Nature Magic

Today Mary is talking to Anna Murphy. Anna moved to Kinvara in 2001 and raised her three children here, and works in the village. Her main passion is environmental activism, and she has been involved in Plastic Free Kinvara, Kinvara Climate Action, the Ballindereen Kinvara Tree gang and now Rights of Nature Galway. Activism gives me hope and can help with eco anxiety. " We need to re-imagine our relationship with Nature, and protect it for this and future generations to head off a looming sixth mass extinction" rightsofnaturegalway@gmail.com www.ejni.net/rights-of-nature Kinvara and Ballindereen tree gang www.facebook.com/KBtreegang/ Recommended book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer

Mary Bermingham wraps up the year with a short report on 2023 at The Burren Nature Sanctuary and a poem inspired by native Irish Trees. The Song of Ogham.

Today Mary is talking to Victoria Beeler. Victoria is a butterfly enthusiast and enjoys gardening, wildlife, nature, and learning. She and her family have helped with the Smith-Gilbert Gardens butterfly exhibit in Kennesaw, Georgia, U.S.A., and with releasing butterflies there. They have raised Monarchs—from eggs, to caterpillars, to chrysalis, and to emerging butterflies—in an outdoor butterfly garden habitat at home near Atlanta for the first time last fall and then released them into the wild to migrate! It was truly an incredible, inspiring, and transformative experience! Victoria has written a documentary book about her Monarch experience with raising and releasing them. In Journey with Monarchs: A Personal Experience of Raising and Releasing Monarchs in the Home Garden, she combines photos of the Monarchs’ life stages and personal knowledge about Monarchs with the science. Monarchs are so special, and their legacy can be continued by planting native milkweed. Monarchs have also inspired Victoria to give native milkweed seeds as gifts (seeds of hope) to family and friends and Monarch books to children in her community to save and protect Monarchs and continue their legacy. Monarchs bring joy, hope, and continuity. Nature is a blessing. Planting native milkweed and creating a wildlife habitat are important to helping Monarchs, as well as birds, pollinators, and the ecosystem. It also connects people. All of creation is interconnected and weaves together a unique, dynamic tapestry of life. Victoria hopes that, together, we can spread joy to all and save the Monarchs and wildlife! Victoria's suggestions How We Can Support Nature: · Create natural habitat in our yards and communities to support the full life cycles and food webs of local biodiversity and restore species populations. -Garden, pocket prairie/meadow (mini-prairie/meadow). -Try to let it grow naturally. Limit mowing to pathways (reduce mowing). · Provide host and nectar plants (host-plant specialists / plant-insect interactions; no milkweed, no monarchs; no flowers, no pollinators; no insects, no balance). -“Insects are the animals that are best at transferring energy from plants to other animals…” (Doug Tallamy, Nature’s Best Hope, 2019). -Also include a “puddling station,” a place in the habitat area where butterflies and moths can absorb minerals from muddy soil and pebbles (place pebbles in a tray with water and mud). · Plant native plants and keystone plants (most beneficial to local ecosystems and increase biodiversity, ecological connectivity, and ecosystem function). -Top 20 native trees, like the oak, cherry, and willow, support over 5,000 butterfly and moth species (Tallamy, Nature’s Best Hope, 2019). -Oaks support about 557 caterpillar species- more than any one plant; oaks make the most food; excellent for supporting local food webs; oak = top keystone plant species. -Five percent of the local keystone plant species can host up to 75 percent of local Lepidoptera species (including some local keystone plant species benefits greatly) (Tallamy, Nature’s Best Hope, 2019). -U.S. resource: National Wildlife Federation’s Native Plants Finder, which shows the native plants by zip code that support local species and food webs. -Try to remove and replace non-native, invasive species with native plants. -Balance: Plant mostly native plants, with some exceptions (a habitat space with primarily native and keystone plants benefits greatly; helps local ecosystem; having some native plants is better than none). -Replace with native plants gradually (manageable segments/tasks/goals); a process. · Provide shelter for non-migratory, overwintering butterflies and moths (safe caterpillar pupation sites) -Leaf litter for moth caterpillars to drop from their host trees, burrow into the leaves and/or soil, and spin their cocoons. -Leaf litter is also a food source for some caterpillars. -Leave plant stems, which provide nesting cavities for native bee species &...

Today Mary is talking to Galway based artist Lorraine Fletcher. Lorraine's wildlife-inspired prints and giftware showcase the beauty and strength in animals through colour. Her studio is based here at The Burren Nature Sanctuary where there are endless inspirational views and wildlife.The paintings are a combination of vivid colours and focus on the subject, with the grey backgrounds the focus is on the animal. Expressions and compositions are important in Lorraine’s work, with an importance on the beauty and strength in each animal, from the elegant stag to the curious and powerful owl. Lorraine also offers group and one to one wildlife painting workshops. Contact Lorraine Fletcher at lorrainefletcherartstudio.com Contact Mary Bermingham at mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie

Today Mary is talking to Isabella Tree. Isabella is an award-winning journalist and author, and lives with her husband, the conservationist Charlie Burrell, in the middle of a pioneering rewilding project in West Sussex. She is author of six non-fiction books. Her book Wilding, the story of the ambitious journey she and Charlie undertook to rewild their farm, has sold over 300,000 copies worldwide and been translated into 8 languages. It won the Richard Jefferies prize for nature writing, was shortlisted for the Wainwright prize and was one of the Smithsonian’s top ten science books for 2018. In 2020 Isabella was awarded a CIEEM Medal for her contribution to ecology and environmental management, and in 2021 she received the Royal Geographical Society’s Ness Award. She served on the Mayor of London’s 2022/3 Rewilding London Task Force. The Book of Wilding – a practical guide to rewilding big and small is published by Bloomsbury (2023) and has been described as ‘a handbook of hope’ and ‘an indispensable guide to the restoration of the living planet’. Recommended books : Wilding By: Isabella Tree The book of Wilding - A practical guide to rewilding big and small by Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrel Contact Isabella through www.knepp.co.uk Contact Mary Bermingham at mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Listen to Ours To Protect with Mary Bermingham here https://galwaybayfm.ie/podcasts/ours-to-protect-with-john-morley-ep-8/ Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie

Today Mary is talking to Eoghan Daltun. Eoghan is a sculpture conservator, a High Nature Value farmer and, above all, a rewilder. Originally from Dublin, since 2009 he has lived with his two sons, Liam and Seánie, on their 73-acre farm near Eyeries on the Beara Peninsula, West Cork. He released his hugely successful and award winning book late last year. An Irish Atlantic Rainforest winner of the An Post Irish Book Award winner, 2022 'The stories are absorbing, the writing charismatic and the ideas thought-provoking' Irish Independent 'Fascinating ... a manifesto for saving our own corner of the planet through letting things be' Irish Times, The Gloss 'Daltun writes with passion and purpose of the way we should live now' RTÉ Guide On the Beara peninsula in West Cork, a temperate rainforest flourishes. It is the life work of Eoghan Daltun, who had a vision to rewild a 73-acre farm he bought, moving there from Dublin with his family in 2009. An Irish Atlantic Rainforest charts that remarkable journey. Part memoir, part environmental treatise, as a wild forest bursts into life before our eyes, we're invited to consider the burning issues of our time: climate breakdown, ecological collapse, and why our very survival as a species requires that we urgently and radically transform our relationship with nature. This is a story as much about doing nothing as taking action - allowing natural ecosystems to return and thrive without interference, and in doing so heal an ailing planet. Powerfully descriptive, lovingly told, An Irish Atlantic Rainforest presents an enduring picture of the regenerative force of nature, and how one Irishman let it happen. Contact Eoghan Daltun at www.beararainforest.com Buy the book online at www.gutterbookshop.com www.booksupstarirs.ie www.kennys.ie www.easons.ie Contact Mary Bermingham atmary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie

Today Mary is talking to Richard Nairn. Richard is an ecologist and writer. His latest book is Wild Waters which is the third title in a trilogy which includes Wild Woods and Wild Shores. He is a lifetime naturalist who has worked as a nature reserve warden and was the first National Director of Birdwatch Ireland. He lives on a small farm in County Wicklow. Wild waters by Richard Nairn and published by Gill books is now available to purchase in book shops and online. Contact Richard Nairn at r.nairn236@gmail.com Contact Mary Bermingham at mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie

Today Mary is talking to Ambrose and Brid, master wood turners. We talk about the craft and the philosophy behind the creative arts. Ambrose began woodturning in 1993, he is interested in craft education His belief is that stated by W.B. Yeats “Education is not filling a pail, but lighting a fire”.His articles have been published by the former International Woodturning Centre in Philadelphia USA (now Centre for Wood Art).Ambrose believes that craft is the bridge between technology and art. He believes without a deep insight into the philosophy of the craft, any maker only possesses motor and dexterity skills. For craft to have real meaning and depth and relevance, it needs to have soul.All of these facets – making, teaching, writing and demonstrating reinforce each other and help to make me a better maker, a better teacher and, most of all, a better student. He describes himself as a true student of the woodturning field. Brid began woodturning in the year 2000. She makes functional items and one-off pieces of jewellery. She likes making small pieces as she is interested in exploring the shared qualities between woodturning and jewellery and use small pieces of wood with an interesting grain. As she works she enjoys revealing the unique beauty of each piece of wood. Often hidden on the back of the piece, is some little detail put there for the wearer's enjoyment only. Most of the pieces are made from native Irish woodsRecommended books Contact Ambrose or Brid at www.ambroseandbrid.com Recommended books: Unknown Craftsman Bernard Leech The Element Ken Robinson Why we make things and why does it matter Peter Korn Contact Mary Bermingham at mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie Support the Nature Magic Podcast at https://www.patreon.com/naturemagic Show websitewww.naturemagic.ie

Today Mary is talking to Jethro Sheen. Jethro runs a stone carving business, Sheenstoneworks in Gort, South county Galway. He grew up in the countryside on a mountain with stunning views out over the Burren in County Clare. As children he had a very active outdoors lifestyle that was very close to nature on a day to day basis and also with hiking, camping and caving adventures both near and far. He started working with stone at around aged 14, and at aged 22 after a few years abroad started his own business. He has been in the South Galway area for the past twenty years, the past ten of which have been at the premises, a beautiful old historical stone house in Gort, which he now owns. It is here that he has his sculpture showrooms and gardens which are a constant work in progress. You can view his work at www.sheenstoneworks.ie and under the same name on facebook. Recommended book The Secret Life of Trees by Colin Tudge Contact Professor Jethro Sheen at www.sheenworks.ie Contact Mary Bermingham at mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie Support the Nature Magic Podcast athttps://www.patreon.com/naturemagic Show website www.naturemagic.ie YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@burrennaturesanctuary4758

Today Mary is talking to Emma Jane Rushworth. We are very excited that Emma is in the process of making a giant dragonfly for Burren Nature Sanctuary as part of our new interpretive trail. Emma has been making wire sculptures since 2015. Her Love For Wildlife And The Great Outdoors Shines Through In Her Work. She Works Continually On Commissioned Pieces In Her Workshop In Greystones County Wicklow Ireland. She Has Worked On A Number Of Projects This Year 2021 Including A Very Special Memorial Tree For The Lauralynn Children’s Hospice. Contact Emma To Commission Your Unique And Special Piece For A Gift To Celebrate A Family Milestone Or To Cheer Up The Garden On A Winter Day. These Pieces Will Last A Lifetime In Your Garden. Her Commercial Work Included A Blackbird In Hands For The New Saint Kevan Port Hotel In Dublin And A Wildlife Scene On A Roundabout In Cobh Cork. Emma loves this quote “WE’RE ALL DIFFERENT. BUT THERE’S SOMETHING KIND OF FANTASTIC ABOUT THAT, ISN’T THERE? ” — FANTASTIC MR FOX Contact Emma at www.emmajanerushworth.ie Contact Martyn or Lindsay at Lima Design Studio at www.limastudio.co.uk mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie Support the Nature Magic Podcast athttps://www.patreon.com/naturemagic Show website www.naturemagic.ie

Welcome to the 2023 season of Nature Magic. It is hard to believe we are on episode 68 and have spoken to all those incredible nature advocates. This year we are changing it up a bit, we are focusing on crafts as a medium to connect people to nature. This series was sparked from a new project that is in progress at Burren Nature Sanctuary. We obtained a Leaser grant towards some audio artworks to help interpret the biodiversity of the Burren around the walks. The three sculptures are a 7 foot Ladies Tresses Orchid at the Meadow, a large dragonfly at the Turlough and a stone badger in the karst limestone habitat. Each sculpture will be accommpanyied by a wind up audio feature in five languages. As the new series topic is so visual we are adding a you tube video to each episode so you can immerse yourself in world of the craftspeople and see the process. We are moving from fortnightly to monthly episodes to accommodate the extra work in editing the videos. Our first guest is Davin Butler from Butler Sculputre. Davin is the youngest sibling in the butler family. He started sculpting in his teens and continued to do so part-time throughout college where he studied web development, before realising he wanted to do sculpting full-time. He draws inspiration and techniques from the rest of the family and focuses mostly on nature, the ocean, and people. He likes tribal and mythological art, and tries to blend this into the medium of copper.Davin has also been experimenting with applying different coloured enamels to his sculptures. His work has been displayed in galleries across Ireland, as well as in the 2 Michelin Star restaurant; Aimsir, in Kildare. We have loved Butler sculpture for many years and are delighted to launch our new series with Davin Butler as our guest. Please check out the you tube video on the Burren Nature Sanctuary channel, https://youtu.be/f21tsAmnO8M as it is a lot of fun to see how Davin is building the large Ladies Tresses and also to take a sneaky look into the workshop and see the other pieces in the exhibition room. And call to see us when we reopen on April 1 and hopefully we will have up to three new sculptures installed! Contact Davin Butler at www.butlersculptures.com Contact Mary Bermingham atmary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Contact Martyn or Lindsay at Lima Design Studio at www.limastudio.co.uk Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie Support the Nature Magic Podcast athttps://www.patreon.com/naturemagic Show website www.naturemagic.ie

A thank you to all our wonderful guests this year and a Christmas gift The Song of Wandering Aengus by William Butler Yeats

Today Mary is talking to Minister Malcolm Noonan. He is a TD representing the Carlow Kilkenny Constituency and was appointed Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform in July 2020. First elected to Kilkenny Borough Council and Kilkenny County Council in 2004, he has served sixteen years in local government and was Mayor of Kilkenny in 2009; the first Green Party Mayor in the City’s long history. He served for a short time as Irish Delegate on the EU Committee of the Regions and Co-Chair of the All Island Nuclear Free Local Authorities Forum. Malcolm’s background prior to entering electoral politics was in environmental and community activism, as a director and national coordinator with Friends of the Earth Ireland and involvement in community-based activism; biodiversity, climate action, mobility, disability advocacy, integration, Traveller development and mental health. His professional work has spanned landscape gardening, suicide prevention and graphic design. He holds qualifications in industrial design and a BA(Hons) in Rural Development. Contact Malcolm Noonan at mos@housing.gov.ie Contact Mary Bermingham at mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie Support the Nature Magic Podcast at https://www.patreon.com/naturemagic Show website www.naturemagic.ie

Today Mary is talking to Matthew Parkinson. Matthew is Director of Slow Cabins Ireland - a slow tourism focused accommodation start up. A Tyrone native who now calls Galway home, Slow Cabins was developed in Ireland through lockdown in conjunction with their Belgium sister business. Slow Cabins Ireland places off-grid cabins in hidden gem locations around Ireland, hoping to persuade people to take a short break here rather than flying away to far flung destinations abroad. Core to their business is working with partners in areas of natural beauty to help support and improve the host site. The Burren Nature Sanctuary just outside Kinvara is Slow Cabins Ireland first location and working together the pair aim to help preserve and share the sanctuary with visitors for years to come. Recommended books In Praise of Slow By: Carl Honore The Hatchet By: Gary Paulson Contact Matthew Parkinson www.slowcabins.ie Contact Mary Bermingham at mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie Support the Nature Magic Podcast at https://www.patreon.com/naturemagic Show website www.naturemagic.ie

Today Mary is talking to Jack O’Donovan Trá. Jack is the Communications Officer at Fair Seas. Jack is blending the art of good comms with marine science to bring the message of ocean protection to a wide audience in an engaging and impactful way. Jack is a marine biologist by training and moved into comms and campaigns in 2018, and has since worked with many large international environmental coalitions and campaigns across Europe. Recommended books Thirty two words for field By: Manchan Magan Tree Dog By: Manchan Magan Contact Jack O Donovan at www.fairseas.ie Contact Mary Bermingham at mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie Support the Nature Magic Podcast at https://www.patreon.com/naturemagic Show website www.naturemagic.ie

Today Mary is talking to Laura Kate (LK) Howells. LK designs and delivers environmental education programs inspired by nature, led by creativity, driven by solutions, and based on the notion that small actions done by many can make a big difference through her business Essentially Eco. This year she was 1 of 15 out of 166 applicants that received the Creative Ireland Climate Action Fund for her project Stories of Change. Stories of Change is a storytelling project that tells the tales of good people around Ireland doing good things for Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share. She believes creativity is instrumental in communicating the challenges of the climate crisis and believes stories and solutions are an effective vehicle to stimulate interest, ignite the imagination and empower community-led climate action. When she isn’t busy writing stories, organising exhibitions, or exploring South Kerry she is working for Concern Worldwide planning COP ON. A climate action festival of music, art, talks, and workshops. “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is. Youer than You.” DR Seuss. Resources COP ON Festival - New tab (copon.ie) Website - STORIES OF CHANGE - stories of good people Instagram - Stories and Climate Solutions (@stories_of_change_) • Instagram photos and videos Join the Stories of Change Collective. Submit your story of change - Stories of Change. (google.com) Recommended books Big Magic - E Gilbert Eat like a Fish- Bren Smith Rupi Kaur (poetry) Get in touch with LK at laurakatehowells@gmail.com Get in touch with Mary at mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie Support the Nature Magic Podcast at https://www.patreon.com/naturemagic Show website www.naturemagic.ie Photo of LK by Harry Kerr from Memory Factory

Today Mary is talking to Neil Campbell, an ecologist living in Galway and helping Dr Colin Kelleher from the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin with the National Native seed bank project Neil has Masters and undergraduate degrees in Botany and Plant Sciences from NUI Galway He is interested in preserving and improving biodiversity and natural habitats with an interest in native Irish plants. Contact Neil Campbell at ncampbell@mkoireland.ie Contact Dr Colin Kelleher at botanicgardens@opw.ie Contact Mary Bermingham at mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie Support the Nature Magic Podcast at https://www.patreon.com/naturemagic Show website www.naturemagic.ie

Today Mary is talking to Gavin Pretor-Pinney. Gavin is founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society, which has over 58,000 members in 120 countries. He is the author of the internationally bestselling Cloudspotter’s Guide and Cloud Collector’s Handbook as well as A Cloud A Day. Gavin is a winner of the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books. He is a TED Global speaker with over 1.3 million views. He has presented television documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4 and is a Visiting Fellow at the Meteorology Department of Reading University and winner of the Royal Meteorological Society’s Michael Hunt award. Gavin co-founded the Idler, a magazine that argues for the importance of downtime in creative thinking. Join the Cloud Appreciation Society https://cloudappreciationsociety.org Get the book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cloud-Day-Gavin-Pretor-Pinney Contact Mary Bermingham at mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie Support the Nature Magic Podcast at https://www.patreon.com/naturemagic Show website www.naturemagic.ie

Today Mary is talking to Doug Allan. Doug is an Award-winning natural history photographer, documentary filmmaker, diver, author and public speaker. Doug’s photographic awards include eight Emmys, five BAFTAs and five Wildscreen Pandas. In his 35 years of filming he’s been involved with more than 65 films, freelancing for the BBC, Discovery, National Geographic and others. He was principal cameraman on many prestigious award-winning programmes, making over 25 trips to the Antarctic and more than 30 across the Arctic, filming for series including Hostile Planet, Forces of Nature, Operation Iceberg, Frozen Planet, Ocean Giants, Human Planet, Life, Planet Earth, The Blue Planet and Life in the Freezer. Doug is on tour in Ireland - check out the dates on his website https://dougallan.com Contact Mary Bermingham at mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie Support the Nature Magic Podcast at https://www.patreon.com/naturemagic Show website www.naturemagic.ie

Ruth Hanniffy is a Conservation Biologist with Vincent Wildlife Trust. For the past 17 years, she has worked across disciplines including geomorphology, river restoration, freshwater fisheries, terrestrial mammal conservation, innovative survey techniques and the relationship between people and nature. Her current areas of research are on mustelids and bats, particularly the lesser horseshoe bat, pine marten and Irish stoat, with previous research on small mammals, water vole, otter and European mink. Ruth is a guest lecturer in NUI Galway on mustelids and mammal survey techniques and she manages www.pinemarten.ie on behalf of VWT and NPWS. She is also a wildlife and landscape photographer and creates short films on nature. Recommended book: https://www.nhbs.com/pine-martens-book Ruth Hanniffy Species Project Officer Vincent Wildlife Trust Room 101 School of Natural Sciences Martin Ryan Building National University of Ireland, Galway H91 TK33 mailto:ruthhanniffy@vwt.org.uk https://www.vincentwildlife.ie/ https://biodiversityireland.ie https://pinemarten.ie/