← All events
family · Sunday 26 July 2026 · 11:00am 
Fota Wildlife Park - Native Species Weekend 2026
At Fota Wildlife Park - Education, Conservation and Research Centre (ECRC) · Fota Island, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork
At Fota Wildlife Park - Education, Conservation and Research Centre (ECRC) · Fota Island, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork
Fota Wildlife Park dedicates two days in late July to the wildlife that actually lives on your doorstep - the otters, pine martens, red squirrels, and seabirds that make Ireland one of the most ecologically interesting islands in Europe. Native Species Weekend is the second of three educational weekends the park runs through the summer of 2026, and it is the one that focuses purely on what is native, why it matters, and what is being done to protect it. It suits families with school-age children looking for a day with some real substance behind it, but it is just as rewarding for adults with an interest in Irish ecology and conservation.
The weekend runs from 11am to 4pm on both Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July, based in the park’s Education, Conservation and Research Centre - the ECRC, a purpose-built €5.5 million facility that opened in late 2023 and now draws more than 20,000 students a year for outdoor education programmes. The building itself is worth seeing: the grounds have been landscaped with native plant species under threat of extinction in Ireland.
During the weekend, the ECRC hosts interactive exhibits and biofact displays - physical specimens and materials that let visitors handle and examine the natural world up close. Partner organisations confirmed for the event include Dublin Zoo, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Nature Network Ireland, and Atlantic Technological University, so there is genuine depth of expertise on the floor. Fota’s own education team runs the wider programme, covering native habitats, the pressures species face, and the conservation work being done in Ireland to reverse the losses. No advance booking is needed for any of the educational activities.
Fota Island sits in Cork Harbour, about 15 km east of Cork City, and is one of the easier wildlife parks in Ireland to reach without a car. Irish Rail runs trains on the Cork to Cobh line and stops at Fota station, which is right at the park entrance - the journey from Cork Kent station takes around 15 minutes. By road, take the N25 east from Cork and exit at Carrigtwohill; signage for the park is clear from there. Parking is available on site.
The event is set on Fota Island but Carrigtwohill village - one of the fastest-growing towns in Munster - is the gateway, and the surrounding Cork Harbour area has walking routes, a marina at Crosshaven nearby, and the wider Fota estate including Fota House and Arboretum for those who want to extend the day. There is more to see in Carrigtwohill and across Co. Cork.
Heading to Fota Wildlife Park - Education, Conservation and Research Centre (ECRC) in Carrigtwohill? Cork has plenty more to see. Read the Carrigtwohill area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.