a wildflower meadow & natural wildlife habitat https://tinyurl.com/BotanicMeadowLocation As the lower part of Botanic Gardens, the meadow has a remarkable history of transformation - from a site of industrial waste to a species-rich open green space in urban south Belfast.

Please sign and share the petition to reverse Belfast City Council’s decision to turn Botanic Meadow into a permanent sports pitch: Over £0.5m has been invested in the area since 2022 to reintroduce native species and nature-based solutions to climate change, including through community & research gardens. Over the years, the field has been used for allotments, emergency accommodation during the Belfast Blitz, the location for the Ulster ‘71 expo & a U2 concert in 1997, temporary grass playing fields, & a very noisy Circus Extreme in 2019

After that, the grass was left to grow. The green field was a godsend during Covid-19. In 2021-6, an EU UPSURGE project made it a beacon for nature-based solutions to climate change, with community at its heart.

• The meadow is located in the Botanic district, the
  largest & most culturally-diverse District Electoral Area
  in N. Ireland.

  • According to 2021 Census, its population density
    is 46.5 persons per hectare (the NI average is 1.4)
  • 60% of its residents are aged 15-39 (the NI
    average is 31%)
  • 24% of its population had national identities other
    than British and/or Irish (NI average 7%)
  • Botanic 1&2 SOAs were identified in 2017 as the
    most deprived areas in NI for Living Environment
    Domain (i.e. quality of indoor & outdoor spaces).