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MU Walking Trails

MU Walking Trails launching for Green Week -Information stands and guided walks will run throughout Green Week 2025 – view the full schedule.

Maynooth Green Campus, in collaboration with the Healthy Campus team, is launching a new Nature Connection Trail alongside the relaunch of two updated walking trails as part of Green Week 2025 (24-28 March).

These trails offer students, staff, and the broader community a chance to step outside, explore the campus landscape, and learn more about its biodiversity. Each trail has been refreshed with new markers and QR codes, linking to insights on ecology, history, and sustainability, as well as mindfulness exercises designed to encourage a deeper connection with the environment.

Nature Connection Trail – Encouraging Mindfulness and Wellbeing

Spending time in nature can have a positive impact on well-being, helping to improve focus, reduce stress, and boost overall mental health. The Nature Connection Trail is designed to bring attention to the many green and blue spaces on campus, encouraging walkers to notice the variety of plants, sounds, smells, and wildlife around them. Developed by Dr Ronan Foley from the Geography Department in collaboration with Healthy Campus, the route includes QR codes linking to short surveys and reflective exercises designed to connect you to the beautiful natural spaces on campus. An easy way to take a mindful break and reset during a busy day.

Tairseach Tree Trail – Trees, Folklore, and the Living Landscape

The Tairseach Tree Trail is part of the MU Project Live teaching and learning project Tairseach, a collaboration between the Froebel Department, Geography Department, Maynooth Green Campus and MU Grounds Team. Grounded in a pedagogy of community-engaged learning, the project weaves the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the curriculum to encourage environmental awareness and stewardship. Designed as an accessible introduction to Ireland’s most common native trees and the folklore surrounding them, the trail supports visitors in building ecoliteracy and fostering a deeper connection to native flora and fauna. Along the route, QR codes offer insights into the cultural and ecological significance of these species, inviting reflection on their role in Ireland’s natural heritage. A lesson booklet has also been created to enhance school visits, providing structured activities for younger learners.

Biodiversity Trail – A Changing Campus

Over the past decade, Maynooth’s campus has transformed from managed lawns into a biodiversity-rich landscape, supporting a wide range of native plants, insects, and birds. The Biodiversity Trail showcases this shift, highlighting areas that have been replanted, rewilded, and carefully managed to encourage biodiversity. The trail is part of a broader mapping initiative under Maynooth Green Campus and Healthy Campus, designed to encourage staff, students, and visitors to explore and engage with the natural environment. QR codes along the route link to the MU Biodiversity Map, which provides details on key sites, planting schemes, and species surveys.