Columns - Irish Examiner

Donal Hickey

Duhallow group honoured for wildlife and environmental work

A group in north Cork which has been giving a lead for many years through its work for wildlife and the environment is to receive a well-deserved award, writes Donal Hickey.

Mon, 30 Nov, 2015

Pollinator plan must thrive as weeds and wildflowers are important to bees

Nature doesn’t do tidy and a weed is just a plant in the wrong place. The words of a leading teacher on the natural world and the environment.

Mon, 23 Nov, 2015

Should we think again before giving in to a political call for deer cull?

BEFORE a trigger is pulled in the latest cull of native Red deer, in Killarney National Park, should the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) think again, asks Donal Hickey

Mon, 16 Nov, 2015

Compost saves our bogs

IT’S been a long time since we’ve seen such a profusion of autumnal shades so late in the year.

Mon, 09 Nov, 2015

Let’s hear it for the natterjack

GIVEN all the bad news we hear about the state of nature, it’s always positive to note the success of a project to ensure the survival of an endangered species in Ireland.

Mon, 02 Nov, 2015

PEOPLE are being asked to keep an eye out for a new colonist on its way to Ireland. The ivy bee was first recorded in the south of Britain, in 2001, having crossed the English Channel. It is continuing to move northwards and, according to experts, it’s only a matter of time before it crosses the Irish Sea.

Mon, 26 Oct, 2015

Killarney park in a rut

MAKING the most of the splendid autumn weather of recent weeks, large numbers of people have been flocking to Killarney National Park and surrounding areas to get a close-up view of the red deer during the annual ‘rut’, or mating season, writes Donal Hickey.

Mon, 19 Oct, 2015

Wetland habitats restored

TWO birds we remember from days in the bog, many years ago, we rarely see now. 

Mon, 12 Oct, 2015

Lyme disease on the rise

THE culprit is so small that it’s difficult to see, but it can strike with deadly effect. Cases of Lyme disease are increasing in Britain and people here are again being urged to take precautions.

Mon, 05 Oct, 2015

Batteries loaded with toxins

OUR lives these days seem to be run on batteries — laptops, mobile phones, toys and numerous electrical devices. 

Mon, 28 Sep, 2015