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#Outdoors

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Here's hoping there's hot chocolate, mulled wine, dry robes, and hot water bottles at the ready for all the brave folk taking the plunge this Christmas. Picture: John Power</p>

outdoors

Christmas 2025: Are you doing a Christmas swim this year?

Christmas is definitely on the way when people start planning Christmas swims — if you're aiming to have a seasonal dip then check out this list which includes couple of handy pre-Christmas swims too

<p>Introduced to New Zealand by European settlers in the 19th century to remind themselves of home, hedgehogs found themselves in a paradise free of natural predators and bursting with ground-nesting birds, wētā (insects), lizards and invertebrates. They adapted well... too well</p>

outdoors

A pest or a prince — is it all down to postcodes?

<p>Imani, the 18-year-old female common hippopotamus at Dublin Zoo. The hippo successfully underwent the first recorded cataract surgery on this species worldwide, performed by Dublin Zoo’s animal care team. Pictures: Patrick Bolger Photography</p>

outdoors

World first — hippopotamus has cataract surgery in Dublin

A Brown Bear comes close to a house entrance in Hokkaido

outdoors

Increase in bear attacks in Japan

Leaping Scottish Salmon

outdoors

Helping wild Atlantic salmon overcome man-made obstacles

Ireland's lax approach to inspecting farms and enforcing rules

outdoors

Ireland's lax approach to inspecting farms and enforcing rules

Michelle McKeown: The weather tug-of-war that shapes our winters

Michelle McKeown: The weather tug-of-war that shapes our winters

Understanding the North Atlantic Oscillation won’t stop Irish winters being chaotic, but it helps explain why they sometimes fall into familiar rhythms. And it reminds us that, while climate change is gradually reshaping global systems, natural variability still has plenty to say

Fri, 05 Dec, 2025

View from the sea of Giannutri Island

Studying impact of honeybees on local wild bees

Giannutri is a little island off the coast Italy. Its isolation ensured that honeybees never got there under their own steam — 18 hives were introduced in 2018 and scientists have been studying their effects on the local bee population

Thu, 04 Dec, 2025

Donal Hickey: A salute to farmers working with nature

Donal Hickey: A salute to farmers working with nature

Making a shift from using every bit of land and ‘driving it hard’ to a work model where climate and nature guide every decision

Thu, 04 Dec, 2025

Anja Murray: Nitrates not giving our rivers a chance to breathe

Anja Murray: Nitrates not giving our rivers a chance to breathe

Why is it now widely considered acceptable to heap pollutants in to lakes until the ecosystems they once sustained are eliminated?

Wed, 03 Dec, 2025

Merry Christmas Santa Claus flying in UFO spaceship flying saucer with gift boxes in space Earh night. Vector illustration isola

Planets Santa might end up visiting... next year?

As Santa sits at the North Pole anticipating the discovery of life on some far-flung planet he might be somewhat nervously scanning the latest scientific literature to see which exoplanets are hot topics

Sat, 29 Nov, 2025

16,000 years’ worth of stories to uncover from sediment in a West Cork lake

16,000 years’ worth of stories to uncover from sediment in a West Cork lake

In search of Ireland's ancient past by recovering and examining sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA)

Fri, 28 Nov, 2025

Ancient honeyhunting practice continues

Ancient honeyhunting practice continues

Scientists have found that human-honeyguide cooperation is used mainly as a recreational activity nowadays. Despite increased education and job opportunities, honey-hunting can survive "without economic incentives for humans, sustained instead by its cultural and social importance"

Thu, 27 Nov, 2025

Fox Cub found

Fox-hunting — conflicting attitudes between urban dwellers and farmers

Foxes breed prolifically and a vixen can have five cubs per year, which reach adulthood in about eight months. In ideal conditions, a fox can live for 10 years, but most only last for two, or three

Thu, 27 Nov, 2025

Rewilding for nature recovery

Rewilding for nature recovery

It's easy to see the benefits of letting natural processes take the reins

Wed, 26 Nov, 2025

'Eternally confusing' West Cork coastline makes for iconic scenes

'Eternally confusing' West Cork coastline makes for iconic scenes

Based in Kenmare on the rugged southwest coast of Ireland, Norman McCloskey has been photographing the landscape here since 1992 — these images are featured in his latest book, Headlands

Sun, 23 Nov, 2025

Why early-warning systems matter more than ever

Why early-warning systems matter more than ever

Long before sensors and satellites, people used whatever tools they had to read the world around them. In fact, the earliest warning systems were rooted in observation, culture and instinct — but sensors, algorithms and automated texts are now being employed in places such as Midleton in Cork

Fri, 21 Nov, 2025

Richard Collins: Black Death myths challenged in new research paper

Richard Collins: Black Death myths challenged in new research paper

A millennium ago, climate change began drying out grasslands in Asia. Black rats there sought sanctuary in human dwellings. When the rats died of the plague, their fleas jumped onto people

Thu, 20 Nov, 2025

Free the Fifteen protest

Free the 15 penguins campaign highlights captive animals issue

The owners of Sea Life London Aquarium have pledged to listen to "constructive ideas" about the care of their gentoo penguins after a campaign against the birds' captivity

Thu, 20 Nov, 2025

Merlin (Falco columbarius)

Birds of Ireland: Merlin

A merlin is an agile flier when hunting and their pointed wings are visible. They look smaller and darker than a kestrel

Sun, 16 Nov, 2025

a Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) sitting on a post with its wings extended.

Birds of Ireland: Peregrine

Peregrines have slate-grey upperparts and a dark 'teardrop' below their eyes

Sat, 15 Nov, 2025

Tractor spreading artificial fertilizers in field

Phosphate: the world’s most under-appreciated resource

Ireland, like most of Europe, has no significant phosphate rock reserves. Every kilogram of phosphorus used on Irish farms is imported, primarily as processed fertiliser derived from mined rock abroad. That dependence makes Ireland (and the EU) strategically vulnerable

Fri, 14 Nov, 2025

Pair of male and female eursian bullfinch sitting just above water level

Why female mammals live longer than males but female birds die first

Scientists have found that while lifestyle and environment are important, genes also play a part

Thu, 13 Nov, 2025

Hedgehogs getting ready for hibernation

Hedgehogs getting ready for hibernation

Studies from Britain and elsewhere in Europe have found that hedgehog numbers are in steep decline due to habitat loss and fragmentation from changing farming practices and development. As the environment in Ireland is experiencing similar pressures the hedgehog population in Ireland may be similarly affected — link to study below

Thu, 13 Nov, 2025

Autumn weather Sep 1st 2022

Anja Murray: Epic migration of Atlantic salmon in jeopardy

Wild salmon can leap as high as three metres. Perhaps our ancient forbears were aware of the benefits of the rich fatty acids found in salmon flesh that can help our brains to function well, which would explain the folklore association between salmon, stamina and knowledge

Wed, 12 Nov, 2025

Explore Glenary in the Comeragh Mountains — a place of poor land but rich history

S Explore Glenary in the Comeragh Mountains — a place of poor land but rich history

On this hike you'll pass a stone-built farmstead. Known as Park Grub, it was once the upland home of the Ireland family. Ironically, William Ireland, the head of the household, was in the early part of the 20th century the only non-Irish resident in Glenary

Sun, 09 Nov, 2025

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

Birds of Ireland: Sparrowhawk

This bird of prey flies with rapid wingbeats but does not hover

Sat, 08 Nov, 2025

Donal Hickey: Keep your distance from seals — even the cutest pups

Donal Hickey: Keep your distance from seals — even the cutest pups

Every year, well-meaning members of the public approach seal pups on the beach, not realising the harm it can cause

Thu, 06 Nov, 2025

BRAZIL-CLIMATE-COP30-BELEM-PREPARATION

COP30: Why we need to approach climate action with nature in mind

The viability of our collective future depends on us all using our power to ensure we change the trajectory we are on

Wed, 05 Nov, 2025

Sky Matters: rogue star wandering the galaxy since before the earth or sun was born gets a temporary comet tail

Sky Matters: rogue star wandering the galaxy since before the earth or sun was born gets a temporary comet tail

For most of its journey 3I/ATLAS has been frozen solid, but the warming rays of our Sun are enough to unfreeze some of its gases such as carbon dioxide, generating a faint cometary tail. For a period of a few weeks 3I/ATLAS comes alive, only to pass out of the solar system and spend perhaps the next billion years or more back in its frozen state

Sat, 01 Nov, 2025

Right Whales

Richard Collins: Are we finally going to do right by the 'right whale'?

Slaughter for oil and baleen may have eased but there is a new threat... with the melting of Arctic ice, ship traffic is increasing and these slow-moving giants are being run down by ships

Thu, 30 Oct, 2025

Mink with Wet Fur

Donal Hickey: Mink eradication pilot programme underway in the Midlands

American mink were first recorded in the wild, in Ireland, more than 60 years ago, and have spread countrywide since then. The current population is descended from animals which either escaped, or were released, from mink farms

Thu, 30 Oct, 2025

Anja Murray: Seagrass meadows and other Irish marine life marvels

Anja Murray: Seagrass meadows and other Irish marine life marvels

Dublin lifeguard and diver, Gordon Leonard, saw a seagrass bed just at the shore in Sandycove, County Dublin. He reported the find to Coastwatch Ireland who identified the seagrass he had found as a species previously unknown to the east coast

Thu, 30 Oct, 2025

Flat Lay of Shattered Pumpkins After the Exciting Pumpkin Drop Event

Ireland’s frightening Halloween habit is a curse that can be broken by sustainable choices

Nature’s décor is unbeatable: fallen leaves, pinecones, bare branches, and candlelight (ideally in a glass jar rather than a plastic skull). They’re biodegradable, beautiful, and cost nothing

Wed, 29 Oct, 2025

Birds of Ireland: Barn owl

Birds of Ireland: Barn owl

Barn owls of all ages have a flat, white heart-shaped face and large, black eyes

Sat, 25 Oct, 2025

Empty chair at wedding ceremony

Something borrowed, something green: How I found a sustainable wedding dress

Weddings can generate significant waste. Studies estimate an average Irish wedding produces 10–20 kilograms of plastic from decorations, catering, and more, though this varies by event size and style

Sat, 25 Oct, 2025

Donal Hickey: What you need to know about deer rut season at Killarney National Park

Donal Hickey: What you need to know about deer rut season at Killarney National Park

Great nature photo opportunities here — but don't be one of those amateur photographers who wander into the fields and get too close to the herds, disrupting the animals’ normal routines. And definitely don't approach fighting stags... that's a recipe for disaster

Thu, 23 Oct, 2025

Anja Murray: Is a river alive? And if so, does it have rights?

Anja Murray: Is a river alive? And if so, does it have rights?

Two new EPA reports document an ongoing steady decline in water quality across Ireland's lakes, rivers and estuaries as pollution levels continue to rise. A whopping 44% of Irish rivers now have nitrogen concentrations that exceed healthy limits

Wed, 22 Oct, 2025

A Beautiful Ireland milkyway pictures

Sky Matters: When to see this week's Orionid meteor shower — and how

While dark skies make it easiest to see the Orionids, don’t be put off by not having access to a pristine location

Mon, 20 Oct, 2025

Clapper bridges and stones with healing powers — stories of our ancestors, hidden in the Irish landscape

Clapper bridges and stones with healing powers — stories of our ancestors, hidden in the Irish landscape

Remnants of our past lie all over Ireland, telling the story of the Irish people and their daily lives, how they sustained themselves, their beliefs and traditions, how they died and how they were remembered, writes Deirdre O'Neill

Sun, 19 Oct, 2025

A visit to all eight of Ireland's National Parks

S A visit to all eight of Ireland's National Parks

See how our expert ecologist rated them here...

Sat, 18 Oct, 2025

I am almost done!

Rake expectations: should we be picking up leaves at all?

Leaves aren't litter — they’re the forest’s own recycling system, a slow-release nutrient pack designed to feed soil life and shelter small creatures through the colder months. When they decompose, they release essential nutrients, improve soil structure, and even help lock away a little carbon

Fri, 17 Oct, 2025

Autumn sun shining through tree canopy

Anja Murray: Public land is the low-hanging fruit for nature restoration

The Nature Restoration Law is about proactive restoration, not just within protected sites, but more holistically and throughout the landscape. Rivers and their floodplains; native woodlands; peat bogs and reclaimed peat soils; urban areas and pollinators are all part of the approach to restore the ecosystems we all depend on

Wed, 15 Oct, 2025

Irish buff-tailed bumblebees are genetically distinct from their British counterparts

Irish buff-tailed bumblebees are genetically distinct from their British counterparts

This news has important implications for conservation practices and may also inform the way imported commercial populations are managed

Wed, 15 Oct, 2025

Birds of Ireland: Fulmar

Birds of Ireland: Fulmar

Fulmars have a stout cigar-shaped body and both sexes appear similar

Sat, 11 Oct, 2025

A large number of different human footprints in the sand, background

Rethinking carbon footprints

By focusing public attention on individual choices, your commute, your cup of coffee, your weekend city break, the 'carbon footprint' campaign diverted scrutiny from the systemic scale of fossil fuel extraction and combustion

Fri, 10 Oct, 2025

Donal Hickey: Here's how to take part in traditional Burren winterage walk

Donal Hickey: Here's how to take part in traditional Burren winterage walk

Winterage — where cattle move to the uplands for winter grazing — plays a vital role in protecting one of our most biodiverse landscapes.

Thu, 09 Oct, 2025

large school of mackerel

Once 'sustainable' mackerel stocks are drastically declining

While overfishing is the main problem for mackerel stocks, climate change has been having an impact too

Wed, 08 Oct, 2025

This could end up being the most radical of all our national parks...

S This could end up being the most radical of all our national parks...

Brú na Bóinne/Boyne Valley National Park may show us the way back from intensive farming practices that leave so little space for nature

Sun, 05 Oct, 2025

Woman taking photo of fern in forest

Tap, snap, explore: Seven science-backed apps to bring nature closer

So, charge your phone, lace your boots and let curiosity lead. These apps are a welcome upgrade from late-night doomscrolling

Fri, 03 Oct, 2025