Little pockets of biodiversity need to be nurtured and expanded — and Hare's Corner can help farmers and landowners with a lot of the practical stuff too

Ireland tops in Europe for outdoor amenity development — and places including Abbeyfeale Town Park, Tralee Bay Wetlands and Ballincollig Regional Park have scored Green Flag awards

The nature restoration law recommends a 10% tree canopy cover for European cities. Other studies have urged 30% tree coverage for urban neighbourhoods

Heritage Minister Malcolm Noonan has announced there’s no longer an open season on four bird species: scaup, goldeneye, pochard, and pintail (all ducks). 

September 29 is Michaelmas Day and there’s an ancient belief that Michaelmas eve is the last day on which fruit can be picked

Visit the Kerry stone circle where a farmer spotted artifacts aligned with the rising sun

Here's how to report any suspected rose-ringed parakeet sightings in Cork city or surrounding areas

Disappearing shops are a real concern — but remote working hubs could be a solution... if people working and living in Irish towns remember to shop locally

Future proofing Irish building projects against climate change is a must now

40 hares were tracked using GPS-radio collars for six months in an effort to test the impact of coursing and their movement to a different, often unfamiliar, location

A study of the River Bride, in Blackpool, found the otter is well-adapted to city life and is an important urban species

48 pesticide exceedances detected in public drinking water supplies as part of Uisce Éireann’s public water supply monitoring programme, from a total of more than 35,000 samples

However, for far too long, waterways here have been treated as sewers. According to the EPA, just 51% of sewage here is treated to EU standards, whereas the European average is 90%

Vapes are made of materials such as plastic, rubber and metal that don’t break down naturally, and 1.3 million single-use vapes are thrown away every week

Lots of readers have been in touch to say they're hearing the cuckoo — have you heard it yet?

State afforestation plans pose extinction risk to threatened farmland birds says BirdWatch Ireland

Reusable bottles, mini-dishwashers, and water refill stations are all part of the campaign to reduce disposable plastic use

With climate change, warmer summers with even longer rainless spells are forecast

A public consultation on the open seasons order is now underway so you can have your say on this issue — link in this article

There are dawn chorus and dusk chorus walks taking place around the country, check out one near you

When more than half of plant species are in decline it's great to spot this tiny grass or extremely little fern

Fuel and maintenance cost savings are a big factor in electric vehicle loyalty says an industry expert

The Celts respected the hare as an animal with supernatural powers that should not be harmed. More than 270 new hare’s corners have been created in the Burren in just two years

Illegal poisons are still in use here — and they're the main cause of untimely deaths of birds of prey here

He's a song thrush who looks good too and should have no bother with courtship

Salmon Watch Ireland says restocking the Deenish Island salmon farm will have devastating effects on wild salmon and sea trout stocks in the area

Valentia Island is one of 15 regions selected for European hydrogen project

Curlews spotted on foreshore in Ballinskelligs and Rossbeigh — and Courtmacsherry is also a great spot for birdwatching

Thousands of jobs can be created, but that potential cannot be reached without having a proper planning system in place

Many of today’s curlew territories have been discovered thanks to the help of local people with an intimate knowledge of their areas. Again in 2022, local people, especially farmers and landowners, were a key part of the conservation programme

Wildlife could rebound if we reinstated hedgerows, and cut down on chemical fertilisers and pollutants — but we need to be ready to do this

Powercuts, stranded people — and a doctor had to be brought by tractor to a patient due to the big freeze of 1962

Warm clothing, an adequate supply of food and drink, strong boots, a map, and compass are essentials

Donkeys and reindeer seem to have dropped off many Christmas cards but sleepy dogs are still popular

Kerry ranks top of the scoreboard — when it comes to rainfall

Knocknagree, Knocknaheeny's NICHE community garden and the UCC garden at College Road are great examples of the excellent environmenal work achieved by people coming together

Gannets swallow their catch headfirst and consume many times their own weight

Very few people are prepared to damage a fairy fort or a fairy tree in any way because of superstition and a fear that harm could come to them if they did

We have nine bat species in Ireland, all protected under national and EU laws. They are harmless creatures and play a useful role in gobbling up insects that might otherwise be a nuisance to people

We don’t exactly know how many deer are in the country because a national count has not been carried out. But the national deer population is increasing and deer are now seen in unusual places, including front gardens

Peat compost has not been banned for sale in private gardens here yet — a ban on this comes into effect in England in 2024

Farmers get payments for helping the barn owl — and may no longer need to use poison to control rats and mice on farms

More weather extremes can impact water levels and water qualithy but traditional threats to water quality remain. For instance, 34 towns and villages released raw sewage into the environment every day in 2020

Ragwort is lethal to horses and cattle; and landowners can be fined €1,000 for having it but the bright yellow flowers are attractive to pollinators