How does nature feature in your life?
A small river runs past my window, as I look out I see all that goes on. Last Spring I saw a male Dipper on a rock displaying to his mate. Lots of other wildlife moments present themselves throughout the year.
I'm a keen birdwatcher and they get well catered for here! I've been planting a forest garden for 32 years, bit by bit, it's always changing... It is underplanted with woodland plants. In spring Bluebells, Wood Anemone, Ransoms (wild garlic) and Celandines abound. We log the bird visitors in a nature book and any unusual butterfly or moth is referenced in our arsenal of nature books. We have a Lidl remote wildlife camera which has infrared night vision. We've caught images of otters, badgers, foxes, deer, woodmice and the odd domestic cat, that are now saved on our laptop. We have a nature pond to accommodate all our visitors. All in all I live in paradise. I am a gardener/landscaper by profession and work extensively with The Burren Nature Sanctuary with the wildflower gardens there. I have had a huge hunger for the natural world since I was boy, it seems to get more and more absorbing as time goes on.
How did you become a nature lover? I seem to have been born with an innate curiosity for the natural world. As a boy I knew every bird's nest around the farm. I learnt their calls and habits. My sister pressed wildflowers and kept them in a book and named them. She kept me interested with her knowledge and quiet passion. There was a lot more wildlife in general at that time. I am lucky to have spent my youth in the Yorkshire countryside.
Who inspired you? I have to say in the early days it was Peter Scott https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Scott and Tony Soper https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Soper and Attenborough of course. Also a programme with Jack Hargraves https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hargreaves that I don't remember the name of, he covered all manner of country pursuits that would interest a young boy. Also my father who was a tree planter. And my primary school teacher, she herded her wards around the countryside showing us all kinds of wonders and we had a nature table in class of course.
What is your favourite animal, plant and rock? My favourite animal is the badger. We have to stop persecuting them! My favourite plant is Blue Bells, carpets of them, the smell is intoxicating at full tilt. My favourite rock is Sandstone inbedded with Quartz. I have a lovely piece in my garden, crystal points and all.
What nature books would you recommend?
'The Living Countryside'- four books that were formed from an amazing monthly collectable in the 1980s. Full of interesting in depth nature information on all native wildlife.
'Feral' George Monbiat.
'The Breathing Burren' Gordon Darcey.
'Watching wildlife' David Steven 1968 Small but inspiring!
What one thing can people do today?
Join The Irish Wildlife Trust https://iwt.ie and be active locally'
Join The Woodland League and get kids involved in the Forest in a Box Project. http://www.woodlandleague.org/forest-in-a-box-project/ Kids plant a box 1m square 6'' deep with native tree seeds. One year later they plant them on and hopefully make the connection and get the interest and passion to make a difference.
Start a small nursery, even 1m square at 6'' centres is a lot of oak. Green friends Ireland https://greenfriendsireland.wordpress.com will take them and plant them on.
Join Flora and Fauna International https://www.fauna-flora.org . Make a difference to save the natural world.
Plant trees! Trees=habitat=new soil for all!
Don't use slug pellets that are not environmentally friendly.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
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'The Living Countryside'- four books that were formed from an amazing monthly collectable in the 1980s. Full of interesting in depth nature information on all native wildlife.
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'Feral' George Monbiat.
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'The Breathing Burren' Gordon Darcey.
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'Watching wildlife' David Steven 1968 Small but inspiring!
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Join The Woodland League and get kids involved in the Forest in a Box Project. http://www.woodlandleague.org/forest-in-a-box-project/ Kids plant a box 1m square 6'' deep with native tree seeds. One year later they plant them on and hopefully make the connection and get the interest and passion to make a difference.
-
Start a small nursery, even 1m square at 6'' centres is a lot of oak. Green friends Ireland https://greenfriendsireland.wordpress.com will take them and plant them on.
-
Join Flora and Fauna International https://www.fauna-flora.org. Make a difference to save the natural world.
-
Plant trees! Trees=habitat=new soil for all!
-
Don't use slug pellets that are not environmentally friendly.
The Wild Orchid Bed in the Botany Bubble, at Burren Nature Sanctuary, part of the National Collection of Burren Flora developed and cared for by plantsman Edward Dee.