After a month of very little rain the Ballynastockan Brook is still flowing into Poulaphouca helping to supply Dublin City with water. Take care of our uplands and they will take care of us.

Beautiful deep heather on the slopes of Seefin Mountain. Merlin, Red Kites, Ravens cutting through the air. Crossed dried out sphagnum pools and saw the burn scars around Kippure. A procession around the old passage tomb. Driving home, Glencullen wreathed in flame, Glencree choked in smoke.

Native woodland is striving to return to the shores of Loch na hOnchon, the Lough of the Otters, beneath Cam an Doire, the Pass of the Oak Wood. Allowing nature to recover is an act of ecological and cultural revival.

The Teagasc National Farm Survey illustrates: large income differences between enterprise types, strong dependence on public support across most sectors, and extreme inter‑annual income volatility. Simplification risks failure by over-simplifying our response to complex and diverse challenges

A hike in the Wicklow uplands is always a mix of joy, despair, and hope. Native trees growing on walls and bare rock. Remnant woodlands lingering like a terminally ill patient. Vast areas just waiting for nature’s potential to be unleashed. Do we have the vision and leadership to make it happen?

I never said thank you...

I don’t think people realise what’s happening in CAP negotiations: proposals from farm groups and EU politicians would shift public funding away from small and marginal farms to the largest, most intensive operators, risking causing the collapse of farming in most of the country.

Bray Head is a highly protected area as both an SAC/SPA, yet it’s trapped in a cycle of gorse fires. This is a relatively small and well-loved protected site. Any number of actions could be taken to break this cycle, but due to a lack of investment and capacity, nothing changes. It’s symptomatic!

Wet woodland supports a rich diversity of woodland and wetland species. Its striking to see yellow flag iris in the ground layer.

I’m incredibly proud to have contributed to the Independent Advisory Council on Nature Restoration. I’m even prouder to have become a father today. I couldn’t make the launch of the IAC recommendations, but if I had attended, this is what I would have said.

Min Heydon highlighting the agrifood sectors exposure to geopolitical shocks — from reliance on imported fossil fuels / fertilisers to vulnerable global supply chains These are risks NGOs have warned about for yrs. Expect political capital to de invested in maintaining BAU during the EU presidency

This Earth Day, I’m grateful to be a small part of this great community of life. The least I can do is try to give something back and to be a good ancestor for the generations to come. Image: NASA

Cutting Carbon Tax mean's defunding supports that help reduce the energy bills of low income families & agri-environmental schemes that help keep family farms out of the red The government needs to take action to tackle the cost of living but locking us into fossil fuel dependance isn't an option

Charging an EV during a storm: "It's a go-kart powered by my own sense of self satisfaction.”

As always, it was an inspiring few days at #FeedingOurselves, discussing food sovereignty, short supply chains, community food initiatives & agroecology. It was especially meaningful to share solidarity with farmers in the West Bank who are struggling to survive & protect their food sovereignty

Belleek Castle in Co. Mayo claim to host the last wolf shot in Connacht. Its hard to find any evidence to support this claim and there is no reference to it in Kieran Hickey's 'Wolves in Ireland'. Could anyone shed any light on the subject?

Apparently Coillte have informed agencies that they will not be moving forward with the Portumna Forest Park Masterplan. Turning an important public woodland into holiday homes is inappropriate commercialisation at a time when we need community led nature restoration in public forests

The early cut of my small meadow has been a spring ritual for around 20 years. Pulled out loads of scutch grass to open up the soil, reduce competition & nutrients & give the herbaceous wildflowers space to emerge & flower this season. Hens are more faithful companions than dogs for this work.

Nature abhours a vacuum and fills none faster than a pond.

Cooldross Nature Reserve is a great example of the kind of nature restoration projects that should be delivered by Ireland's Nature Restoration Plan. Targeted conservation management & habitat restoration by the NPWS have increased Lapwing from 2 breeding pairs in 2017 to 77 in 2024 #RestoreNature

Our health and future are being traded for profit ❌ Polluters & their political allies are dismantling Europe's environmental laws. 200,000+ people have said #HandsOffNature in less than 2 weeks! @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu @jessikaroswall.ec.europa.eu www.environmentalpillar.ie/hands-off-na...

“I have discovered that I also live in creation’s dawn; the morning stars still sing together, and the world, not yet half made, becomes more beautiful every day” - John Muir

The main east coast railway line runs on the other side of this fence, which is about to collapse into the sea. How much longer can politicians ignore the reality of climate change?

In Ireland, the futures of farming & nature are inseparable. In Green News, I argue that politicians need to be honest with farmers about the role CAP plays in supporting Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan, & commit to new, additional funding outside of CAP greennews.ie/in-ireland-t...

World Wetlands Day is as good a time as any to reflect on the fact that numerous global assessments have identified Ireland as having the worst record in the world for the percentage of wetlands lost.

Lá Fhéile Bríde agus Imbolc sona daoibh!

Thanks to Seamus and Elaine Byrne for showing us around their farm today. It was good to talk to Minister Heydon and his team about a range of issues. Lot's of great work being done by farmers & its important that they are given the right support to tackle water pollution & other challenges.

Today’s final meeting of the Leaders Forum highlighted the strong consensus among stakeholders on some key actions needed for 🇮🇪 Nature Restoration Plan. However, there was also widespread frustration over the continued lack of political leadership on funding & the role of public lands #RestoreNature

The world needs a unified and coordinated response to Trump. There is no lasting stability in trying to appease an authoritarian leader, every concession will only encourage more extreme demands. Solidarity with Greenland.

I am deeply saddened to hear of Paul Connolly's passing. He was an extraordinary individual whose immense contributions to Ireland's marine environment and coastal communities across Ireland and NW Europe left an indelible legacy. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends & all who knew him.