THREAD/ Are you missing #UCD's woodland walks and cherry blossoms? Join us for a #VirtualWalk as we explore the trees of Belfield and beyond in the last in our current #UCDEarthWalks series, following brilliant walks from @Elsorowley @_Rosemount & @EArchaeol over the past week

1/ The Belfield campus currently has approximately 50,000 trees comprising 76 different species of which more than 25,000 have been planted since 2007. Approximately 38 acres (or 11%) of the campus is covered in woodland. Image: Elva Johnston @PeritiaEditors

2/ Woodlands and forests provide important economic, social & environmental services. @Julieballweg is part of a new EU @COSTprogramme network to research biodiversity & sustainable forest management through standardised broad-scale multi-taxon studies http://www.bottoms-up.eu/en 

3/ Most of the Belfield woodlands date to late 18th/early 19th century. They were part of the original estates purchased by #UCD from the 1930s onwards – including Roebuck Castle, Ardmore, Belfield and Woodview Houses, visible in this 1874 map @UCDLibrary
https://digital.ucd.ie/view/ucdlib:33000

4/ Estate woodland is most evident on Foster’s Avenue, by the Glenomena residences, around the UCD Crèche and along the Stillorgan Road while remnants of ornamental tree planting can be seen at Merville House, Belfield House, Roebuck Castle & Richview

5/ In the late 18th century, ornamental conifers were in fashion and a representative collection, including western red cedar, giant redwood, Sawara cypress and Monterey cypress remain by Ardmore House.

6/ Situated within the former estate of @_Rosemount is the Lamb-Clarke Irish Historical Apple collection, named after its collectors. An orchard comprising 70 Irish cultivar apples, it’s an important genetic and cultural resource and is also utilised for undergraduate teaching

7/ Landscape palimpsest: traces of Belfield’s history can be detected throughout the campus. Some of the largest campus trees are remnants of the former agricultural field boundaries that predated #UCD’s move to Belfield - with some examples here in front of @UCDSport

8/ The concrete bunkers within O’Reilly Hall carpark were built to preserve historic trees and give a glimpse of Belfield's earlier topography, pre 1960s development. These little islands among the parked cars offer an unusual perspective to gaze up into the woodland remnant

9/ Tree-planting accompanied the development of #UCD in the 1960-70s, placing more emphasis on the campus's year-round use. Pink-flowering cherries, yellow laburnum and white horse chestnuts mark the arrival of spring and imminent exams! https://imgflip.com/gif/3xtwid 

10/ #UCD's woodlands are managed by @UCDEstates in a variety of ways, with intervention in many areas now minimised, enhancing insect, bird and mammal habitats. Large parts of the boundary woodland have been augmented with native trees such as birch, alder, pine, oak and willow.

11/ In an era of #climatechange, Ireland finds itself in an interesting position, intersecting both Arctic and Mediterranean climate systems. Despite poor geographic luck in only having a handful of native tree species, one of the most eclectic must be the strawberry tree.

12/ Did you know that Scots pine is the new native on the block? Its native status had been disputed, but recent research on the Irish Rockforest pine in Co Clare has shown a history to AD350. @ucdagfood has planted a Rockforest pine grove at @ucdlyonsfarm
https://journal.societyofirishforesters.ie/index.php/forestry/article/view/10950

13/ Trees are an important source of forage for bees and other pollinators, they can contain thousands of flowers & lots of food in one place. Pollinator research in #UCD is led by @DaraStanley & #UCD is a partner on the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan
https://pollinators.ie/ 

14/ The woodlands are a popular amenity for staff and students in #UCD as well as our local community, including spots like the 'secret' lake (image: @alexrussell290). A series of Woodland Walks have been laid out in the UCD Woodlands Walk Map & Guide https://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/UCD%20Woodland%20Walk%20Map%20and%20Guide.pdf

15/ Research by @FBrereton and colleagues in @UCDEnvPolicy has shown that access to and engagement with the physical environment is as important for our #health and #wellbeing as our income, houses and jobs
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2007.07.008

16/ Gerald Mills & @tningal are involved in @DublinGreening, mapping the location and distribution of trees in Dublin. Results show people in the city centre outnumber the trees by 10 to 1 while elsewhere the ratio is 1:1, an issue of access that the current #lockdown exacerbates

17/ Trees play a key physical role in cities, including cooling the air and removing pollutants, but a lack of scientific basis for urban tree selection/placement limits their benefits. @tobimorak’s “right tree, right place” framework aims to give planners tools to remedy this

18/ Narrow spaces between buildings can be inhospitable for trees. Not so with the fast-growing River Birch, Betula nigra, pictured here between the @UCDClubhouseBar and #UCD Student Centre. Attractive through the year, the peeling bark is particularly striking in winter

19/ Rob Sands @ucdarchaeology works on the archaeology of wood and woodcraft, including yew. Aesthetically and symbolically prized, its age, evergreen foliage, bright red arils, and poisonous associations link it to cycles of life & death in many societies
https://doi.org/10.1111/ojoa.12106

20/ The #UCD resilience tree, a birch, has symbolic meaning. Brian Tobin of @ucd_forestry picked some of his favourite campus trees for #UCDEarthTalks. He says he wouldn't normally pick birch but made an exception here! Do you have a favourite #UCD tree?
http://www.ucd.ie/earth/newsevents/earthtalks

END/ Many thanks to all our contributors to this #virtualwalk - Brian Tobin, Julie Ballweg, Finbarr Brereton, David Brogan, Karen Foley, Mary Forrest, Gerald Mills, Tobi Morakinyo, Tine Ningal, Rob Sands + Dara Stanley – hope you can join us in person for our next #UCDEarthWalks!