Explore the Nature of Bantry Bay
A special place for plants
Botany is the study of plants, and Bantry Bay is a very special place for plants. It’s a great place to take a closer look at them. There are big plants – trees. There are flowering plants. There are tiny plants without flowers – mosses and liverworts (bryophytes). There are complicated ones, that are part plant and part fungus – lichens. And there are seaweeds – which are algae not plants but we cover them here. See below for information on all of these.
There is also a Moss Hunt and Mossy activities designed for 6 to 12 year olds. It is suitable for anywhere in Ireland at any of year, see here.
When the weather means it’s less fun to be outside, try our Creative Adventures with Leaves and Paint. See here.
Micro-nature guide to Lichens
Here is a Micro-nature Guide to Lichens at Snave Beach, on Bantry Bay. Follow in Botanist Ellen’s footsteps and see if you can find the different types of lichen shown in the guide by looking on the rocks, trees, twigs and leaves on the beach. You can do this at any time of year, but it is best to be done at low tide.
Mini guide to Seaweeds
Micro-nature Guide to the Bryophytes of West Cork
West Cork is a wonderful place for mosses and liverworts. Here is a micro-nature guide to them. It includes some fun facts and tips on the best way to see them.
Newly launched: the Moss Hunting page has a great collection of free resources designed for 6 to 12 year olds launched in October and perfect for outdoor Autumn adventures.
There is a Moss Hunting guide — Join our Moss Hunt — to take outside with you to find mosses and learn about them through outdoor mossy activities and with a bit of science thrown in. Using a mobile phone camera, a magnifying glass, or a hand lens lets you see tiny hidden details.
There are more indoor mossy activities to do back inside after your moss hunt. There is a bit more science, as well as some art based things all linked to mosses and the little creatures that live among them.
Tree trails
There are a great many different trees in Bantry House Gardens. Here is a Tree Trail that takes you round ten of them, helping you identify them by their leaves, and telling you interesting facts including where in the world they come from. Copies of the leaflet can be picked up at Bantry House, and taken home afterwards to colour in.
The new Twelve Tree Trail is similar in style to the Bantry House one but can be used anywhere there are trees. Try and find the species featured near where you live or are staying. As well as identification tips, the downloadable leaflet has a host of interesting facts and snippets of information. Although designed with kids in mind, it will appeal to anyone who has an interest in nature. Download a copy using the button below.
How to use a hand lens film
Have you used a hand lens, a magnifying glass or a phone’s camera to enlarge the tiny parts of a plant or flower and let you into a world of detail you cannot normally see? Here is a short (30 seconds) video on how to use a hand lens. It had 3.5k views in its first year on YouTube.
Wonderful Plants
See here for information on wonderful plants including these.