1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Belfast
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Throne Wood
Short description of the intervention
The Woodland Trust’s Throne Wood, with its centuries-old woodland and recent planting, is a green oasis on the doorstep of the city of Belfast. The Trust adopted the woodland under their Community Woods Programme.
Throne Wood is a haven for wildlife and home to a number of native animal species and is an is an asset to North Belfast. (ref3). Future plans for Throne Wood include tree and wildflower planting to improve biodiversity and the removal of invasive species that hinder natural regeneration of the trees. (ref 1)

Address

North Belfast
United Kingdom

Location
The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by).
Area boundary
POINT (-5.937817 54.65649)
POINT (-5.934663 54.656478)
POINT (-5.93404 54.653474)
POINT (-5.93595 54.653312)
NBS area image
Source of NBS area image
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/woods/throne-wood/
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Throne+Wood/@54.6543922,-5.935993,1005m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x7011d2fb6fbfdabc!8m2!3d54.6533743!4d-5.9360788
Total area
54700.00m²
NBS area
54700.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Public Greenspace Area
Website of the intervention
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/wood/5166/throne-wood/
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
unknown
End date of the intervention
2016
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Please specify "other" stage of the intervention
In 2016, "Throne Wood, at the foot of Cave Hill will see improved pathways, interpretation panels and pond enhancements as part of the £48,000 funding boost from the Alpha Programme, with works due for completion in the spring." (Ref 7,8)
Goals of the intervention
Throne fulfils the Woodland Trust's key outcomes in its provision for public enjoyment by access, conserving/ increasing native woodland and in its biodiversity by increasing the habitat diversity, with deadwood, ponds and planting
The key aims are to
• Protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future
• Work with others to create more native woodlands and places rich in trees
• Inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees (ref 2)
• Work with local people to create the woods as part of its community tree pack scheme (ref 5).
Quantitative targets
unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Habitat and biodiversity conservation
Green space creation and/or management
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Environmental and climate justice
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Enabling opportunities for physical activity
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Tourism support
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Preservation of natural heritage
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
Ecosystem-focused
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect native species
Control and clean invasive alien species
Means for conservation governance
Raise public awareness
Public engagement
Capacity building
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
Ecosystem-focused
What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?
Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Restore native species
Clear and control invasive alien species
Public engagement
Implementation activities
Environmental improvement projects in the area, including upgrading the path network and tree planting in the wood (ref 3)

In 2016, "Throne Wood, at the foot of Cave Hill will see improved pathways, interpretation panels and pond enhancements as part of the £48,000 funding boost from the Alpha Programme, with works due for completion in the spring." "Planted in the early 1800s Throne Wood is owned by the Woodland Trust and it is hoped the work will encourage more members of the public to visit the beauty spot" (Ref 7)
Type of NBS project
Maintenance and management of urban nature
Protection of natural ecosystems
Knowledge creation and awareness raising
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Parks and urban forests
Large urban parks or forests
Blue infrastructure
Lakes/ponds
Vegetation Type
Shrubs
Trees
Other
Please specify how many trees were planted
unknown
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Educational or biodiversity trails
Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café)
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Raw materials
Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes)
Genetic materials from all biota
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Maintenance of genetic diversity
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Social and community interactions
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Other
Please specify "other primary beneficiary"
centuries-old woodland in Belfast (Ref 3)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Private sector/Corporate/Business
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
As part of the Woods On Your Doorstep project, The Woodland Trust is looking for local people to create their own woods as part of its community tree pack scheme (ref 5). The support group, Friends of Throne Woods, will be supported by @myurbangreen, a campaign which an initiative from Marks & Spencer and environmental charity organization Groundwork. - (ref 4)
Key actors - initiating organization
Private foundation/trust
Land owners
Private sector or company
Other
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Non-government organisation/civil society
Private foundation/trust
Citizens or community group
Please specify other participatory methods
As part of the Woods On Your Doorstep project, The Woodland Trust is looking for local people to create their own woods as part of its community tree pack scheme (ref 5).
Land owners
Private sector or company
Other
Please specify other land owner
The Woodland Trust, the current owners of Throne Wood (ref 3)
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Co-management/Joint management
Other
Please specify other landowner
The Woodland Trust, the current owners of Throne Wood (ref 3)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
1. Belfast Hills plan (ref 2)
2. Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan or BMAP (ref 2)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Mandatory (based on policy)
Intervention is mandatory
Spatial planning guidance
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section
the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan or BMAP (ref 2)
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
General municipal plan
Please specify other vegetation type
green oasis, native animal species, removal of invasive species (Ref 1)
native woodland, deadwood, ponds ; native woods, trees and their wildlife (Ref 2)
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The new support group, Friends of Throne Woods, will be supported by @myurbangreen, a campaign which aims to reconnect urban communities with their environment by being actively involved in shaping the future development, maintenance and management of their greener living spaces. (ref 4) According to the Groundwork site, the @myurbangreen campaign is an initiative from Marks & Spencer and environmental charity organization Groundwork. (Ref 4)
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
unknown
Please specify cost savings
unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Exact total cost unknown but, in 2016 Throne Wood got £48,000 funding from the Alpha Programme (Ref 7, 8)
Source(s) of funding
Private Foundation/Trust
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Green densification model
Green heritage model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Type of innovation
Social
Governance innovation
Please specify social innovation
Community Woods Programme - Throne Wood needs the support of local residents to guarantee its survival, therefore a volunteer group takes ownership of the woodland and ensures its upkeep (ref 4)
The Woodland Trust, the current owners of Throne Wood, have recently carried out environmental improvement projects in the area, and adopted the woodland under their Community Woods Programme. (ref 3)
Novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
unknown
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Green space and habitat
Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
Increased green space area
Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Description of environmental benefits
Environmental improvement projects in the area, including upgrading the path network and tree planting in the wood (ref 3)

In 2016, "Throne Wood, at the foot of Cave Hill will see improved pathways, interpretation panels and pond enhancements as part of the £48,000 funding boost from the Alpha Programme, with works due for completion in the spring." "Planted in the early 1800s Throne Wood is owned by the Woodland Trust and it is hoped the work will encourage more members of the public to visit the beauty spot" (Ref 7)
Economic impacts
More sustainable tourism
Description of economic benefits
Planted in the early 1800s Throne Wood is owned by the Woodland Trust and it is hoped the project will encourage more members of the public to visit the beauty spot (Ref 7)
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
Health and wellbeing
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Protection of natural heritage
Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
Education
Increased support for education and scientific research
Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Please specify other environmental justice issue
Protecta native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future (Ref 2)
Description of social and cultural benefits
Planted in the early 1800s Throne Wood is owned by the Woodland Trust and it is hoped the work will encourage more members of the public to visit the beauty spot (Ref 7)

Community Woods Programme - Throne Wood needs the support of local residents to guarantee its survival, therefore a volunteer group takes ownership of the woodland and ensures its upkeep (ref 4)

Children from local schools are visiting the woodland on a regular basis to take part in a Forest Schools programme. (ref 4)
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
1. The Woodland Trust carried out environmental improvement projects in the area, including upgrading the path network and tree planting in the wood. (ref 3)
2. The Trust adopted the woodland under their Community Woods Programme. (ref 3)
3. The new support group, ‘Friends of Throne Woods’, will be supported by @myurbangreen, a campaign which aims to reconnect urban communities with their environment by being actively involved in shaping the future development, maintenance and management of their ‘Greener Living Spaces’, created by M&S and Groundwork (ref 3)
4. Residents living near a woodland area of North Belfast are being urged to get involved in a campaign to maintain the site. (ref 4)
5. Children from local schools are visiting the woodland on a regular basis to take part in a Forest Schools programme. (ref 4)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Other
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of 23 September 2020
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Other
Please specify other modes of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Community Woods Programme - Throne Wood needs the support of local residents to guarantee its survival, therefore a volunteer group takes ownership of the woodland and ensures its upkeep (ref 4)
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
woodland Trust - about Throne Wood
List of references
Ref 1. Woodland Trust. nd. Throne Wood. Source: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/wood-information/throne-wood/ [Accessed 23 September 2020]
Ref 2. Woodland Trust. nd. Throne Wood Management Plan. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref 3. Newtown Abbey Today. (2012). Public meeting to rally support for Throne Wood. Source: http://www.newtownabbeytoday.co.uk/news/public-meeting-to-rally-support-for-throne-wood-1-3554312 [Accessed 23 September 2020]
Ref 4. Hughes K. nd. Residents urged to join Throne Woods campaign.Source: http://belfastmediagroup.com/residents-urged-to-join-throne-woods-campaign/ [[Accessed 23 September 2020]
Ref 5. Briton W. (2014). Woodlands are there for exploring and fun, so get out there and enjoy them [Website unavailable in 2020]
Ref 6. Woodland trust Facebook page. (2018) Source: https://www.facebook.com/thewoodlandtrust/photos/throne-wood-in-belfast-is-home-to-mature-trees-buffered-by-hundreds-of-recently-/10156520120685159/ [Accessed 23 September 2020]
Ref 7. The Irish News (2016) Historic north Belfast wood to get £50,000 facelift. Source: https://www.irishnews.com/lifestyle/environment/2016/10/18/news/historic-north-belfast-wood-to-get-50-000-facelift-743871/ [Accessed 23 September 2020]
Ref. 8. Newtonabbey Times (2016) Historic north Belfast wood receives boost Source: https://www.newtownabbeytoday.co.uk/news/historic-north-belfast-wood-receives-boost-2124467 [Accessed 23 September 2020]

Comments and notes
Public Images
Throne Wood (2016)
Throne Wood (2016)
Photographer: Michael Cooper, retrieved 08/18/2018 from Kaye Coates