Irish schools are world leaders in a green initiative. So why are most covered in tarmac?
Nature education here has been described by one expert as ‘dismal’. What could be done better?
Biodiversity
Revealed: Ireland’s Greenest Places 2026 shortlist
Eleven entries have made it to the final stage of deliberation in this year’s competition
No scrub: Aran Island goats for hire to combat nuisance plants and protect biodiversity
Under an agricultural scheme, Fionn Ó Flaithearta can be paid for targeted grazing and thriving wildflowers
Nature is our most critical infrastructure but it is being positioned as a hindrance
Government should not only reserve legal designation for fast-tracking built projects but should extend it to nature too
Documentary maker Eoin Warner: ‘As a child I realised I had been gifted this thing by nature’
Since his breakout TV show Éire Fhiáin in 2017, Warner has presented shows in Irish and English, winning awards and acclaim
Release of non-native skunks in Co Kildare being investigated
The last animal was humanely caught and culled in late April after video evidence showed one in bog near Newbridge
As wildfires ravage Irish uplands, has work even begun on the promised national plan?
Wildfire risk management strategies should be prioritised
Ireland’s hoverfly, crucial to food production, faces significant threats
Queen’s University Belfast study underscores the role the insects play in supporting food security
From a dump to a national park to housing: how plans for Liffey Valley Park have changed over the years
The future of this green gateway at the western edge of Dublin city, stretching from Chapelizod to Lucan, remains in doubt
‘Nature needs all the help it can get’: projects aim to re-establish oyster reefs
Overharvesting, pollution and harsh winters all contributed to the decline of oysters in Ireland
Coillte ordered to stop felling at forest over fears for oak trees
Department of Agriculture issues order to cease work to allow investigation of felling licence
‘Sting suits’ bought and warnings issued as jellyfish ‘bloom’ in coastal waters
Swimmers in Seapoint, Dublin, are ‘well used’ to stings but some now use ‘sting suits’
The Curragh is full of natural treasures. It needs safeguarding
The need for conservation measures on the Co Kildare plains has been recognised for 30 years
‘The deer are the elephant in the room’: Is a Phoenix Park cull the best way forward?
As beloved as the deer are, conservation and biodiversity require us to look at the bigger picture, argues one nature advocacy officer
The low budget pollinator project that grew wings and created real change
Low-budget, highly ambitious project to restore populations of critical insects fast became a top nature-positive initiative
‘Structured messiness’: How a pilot project brought four housing schemes back to nature
Fingal’s biodiversity officer says planting blackberry brambles starts a chain reaction that benefits wildlife and the entire community
‘I was in my garden with my camera when three crows started to attack a buzzard’
Your wildlife notes and queries for Éanna Ní Lamhna
Cross-Border commitment crucial in nursing Ireland’s ailing lakes back to health
In the Republic, there has been unrelenting deterioration of lakes, rivers and estuaries
A look at Dublin Bay’s ‘completely unique’ biosphere
In 2015, Unesco extended the reserve to the entirety of Dublin Bay, including Ireland’s Eye, which has 9,000 pairs of breeding seabirds across 11 different species
Ireland needs stronger deterrents against deliberately starting wildfires, ecologist says
Government must commit in next budget to adequately funding nature restoration, Pádraic Fogarty says
Looking after our hedgerows will look after our farms, nature and climate
Older farmers tell of regrets at being encouraged to remove hedgerows under misguided policies
Nature’s climate controllers help city-dwellers cope with rising heat
Trees ‘sweat’ so that people don’t have to
A devastating disease is spreading among Irish songbirds
Songbirds hit by a contagious infection are being found dead on bird tables and in gardens after last-gasp efforts to feed
In pictures: Biodiversity Photographer of the Year winners 2026
All the winning images from this years Biodiversity Photographer of the Year competition
Ireland’s Greenest Places: Why we want to salute Net Zero Heroes
As the deadline to nominate people and places in the second Ireland’s Greenest Places competition approaches, we take a look at some of those already in the running
‘There would be no life on Earth without plants ... We need to keep reminding ourselves of that’
Noeleen Smyth is the first female director of the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland
Pollution has led to huge drop in salmon and trout numbers in Ireland, Oireachtas to hear
‘Salmonids’ decline serves as a warning that wider ecological deterioration is occurring,’ Angling Council of Ireland says
Ireland’s Greenest Places: Community is the catalyst that can create change
Shining a light on people working together to protect and restore our natural enviromnent is a key function of this year’s competition
Hare coursing should not need to be debated, just ended
If ever there was a case for a conscience vote in the Dáil, this is it
The source of much of our ecocide is ironic: food production
We create food to sustain us, while systematically destroying the environment that sustains us
Hedgerow biodiversity is under threat from Ireland’s heavy-handed policy approach
Current practices and policies are having a profoundly negative impact
Humans, not cats, have systematically destroyed habitats and damaged the environment
Wildlife conservation deserves serious debate, not convenient scapegoats
Rules must accommodate nature while building 50,000 homes a year
Plans for 300,000 housing units by 2030 could be hugely destructive to biodiversity. Supporting long-term ecological resilience is critical
‘Kill quickly and cleanly’: How culling can help manage Ireland’s rising deer population
Reintroducing wolves and promoting venison are among other suggested ways of achieving deer prudence
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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