Lough Hyne, a truly spectacular saltwater lake, spans a distance of one kilometre in West Cork, not far from Skibbereen. Home to a vast array of both flora and fauna, including 72 different species of fish (1)—some of which are very rare—it is no surprise that the lough became Ireland’s first marine nature reserve in 1981 (2).
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The Passage of the Hedgehog
Heritage Week
Heritage week is a great way to get together and learn more about the natural heritage on our doorsteps. We were lucky to have Zoologist of NUI Galway, Elaine O’Riordan, come to Fota Education Centre to discuss her research on hedgehogs.
Communicating Climate Change through Art and Culture
By Eve Moore
Effective communication is critical for raising awareness of climate change and inspiring action. This communication can range from a simple conversation to a seminar, however, regardless of scale, any conversation that occurs around climate change is important. One method of climate change communication that is particularly effective, and also serves as a creative outlet, is the communication that occurs through art and culture.
World Wildlife Day 2021
Happy World Wildlife Day 2021!
Each year on World Wildlife Day we celebrate a different aspect of wildlife.
Nature in Cork City – A short Film on Wildlife around the City
Discover Cork’s not so Hidden Wildlife
Cork Nature Network will hold an online Premiere of their short film Nature in Cork City on November 26th at 7pm.
Hoverfly Larvae Lagoon
Hoverfly larvae are about as pretty as any other maggot, but grow into important pollinators and members of our ecosystems, as well as accomplished mimics of bees and wasps.
Sphagnum Moss… Builder of the Bog
Sphagnum mosses are plants that you might easily overlook as you squelch through our bogs. They are star players in the creation and persistence of these wetland though, thanks to their ability to retain water. They provide habitats and soil conditions for a wide variety of wildlife and are part of the vital carbon storage system that Irish bogs provide.
Yellow Rattle… a Meadow Builder
Yellow rattle is a pretty but otherwise inconspicuous flower that grows in grasslands. Beneath the soil, it harbours a dark secret however – it is a plant vampire
How to deal with Japanese Knotweed while protecting nature
Japanese knotweed is a tall ornamental shrub with bamboo-like stems and pretty white flowers.
Irish Terns
Ireland hosts five species of tern, migratory seabirds which breed on our coasts and inland lakes in the summer months before migrating to warmer climes in the winter. The roseate tern breeds in huge numbers on Rockabill Island, where the colony is vitally important to the species’ European population as a whole. Climate change and invasive species threaten our terns, but work is ongoing to protect them and ensure their breeding success.
