THE primal roar of the stags is echoing around the hills and valleys of Killarney these days, confirming the mating (rutting) season for the area’s native Red deer.

TRAILERS full of timber can be seen moving on roads across the country these days, as people secure their wood supplies for winter firing and the unmistakeable whine of the chainsaw echoes through the land.

IT’S the season of mellow fruitfulness with all sorts of superb wild food available after what has been a good year in terms of both heat and moisture, creating ideal conditions for healthy growth.

ANGLERS are being asked to take part in a project which aims to piece together the life story of the fascinating sea trout, a fish about which not that much is known.

WHEN the late US President John F Kennedy first spoke, in 1961, about his plan to put a man on the moon within a decade, he did not know how it was going to be done.

ASK people if they have ever seen a lizard close-up in Ireland and chances are many will reply in the negative.

ONE of the most heartening things to happen in Ireland in recent times has been the heightened awareness of the environment among children who are now leading the way and, indeed, educating their parents on such matters.

IT might sound just like common sense, but if you want people to change their ways and do something different the best way to go about it is to make it easy for them.

IRELAND is neatly placed to become a research centre into the effects of climate change on the oceans and marine life and the knock-on consequences for the fishing industry.

WITH poisoning of foxes and crows now illegal, farmers are being urged to find other ways of controlling pests, especially those that prey on young lambs.