Starlings’ unmissable performances mesmerise on dark winter days
About three million starlings breed in Ireland yearly, joined in winter by visitors from all over Europe
Have you noticed that milk bottle caps are now tethered? There is good reason for that
Far from being ‘the worst thing to happen to humanity’, this EU law is a very small step towards combating a huge problem
Building houses can be compatible with the creation of new habitats for wildlife
Ella McSweeney: London and Amsterdam offer good examples, and Bray developers could factor in new research showing the extraordinary array of species in the town
Inside an Englishwoman’s campaign to bring back Ireland’s missing ‘big old trees’
Imogen Rabone came from a farm in Herefordshire in England, and during her years in Dublin felt an urgency to find a way to help people include trees in the landscape
Pond party: just fill a hole with water and watch as an astonishing array of life emerges
Ella McSweeney: Digging a pond, however small, is worth it for the cascade of positive effects it brings
Puffins on the Saltee Islands are thriving again. There’s now an obvious next step
Ella McSweeney: With the rat menace addressed, the question now is how to protest puffins’ nests from another threat - tourists
The recent brutal period of wet weather should not be surprising, the predictions were there
Ella McSweeney: The powers that be would do well to pay more attention to climate scientists
Our urban lives are wrapped up in the swift’s fate. To survive, they need our help
Ella McSweeney: Leaving these gaps isn’t always compatible with insulation projects, but there are alternatives that don’t cost a huge amount
Ireland’s mountains need urgent help to prevent further degradation
Ella McSweeney: Croagh Patrick has long suffered from being one of Mayo’s most valuable natural resources
Killing rhododendrons is not pretty work but is necessary to restore nature
Left alone, this invasive species will form dense dark thickets and outcompete native trees such as oak and hazel
The Dodder could become one of the finest city rivers in Europe, showing what’s possible when we clean up our act
Ella McSweeney: Thanks to the efforts of locals, nature is starting to flourish again in a river that has been blighted and abused for decades
When it comes to nature restoration plans, EU states will look to the Burren Programme. We should do the same
Ella McSweeney: We don’t have time to fail. The Government should use our money to fund what works, then step out of the way
The curlew’s call is giving way to silence but not everyone is giving up
A €25 million project hopes to secure a better future for breeding waders, including the curlew, which desperately need help
When the extreme heat hits Ireland, we’ll be grateful to the trees
Ella McSweeney: Younger kids, older people, outdoor workers, the socio-economically disadvantaged, pregnant women and the chronically ill are all disproportionately vulnerable to heat stress and mortality
Nature is never without drama and noticing it is an active choice
Noticing the richness of life around us is an active choice