BirdWatch Ireland to host walk at East Coast Nature Reserve
The conservation organisation is hosting an evening nature walk at the site at 7:00p.m on Tuesday, August 19 as part of its celebration of National Heritage Week 2025.
Experts will be on hand during the event to discuss the birds, insects, mammals, plants and other wildlife that live at the nature reserve.
The nature walk, which is free of charge, is open to all and requires no prior knowledge of wildlife.
During the 90-minute walk, participants will be taken on a tour of the nature reserve's network of trails, boardwalks and observation hides.
Officially opened in 2009, the East Coast Nature Reserve is BirdWatch Ireland's largest reserve covering 92ha.
It forms part of the extensive Murrough Wetlands, an important coastal wetland complex which is designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
The grasslands were originally intensively farmed, with tree-lined watercourses and a conifer plantation growing within the fen.
Following management through an EU LIFE project between 2003 and 2007, the reserve now offers a variety of habitats, from rare fen to wet grasslands to birch woodland.
Among the bird species to visit the reserve are whooper swans, shovelers, little egrets, and swallows.
The nature walk is funded by the Heritage Council's Heritage Organisation Support Fund, as part of BirdWatch Ireland's Communicating the Wonders of Irish Wildlife 2025-26 project.
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