM
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.
This one was seen outside its typically associated flight season in Garvagh yesterday.
July 30, 2025 at 11:50 AM
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.
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.
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.
July 18, 2025 at 9:00 PM
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.
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.
We need more urban green infrastructure. Every development using private or public funds should be required to include it.
European heatwave caused 2,300 deaths in 10 days:
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/...
European heatwave caused 2,300 deaths in 10 days:
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/...
European heatwave caused 2,300 deaths in 10 days, study finds
Researchers find human-caused climate change raised temperatures by up to 4C, with 1,500 deaths linked directly to it.
share.google
July 9, 2025 at 11:49 AM
We need more urban green infrastructure. Every development using private or public funds should be required to include it.
European heatwave caused 2,300 deaths in 10 days:
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/...
European heatwave caused 2,300 deaths in 10 days:
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/...
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.social → bit.ly/3ZQ9Rx2
#Murmurations #WildIreland
Wild Belfast member Dawn re-tells the beautiful and poignant story of the murmurations disappearance, and return.
Article by @wildlifeni.bsky.social → bit.ly/3ZQ9Rx2
#Murmurations #WildIreland
July 4, 2025 at 11:37 AM
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.social → bit.ly/3ZQ9Rx2
#Murmurations #WildIreland
Wild Belfast member Dawn re-tells the beautiful and poignant story of the murmurations disappearance, and return.
Article by @wildlifeni.bsky.social → bit.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 contact@wildbelfast.org.
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 contact@wildbelfast.org.
July 2, 2025 at 8:07 PM
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 contact@wildbelfast.org.
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 contact@wildbelfast.org.
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...
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
June 19, 2025 at 5:13 PM
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...
www.theoep.org.uk/report/local...
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
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
June 12, 2025 at 10:39 AM
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
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
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.social → bit.ly/3ZQ9Rx2
#Murmurations #WildIreland
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.social → bit.ly/3ZQ9Rx2
#Murmurations #WildIreland
June 9, 2025 at 9:09 AM
“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.social → bit.ly/3ZQ9Rx2
#Murmurations #WildIreland
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.social → bit.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 👏🦋🐝🐞
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 👏🦋🐝🐞
June 8, 2025 at 1:14 PM
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 👏🦋🐝🐞
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 👏🦋🐝🐞
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?
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?
June 7, 2025 at 12:52 PM
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?
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
We'll hear from an array of experts and muse how Belfast can be better for us and biodiversity.
Register here:
lnkd.in/evrHtZGs
June 6, 2025 at 10:44 AM
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
We'll hear from an array of experts and muse how Belfast can be better for us and biodiversity.
Register here:
lnkd.in/evrHtZGs
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?
E.g. what if schools and universities offered nature rich green infrastructure to encourage ecological awareness and an asset for communities?
May 27, 2025 at 11:43 AM
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?
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
🗞️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
Read more in @nature.com bit.ly/43APoP7
May 21, 2025 at 12:02 PM
🗞️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
Read more in @nature.com bit.ly/43APoP7
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?
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?
May 9, 2025 at 9:04 AM
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?
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?
We're calling for more sites to be zoned to protect nature by Belfast City Council.
We have international ambitions to protect and manage 30% of our land & seas by 2030, why isn't this percolating through to how we approach planning?
m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/environ...
We have international ambitions to protect and manage 30% of our land & seas by 2030, why isn't this percolating through to how we approach planning?
m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/environ...
Calls for Belfast planning changes after blunder that spoiled starling spectacle: ‘It created Las Vegas under the bridge’
An environmental group has urged Belfast City Council to help protect local landmarks as areas of conservational importance in future planning applications.
m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
April 30, 2025 at 8:01 AM
We're calling for more sites to be zoned to protect nature by Belfast City Council.
We have international ambitions to protect and manage 30% of our land & seas by 2030, why isn't this percolating through to how we approach planning?
m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/environ...
We have international ambitions to protect and manage 30% of our land & seas by 2030, why isn't this percolating through to how we approach planning?
m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/environ...
Belfast is taking part again in the #CityNatureChallenge!
We want to put Belfast as high up the global league table and assert our position as a hot-spot for ecological recording.
Get involved - all you need is your phone and appropriate clothing
⏬🐝
www.inaturalist.org/projects/cit...
We want to put Belfast as high up the global league table and assert our position as a hot-spot for ecological recording.
Get involved - all you need is your phone and appropriate clothing
⏬🐝
www.inaturalist.org/projects/cit...
April 18, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Belfast is taking part again in the #CityNatureChallenge!
We want to put Belfast as high up the global league table and assert our position as a hot-spot for ecological recording.
Get involved - all you need is your phone and appropriate clothing
⏬🐝
www.inaturalist.org/projects/cit...
We want to put Belfast as high up the global league table and assert our position as a hot-spot for ecological recording.
Get involved - all you need is your phone and appropriate clothing
⏬🐝
www.inaturalist.org/projects/cit...
April 17, 2025 at 7:03 AM
We've submitted our consultation for the extension of opening hours (with most of the heavy lifting done by the fab Erin Mckeown).
In principle Belfast City Council have our support, we can't expect people to care for nature if they can't access nature.
But here's what we're calling for:
In principle Belfast City Council have our support, we can't expect people to care for nature if they can't access nature.
But here's what we're calling for:
April 16, 2025 at 8:49 PM
We've submitted our consultation for the extension of opening hours (with most of the heavy lifting done by the fab Erin Mckeown).
In principle Belfast City Council have our support, we can't expect people to care for nature if they can't access nature.
But here's what we're calling for:
In principle Belfast City Council have our support, we can't expect people to care for nature if they can't access nature.
But here's what we're calling for:
There's no reason for Labours toryesque behaviour.
Developing with nature creates better, more climate resilient schemes.
Accreditation schemes such as Building with Nature exist that orientate schemes to produce high quality #GreenInfrastruture.
Mandate it.
www.buildingwithnature.org.uk
Developing with nature creates better, more climate resilient schemes.
Accreditation schemes such as Building with Nature exist that orientate schemes to produce high quality #GreenInfrastruture.
Mandate it.
www.buildingwithnature.org.uk
April 13, 2025 at 4:09 PM
There's no reason for Labours toryesque behaviour.
Developing with nature creates better, more climate resilient schemes.
Accreditation schemes such as Building with Nature exist that orientate schemes to produce high quality #GreenInfrastruture.
Mandate it.
www.buildingwithnature.org.uk
Developing with nature creates better, more climate resilient schemes.
Accreditation schemes such as Building with Nature exist that orientate schemes to produce high quality #GreenInfrastruture.
Mandate it.
www.buildingwithnature.org.uk