About Wildacres
Wildacres is a multi-award-winning Nature Reserve and Biodiversity Education Centre set on 34 acres, bordered by the beautiful Redcross river, close to Brittas Bay in Southeast Wicklow and just one hour south of Dublin City Centre.
We are an Environmental Social Enterprise dedicated to biodiversity restoration, protection, monitoring, and education. Our mission is to inspire and help others to make a positive difference for the environment and their well-being.
We host a range of engaging and entertaining nature-based tours and interactive workshops for individuals, community groups & clubs, and corporates.
Gifting the land back to nature, restoring its natural habitats, and establishing Wildacres as an accessible, sustainable, and unique wildlife sanctuary, education centre and visitor experience, has been the focus of our attention since then.
In Spring 2025 we were delighted to increase the size of the nature reserve with the acquisition of an additional 16.5 acres of land. A super opportunity to bring more biodiversity back!
To date we have planted over 15,000 native Irish trees establishing 8 acres of new woodland, 2.5 km of new native Irish hedgerow, lots of scrubland and several mini forests. We have created 52 wildlife ponds, 14 acres of naturally regenerating wildflower meadow, stretches of semi-natural grassland, a small apiary of beehives for sustainable honey harvesting, a traditional orchard with Irish heritage apple varieties, plus crab apple, pear, plum, cherry and hazel trees, a native Irish tree nursery in partnership with ReWild Wicklow, a wildflower nursery, showcase pollinator bed, 1km of reinstated river riparian zone, erected numerous bat, pine marten, bird and owl nest boxes and lots more to come!
Biodiversity is returning to this beautiful place, and visitors are leaving with knowledge, hope, and inspiration for what they can do to help biodiversity recover in their outdoor space, and community.
Build it and they will come….
The results have been absolutely amazing…. from the proliferation of insect life to the return of myriads of small mammals and amphibians, from the acres filled with delicate wildflowers, busy birds and beautiful butterflies to the hearty growth of broadleaf woodland, this haven is now brimming with wildlife. If you wish to learn more about any of projects contact us to enquire about booking a private tour here or joining one of our group workshops here.
Observations and recordings
We observe many different species of birds including swallows and house martens using our ponds for feeding, bathing and dipping, dozens of dragonflies and damselflies performing their dazzling aerobatic displays, and we get the occasional glimpse of the more elusive creatures such as Bats, Deer, Pine marten, Red kites and Kingfisher.
We hear the iconic drumming of the Great Spotted Woodpecker and hope that someday we will be treated to the screech of our beloved Barn Owl.
To learn more about our native wildlife and habitats and what you can do for biodiversity check out the nature tours we have coming up here. Or to see the wildlife we have recorded on Wildacres check out our biodiversity section here.
An Environmental Social Enterprise
Wildacres is an environmental social enterprise whose mission it is to preserve and restore our precious native biodiversity and to help educate and inspire others to do the same. All proceeds from the sale of our produce, products, tours, walks, workshops and courses go back into the Wildacres project.
Read more about social enterprise here.
