iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by John Ross Mac Mathúna

Eoghan Daltun 🌍 @irishrainforest.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

The essence of an Irish rainforest is best appreciated in ... the rain. Join myself and John Ross MacMathuna @ceanncait.bsky.social in a rainy rainforest. Volume up for the captivating sound of raindrops.

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Saw my first frog orchids today at killard Point in Co down

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

Early purple orchid, butterfly orchids and possible marsh orchid? At local site today!

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

Exactly. The meadow is in great shape at the moment. I've four different areas with different histories and management regimes

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

Bhí mé ag coinneáil súil ar.. Tá dhá chinn eile cóngarach go leor

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Reposted by John Ross Mac Mathúna

Dean Mac Cú Uladh @dmac00.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

@ceanncait.bsky.social An magairlín meidhreach - bit early but can confirm they are still there along the Moygannon Path. Only this one nearly in flower

A purple orchid growing among mossy rocks

The flower head of an orchid with vegetation behind

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

Visited the beautiful killard Point today! Stunning and special place

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Spring in the woodland. No garden can compete with this

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Thank you! I'm trying to collect and grow seed from all the local populations. They are becoming extremely scarce in south down. Hopefully I can put the equipment and skill to good conservation use

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Common spotted orchid protocorns I've grown from seed. Not easy to photograph. I have two other species growing. Growing native orchids from seed is something I've wanted to do for a long time

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Meadow season has begun! Yellow rattle starting to grow 😊

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

There is something timeless about collecting a basket of sticks for the fire

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Storm eowin felled hundreds of non native western hemlock that were planted in this oak wood nearly a century ago but thankfully left the remaining oaks unscathed

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

Looking over the bridge near hilltown at the very headwaters of the river bann, northern irelands longest river flowing through lough neagh. A mess of burnt and dumped tyres

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

There are only two reasons our mountains are treeless. Grazing and burning.

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

Nollaig shona duit a Eoghan! Hopefully this will be the year I get down at some point!

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

The early purple orchid in the jar on the left was sown a month after the jar on the right. The only difference is that on the right I sterilised the seed with 10% bleach, the left with 70% alcohol.

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

All growing from a stone wall under drooping branches

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Thank you! If these are successful I'll try pyramidal, butterfly, and possibly one or two others next year. I'll be giving away any excess to good homes. I think I need the permission of the niea to collect autumn ladies tresses and green winged orchid seed

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Yes. I did 5 jars of early purple orchid and 5 jars of bee orchid last month. Of those one epo and 2 bo were contaminated and were disguarded. But the rest have developed into protocorms. I will have to reflask them in two months or so depending on growth.

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Final orchid sowing of the season today. Some early purple orchids, common spotted orchids and bee orchids. Hoping to try some new species next year

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

I planted this wood in the year 2000. Hard to believe it is only 24 years old.

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Reposted by John Ross Mac Mathúna

Eoghan Daltun 🌍 @irishrainforest.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Great to see @calfraser.bsky.social on Bluesky! She's the author of 'Rewilding the World: Dispatches from the Conservation Revolution' (2009), the first book I ever read on the subject, and one that I often refer back to. Please give her a follow!

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

The three types of bread I made yesterday.. Sourdough, multi grain and wheaten

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

That's an amazing opportunity! Make the most of it.. Somthing I would absolutely love to do myself if the opportunity arose and I could justify crossing the Atlantic!

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Reposted by John Ross Mac Mathúna

Josh McGiff @joshtheoptimist.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

For all the Gaeilgeoirí out there, you can search "lang:ga" to find all Bluesky posts as Gaeilge 😎 I think this platform could truly foster a strong Irish community 🤞

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Thoughts on the usa continuing to back Israel despite arrest warrants issued by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Beautiful wintery scenes in the Mournes

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

My idea is more of a living seed bank. I contacted a number of societies to see could anyone collect and grow seed to preserve the local genetic diversity without success so I decided to try myself. Maybe the plants can be part of a restoration project in the future!

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

I will talk to them and see what they say. I am learning to grow native orchids from seed at the moment. I have managed to get protocorms from early purple, common spotted and bee orchids collected locally.

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

There will be another site at my meadow by next year 😊. If you are ever calling by Rostrevor you can take a look! By the way do you know if it is OK to collect Irish ladies tresses seed at killard?

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

I have been attempting to grow some native orchids from seed this year. Early days but I'm learning alot. I'm about to start my third sowing of the season

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

I love this! I can't wait to get to killard. Was that filmed recently? The field scabious is growing at greencastle too. I collected some seed there this year.

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

If you want yellow rattle in your meadow next year you will need to have it sown very soon. Ideally already. It needs a period of cold to germinate for next year.

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Reposted by John Ross Mac Mathúna

Dean Mac Cú Uladh @dmac00.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Ben Crom, Mournes today Spotting so many mountain streams which could be perfect sites for upland woodland restoration What are we waiting for?

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Thinking of some of the beautiful wild orchids I saw last summer on this cold winters day

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Land in Northern Ireland is twice as expensive per acre than in England. So the tax starts to come into play at around 40 acres, still well below viable farm size. I do agree with the concept in general but personally my view is that it should be increased for those who's exclusive income is farming

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Bee orchid rosette gathering energy to flower next summer!

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Reposted by John Ross Mac Mathúna

Jason Hickel @jasonhickel.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Israeli soldiers have blown up whole villages in southern Lebanon, one after the other. They are making it impossible for people to return. Make no mistake, this is ethnic cleansing. Zionists have long fantasized about Lebanon as their Lebensraum and they are trying to enact it

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Reposted by John Ross Mac Mathúna

Dean Mac Cú Uladh @dmac00.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

my.actnowni.org/petitions/st... Although I have reservations about the Mournes being described as ‘pristine’ here, this project is beyond unnecessary. Please sign.

my.actnowni.org

Sign Now: Stop the Mourne Mountain Gondola Project

I've signed the petition demanding that @nmdcouncil scraps the environmentally damaging and costly Mourne Mountains Gondola Project - will you sign too?

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John Ross Mac Mathúna @ceanncait.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Some beautiful bog plant communities within the forestry at Rostrevor. I would love to see some peatland restoration here.

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