Zoo news – May 2025

May has been a busy month for the zoo with lots of work going on behind the scenes. Read below to find out more!

Native Species Festival

Emerald Park education and zoo staff got to attend the Native Species Festival in Dublin Zoo from the 17^th-19^th April. This event celebrated native species of Ireland and had several other tables with people from organizations such as the Irish Bee Conservation Project, Seal Rescue Ireland, Bat Rehabilitation Ireland and Louth Nature Trust.

Our team engaged with the public, showcasing the many ways Emerald Park does native species conservation as well as putting native species in the spotlight in their education sessions, biofacts and even collaborating with programmes such as the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.
It was a wonderful weekend packed with interesting facts and brilliant people, we can’t wait for the next Native Species Festival!

Secondary School Packages

Our Discovery and Learning team have been busy this May with providing educational packages to secondary schools visiting from all over Ireland! They’ve been delivering classes on topics such as Ecology, taking students on a grassland ecosystem study. Business, showcasing how Emerald Park operates as a business and giving students an insight into how sustainability is considered in how we operate. As well as zoo tours, showcasing the importance of zoos and conservation, as well as providing a guided tour through the zoo filled with fun facts and answering the students’ (and teachers’) questions.

If you’re a teacher and have an interest in our educational workshops, don’t hesitate to send in an enquiry through our education tab on the website!

New Aviary Construction

Construction is underway on our mixed species aviary, it was decided our original mixed species aviary needed improving upon and already the steel frame is up.

Good enclosure design is vital for both the animals and staff that work with them, it’s important to give the animals an environment that replicates the habitat that their species is adapted to., as well as providing shelter and spaces to move away from view if the animal desires. It is also important to factor in accessibility for keepers, as you can imagine cleaning, and maintenance of the enclosures and having space for training and various other duties are so much smoother with a well-designed space!

Thanks for reading. Check back next month for more zoo updates!

The Emerald Park Zoo Team