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Derek Mooney and guests explore the natural world in all its forms. Listen live every Monday at 10pm on RTÉ Radio 1.
221 Episodes
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The 5th edition of the bestselling photographic field guide 'Dragonflies of Britain and Ireland' has just been published; we speak to co-author David Smallshire about the fascinating lives of these amazing insects..See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Domain of the Dinosaurs is the biggest fossil exhibition ever held in Ireland, and the first to feature Irish dinosaurs. Recently launched at The Glucksman art gallery in UCC, it will feature over 5 tonnes of material, including nine huge skeletal casts and over 250 real fossils of dinosaurs and other long-extinct creatures. Terry Flanagan and Niall Hatch went along to find out more...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The celebrated Irish patriot Roger Casement was also a dedicated and talented naturalist, a side of his life that is perhaps less well known today. Many of the biological specimens he collected on his extensive travels can still be found in the Natural History Museum in Dublin today. Eric Dempsey tells us about his plans for a special documentary to shed more light on Casement’s natural history exploits and achievements...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thanks to the stalwart efforts of Ulster Wildlife, the Northern Irish conservation charity, Puffins have returned to nest on the Isle of Muck off the coast of Co. Antrim for the first time in 25 years. This was made possible in part by the systematic eradication of non-native Brown Rats from the tiny island...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
MGW researcher Michele Browne recently met arborist Bernard Carey in Mountshannon, Co. Clare; they discussed his Treeconomics report about the financial value of trees. They also visited Ireland’s largest oak tree, the Be Binn, and spoke with Aileen Dunne of local business Oak House Ceramics...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The advice on bird feeding from BirdWatch Ireland is that it is still perfectly safe to feed birds in your garden, noting that, unlike birds packed together in seabird colonies or wetlands, the species of bird that typically visit gardens are very unlikely to come into contact with the H5N1 virus. Niall Hatch explains why...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Recently opened, Domain Of The Dinosaurs is the biggest fossil exhibition ever held in Ireland, and the first to feature Irish dinosaurs. Housed at the Glucksman at UCC, it features over 5 tonnes of material, including nine huge skeletal casts and over 250 real fossils of dinosaurs and other long-extinct creatures...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In her new book The Genius of Trees, British tree science consultant Harriet Rix informs readers about the many things we owe to these remarkable plants that most of us never think about. Éanna Ní Lamhna spoke to Harriet about how trees have literally transformed our planet and their enormous influence on the ongoing evolution of life on Earth...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Derek is joined in studio by Eanna, Niall and Richard, who start the show with a fascinating discussion about how plants and other organisms influence evolution and the very course of life on our planet, including whether trees are responsible for the fingerprints of humans, chimps and koalas!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jim Wilson reports from Cork Harbour on the unexpected appearance of a new species of wire-like seaweed on the local mudflats; he talks to renowned Cork-based biologist Pat Smiddy, about this invasive alien species – the catchily named Agarophyton vermiculophyllum...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The beauty of autumn leaves changing colour has been captured by An Post, thanks to its new seasonal stamp issue. Changing Leaves features three native species: Silver Birch, Rowan and Hawthorn. Terry Flanagan met with botanical artist Yanny Petters, who created the leaf images, and An Post's Anna McHugh, to find out more...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Classified as Red listed and a bird of high conservation value, The Ring Ouzel is thought to be down to a handful of breeding pairs in Ireland. Ornithologist Eric Dempsey reveals the story of this elusive species and the efforts being made to protect its fragile habitat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tonight, Terry Flanagan takes listeners beneath the surface of the International Basking Shark Conference, held at the Atlantic Technological University in Galway. The August event brought together scientists, conservationists, and ocean advocates from five continents.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Our good friend Collie Ennis, Biodiversity Officer with Trinity College Dublin, was in touch recently to inform us of something unusual...a walnut struck him on the head! Rather than fall from a tree, the walnut had apparently been dropped by a Hooded Crow. Terry Flanagan went to investigate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Proud Corkonian Jim Wilson is a man who feels very much at home on the open waves. Back in July, Jim travelled to Castlehaven Harbour to go night kayaking with Naoise and Jim Kennedy from Atlantic Sea Kayaking. He recorded a truly captivating report for tonight’s programme.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Of all of the ornithological surveys carried out by conservation charity BirdWatch Ireland, its annual Irish Garden Bird Survey is far and away the most popular. This winter’s survey season – its 37th – will kick off on Monday 1st December and will run until the end of February 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Earlier today, a very special documentary was broadcast on RTÉ Radio One as part of our Nature on One series. Presented by Eric Dempsey, its subject was one of Ireland’s most critically endangered breeding bird species: the Ring Ouzel, a close relative of the much more familiar Blackbird.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tonight’s programme opens with Derek rifling through the entire back catalogue of Swedish pop sensation ABBA for one of their earliest songs - Ring Ring. They make a surprise call to listener Elizabeth Carney in Sligo but only get her answering machine!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Robert Brown sent us a photo of a robin with a crooked beak and we finally get through to Elizabeth Carney, who has questions about groups of crows on a beach and sandhoppers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Very sadly, a migratory species of wading bird called the Slender-billed Curlew has formally been declared globally extinct by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and BirdLife International. Eric Dempsey talks about the lost bird and previews his upcoming documentary on The Ring Ouzel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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