Cork's wildlife to be explored as part of Heritage Week

CORK Nature Network is celebrating Heritage Week with free events which embrace the outdoors and explore Cork’s wildlife.

One of those events will see insect expert John O’Sullivan host a walk through Doneraile Park at 3pm on Sunday 13 August.

Come and discover the insects and wide variety of habitats Doneraile Park has to offer.

Families are very welcome and Cork Nature Network will have nets on hand for anyone wishing to collect a specimen for identification.

John O'Sullivan is part of Cork Nature Network’s Valuing Insects team, and he is also a guest lecturer at UCC, with a background in plant science.

Cork Nature Network will celebrate Wild Child Day on Saturday 19 August at 11 am, with a walk in Beaumont Quarry.

Emma Caulfield will teach participants how to identify common bird calls with participants then having the opportunity to explore the site and identify as many bird calls as they can using Bird Bingo cards.

A disused limestone quarry, Beaumont Quarry is an oasis in the city, a thriving place for nature with plenty of birds enjoying its grassland and woodland habitats.

Emma Caulfield is a volunteer with Cork Nature Network with specialist knowledge of seabirds. She has worked as an ornithological research volunteer with the Manx Wildlife Trust and is pursuing a MSc in Marine Biology at UCC.

Sunday 20 August will see a fascinating walk along the River Bride at 11 am for Water Heritage Day.

The Famine Walk in Glenville, County Cork is an area with a rich history spanning pre-Christian times, penal laws, and the Famine, and is also a valuable habitat for a great variety of plants and invertebrates along its river valley.

Pascal Sweeney, an ecologist specialising in aquatic and terrestrial ecology, will lead this informative walk, stopping to sample the river and show the invertebrates to be found there.

The meeting point is at the Mass Rock, Glenville, where parking is limited to about 10 cars, so participants are asked to consider carpooling to the site if possible.

For more information or to register for these events, please go to eventbrite.ie.