Fun educational days out for all the family to enjoy
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Getting your holiday plans just right can be stressful at times.
If you’re heading off on a break as a family, you have to source out options that will cater to toddlers, teens and everyone in between – and hopefully find something in there that’ll make the trip worthwhile for mam and dad too!
In the blur of planning and packing that goes on in the run up to holidays, going that extra mile and trying to make your getaway as green as possible can seem like yet another stress factor, but it really needn’t be.
Learning to take better care of our environment, and of the wildlife whose habitats depend on it, can be done in any number of ways – and some of those ways can be great fun!
From whale watching to strolling through Ireland’s most picturesque gardens, the opportunities to discover species of all kinds – and learn how to protect them – are endless.
Here are some of the spots where you can do just that this summer:
Just off the west coast of the stunning Dingle Peninsula, it’s no wonder that so many creatures great and small have chosen to make this beautiful corner of the world their home. Here, you’ll spot whales, dolphins and all types of birds and you can learn plenty about them all from the area’s expert tour guides too!
Blasket Islands Eco Marine Tours is managed by Michael Sheeran, who spent his life as a commercial fisherman and ferry operator before deciding to turn his hand to ecotourism. He was compelled to take action after seeing first-hand how fishing stocks were dwindling, and he’s now highly passionate about educating visitors on the wonderful biodiversity of the marine ecosystem that is Dingle Bay and the Blasket Islands.
The tour company not only offer whale watching, dolphin and birdwatching tours in the area, but also carry out their own research and wildlife logging records, as well as partaking in surveying and conservation work with national and international agencies and NGOs.
There’s never a bad time to visit the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, but this coming Biodiversity Week just might be the best time of all! Head to Glasnevin, just three kilometres from Dublin City Centre, to explore the Gardens’ impossibly vast collections of plant species and cultivars from all over the world and beautifully restored historic glasshouses. From this weekend, right up until May 26th, you can find much more than that too! From a pollinator parade to a twilight nature ramble, there’s a wide range of activities on offer to mark Biodiversity Week – and all of them are free, as is general entry to the Gardens! While there, learn more about their Irish Threatened Plant Species Conservation Programme, highlighting the 120 plant species that are currently threatened in Ireland, six of which are on the verge of extinction.
We all know and love this zoo as a place to see chimpanzees, flamingos, penguins and all of our other favourite animals, but Dublin Zoo can also be a great spot for people to learn a thing or two about global conservation efforts.
The zoo is not only home to many endangered species that have tiny populations in the wild, such as Asian lions, but also to Ireland’s Centre for Species Survival, an official partnership between the Zoo and the IUCN Species Survival Commission. Together, they are working to save wildlife in Ireland and around the world. The centre, one of less than 20 in existence worldwide, aims to empower local communities and amplify conservation successes, generating optimism and hope for conservation in Ireland.
Head to Kilkenny for a visit to Ireland’s only reptile zoo, where’ll you discover snakes, spiders, alligators, lizards and lots more! The zoo contains over 60 themed habitats containing live animals. Each on-site habitat is designed to recreate the animal’s natural habitat in the wild, so you can meet these animals safe in the knowledge that they’re truly comfortable and content.
It’s not just the animals that are well looked after, though, as the zoo aims to give each and every visitor a positive experience too! Their main goal is for visitors to walk away having learned something new about conservation and their reptiles’ endangered status in the wild. This is achieved through personalised and detailed Q&A sessions with zoo-keepers, as well as hands-on interactions with resident animals if you’re brave enough!
At this popular Cork attraction, you’ll find kangaroos, capybaras and thousands of other species of both plants and animals! The park attracts about 460,000 visitors each year, and it’s clear to see why when it comes to their dedicated efforts to teach visitors about conservation.
Fota participates in the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme (EEP) for several different animals, including the Cheetah, Lechwe, European Bison and Simitar-horned Oryx.
Closer to home, the park has also helped to fund several local initiatives, including a Bird Watch Ireland survey that will monitor the nesting behaviour of Barn Owls as well as a project examining the ecology, population dynamics and behaviour of Red Squirrels on Fota Island. The park is also involved in a reintroduction programme for the Grey Partridge in Northern Ireland.