NATURE The recent rain has brought to life our wild orchids, and John Shelley marvels at two kinds he finds locally
The charm of our elegant orchids
Outdoor Living
Make your garden a stepping stone for nature
NATURE Pat Fahy shares some tips on how to start turning your garden into a bee and butterfly oasis
Sinkhole’s sucking sands a real risk to bathers
NATURE John Shelley has watched on with increasing alarm as the lake bed of lough Carra grows more and more unstable
Simple actions with gold-star rewards
NATURE Pat Fahy on how a new free booklet, ‘Gardening for Biodiversity’, offers easy step-by-step actions for wildlife-friendly gardens
A brief flirtation with furtive fishing
OUTDOOR LIVING John Shelley finds himself tempted by the tantalising sight of trout feasting before his eyes
Budding naturalists’ records really count
NATURE Pat Fahy on the important role we can all play by recording the different butterflies we spot on a walk
Tips for beginner food growers
GREEN LIVING McKinley Neal shares some tips and tricks for eco-friendly fertiliser, composting and weeding
The timeless beauty of nature’s rhythms
NATURE John Shelley’s clock has stopped, but nature supplies a much nicer rhythm by which to measure the passing of the day
Pollinators come in many shapes and guises
NATURE Pat Fahy on the importance of looking after all our pollinators, from bees to butterflies, hoverflies to moths
The surprisingly colourful life of the Smooth newt
NATURE John Shelley discovers a population of newts in a bed of decomposing leaves at the bottom of his drained pond
Travel the road with our small farmers
NATURE Pat Fahy on the importance of listing to and working with small farmers to secure a better future