South Belfast school children upset at trees being chopped down have placed ribbons along the lane where they once stood.
The Department of Infrastructure removed a number of trees along a path in the Stranmillis area beside the River Lagan as part of site clearance and investigation works in the Belfast Tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme.
The move saddened many local residents who felt that another approach could have been taken by the Department and dozens gathered at the site as local school children tied ribbons on the nearby railings in honour of the trees that were taken away.
It was led by 10-year-old Mollie Rose McCarten who said that she burst into tears when she saw that the trees had been chopped down and it had been her "happy and comforting place" to ride her bike over the years.
She said: "When I saw that the trees had been chopped down I burst into tears. Other than my family and friends they are my favourite thing in the world, and I was not happy to see they were gone.
"Since I was little I have come here to ride my bike because it has been such a comforting place to me and it is somewhere that has made me happy whenever I have been sad.
"We are going to make sure that there will be more trees here again and there will be more planted here, instead of them being chopped down and covered in tarmac. I call them graves for the trees.
"Everyone has come down here today to tie green ribbons beside the trees in memory of them and to show how upset we are that they are gone, and I would like as many people as possible to put up ribbons of their own too."
Mollie Rose wrote to Belfast Lord Mayor Lord Mayor Kate Nicholl about the trees after they were cut down before meeting her at a tree give-away event in Ormeau Park as part of the council's One Million Trees project.
She said that she would be supporting Mollie Rose in helping trees to return to the area and said that it was inspiring how much passion and care the young girl had for the environment.
A DfI spokesperson said: “Site clearance and investigation works in relation to the Belfast Tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme are ongoing. These works are necessary to facilitate the construction of the flood defences which is currently scheduled to commence in spring 2022.
“The site clearance works commenced in the Lockview / Stranmillis area and only the trees and shrubs necessary to gain access to execute the works are being removed, with the majority of the site clearance works being targeted now, to avoid the bird nesting season and hence mitigate the potential impact on nesting birds.
“Throughout the development of the scheme design, efforts have been taken to minimise the impact from the proposed works on the local environment and wildlife as much as possible and consultation with relevant authorities has been undertaken. However, the removal of some trees and shrubs is unavoidable to facilitate the construction of this important project which will reduce tidal flood risk to over 1500 properties within Belfast. The scheme takes into account the latest projections on climate change in order to provide a long term approach to tidal flood risk management for Belfast and allows for future adaption to mitigate against potential sea level rises.
“Areas where trees and shrubs have to be removed to facilitate the works are to be reinstated with similar species where possible and where it is not possible to reinstate in the original location, some compensatory planting will be undertaken in suitable areas subject to the agreement of the appropriate landowner.”
