In the news
NATURE fans who tune into RTE Radio 1 should note that Derek Mooney will present a new Mooney Goes Wild on the station at weekends from the New Year. The move follows Derek's planned departure from his weekday slot to work as an executive producer across nature and wildlife programming for RTE. Working with colleagues in television, Mooney Goes Wild will provide nature features for television output and Derek will also be associated other nature programming on television while using the digital platform to explore opportunities for new content and adaptation of formats like the hugely successful 'Nest Watch' campaign. "There is a wonderful world of nature out there, it's time to explore it," Derek said.
IF YOU'RE looking forward to decorating your home for the festive season, the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime in Northern Ireland (PAW NI) has issued a timely reminder to be on the lookout for a festive surprise among your decorations.
Bats like cool, even temperatures so don't usually venture into our stuffy centrally-heated homes, but they can suddenly appear in your house coming up to Christmas if they have chosen to settle down for winter in the boxes of Christmas decorations stored in your chilly garage or cold attic. The Northern Ireland Bat Group is a member of PAW NI and has specially trained staff and volunteers to rescue bats in these situations. Visit www.bats-ni.org.uk for contact details.
MORE than one in seven streets and parks across Northern Ireland fail to meet acceptable standards for litter, with just three percent of the places surveyed found to be litter free, according to environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. Across the 2,040 sites surveyed throughout 2013, a new report details 315 sites which were deemed to have unacceptably high levels of litter and/ or dog fouling.
Cigarette litter was the most common type of litter, followed by confectionary and drinks litter such as bottle tops or tin cans.