Outdoors

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#Outdoors

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>It’s a truism that children are the future and they may, through learning and education, devise some concrete actions to tackle climate change and the environmental problems caused by it. Picture: iStock</p>

outdoors

Education is key: Heritage scheme hopes to turn learning into action

Children everywhere are being invited to take part in the National Heritage Keepers Programme so as to discover and protect the natural, built and cultural heritage on their doorstep

<p>Why are we spending public money repairing the effects of peat extraction while commercial peat extraction continues elsewhere? Picture: iStock</p>

outdoors

Ireland’s peatland paradox: Restoring bogs while commercial extraction continues

<p>Packed dog shelters are finding it difficult to keep up with demands created by the surrender and abandonment of often mistreated pets. Picture: iStock</p>

outdoors

Pet peeve: Dog owners can make mistakes from day one

Portrait of female standing near open fridge full of healthy food, vegetables and fruits.

outdoors

Donal Hickey: Let’s stop and think to avoid wasting food

Croagh Patrick

outdoors

Michelle McKeown: Stronger source-to-sea approach needed to protect our oceans

Saturn moon Enceladus in front of planet Saturn, rings and other moons

outdoors

Sky Matters: Active research into enduring and complex question

Bouquet of flowers in vase

Best buds: Just how green is your wedding bouquet?

Weddings are never an exercise in environmental perfection. But there are a few simple choices we can make that can lessen the environmental footprint of our big day without lessening the beauty of the occasion.

Sat, 05 Sep, 2026

FRANCE-MOUNTAIN-SANCY-AUGUST-2025

Groundhog day: Call for end to hunting of French marmots

Shooting marmots is permitted from September 1 each year in France, however, animal rights activists do not approve and are calling on the French government to prohibit such hunting on humane grounds

Fri, 04 Sep, 2026

SCOTLAND Hedgehogs 1

Urban crawl: Number of hedgehogs in cities spikes

Urban populations appear relatively stable, highlighting the critical role that suburban gardens, parks, and other managed green spaces play in hedgehog survival

Thu, 03 Sep, 2026

Sargassum seaweed in Mayan Riviera and Cancun beach on Caribbean,

Too much of a good thing: Why sargassum has become such a problem

Offshore sargassum is extremely valuable as nurseries and refuges, providing shelter and food for fish, crabs, seabirds and young sea turtles, Near shore, however, excessive quantities can lower oxygen levels, block light and smother seagrass, corals and other marine life

Fri, 28 Aug, 2026

Dodo Bird

Bird-brained: Research debunks long-held beliefs about dodos

Was the dodo really the overweight, intellectually-challenged slob of popular opinion? A new study suggests not

Fri, 28 Aug, 2026

Hikes and trails: Sit in Synge's Chair on defiantly traditional and tranquil Inishmaan

Hikes and trails: Sit in Synge's Chair on defiantly traditional and tranquil Inishmaan

Untroubled by the daily pressures of tidal tourism, Inishmaan continues as an authentic outpost of Gaelic culture where Irish defiantly persists as an everyday language

Thu, 27 Aug, 2026

British Berry Growers Blackberry Spotlight

Donal Hickey: Blackberries ripe and 'ready for the bucket'

People of all ages, often three or more generations together, are out harvesting and moving along the ditches as brambles are well-laden with blackberries ready for picking

Thu, 27 Aug, 2026

Pet rat

Rat trap: Much of what we blame on rodents is our own doing

Rats are dirty. They contaminate food stores, spread disease and damage buildings. But we have only ourselves to blame for their ubiquitous presence

Sat, 22 Aug, 2026

Herd Of Holstein Friesian Cattle

Farming bailouts a barrier to climate-resilient food system

Farmers need and deserve wide public support however that support is under increasing strain and will not last while the focus of the industry is on maintaining business as usual

Sat, 22 Aug, 2026

A real buzzkill: Ecological change and the potential threat from mosquitoes

A real buzzkill: Ecological change and the potential threat from mosquitoes

Mosquito-borne disease is not a major public-health problem here. But a new Irish review suggests we should not assume that will always remain the case

Fri, 21 Aug, 2026

A Peacock butterfly sitting on Lavender flowers in the sunshine in Hampshire, UK

Donal Hickey: Plants to help our under-threat butterflies

Since 2008, when systemic monitoring of the butterfly population began, there’s been a steep decline, with habitat loss being a critical issue

Fri, 21 Aug, 2026

Dollars Yen Pounds Euros Financial Washout

Paradise lost: Tourist taxes and the price of visiting beautiful places

There is a strong argument that tourists should contribute towards maintaining the places they enjoy. Properly designed taxes can raise substantial sums for conservation, infrastructure and public services. But revenue raised is not an environmental outcome and its what happens afterwards is real the problem

Sat, 15 Aug, 2026

Woolly Rhinoceros

Wisdom teeth: Rhino remains cast light on Neanderthals' resourcefulness

‘Grizzly’ Neanderthals have been depicted as brutal and sub-human. They were deemed to have been artistically challenged. However, paintings left by them on the walls of caves suggest otherwise

Fri, 14 Aug, 2026

Buff-tip moth

Wild Matters: Farmer-led initiative helping reveal the magic of moths

The Farmer Moth Monitoring Project is opening our eyes to the world of moths, helping us to appreciate and value these secret inhabitants of our ecosystems

Fri, 14 Aug, 2026

DENIS SCANNELL

Donal Hickey: Local dismay over delays to Killarney sewage plant works

Concerns are growing as essential work to upgrade the town’s underperforming sewage treatment plant will not now take place before 2030

Thu, 13 Aug, 2026

Solar eclipse

'You don't want to miss this': Cork and Kerry to get stunning view of partial solar eclipse

All of Ireland will be able to see Wednesday's partial eclipse — and the South West will be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime event, with up to 98% of the sun covered

Tue, 11 Aug, 2026

Hikes and trails: Enjoy an easy ramble back through the centuries at Portumna Forest

Hikes and trails: Enjoy an easy ramble back through the centuries at Portumna Forest

The quicksilver waters of the Shannon sparkling vividly through the trees at Bonaveen Point is undoubtedly the high point of this three-hour route around this leafy forest trail

Fri, 07 Aug, 2026

'Knowledge is power': Showing off the undersea wonders of Cork Harbour

'Knowledge is power': Showing off the undersea wonders of Cork Harbour

A new marine experience has opened up on Cork's coast, spearheaded by local man Dave Quinlan, who tells MARGARET DONNELLAN how the fishing industry has helped provide many of the fascinating exhibits

Mon, 03 Aug, 2026

Opening of Himalayan Hills, Dublin Zoo

Lesser spotted: This elusive leopard is somewhat of a 'ghost'

The snow leopard is more closely related to the tiger than to the ‘common’ leopard. But whereas the latter is a highly adaptable species, the ‘ghost’ is a specialist, at home only on the highest mountains

Sat, 25 Jul, 2026

Fish boat vessel fishing in a rough sea

Uneasy sea-bedfellows: Oceans of conflict around fishing and conservation

A major impediment to fishermen effectively becoming guardians of the seas and leading on restoration efforts is the complex manner in which the sea is managed

Sat, 25 Jul, 2026

Cracked dried earth texture background, close up. Dry, erosion, ecology problem concept.

Under pressure: Dry conditions are changing the ground beneath us

Drought does not simply make soil dry. It changes how soil is structured, how it functions and how well it recovers, and Ireland is by no means immune to its effects

Thu, 23 Jul, 2026

Wild Matters: Nature restoration in action through pioneering projects

Wild Matters: Nature restoration in action through pioneering projects

Celebrating restoration initiatives nationwide that are effectively combatting the loss of nature across landscape and habitat types

Mon, 20 Jul, 2026

Georgian doors in Dublin

Michelle McKeown: In a heatwave, trees are more than just a pleasant extra

During hot weather, trees function as pieces of living infrastructure where they cool streets, shade buildings, and make towns and cities more comfortable. They are, essentially, natural air conditioners

Mon, 20 Jul, 2026

Summer weather June 1st 2025

Flower fairies: Foxglove and fuschia feature prominently in folklore

The warn sunny conditions of late have created the ideal climate for our wild plants, such as foxglove and fuchsia, which are growing in glorious profusion across the country

Thu, 16 Jul, 2026

Moon Jellyfish stranded on a beach.

These are the jellyfish to watch out for and the ones you don't need to be afraid of

These smugairle róin (translates from Irish as 'seal snot') seem to be on the increase, although in the absence of monitoring and data about jellyfish distribution and abundance, it is hard to know for sure

Tue, 14 Jul, 2026

Helicopter dumping water on a wildfire

Burning issue: What Europe’s wildfires can teach Ireland

Ireland is unlikely to experience the vast pine forest fires associated with southern Europe. But we are far from immune. Every year, fires affect upland heath, gorse, forestry and peatlands, particularly during prolonged dry spells

Fri, 10 Jul, 2026

Painted Lady Butterfly

Age-old question: Could the longevity of butterflies be down to diet?

Some butterfly species there are impressively long-lived. They seem to remain young almost forever and show no obvious signs of physical decline as they get older. But how do they manage to do this?

Thu, 09 Jul, 2026

Abandoned

Donal Hickey: Expand grant schemes to beat rural decline

Even if it means doubling the vacant/derelict homes grants and offering other incentives, something needs to be done urgently to tackle ongoing decline in the west and south

Thu, 09 Jul, 2026

Total eclipse of the Sun. The moon covers the sun in a solar eclipse

Sky Matters: Get ready for the biggest celestial event of the year

Now is the time to start scouting out locations to view the biggest celestial event of 2026, the upcoming eclipse of the sun on August 12 that will see around 95-97% of the sun eclipsed by the moon

Mon, 06 Jul, 2026

Blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) with a caterpillar, Hertfordshire, England

Life Hack: How to care for birds during the summer when we've been told to stop feeding them

BirdWatch Ireland recently advised people to stop feeding birds over the summer to limit the spread of the disease trichomoniasis. Here's what you need to know

Mon, 06 Jul, 2026

Newlyweds cutting wedding cake

Small wedding decisions that can cut waste, without cutting the joy

No wedding is perfectly sustainable. Weddings involve travel, food, flowers, clothes, music and celebration. And yet small, sensible choices around the day can make the celebration not only beautiful, but a little more thoughtful too

Sat, 04 Jul, 2026

common swift in flight

Winging it: Swift ‘the devil bird’ that does its own thing

The European swift engages in behaviours very different from those of other, more ‘normal’ birds, and yet when it comes to nesting, there's no place like home

Fri, 03 Jul, 2026

Feeling the heat: Challenge to provide cooler spaces in urban settings

Feeling the heat: Challenge to provide cooler spaces in urban settings

Experts suggest we need nature-based solutions to mitigate against the Urban Heat Island effect in cities whereby hard surfaces such as tarred roads, footpaths and buildings trap more heat than rural areas and natural landscapes

Thu, 02 Jul, 2026

Hikes and Trails: Following in the footsteps of The Liberator

Hikes and Trails: Following in the footsteps of The Liberator

Today, the landscape Daniel O’Connell roamed is preserved as the Derrynane National Historic Park, where visitors experience the same tranquil woodlands, bays and beaches that captivated him

Wed, 01 Jul, 2026

Rippling Waters Over Submerged Stones

Pádraic Fogarty: Taking a very long time to ‘bring everyone with us’

Government seems to be taking a very long time as it ‘brings everyone along’ in addressing the challenges of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss

Tue, 23 Jun, 2026

Making homemade deodorant stick with all natural ingredients concept. Antiperspirant on minimal background with lot of copy spac

Pit stop: The science behind smelling better with less plastic

Refillable deodorants have elbowed their way into bathroom cabinets and promise fresher pits while resulting in less single-use plastic. They are a small gesture we can all make to help tackle the bigger packaging problem around bathroom products

Sun, 21 Jun, 2026

Crab

Walk on the wild side: Crabs move sideways to confuse predators

Researchers in Japan tell us why crabs move sideways, rather than straight ahead like all other creatures and how 'sideways motion’ is to their benefit

Thu, 18 Jun, 2026

Damage done: Expanding deer population sparks calls for culls

Damage done: Expanding deer population sparks calls for culls

Culls alone will not solve the problem of an expanding deer population but should form part of a comprehensive herd management plan

Thu, 18 Jun, 2026

Machair wild flower meadow, The Outer Hebrides Western Isles

Wild Matters: The symbiotic nature of midsummer meadows

Species rich grasslands are now one of the most threatened habits in Ireland and if once common orchids, bees, butterflies, wildflowers and farmland birds are to be part of our future, we must act now for effective restoration

Tue, 16 Jun, 2026

Hikes and trails: Tory may be small but it packs a mighty punch

Hikes and trails: Tory may be small but it packs a mighty punch

Lying 15km off the Donegal coast, Tory is about 5 km long and 1km wide, with massive cliffs on its northern flanks. Distinctive for its strong Irish-speaking culture, it has become a Mecca for discerning tourists and is host to a seven-day walking festival in September

Fri, 12 Jun, 2026

Skellig Island Puffin, County Kerry, Ireland

Nature Cams: Reconnecting us with the wild, or just another screen?

The strongest case for nature cams is access, as not everyone can visit a wetland, island, woodland or cliff edge. But there are limits. Watching nature is not the same as being in nature

Fri, 12 Jun, 2026

Woman hiker legs walking beautiful flowering grassland

Head to the hills: Taking steps to maintain our outdoor areas

Getting farmers and private landowners in upland areas involved in maintaining paths is seen as key to restoration projects aimed at creating a more sustainable future for visitors

Fri, 12 Jun, 2026

Youngest Irish person to climb Everest: How a day in the ‘death zone’ led to a once-in-a-lifetime achievement

Youngest Irish person to climb Everest: How a day in the ‘death zone’ led to a once-in-a-lifetime achievement

'Getting out of that tent was so tough': 22-year-old Waterford student Adam Sweeney describes the Irish team's decision to make one final tilt at Everest's summit

Mon, 08 Jun, 2026

Beautiful Landscape depicting Strange Weather Phenomenon due to Climate Change, comprising dramatic dark grey Nimbus clouds alon

El Niño: World on watch as tropical Pacific warming

Scientists are watching events and weather forecast models closely as the final strength and the precise impacts of El Niño will only become clearer as the Pacific ocean and atmosphere continue to evolve

Sat, 06 Jun, 2026