The Native Tree Trail Multi-Cache

There is nothing hidden at the posted coordinates which are the entrance to Markievicz Park and the start of the multi. To walk around the the edge of this park is about 1 km.

A tree which has started its life growing naturally in a place, without any human involvement, is called a native tree. In Ireland, these native trees have developed over thousands of years. Together with surrounding plant life, animals, fungi and microbes to create an ecosystem - like a happy town filled with townspeople of the animal, plant and insect kingdom.

In fact, Ireland’s native trees are an important habitat for our plants and wildlife providing essential food and shelter whilst making vital oxygen for animals and humans. Native trees provided the early Irish with fuel, food, shelter and building materials and now help also to filter dust, pollution and provide welcome breaks in park areas.

The Native Tree Trail will help to introduce you to a selection of Ireland’s native trees. Some you may already know and some may be a new surprise! All have survived through history and its invaders, famines, battles and storms to become the original Irish trees.

Now more than ever it is important to value and protect our native species for the future generations to come.

There are fifteen native trees to find in Markievicz Park!

To find them you will need to navigate your way around the park. To help you in your search look out for the native tree sign posts which contain more information. The stages and information thats needed to work out the final of this multi are listed at the end of the description.

1. The native wild apple tree is quite rare in Ireland. Though some have been found in hedgerows and woodlands in north Dublin! Bees pollinate the early spring flowers of the apple tree and are just one of the ninety insects that the apple tree provides a home for. Another form of wildlife that benefits from the apple tree is our native birds, who loves to eat the trees autumn crop of greenish -yellow apples.
2. Birch is a very popular tree all over Ireland! The leaves of the birch tree provide a covering of light shade. This is excellent for plants in woodlands who grow happily underneath the trees protection. A single birch tree can produce up to one million seeds in a year. These seeds are so light that they can travel for miles and miles on the autumn winds.
3. The hawthorn is also well known as the ‘fairy tree’ in Ireland. Throughout Irish myth and legend, the hawthorn tree has been connected with the fairies and their stories. To this very day, there are still farmers who plough a wide circle around hawthorn trees, for fear of offending the fairies that supposedly inhabit the tree.
4. Elder is a small tree that can live for up to one hundred years. In summer it is covered with sweet -smelling flowers and in autumn with deep purple berries. These berries provide important and valuable food for many birds and animals. Throughout Irish history, the elder tree has been used as a medicinal plant to treat everything from burns to colds and flu's
5. Our native hazel is known for their delicious hazelnuts! The hazel nuts are an important food source for mice, squirrels, pigeons, and pheasants. It is also estimated that the hazel in Ireland provides support in the form of shelter and food for seventy -three different insect species.
6. The alder has a unique ability to grow in different soils which has ensured its survival over time. The ability of the alder to grow in any type of soil means it can be found in all parts of Ireland, from mountain sides to lake shores and river banks
7. The circular leaves of the aspen flutter in the slightest breeze. This is why, it is also known as the 'whispering tree'. Throughout Autumn, the leaves of the aspen fall in a rain of yellows and golds, before leaves appear again in spring. The aspen flowers are known as catkins. These form part of the trees eco-system, helping up to ninety insect species survive.
8. Willow trees love Ireland’s wet weather! They especially love to grow near bogs, marshes or riverbanks. The flower of the willow, the catkin, can be seen in Spring time and looks at first like a fluffy kitten's paw. The flower then opens to produce the willows seeds which are so light they travel very long distances by wind or water.                                          
9. Ash is a fast growing tree. The ash tree’s fast growth and its ability to re-grow after being cut down, made ash a valuable renewable tree to the early Irish. The seeds of the ash tree grow all through the summer. These seeds are known as ‘helicopters’ because they have a propeller like shape. In the autumn winds, this shape helps to spin them far away from the tree.
10. Oak is an important tree in the Irish landscape. Oak supports many different varieties of wildlife including plants, birds and insects, which feed or nest about the tree. It is one of the most popular trees planted in Ireland and if all the oak woodlands were put together they would cover over 5,370 football pitches! Now imagine the number of acorns that fall every Autumn!
11. Yew is one of Ireland's oldest living native trees. The leaves of the yew can be recognised by their needle-like shape, displaying a strong rib down the centre of the leaf. The yews trunk, often flakes to reveal reddish patches and iIn early autumn cones and autumn berries appear.
12. Scots Pine. This native tree died out in Ireland hundreds of years ago. Thankfully it was re-introduced after the 1800's and once again started to grow in the wild parts of Ireland, where they can now be expected to live for 200 years or more. They are one of Ireland’s best conifer's (needle-like leaves) for wildlife, as in addition to food for the finches, owls will often use it for nesting, and insects use its mature bark for shelter.
13. Mountain ash is the only native tree that provides colour throughout Spring, Summer and Autumn. Leaves turn shades of orange, red and brown throughout the year. In Autumn, bright red berries grow and birds such as thrushes and blackbirds like to eat them. In the wild, mountain ash can be found high up on a hill or mountain side this is because it likes a lot of sunshine. 
14. Holly is an evergreen tree which means its leaves stay green all year round. The holly is well known by its bright green, tough and spiny leaves which protect the holly from browsing deer and animals. In Autumn, the holly tree shows of brilliant scarlet berries which are popular with many birds and which are also used for decorations at Christmas time.
15. Bird cherry is a rare tree in Ireland and likes to grow at the edges of woods, and along stream-sides. The bird cherry is frequently used in traditional wildlife hedges because it is an important tree for many insects including bees, butterflies and a variety of birds that feed on the trees early Spring nectar and Summer fruit

Stage 1: N 53° 20.451 W 006° 20.537
A: How many fadas on the Irish name for apple tree.

Stage 2: N 53° 20.412 W 006° 20.522
B: Standing at this marker look west, what colour is the house on the corner with the redbrick work around the door.

Stage 3: N 53° 20.418 W 006° 20.446
C: Look south across the fence to the houses at the other side of the road. These have a three digit number, note the middle digit.

Stage 4: N 53° 20.431 W 006° 20.387
D: Note the repeated digit in the house number of the red house across the road from the park.

Stage 5: N 53° 20.440 W 006° 20.328
E: Again looking out across the road this house has a double digit number. Note the digit that is repeated.

Stage 6: N 53° 20.451 W 006° 20.282
F: Look down on the paving upon which this notice stands and count the number of small squares across.

Stage 7: N 53° 20.520 W 006° 20.365
G: From this point look out at the bus stop and note the 2nd number on the yellow circular sign beneath the Dublin Bus logo.

Stage 8: N 53° 20.492 W 006° 20.529
H: Adjacent to the Mountain Ash and the Holly you will find this tree which is not part of the Native Tree Trail but is there for a different reason Take the 4th letter of this reason and convert into a single digit number using the ITU E 1.161 International Standard.

So hopefully you will have enjoyed your walk around the park picking up all the info. There are some seats and tables at N 53° 20.442 W 006° 20.495 for when you are working out the final coordinates.

BYOP

There are seven Native Tree Trails in Dublin City Council Parks. All the information has been taken from the booklet for this one. Each trail has its own booklet complete with a trail map and is packed with interesting and fun facts about native trees as well as plenty of space to sketch your tree discoveries.

Click here to go to the Dublin City website to download a PDF of this walk, geo-kids might enjoy having this with them.

Click here to go to the Dublin City website to check on park opening hours. This park closes at night and please note dogs are allowed OFF lead before 11 am.