Industrial Sites

Industrial Sites

Many quarries in the Belfast Hills contain areas that have been undisturbed for decades, making them valuable refuges for wildlife. For example only small parts of active quarries are used for extraction, surrounding land can support a wide range of habitats and species that benefit from low levels of disturbance.

Also known as inland rock, quarries and cliffs expose bare rock surfaces with little or no vegetation. Vertical rock faces provide safe nesting sites for birds such as peregrine falcons and ravens. Spoil and clay that collect at the base of rock faces create nutrient-poor soils, ideal conditions for unimproved grasslands which is why many industrial sites support rich orchid populations.

In many sites, woodland planting around site edges was historically used to soften visual impact. These areas now provide valuable cover and nesting habitat for woodland birds. Older industrial sites often also contain ponds and wetlands, supporting species such as newts, waterfowl, wetland plants and aquatic insects including damselflies.

If you would like to find out how you can be involved in this project please email [email protected]