In our modern, distracted world it is easy to miss the kaleidoscope of life that exists on our doorsteps.

Stretching nearly thirty kilometres from the Wicklow Mountains to the Grand Canal Dock, the River Dodder offers a serene escape into nature in our capital city. In these pages, you are invited to pause and reconnect with the teeming wildlife that surrounds us – kingfishers diving, otters playing, wagtails busily foraging and emperor dragonflies patrolling the river’s surface for prey.

Showcasing birds, mammals and insects in glorious detail, these dazzling images remind us that you’re never too young, too old or too busy to ‘stand and stare’ and reconnect with the natural world in all its glory.