PEOPLE who move between locations to use waterways for sport may, unwittingly, be spreading dangerous invasive species in Ireland.

WITH memories of storms a year ago still fresh, people in coastal areas worry about a recurrence of the damage and flooding — made worse by a lack of hope that anything meaningful will be done about the situation.

WE might as well get into positive mode early in the New Year.

PEOPLE in city and country areas may hear eerie cries these nights, but be not be afraid. The screams might sound like the banshee. More than likely, however, it’s a female fox as we are in the mating season for the madra rua.

AS people tuck into mountains of smoked salmon — most of which is the farmed variety — over the festive season, the wild Atlantic salmon will continue its long battle for survival.

WHY, asks Donal Hickey, is it that so many Christmas cards continue to feature images of snow on the ground when white Christmases are so rare?

IT might be hard to credit, but there has been a downside to the remarkably mild year we have enjoyed. The prolonged fine weather and abundance of food created ideal breeding conditions for rats and mice and is resulting in a current boom for pest control firms which are hard-pressed to meet demand for their service.

LARGE amounts of water flowing into the North Atlantic from melting Polar ice caps, as a result of global warming, could have serious consequences for growing conditions along our south and west coasts.

THOUGH Bere Island lies just 2km offshore from the busy fishing port of Castletownbere, in West Cork, it manages to retain that special ‘’island feel’’ and a sense that you are away from a noisier and more rushed world.

AS WE move from the so-called season of mists and mellow fruitfulness into the colder and shorter days of winter, humans are not the only creatures preparing for the seasonal change generally marked by Halloween.