Introduce yourself! Where are you from, and where do you live now?
I'm Aisling Kinsella - I'm originally from Greystones in Wicklow, and I'm currently living in Gorey, County Wexford.
Tell us a bit about your background and your work
I have a degree in Zoology and a Master’s in Wildlife Management and Conservation. For the past five years, I’ve been working as an ecologist, mostly in the corporate sector focusing on development projects. But that chapter is ending and I’m about to start a new role that takes a more conservation-focused approach. So, exciting things ahead!What do you get up to in your spare time?
If I’m not hiking, you’ll find me dipping in the sea or rivers, up in the mountains or birdwatching. There’s a lot of birdwatching. Probably too much!Where’s your favourite place for birdwatching?
Definitely the East Coast Nature Reserve in Newcastle, Wicklow. All of my coolest bird sightings have been there.
What does a typical week look like for you?
I’m usually outdoors, whether it’s for work doing bird or habitat surveys or hiking with friends. I’ve also just started a social hiking group called 'Wild Wednesdays' to make the most of the summer evenings and get over that midweek slump.How did you start working with Outwest?
I started hiking with Outwest three years ago. That was actually my first time hiking ever. Shane introduced me to the outdoors and I’d never considered myself particularly active before. Sports or running weren’t my thing. But when I found hiking, it just clicked. It filled this gap I didn’t even know I had. After that, I joined a hiking community called Galz Gone Wild and eventually became a host for them. Through all the work I’d been doing to help others connect with nature, Shane and Bec asked me to be an Outwest ambassador. I was so honoured.
Why Outwest? What drew you to become an ambassador?
I love how accessible they make the outdoors. Shane’s passion for Ireland and especially Dingle, his hometown, really shines through. He lives and breathes the outdoors and genuinely wants people to have healthier, more balanced lifestyles. His drive to connect people to nature is what got me outside in the first place. Now I'm leading community events to get others to experience what I did. So, it’s a full circle moment.What’s been your favourite outdoor memory in recent years?
Dingle, hands down. There was one week last summer where my family rented a house down there for our annual staycation. But the next day, my aunt and uncle had to leave due to a family emergency. So I unexpectedly had the house to myself for the week and to top it off, we had a heatwave. I spent the whole week hiking the Dingle Peninsula. It was the best trip of my life. One of the highlights was when a friend Dan was doing a Vandeleur-Lynams challenge and happened to be in Dingle at the same time. The next morning, he was heading out to do four peaks in one day and invited me along. I hadn’t planned on it but I thought, why not? The weather was amazing and it was such a good opportunity.
What's your bucket list hike?
I really want to do more and hike in more countries. I want to hike all over! I’d love to do the Dolomites, and Machu Picchu is high on the list too.
Where have you hiked so far?
Not as many places as I’d like, but I’ve done a bit! I’ve hiked in Australia, Morocco, Nepal, Spain, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England - a lot really, but it still doesn’t feel like enough.
Last year, I did my first hut-to-hut trek in Northern Spain and absolutely loved it. You carry everything you need in your backpack for the week, and it's five days of being out in the mountains, going from hut to hut. You don’t see civilization for the whole five days. It’s incredible. It's a similar kind of experience that is quite common for people who go to the Dolomites, but it was my first time doing it and I was hooked.
What does the outdoors mean to you?
To me, it’s my entire life, honestly. It’s my personality. If I’m not outdoors, I don’t feel alive.
I don’t understand how people have hobbies or activities that are all indoors, or how some people don’t spend time outside at all. I’m like… what do you do? I don’t get it!
For me, it’s about being completely connected to the earth. Whether it’s birdwatching, hiking, wild swimming - I love it all. And I love knowing about it too. That’s what first drew me to birdwatching - being able to identify species, understand their life cycles, their habitats, where they’re found and why, their breeding patterns.
Lately, I’ve been really into botany. I’m working on tree and plant identification, and there’s something so satisfying about recognising a species you learned the week before and going, “I know what that is!” It’s amazing.
Any advice for someone who wants to get into the outdoors or get outdoors more often?
Go easy on yourself. You don’t have to climb Carrauntoohil to be a hiker. Start with a flat forest walk. See how you get on. Gradually increase your distance each week.
You don’t need to go out and smash a 16-kilometre trail. Just get outside and immerse yourself in it.
I think sometimes when people start out, they feel like they have to bag every peak. And yes, I totally get that adrenaline chase - it’s what got me hooked initially. But now, it’s more about slowing down, being in tune with nature, and taking in what’s around me.
And find a community. It’s a game-changer. Find a group you can hike with so you can turn your brain off. Let someone else guide the way and keep you safe. You’ll meet people, and from there, you never know - you might make real friends who want to go on adventures together.
Where can we find you?
I'm on Instagram - @aisling.kinsella.- Thanks for reading!
