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Leave No Trace Ireland

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Leave No Trace Ireland

Leave No Trace Ireland is Ireland’s countryside code providing responsible outdoor recreation

30/10/2026

🎃 Halloween and Samhain is an exciting time of year for us, but it can be a pretty frightening time for our wildlife and pets!

While we're out enjoying the festivities, it's worth remembering that our celebrations can have a big effect on them.

And with wetter weather, darker evenings and wildlife preparing for winter, our outdoor spaces could do with a little extra care this time of year. 🍂

From keeping pets safe and skipping the fireworks, to embracing muddy trails and leaving wildlife's hideaways undisturbed, there are plenty of simple ways to make Halloween kinder to nature.

Swipe through for our top tips, inspired by the Leave No Trace Principles. 🦇

29/10/2026

🎃👻 Did you know Halloween started right here in Ireland?!

Over 2,000 years ago, the ancient Celts celebrated Samhain (pronounced Sow-in), marking the end of summer and the beginning of the darker half of the year 🕯️🍂

But Samhain wasn't just about shorter days and colder nights. It was believed to be a time when the boundary between the world of the living and the dead grew thinner, allowing spirits to cross into our world. Spooky stuff!

So, how did people protect themselves from any unwanted supernatural visitors? 🔥

🔥 Bonfires were lit to provide protection and bring communities together.

🍎 Food was offered to honour spirits and appease those who might otherwise cause mischief.

👻 Disguises were worn to confuse wandering spirits, with people dressing up so they might be mistaken for one of their own!

Many of these ancient traditions helped shape the Halloween we know and love today, from dressing up in costumes to gathering around fires and embracing all things spooky.

So, as you carve your pumpkins and get your costumes ready this Halloween, remember you're taking part in a tradition that stretches back thousands of years, with deep roots in Ireland's ancient past.

Happy Samhain! 🦇🍂

28/10/2026

🦇 With Halloween creeping closer, we’re turning our attention to one of the night’s most iconic creatures... The humble wee bat! 🦇

Folklore linked this mysterious time of year with spirits, the supernatural and a world where the line between the living and the dead was said to grow a little thinner. And with bats flitting through the darkness, it’s easy to see how they earned their spooky reputation!

In some stories, bats circling a home were a sign that spirits were near, while others said their silent flight guided lost souls safely through the dark. Once feared as omens, they’ve always been creatures of mystery - guardians of the night sky👻🌙

But forget the scary stories for a second, because these little night-flyers are more brilliant than they are spooky…

🦟 Tiny but mighty: Some bats can eat thousands of insects in a single night. That’s some seriously impressive pest control!

🇮🇪 Meet the locals: Ireland is home to nine bat species! All protected by law.

🏚️ Their living quarters: Bats need safe places to roost, from old trees and buildings to specially designed bat boxes.

So, if something flutters past your head this Halloween, it’s likely to be one of Ireland’s incredible, insect-munching neighbours, getting on with its very important night shift 💚

27/10/2026

🌿 From the Field: Outdoor Recreation Officer Training

A magic couple of days taking Leave No Trace from theory to the outdoors! All with the backdrop of Achill Island - wow 🌈

Two days, an overnight camp, plenty of hands-on learning and a whooole lot of outdoor ethics in action 🏕️

Our Leave No Trace Trainer Course for Outdoor Recreation Officers took learning beyond the classroom and into the landscapes we’re working to protect!

From the coast to the uplands and freshwater environments, participants explored the seven principles, share ideas, got stuck into practical activities and learned how to bring Leave No Trace to life for others.

By the end of the course, participants have the skills and confidence to plan and deliver Leave No Trace Awareness Courses, spot those all-important teachable moments and weave outdoor ethics into their everyday work.

And the best bit? It’s a key step towards becoming a Leave No Trace Accredited Trainer. 🌱

Interested in bringing Leave No Trace into your work?
This could be your next step!
Contact: [email protected]

26/10/2026

Happy Bank Holiday Monday and the last week of October Bingo!
And we’ve upped the prize 👀

Get outside, pause, connect 🌿

How does it work? 👇
1️⃣ Save this week’s bingo card (downloadable and printable version via the link in our bio).
2️⃣ Get outside and complete all 9 squares.
3️⃣ Snap a few photos along the way as proof.
4️⃣ Send your photos to [email protected] with the subject line ‘October Bingo’ to be featured in the weekly roundup
5️⃣ Get your entry in by midnight on Monday 2nd November to be in with a chance to win!

🎁 Week 4 prize: 30€ of Birdwatch merch/gifts (a surpise selection), a Love This Place T-shirt and a Leave No Trace tote bag!

25/10/2026

🌊 Did you know… Ireland’s underwater world is bigger than you might think!

Ireland’s marine territory is around 10 times the size of our landmass 🤯 And beneath the waves lies a whole world of underwater mountains, valleys, rocky reefs, sandbanks and habitats that we’re still learning about.

🗺️ So how do we map a place we can’t see?

Using specialist sonar technology, scientists can build detailed maps of the seafloor, revealing its shape and features. This helps us understand where marine life lives, plan offshore wind farms, support fishing and shipping, and make better decisions about protecting our ocean.

Here’s another incredible fact: Ireland’s seabed mapping programme, INFOMAR, has been working to uncover the secrets of our underwater landscape since 2006, helping create a much clearer picture of the world beneath our waves 🌊

The more we discover about our ocean, the better equipped we are to care for it. 💙

🔎 Explore the resources: https://bit.ly/4xcKJyo

Calling all young ocean explorers! Check out the Explorers Our Ocean, Our Future resources and get involved in the MSP Film Competition for kids.

🎥 Enter the film competition: https://bit.ly/3Uw1xmo

23/10/2026

Learning.. Connecting.. Pausing..

This week our team met up in Westport, and wow was it needed!

The last few months have been wildly busy for us all, so getting time together felt so valuable. Time to take oursleves away from the day to day work. To laugh and smile together. To pause!

The day began with a simple exercise of appreciation for each other, followed by a really insightful workshop from Active Disability Ireland (more on this to come!), a little walk around Westport and ending with a really special sound bath from Sídhe Sound Healing

I didn’t get many photos of the day because we were all so immersed, but many of us agreed this was one of our favourite meetups to date! Time to learn, connect and very importantly, pause…

Thank you to Active Disability Ireland and Melanie from Sídhe Sound Healing for being a part of such a magic day ✨

22/10/2026

Want to give your team a little breathing room before the year wraps up? 🌿

Between deadlines, end-of-year targets and planning for what’s next - it’s easy to forget to pause!

But spending time in nature can make a real difference. In fact, 82% of people felt less stressed and/or anxious after spending time in nature, according to the CSO’s Recreation in Nature survey.

So why not give your team a chance to step outside, learn something new and make a positive difference together!

🌱 Leave No Trace Impact Days

Swap the office for the outdoors with a hands-on team experience led by our expert trainers. From riverbank conservation to biodiversity walks, we’ll tailor the day to your team, help colleagues reconnect with nature, work together and give something back to the places we all enjoy.

💻 Webinars & Lunch-and-Learns

Prefer something that fits around a busy schedule? Our one-hour, expert-led sessions can be delivered online or in your office. They’re an easy way to bring your team together, spark fresh thinking and explore how we can all care for Ireland’s outdoors!

Whether you’re looking to use your remaining CSR or staff engagement budget, give your team a meaningful end-of-year experience, or get ahead with your 2027 plans, we’d love to help.

📩 Get in touch to explore options. email: [email protected]

For Impact Days before Christmas, we recommend booking at least six weeks ahead to secure your preferred date.

💚

21/10/2026

🪶 Yippeee, the Brent Geese are back!

As the days grow shorter, one of Ireland’s most impressive seasonal visitors is making its return. The light-bellied Brent goose, known as 'cadhan' in Irish, has travelled around 3,000km from Arctic Canada and Greenland to spend the winter along our shores.

Their first major stop is Strangford Lough, before flocks spread out along coastlines across the country. Keep an eye out for their dark little silhouettes flying low over the water, and listen for their soft, chattering calls as they gather to feed.

A few things you might not know about these long-distance travellers:

🧭 A remarkable route: They make the epic journey across the Atlantic each year to reach their wintering grounds.

👨‍👩‍👧 Family comes first: Brent geese migrate in family groups and stick together throughout the winter.

🥬 Small but mighty: They’re among the smallest geese in the world, feeding on eelgrass and sea lettuce along our coastlines.

If you’re heading out for a coastal walk this autumn, you might be lucky enough to spot a flock. Just remember to give them plenty of space to feed and rest after their long journey.

For these visitors, Ireland isn’t just a pit stop. It’s home for the winter. 💚

20/10/2026

No faff, no frills, just a bunch of stats that show us the power of nature and getting outdoors has on our mental health. Overlaying photos from people who entered our October Bingo in Week 2 🤗

If this doesn't encourage you to get outside, I don't know what will!?

Sources:
CSO, Recreation in Nature – How We Spent Summer 2024, published 2025.
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Public Attitudes Survey on Forestry 2026.

Address

Westport

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+35319059009

Website

http://www.leavenotraceireland.org/

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