Knocksink Wood Education Centre

08/10/2026

🌿 What a fantastic day at Knocksink Wood on Saturday!

As part of the Dublin Mountains Festival ~ Féile na Sléibhte 2026, we had a brilliant day learning so much from Mark and Laura at the NPWS Education Centre.

A huge thank you to Mark and Laura for sharing their incredible knowledge and enthusiasm with us, and to everyone who joined us for the day 🍂🌳

Another lovely opportunity to Discover Our Mountains and learn more about the wonderful natural environment on our doorstep 💚

02/10/2026

Speaking of fungi and very seasonal, we're delighted to join Wicklow County Council Library Service for what promises to be an excellent talk on Tuesday 13th! Fungi are an essential, beautiful and often overlooked part of our ecosystems, and play a crucial role in woodlands. Hope to see you there!

Join the Wicklow town library for a talk that will focus on the fascinating lives and biology of fungi, a crucial part of ecosystems.

01/10/2026

After the rain, the eruption. Fungi appear throughout the wood, their fruiting bodies emerging from leaf litter, soil and dead trees. Many of these are decomposers of dead wood, part of the cycle of woodland renewal, while also providing food for a whole range of animals, from snails to squirrels.

24/09/2026

To celebrate Sustainable Goals Week and mark the autumn equinox, our Education Guides joined up with Enniskerry Library yesterday for a Bat Walk and Talk! We'd a great turnout and a lovely walk in the moonlight, and despite the bright and cold night we did manage to locate some bats in Knocksink Wood itself. Thanks to Wicklow County Council Library Service, who are now loaning out bat detectors as well as books! Contact [email protected] for further details, while bats are still on the wing before winter..

23/09/2026

Delighted to help the The Native Woodland Trust with their hazel harvest last week. As we pass the autumn equinox, with nights now longer than the days, the trees redirect their energy from producing leaves to ripening seeds, giving rise to a new generation in the woodland and a feast of food for wildlife.

22/09/2026

How can we help children build a meaningful connection with nature?

On 3rd October, we're hosting a Sharing Nature with Children workshop at Knocksink Wood Education Centre, in collaboration with Dublin Mountains Partnership as part of the Dublin Mountains Festival.

Designed for parents and guardians, the workshop will share ideas and activities to encourage children to explore, discover and connect with the natural world around them.

Book your place through the link below!
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/sharing-nature-with-children-for-parents-and-guardians-only-tickets-2001873611862

A workshop to help parents and guardians connect the children in their care with nature, biodiversity and the natural world.

21/09/2026

We were delighted last week to host Trekkers Hillwalking Club for one of our "Meet The Trees" guided walks at Deputy's Pass Nature Reserve, who spent a fine morning exploring the woodland ecosystem before continuing on their longer hike.

We host groups of all ages, abilities and interests in our sites across the region, so if you'd like to learn more about nature and how we can protect it this autumn or indeed year-round, just get in touch! Email [email protected], phone 01 2866610 or just send us a DM here..

18/09/2026

Life on Land doesn’t stop at sunset.

Join us at Enniskerry Library on Wednesday 23rd during Sustainable Development Goals Week for a short talk, followed by a walk through nearby Knocksink Wood Nature Reserve.

Meeting at Enniskerry Library at 7 pm.

17/09/2026

We're joining forces with BirdWatch Ireland Wicklow Branch for their Kilcoole Through the Seasons event this Saturday, 19th! 🐦

Join us to get the latest updates on the Kilcoole and Cooldross Projects, and spot some of the winter bird visitors that are beginning to arrive for the season.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Join us on SATURDAY 19th SEPTEMBER for our autumn outing to Kilcoole.

We’ll likely see swallows and martins and maybe lingering warblers who are still fattening up for their long flight South. On the other hand (wing?), our winter visitors are starting to arrive, like Brent geese from their breeding grounds in arctic Canada , and typical winter ducks like Wigeon and Teal will be arriving in greater number. Curlew and Ringed Plover numbers are bolstered by visitors from further North.

Other birds are just passing through on their migratory journeys. Northern Wheatears join the Stonechats on the fences and paths, and perhaps we’ll see scarcer birds like the Ruff and Curlew sandpiper. There’s always the chance of a rare migrant turning up at this time of year!

11/09/2026

🌿 A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at Electric Picnic in the Global Green Area and Nature Tent.

Throughout the weekend, NPWS joined a range of organisations in sharing stories and insights on conservation, habitat restoration, wildlife protection and environmental education. It was wonderful to connect with so many people who are passionate about nature and our natural heritage.

Swipe through to see highlights from NPWS's Nature Tent Talks:

🍃 From Empty Field to Nature Reserve
🌱 Blanket Bog Restoration
🐦 Tiny Terns, Big Stories
🔥 Wildfire Wars