The Queen’s University Belfast community has come together to plant over 300 trees this year as part of the Belfast City Council ‘One Million Trees’ initiative.  

The oak saplings have been grown and nurtured by the San Souci Residents’ Association, who used a Queen’s brown field site to grow over 4,000 saplings from acorns collected in Belvoir Forest Park. The tree nursery is a partnership with Queen’s University and the SanSouci Residents Association. The community group collaborates with Queen’s Sustainability Team, local groups like San Souci Residents’ Association, and organisations like The Conservation Volunteers.  

Since 2021, over 1,264 trees have been planted in appropriate locations across the Queen’s campus. The trees planted are a mixture of saplings and mature trees, including wildlife hedgerow species. 

This initiative contributes to the wider Belfast goal of planting one million native trees across the city by 2035, as well as to Queen’s commitment to enhance and support biodiversity across its campus.  

Tree planting offers significant environmental and public health benefits, including reducing carbon, improving air quality, reducing flooding, increasing urban cooling, promoting biodiversity, and improving physical and mental health and wellbeing.  

Sara Lynch, Head of Sustainability at Queen’s University Belfast, said:  

“The One Million Trees initiative reflects the strong partnership between Queen’s and Belfast City Council as we come together to deliver benefits for the University, the city and our local communities. Each tree planted supports biodiversity and climate resilience, contributing to healthier, more attractive green spaces for our students, staff and wider community.”