About us

About Nature Tales & Trails

Nature Tales & Trails was founded by Dr Anthea Lacchia, a geologist, writer and science communicator, to help connect people to nature and the environment. We operate mainly as a team of one (Anthea), with lovely collaborators along the way, and are always open to new collaborations.

Anthea grew up in Biella, a town at the foot of the Alps, in northern Italy. She has a PhD in geology, which was focused on Ireland's fossils, and has decades of experience hiking in Ireland, the UK and her native Italian Alps. Her background is in research, journalism, writing and science communication.

Her outdoor-related qualifications include:

  • Mountain Leader Award

  • Lowland Leader Award

  • Member of Mountaineering Ireland and Mountain Training Association.

  • Fully trained in outdoor first aid care (REC3) and insured to lead people safely in the outdoors.

  • Completed Mental Health First Aid course with Mental Health First Aid Ireland, and Safeguarding Training with Sports Ireland.

Also, more on the nature and landscape side of things, which is very much related to the above, qualifications include:

  • BA in Geology, 2011

  • PhD in fossils, 2015

  • Irish Wildflower Identification certification, ATU, 2024

  • BSBI Identiplant course 2024

  • Science Communication MSc, Imperial, 2019

Find out more about writing, science communication and journalism work here.

“My love for animals and nature has been a constant thread throughout my career. During my undergraduate in geology at Trinity College Dublin, I learned about fossils, dead animals preserved in rock! This led me to take on a PhD in fossil ammonoids, extinct relatives of squid and cuttlefish. This was when I started to gather experience in science communication and journalism. Now I write about science, animals, wildlife and the environment, and am passionate about connecting humans to nature through my walks, hikes and activities.”

Dr Anthea Lacchia

Our Values

Sustainability

Nature is in trouble. That is no secret. Our planet is in the midst of a climate and ecological emergency. What we do matters. At Nature Tales & Trails we strive to uphold the highest standards when it comes to Leave No Trace principles, minimising our impact on the environment from all activities. Our events aim to educate and spread awareness about environmental issues, as well as inspire a deeper and thoughtful connection to nature.

Inclusivity & Kindness

We want to foster a culture of kindness and inclusivity in all our events and wider work. We aim to provide a variety of events to suit different people's abilities and needs. Please talk to us about how we can make an event more accessible for you or if we can cater for additional needs as required.

Science & Creativity

New ideas often come from surprising connections, such as the mix of science and art. Both science and creativity are guiding forces at Nature Tales & Trails. Our educational walks and hikes draw on the latest scientific research, while encouraging creativity in its many forms. Talk to us about collaborating on this. We would love to hear from you.

Our Mission

Nature Tales & Trails was born with a simple mission: to help connect people to nature, science and the environment through walks, hikes, and storytelling.