Anthea Lacchia

Subject(s):: Science, Geography, Climate Action and Sustainable Development
Counties catered for:: Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Wexford, Wicklow
Classes catered for:: All year groups (post-primary)

Anthea is a writer specialising in nature, science and geology. She holds a PhD in palaeontology (the study of fossils), focusing on Irish fossils, and her articles have appeared in The Guardian, Nature and many other outlets. She is the author of Planet Earth (DK), An Anthology of Gems (DK) and other children's and adult books about nature and science. Through school workshops, fossil walks, nature walks and hikes, she helps people of all ages explore their connection with the natural world. Anthea is the founder of Nature Tales & Trails.

What creatures lived in Ireland millions of years ago? How did volcanoes, oceans, and ice sheets shape Ireland? Through classroom workshops with hands-on examination of rocks and fossils and educational walks that bring to life Ireland’s ancient and present-day biodiversity, students can deepen their understanding of geography, science, and sustainability.

Fabulous fossils workshop/fieldtrip

From ancient sea lilies to corals, molluscs, and dinosaurs, the workshop gives an overview of Ireland’s ancient life, followed by fossil examination (samples provided), linking ancient and present-day biodiversity. Delivered in class and/or outdoors, activities include describing and using fossils to study evolution and climate change, making observations, and discovering fossils in buildings and walls.

Fieldtrip option: fossil hunting on the shore at Portmarnock, Co. Dublin, where 330-million-year-old corals, crinoids and brachiopods can be found in the rocks.

Landscapes through millions of years

Volcanoes, mountains as tall as the Himalayas, and kilometres of ice have all shaped Ireland, leaving evidence in rocks and landscapes. After an overview of Ireland’s changing landscapes, students examine rock and fossil samples. Activities include group work uncovering a local landscape’s history; and using rocks as evidence of past processes. Topics include: the rock cycle, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, climate change, mountains, the Anthropocene.

Fieldtrip option: near your school, or at Glendalough and surrounding area, where students can experience a glacial landscape and its rocks up close, along with plants and wildlife.

In the field: nature walk and talk

This nature walk covers life on Earth, from ancient to present-day biodiversity, with seasonally-tailored stops where students learn to observe and describe landscapes, rocks, fossils, plants and wildflowers. Activities can include: bird identification, describing and identifying rocks and fossils, and sketching plants and wildflowers. Students gain observation, description and fieldwork skills.

Walks can take place near your school, in the Wicklow Mountains, or at Portmarnock, Co. Dublin, and many other fantastic locations are possible.

Additional Information

Post-Primary school visits
Caters for special needs
Provides practical/hands-on activities
Provides field trips

Contact Details

Mobile:: 089 469 3938
Email:: info@naturetalesandtrails.ie