‘Biodiversity is short for biological diversity – the term used to encompass the variety of life on Earth’.

2010 - International Year of Biodiversity  The Biodiversity Project is a partnership between Translink and the Ulster Wildlife Trust.

Biodiversity is the whole variety of all living things on earth, from habitats where our plants and animals live, to individual plants, animals and fungi. It includes not only rare and threatened species but also the common. Biodiversity can be found almost everywhere, from ancient oak woodland to coastal sand dunes and our rich marine environment.
 

Biodiversity Action Plan 2009 - 2014

The aim of the new Translink Biodiversity Action Plan is to guide the conservation of the natural heritage found in and around Translink’s property, within the context of operational and safety requirements.

Download pdf of Biodiversity Action Plan 2009 - 2014 here

To achieve this, habitats and species have been highlighted and local actions agreed. With a long established history of quietly managing biodiversity, in recent years Translink has been working in partnership with the Ulster Wildlife Trust, who is assisting in directing and prioritising this work. 

Further information & stories

"Seeing is Believing Biodiversity Event"
Bird Watching at Glynn Halt
Translink 'making waves' in efforts to clean Northern Ireland's Coastline
Adopt-a-Beach and Corporate Volunteering
Translink Biodiversity Project Wins Prestigious Award
'Discover Biodiversity by Bus and Train' leaflet >>
Station Posters Developed by the Project >>
'Swift Action' >>
Millford Cutting Nature Reserve >>
‘Do one more thing’ for wildlife >>
Adopting a Beach >>
Local School puts biodiversity garden 'on track' >>
Hedging our Bets >>
Translink joins forces with Wildlife Trust to help local Biodiversity >>

Seeing is Believing - Biodiversity Event

In partnership with Grahams, Translink’s Biodiversity Officer attended a ‘Seeing is Believing’ biodiversity event organised by Business in the Community.  Translink presented a presentation which promoted and outlined the success of Translink’s Biodiversity Project so far to other aspiring businesses.  The main aim of this event was to share best practice and educate organisations on the need to take action for biodiversity and the many benefits it can have.

Pictured (L-R) Nuala Griffiths from Grahams, an RSPB Representative, and Breanainn Mullan, Translink’s new Biodiversity Officer, at the ‘Seeing is Believing’ biodiversity event.

Bird Watching at Glynn Halt (January 2010)

Larne Borough Council’s Biodiversity Officer, in partnership with Translink and their Biodiversity Project, organised a bird watching event at Glynn Halt on the Larne Line on Sunday 17th January. The Biodiversity Project is a three-year partnership between Translink and the Ulster Wildlife Trust.

Bird Watching at Glynn Halt

Translink’s Larne Line runs along the south shore of Larne Lough for much of its journey. Glynn Halt is positioned along the south shore of Larne Lough, towards Larne town. The lough is an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) and a Special Area of Protection (SPA) for birds, particularly over-wintering birds such as the light-bellied brent goose and goldeneye.

A bird expert was on hand to help with identification and pointed-out birds of interest. Telescopes and binoculars were available for use and much-appreciated tea/coffee and chocolate biscuits were in constant flow. The event drew an impressive crowd which included ‘twitchers’, those new to bird watching and young converts.

Translink’s Biodiversity Project has highlighted the benefits of travelling by train where bird spotting can be part of the journey through a series of train and station posters – ‘Spot these on your train journey’. A ‘Discover Biodiversity by Bus and Train’ leaflet has also been developed which gives passengers ideas on where they can travel by public transport to which gets them out exploring nature.
 

Translink 'making waves' in efforts to clean Northern Ireland's Coastline (October 2009)

Translink scooped the ‘Best Business Involvement’ award at the inaugural Coca-Cola Clean Coast Awards 2009, presented by Environment Minister Edwin Poots MLA. The awards are part of TIDY Northern Ireland’s Clean Coast Programme and are designed to recognise the outstanding contribution of individuals and organisations to protect local beaches.

Translink’s Biodiversity Officer Rose Cremin
(second left) receives Translink’s award for
‘Best Business Involvement’ at the Coca-Cola
Clean Coast Awards 2009 from Environment
Minister Edwin Poots MLA, Gillian McBrien,
Coca Cola and Ian Humphreys, TIDY Northern
Ireland.

Over the year, a number of events at local beaches were organised through the Biodiversity Project. The beach cleans were organised using the Marine Conservation Society’s (MSC) programme ‘Adopt-a-Beach’ which in addition to lifting litter from a beach, requires volunteers to record each type of litter they remove. This data is used by the MCS to analyse trends and to target the worst littering offenders.

Through its involvement in the events and the work it does to reduce litter and illegal dumping on its own property, Translink demonstratably recognises its responsibility to care for the environment. In addition to local community groups, individuals and schools, Translink staff volunteered their own time to get out there and make a difference.
  
Adopt-a-Beach and Corporate Volunteering (September 2009)

As part of the Marine Conservation Society’s Beachwatch Big Weekend, a beach clean event was organised via Translink’s Biodiversity Project on 18th September 2009 at Portballintrae, Co. Antrim. The event was one of many being held across Northern Ireland to highlight and tackle the issue of marine litter on our beaches.

The event was held in partnership with Larne & Moyle District Councils’ Biodiversity Officer who advertised the event locally. In addition to Translink staff who volunteered their own time to take part, some local residents and a local school came out to participate on the day. Sixteen adults and 16 school-children participated on the day. A total of 18 bags of litter were collected which happily now no longer persist on this beach to potentially hurt people who use this beach or our marine wildlife.
   
Translink Biodiversity Project Wins Prestigious Award (September 2009)

Translink and the Ulster Wildlife Trust have won a top award at the prestigious annual Sustainable Ireland Awards held in partnership with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

The ‘Biodiversity Project of the Year’ award was handed over at a glittering Sustainable Ireland Award ceremony held recently in Belfast before a packed audience of leading players in the environmental, waste management and energy sectors.

The extent of Translink’s business, operating a bus and rail service across Northern Ireland incorporating a range of properties, structures and land, is impressive – and many of these locations, particularly the rail network, runs through or adjacent to areas that are important for conservation such as Special Areas of Conservation.

With a dedicated Biodiversity Officer in post since 2007, employed by the Ulster Wildlife Trust and funded by Translink, the project has delivered a wide range of actions for biodiversity. Education and raising awareness activities, practical conservation projects and the delivery of a Biodiversity Action Plan are some of the areas the project has been active in.
  
'Discover Biodiversity by Bus and Train’ leaflet

A leaflet to celebrate the rich and diverse landscape of Northern Ireland and the contribution that public transport can make to get people out to discover it has been developed.

The leaflet highlights eight locations across Northern Ireland chosen for their diversity, accessibility and representation of our wonderful natural heritage. The leaflet encourages sustainable transport by bus, train, bike or foot. It is also hoped that the more people that discover biodiversity, the more willing we will all be able to protect it. Click here to download the leaflet.

Download a copy of the leaflet here >> (Adobe PDF Document 1,974kb)

Station Posters Developed by Project

'Swift Action'

One of the benefits of Translink supporting a Biodiversity Project is that there is a biodiversity officer in post which staff, members of the public or a local community group can contact if they have an idea for a project or a query regarding wildlife and conservation on Translink’s property.

One such enquiry was made in early 2008 when a local resident contacted us to explore the idea of Translink participating in a swift nest box scheme for his area. Swifts migrate from central and southern Africa each spring to these shores to breed, gravitating to the eaves and roofspaces of older buildings or modern buildings that can accommodate them. A bus depot in his area, it seems, offers prime summer residences for these overseas visitors – the location being the outside wall of the depot where nest boxes could be erected.

Milford Cutting Nature Reserve

This small, secluded nature reserve managed by the Ulster Wildlife Trust is a former railway line, outside of Armagh City.

Milford Nature Cutting Reserve

The cutting includes a variety of habitats including a mix of flowery calcareous grassery and scrubby woodland.

Find out more about the reserve >>

‘Do one more thing’ for wildlife

There are lots of ways each and every one of us can make a difference to our local natural environment without taking on the world. It’s all about making time and space in our busy lives. Supporting the work of a local conservation charity like the Ulster Wildlife Trust by becoming a member is another great way to ‘do your bit’. In return, you can enjoy wonderful places to visit, great family days out and get involved in efforts to protect our local wildlife and wild places. To find out what you can do for wildlife and to support the Ulster Wildlife Trust’s 30th anniversary ‘Year of Action’ campaign, visit www.ulsterwildlifetrust.org

Adopting-a-Beach (April 2009)

The Biodiversity Officer facilitated beach clean-ups at Whitehead and Carrickfergus with local schoolchildren and residents on two consecutive days in early April. The events were organised to highlight the issue of litter and particuarly its impact on the marine environment.

In addition to removing litter from the beach, the volunteers catalogued the type and quantity of litter they collected. This data has been sent to the Marine Conservation Society who analyse the data and use it to lobby for better marine conservation.
  
Local School puts biodiversity garden 'on track' (February 2009)
 
Translink has joined forces with a South Belfast primary school to assist in the creation of a special ‘Biodiversity Garden’ on school grounds. 
 

Scoil an Droichid, situated in the grounds of An Droichead – the Irish language culture and education centre - shares a boundary fence with NI Railways which has recently been upgraded by Translink and will form part of the new secure Biodiversity Garden border. The garden will support a wide range of native wildlife and plant species as well as enhance pupils’ learning experience and interest in subjects such as Science (February 2009).
      
Hedging our Bets (January 2009)

As part of Route 93 on the National Cycle Network, the Newtownabbey Way provides an important transport corridor for walkers and cyclists, but another user-group, wildlife, are keen on it as well!

Thanks to an initiative between Translink, Newtownabbey Borough Council and Sustrans, the Youth Club members from Whiteabbey Community Centre, with their leader Margaret King, had an opportunity to get involved in enhancing the Way for wildlife. The group helped to establish a native, fruiting hedgerow on a section of the Way at the Bleach Green Viaducts on a beautiful winter’s morning last Saturday, 24th January. (January 2009)

Translink joins forces with Wildlife Trust to help local Biodiversity (November 2008)

Translink employees recently showed their ‘green fingers’ when they took part in a corporate volunteer day to support biodiversity in the Coleraine area.

Translink volunteers take part in a corporate volunteer day at the Umbra Nature Reserve near Coleraine.

The team of twelve Translink staff joined forces with the Ulster Wildlife Trust for the environmental event and assisted with a range of conservation activities at the Umbra Nature Reserve, a local and internationally-important sand-dune system near Coleraine that is managed by the local nature conservation charity.

For further information on corporate volunteering click www.ulsterwildlifetrust.org or call 028 4483 0282. (November 2008)

Biodiversity Audit  

Translink’s operations are spread across Northern Ireland, in the form of a railway and bus network with their associated track, buildings, structures, grounds etc. An audit of the biodiversity interest on Translink property has been delivered as part of Year 1 of the project.

You can download a copy here >> 

Occurring in and around the organisation’s network, particularly, rail, there is a good variety of priority and locally-important habitats with their associated species. Using a variety of information sources coupled with ground-truthing, we have gained a broad understanding of what features and species occur across the network.

Eight Northern Ireland priority habitats have been identified along with locally-important habitats. These include ancient and/or species-rich hedgerows, wet woodland, veteran trees, maritime cliffs and slopes and rivers and streams. We have conservatively identified twenty-two Northern Ireland priority and locally-important species.

This audit document will assist in the development of a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), where habitats and species will be selected for action. Projects will be initiated to assist the conservation and enhancement of these, focusing primarily on habitats but also on species-specific requirements.
  
The Ulster Wildlife Trust  

The UWT is a local nature conservation charity, working across Northern Ireland for a healthy environment for us all. We are passionate about the vital role people play in securing a healthy future for our environment.

Without a biodiverse environment, we are all under threat – people and wildlife. We believe in taking local nature conservation action to secure the survival of life, acting locally, thinking globally.

Spot Local Birds on your train journey

Posters were produced for on-board trains and for display in stations to highlight the wide variety of birds that can be spotted from our services.  We hope passengers will enjoy getting out and about and doing some bird-watching as they travel.

The following pdf document highlights the type of birds that you could spot on your train journey. These fall into the following categories:

• Wetland Birds
• Coastal Birds
• Urban Birds
• Farmland Birds
  
  

Download the full pdf here >> (Adobe PDF Document 6,793kb)