Simple hay-stuffed tubes are giving Ireland's ducks a fighting chance
Duck nest tubes — wire cylinders stuffed with hay, mounted above water out of predators' reach — are achieving 60–80% hatching success in Ireland. Clubs around Lough Derg have installed dozens. Against mink, rats, and foxes, a humble tube is proving to be one of conservation's most effective tools.
The upbeat factorSometimes saving a species takes wire, hay, and care.