What is this strange growth outside Cork University Hospital?
Éanna Ní Lamhna on fungi, a marine worm and whooper swans
Nature
Articles related to nature
How krill fishing threatens whale recovery in Antarctica
Populations of the tiny crustacean - a key food source for whales and dolphins - have declined by 80% since 1970 due mainly to demand for omega-3 health supplements
Humpback whale spotted in Irish river for the first time
Irish Whale and Dolphin Group ask ships to slow down to avoid hitting immature whale
Robotic lawnmowers among causes of 30% hedgehog decline
Wildlife rehabber warns against manicured gardens and insecticides as hedgehog numbers drop 30% in past decade
The lakes on our island are treasures in urgent need of protection
Ella McSweeney: Without radical and urgent changes in how we use the land, the future of our most distinctive lakes is bleak
What is this bird that our cat chased into the house?
Éanna Ní Lamhna identifies a number of creatures and explains the odd colouring of a mallard drake
What are these three fox cubs doing on the roof of my shed?
Éanna Ní Lamhna on a finch nest, the great pond snail and water-skating insects
Gardening tools that will last a lifetime if treated right
A bad day’s gardening is often the result of shoddy tools, so invest well in your implements
Five life lessons my garden taught me: Nature often has a quiet but not unkind laugh at our expense
To watch a flower unfurl is to simultaneously be reminded of the fact that life is both worthwhile and fleeting
Angel sharks are now so rare that maritime scientists can go an entire career without seeing one
Clew Bay and Tralee Bay are their last known refuges here, where their numbers are so low it may be too late to help them. Still, scientists refuse to give up hope
Eel or rare river lamprey? Something comes a-slithering from the stream
Éanna Ní Lamhna on a German wasp, a ruby tiger moth caterpillar, and a Cormorant on the Dodder
Where plankton fits in the Earth’s ecosystem
Organism gives sea its distinctive smell and promotes creation of clouds, thereby playing a significant role in global climate
‘This keeps me awake at night’: How will Ireland’s climate worsen over the next 20 years?
The speed of decline in the ocean current system known as Amoc will determine whether Ireland can adapt or face catastrophic impacts
Mushroom hunting in Ireland: You really need to know what you’re doing
To the committed fungus hunter, mushrooms bought with money will always be worthless or, at least, worth less than those captured in the wild
Unique insects aren’t in the Burren for the scenery - but add another resplendent layer to an astonishing part of Ireland
The Burren is home to 27 species of moths and butterflies found nowhere else in the country, along with all of our rarest butterflies and half our rarest moths
These might look like storybook mushrooms. But there’ll be no happily-ever-after if you eat them
Éanna Ní Lamhna on a dead 6ft leatherback turtle, a red garden spider, and the flowering lives of dandelions
The concept of the alpha male human is cultural, not biological
Elon Musk should know that human social structures are more fluid than even the most complex of animal hierarchies
Disasters being supercharged by man-made climate change with no country spared, UN chief tells Cop29
2024 was ‘masterclass in climate destruction’, António Guterres tells global leaders
Cop29′s chief negotiator hails early win on carbon trading as last part of Paris pact is ratified
Carbon credits predicted to enable big increase in climate spending but critics says backdoor deal was rushed and undermines UN climate process
Explainer: Why Cop29 matters to you, Ireland and the world despite Trump ‘whiplash’
World’s performance on emissions and temperature summarised in three words: ‘over the limit’
Why did a fox come into my garden and steal 40 standard golf balls, but leave a bunch of plastic ones?
Éanna Ní Lamhna on a garden thief, the darter dragonfly, and – cough, cough – rook pellets
Once feared extinct in Ireland, the secretive nightjar calls again
The confirmation revives the question of whether nightjars could have a more hopeful future in Ireland than previously believed
The Place of Tides by James Rebanks: A tender and open-hearted account of life on a tiny Norwegian island
The author’s sensitive writing quietly captures nature’s exquisiteness and captivates the human heart
Laura Kennedy: Australians respond differently to nature compared to Irish people
I awoke early one morning in Canberra to a bizarre sound. What the actual f**k is that, I thought, a pterodactyl? It was a magpie, but not like the ones I’d known
New standard backed by Amazon’s climate fund may help restore peatlands
Certification to help farmers and landowners prove benefits of bog restoration projects and attract investment
UN biodiversity summit comes to abrupt end as deal on global nature fund falls through
‘This is a delay we can’t afford as we see alarming evidence on a weekly basis the Earth is moving towards dangerous environmental tipping points’, said Grace Carr of Irish Wildlife Trust
What is this hairy creature I found clinging to a jumper on my washing line?
Eanna Ní Lamhna addresses your notes and queries, and explains how badgers could help save potatoes
State to buy Clawinch Island on Lough Ree to protect breeding waterbirds
Farmers praised for sympathetic agricultural practices that protect waders
Frustration at failure to deliver funding surfaces at UN biodiversity summit as talks go into final hours
Governments still need to protect an area of land equivalent to combined size of Brazil and Australia
Killarney National Park’s 60th birthday: A time for deep reflection and radical reform
‘Our parks must have nature at the forefront of their concerns’
Malcolm Noonan tells Cop16 Ireland making progress in ending biodiversity loss
Finance to protect some of the world’s most important ecosystems remains main block to progress at global gathering
Éanna Ní Lamhna: ‘In 1970 we had twice as much biodiversity as we have now. Twice as much: 90 per cent of our curlews are gone’
The wildlife expert on her new book of Irish biodiversity, staying hopeful, and why dandelions are better than daffodils
An otter spotter’s paradise in Co Donegal
Éanna Ní Lamhna on the limitations of Google, the kestrel’s talent for spotting mouse pee, and a very large caterpillar
Autumn leaf displays have not been as vibrant this year. There’s a good reason for that
Deciduous trees and shrubs are paragons of good planning and preparedness
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