Sustainability - Biodiversity - Irish Examiner

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BIODIVERSITY IN ACTION

Sustainability collection highlighting content that relates to protection of our natural world and human life.

BIODIVERSITY IN ACTION

Sustainability collection highlighting content that relates to protection of our natural world and human life.

<p>Removing damaging types of fishing gear, particularly trawls and dredges, would hit fishing incomes in the short to medium terms. Picture: iStock</p>

outdoors

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

<p>John Hurley inspects his homemade beehives as part of his efforts to encourage native pollinators on his family farm. Picture: Chani Anderson</p>

farming

Buzzing for biodiversity: How bees changed farming for a West Cork dairy farmer

<p>Up to one-third of our insect species are extinction-threatened due to pollution, intensive farming and habitat loss. Pictures: iStock</p>

outdoors

On the fly: Insects play key role in environmental and human life

Irish pollinator plan aims to create nature pockets every 200 metres

farming

Irish pollinator plan aims to create nature pockets every 200 metres

ATLANTIC SALMON, leaping, Scotland, UK.

comment-analysis

Jack Power: Irish salmon are in big trouble

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

outdoors

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

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

Public invited to track three Irish cuckoos on migration to Africa

Public invited to track three Irish cuckoos on migration to Africa

Satellite-tagged birds from Wicklow, Clare and Kerry are helping researchers better understand species decline

Fri, 19 Jun, 2026

Decline in Ireland's highest quality water bodies 'a serious warning sign', EPA says

Decline in Ireland's highest quality water bodies 'a serious warning sign', EPA says

The EPA report said a large proportion of river sites (43%) have elevated nitrogen levels, many in the south and east of the country

Wed, 17 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

AI has transformed weather prediction — don't let the negativity win

AI has transformed weather prediction — don't let the negativity win

AI has plenty of risks that we must guard against, but data-driven AI is a tool we should embrace to protect our infrastructure, our climate, and our society, writes Andrew Parnell

Tue, 16 Jun, 2026

Brush Fire

Heritage minister to raise fines for setting forest fires

Coilte and the National Parks and Wildlife Service this year expanded the use of drone technology to support faster fire detection and emergency response as the season got under way

Mon, 08 Jun, 2026

large swarm of dangerous striped stinging insects wasps fly against the background of a green summer garden

Busy as a bee: Summer swarming season in full swing

Political swarm clouds are gathering over honeybee colonies in Ireland just now. The swarming season has arrived and palace revolutions will erupt over the next two months as hives become crowded

Sat, 06 Jun, 2026

'50 times the size of Croke Park': Illegal fire destroys habitats in Wicklow Mountains

'50 times the size of Croke Park': Illegal fire destroys habitats in Wicklow Mountains

A wildfire has destroyed 66ha of Wicklow Mountains National Park with devastating repercussions on wildlife in the area with nests and habitats destroyed in the blaze

Thu, 04 Jun, 2026

Human nature: Rewilding as a means to avoid a future of decline

Human nature: Rewilding as a means to avoid a future of decline

Rewilding is often portrayed as being no different to land abandonment. But the case of Italy’s Abruzzo region shows this to be far from reality

Sat, 23 May, 2026

Fairytale Forest, Killarney National Park, Ireland

Jennifer Horgan: The Irishman saving the Amazon and why we need our native trees

Martin von Hildebrand is following in the footsteps of his hero Roger Casement. His work shows the importance of protecting our native woodlands

Fri, 22 May, 2026

More than 200 local nature projects set to receive €3m

More than 200 local nature projects set to receive €3m

As part of National Biodiversity Week, biodiversity minister Christopher O’Sullivan announced 209 nature projects will receive funding from the 2026 Local Biodiversity Action Fund

Thu, 21 May, 2026

Summer: young adults watering plants on a rooftop community garden

Couple goals: Can economic growth finally go green?

Researchers have found that many urban economies are continuing to grow while fossil-fuel pollution declines, meaning some cities are beginning to 'consciously uncouple' economic growth from fossil-fuel dependence

Sat, 16 May, 2026

Initiative boosts corncrake comeback with €4.35m of funding

Initiative boosts corncrake comeback with €4.35m of funding

250 farmers and landowners across Donegal, Mayo and Galway are now managing land for nature, implementing measures which protect this bird and improve its habitat

Fri, 15 May, 2026

Flower garden

Wild Matters: The coexistence of gardens and nature

Resisting our cultural tendency to ‘tidy’ everything up in our gardens gives untold opportunities for wild creatures

Thu, 14 May, 2026

Corncrake, Crex crexx

Malcolm Noonan: We must reconnect with nature to restore it for future generations

We have all the statutory targets; rewetting, woodland, marine, free flowing rivers, but then there’s the really tricky bit; winning hearts and minds, writes Malcolm Noonan

Tue, 12 May, 2026

Opening hours: Why some plants open by day and close at night

Opening hours: Why some plants open by day and close at night

Plants are constantly sensing, responding, and adapting to the world around them. They track time, detect light, react to temperature, and coordinate with insects in ways that are surprisingly sophisticated

Sat, 09 May, 2026

giant hogweed dangerous plant England summer

Local authority restarts giant hogweed control programme in Tipperary

Farming advisers will contact farmers in affected areas to assist them in applying for funding to support the implementation of additional measures

Fri, 08 May, 2026

Close-up of a bumblebee collecting pollen from a pink flower

New radar technology could be critical for tracking pollinators

New radar technology could help aid research and policymaking by identifying pollinator insect species via 'wingbeat signatures'.

Wed, 06 May, 2026

Rivers of Munster: Suir 'probably the reason Clonmel exists in the first place'

Rivers of Munster: Suir 'probably the reason Clonmel exists in the first place'

A large island on the Suir, right in the middle of the town is now a significant presence in the town

Wed, 06 May, 2026

Rivers of Munster: The Feale's influence on the town of Listowel is clear

Rivers of Munster: The Feale's influence on the town of Listowel is clear

Named after a mythical princess, the River Feale is central to life in the Kerry town as a source of recreation and of a vital water supply, writes Michael Moynihan

Mon, 04 May, 2026

Meet the Irish electrician turning rubbish into renewable energy devices

Meet the Irish electrician turning rubbish into renewable energy devices

Former electrician Barra Mulligan has spent 20 years transforming everyday scrap into homemade wind and river turbines, writes Sarah Horgan

Sun, 03 May, 2026

Age-old question: What are the factors behind a long life?

Age-old question: What are the factors behind a long life?

Why do some individuals die much sooner than others, despite belonging to the same gene pool and facing similar life challenges? What lifestyle factors, if any, influence life-expectancy?

Sat, 02 May, 2026

Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin: People care about losing the natural world — politics must catch up

Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin: People care about losing the natural world — politics must catch up

Our Independent Advisory Committee on nature restoration found that the Irish public cares deeply about its natural environment and its links to our heritage and culture — people feel the nature-related losses of recent decades acutely

Thu, 30 Apr, 2026

Children's book highlights 'the most misunderstood tree in Ireland', bodies claim

Children's book highlights 'the most misunderstood tree in Ireland', bodies claim

The promoters say Sitka spruce helps Ireland produce its own timber for housing, fencing, packaging, energy and other daily needs

Tue, 28 Apr, 2026

Sprucing up the truth: Schools should not be a battleground for vested interests

Sprucing up the truth: Schools should not be a battleground for vested interests

As public awareness of the negative impacts of industrial forestry has grown, so too has the sector’s efforts to reshape the narrative with stunts like the deeply misleading booklet given to primary school children

Tue, 28 Apr, 2026