Discover the trees around you
Many people don't know Ireland's native trees, according to Mary White from Blackstairs Ecotrails.
White takes groups on a Celtic tree trail in Killedmond, Co Carlow. She divides native Irish trees into “nobles” and “commoners”, depending on their status in Celtic times. The Celtic noble trees are yew, Scots pine, holly, hazel, ash, oak and crab apple, while the commoners are alder, willow, hawthorn, rowan, birch, elm and cherry.
“The nobles were used for weaponry and defensive enclosures in Celtic times,” says White.
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When identifying trees, consider the colour and shape of the leaf, the bark texture and the nuts (eg acorns on an oak tree and the spiky covering that protects glossy brown chestnuts).
You can practise identifying trees in your local park but if you’re looking for particularly good selections of native and exotic trees, go to the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin, JFK Arboretum in Co Wexford, Kilmacurragh Gardens or Avondale Forest Park, Co Wicklow or the Tullynally Gardens in Co Westmeath.
Pick wild berries
Blackberries may be the most abundant wild berries to pick but rose hips, elder and haw are also popular among foragers at this time of the year. It is always best to pick berries away from main roads both for your safety and to avoid toxicity from traffic fumes. Pick them when they are dry and use them as soon as possible.
Ed Hick of the Sugarloaf convivium of Slow Food Ireland will lead a berry-picking and campfire-style jam-making session on the Killruddery Estate, Bray, Co Wicklow on Sunday, September 25th.
“Picking wild berries is something anyone can do. It’s a great intergenerational activity. It binds and connects parents, children and grandparents,” says Hick.
Go on a mushroom hunt
There are about 12 types of mushrooms growing wild in Ireland that are good for eating and about the same number that are highly toxic, so learning to tell the difference could be a matter of life and death. Mycologist (mushroom expert) Bill O'Dea cautions against picking wild mushrooms without expert advice. He offers free advice on Twitter via @mushroomstuff to those who send him photos of the mushrooms they find.
Key identifying features are overall shape, cap, stem, gills and colour. Chanterelles, ceps, wood blewits, hedgehogs, giant puffballs and honey fungus are all edible but steer clear of death caps or destroying angels.
There are mushroom hunts run by Blackstairs Ecotrails in Co Carlow on October 8th and 15th and in Killruddery Gardens, Bray, on October 2nd and 9th.
Take to the coast
We tend to associate seaside trips with long summer days, but beaches and rocky shorelines are wonderful places to explore in all seasons. It's important to check tides and weather conditions before you go.
If you're keen to learn about edible seaweeds, remember the best time for foraging is one hour before low tide, with the aim to be off rocks before the tide turns. Sally McKenna's book, Extreme Greens: Understanding Seaweeds will help with identification.
Discover a new place
The website coillteoutdoors.ie allows you to discover graded walking, biking and orienteering trails, horse-riding, boating and fishing throughout Ireland including maps, directions, car parks, playgrounds and picnic facilities. The 42km Dublin Mountains route between Tallaght and Shankill has signs to help you identify wildlife including kestrels, red grouse, jay and Sika deer.
Consider routes through the six national parks on npws.ie/nationalparks. Or follow a self-guided eco-walk in Dublin developed by ecotherapist David Staunton (iti.ms/2cjMYLY).
Go bird-watching
Whether you're in your suburban garden or walking along the coast or in the hills, identifying birds is a simple pleasure that requires no planning.
There are plenty of pocket-sized guidebooks that will help you identify native birds, winter migrants and so-called passage migrants on their travels from the Arctic to Africa. Look out for white-fronted geese and whooper swans in the next few weeks as they arrive from Greenland and Iceland. See also birdwatchireland.ie and noticenature.ie
Identify edible wild flowers and plants
The petals of wild roses, orchids, primroses and violets have become popular in salads and as cake decorations. In May and June, the smell of wild garlic reaches you before you can even see it in many woodlands. Other wild herbs popular among foragers include sorrel, borage (with its blue edible flowers), fennel, mint and lovage.
Best practice is to leave a third of whatever you pick – blossoms, flowers, berries, seed heads, nuts and leaves – so the plant can regenerate. Also, never dig up wild plants or pick plants in conservation areas. Wild Food: Nature’s Harvest – How to Gather, Cook and Preserve (O’Brien Press) by Biddy White Lennon and Evan Doyle is a great guide.
Discover the wild animals in your midst
Wild Cities, the documentary series shown on RTÉ One, shed light on the wild animals – foxes, hares, otters and deer – that live in urban habitats in Belfast, Cork, Dublin and Galway.
Did you know that there is a colony of hares in Dublin Airport’s long-stay car park? Or that otters live in the canal in the heart of Galway? Take a walk or a cycle through the Phoenix Park to see the herd of fallow deer but don’t be tempted to touch or feed them. Or join a guided walk to see deer in the rutting season on October 8th in the Wicklow Mountains National Park in Glendalough. See wicklowmountainsnationalpark.ie.
Sky-watching
Have you ever paused to look at cloud formations? If so, you are not alone. The Cloud Appreciation Society, founded in 2005, has more than 40,000 members in 165 countries. There are an associated app and Twitter account.
The night sky is another marvellous sight if you can get away from artificial light sources. The harvest moons in the next week or so should be bright and beautiful.
Meanwhile, Ballycroy National Park in Co Mayo was granted international dark sky park status in May 2016 and will host the Mayo Dark Sky Festival from October 28th-30th. See Mayodarkskyfestival.wordpress.com.
Join a bioblitz
Organised with the National Biodiversity Data Centre in Waterford, these recording events encourage people to identify wild plant and animal species in Ireland.
Insects are often the greatest predictors of climate change so counting butterflies, bees and dragonflies is important. Frogs, bats and bird species are other species noted by volunteer recorders over 24-hour periods. See bioblitz.ie
