**WhatsApp me a voice-note, or e-mail a message to bookofleavespodcast@gmail.com for episode 100 before April 25th!** Welcome back to Book of Leaves! I'm delighted to be coming out of a 3 month hibernation joined by Jana from Kildare Wildlife Rescue no less. As we're fully into Spring, there'll be a huge increase in wildlife calls and rescues neede…

Tom Butler, together with his wife Pam, run an organisation called Astræa, through which they inspire people to think, act, and live in harmony with the planet and each other. They grow food on a small organic farm, host classes, sell books and much more. At their root, they are two people using their time on the planet to create positive change. I…

Bohemian Football Club (BFC) is the first football club in the world to set up a climate action committee and they’ve been doing a stellar job of it. I interviewed two of the people on the team, Sean McCabe and Leo McConnell to get the inside scoop on how they’ve been working. You can follow them on Instagram as @bfcdublin_clico or Facebook. [05:05…

**Note from March 1st 2024 - we recorded this interview in November 2023. If you are wondering why Naomi doesn't refer to what's happening in Gaza as a g3noc!de, it's because things hadn't escalated as far as they have today. She now refers to it as a "Level 9 Extermination risk gen0cide". Language is important. Thank you for listening and please k…

It was such an honour to chat to Anja Murray who many of you may know from being the presenter of Eco Eye. She also is a writer (Wild Embrace & a weekly column with the Irish Examiner), a radio show host (Naturefile with RTE Lyfric FM) on top of having worked in policy in the NGO sector for many years. You can follow her on Instagram @miseanja & X …

I've heard of skip diving and second hand shopping, but salvage yards were not something I knew even existed in Ireland until Harry got in touch about the work he does. Euro Salve has been running for 25 years, based in Kilkenny. A wonderland of treasures, high quality timber, garden furniture, you name it! Giving these items a new lease of life an…

Sophia McConnon is a youth activist I saw speaking at a climate conference over the summer. She was raising awareness of the detrimental effects mining has had on her community, which began with a large sinkhole that destroyed the local GAA playing field, community centre, and 3 surrounding fields. New mines are constantly being explored across the…

If you’ve ever attended a protest for human or animal rights, chances are Laura has been in the crowd every single time. An activist since her teens, they have a wealth of experience and compassion they primarily use to drive the campaigns of NARA (National Animal Rights Association). Their most pressing campaign at the moment is the one to ban har…

I've been wanting to cover Doughnut Economics (DE) since I heard of Kate Raworth who coined the theory. Economics is NOT my strong point, so I was delighted to meet Roisin Markham at an even in Cloughjordan Eco Village who has - almost accidentally - become one of the reps for DE in Ireland. She's also a brilliant visual artist and all around amazi…

Darragh Wynne is a climate activist and host of the Climate Alarm Clock podcast, which you would have heard me chat about before. It’s a wonderful climate news podcast, based in Ireland and definitely worth checking out. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with them on ‘X’ @theclimatealarm or Instagram @climatealarmc…

Light pollution can often be overlooked as harmful to the environment as it’s taught to result in aesthetic consequences. Thankfully there are people like Georgia from Friends of Mayo Dark Skies working hard to not only educate people, but implement changes at local and national levels to ‘light right’. Keep up to date with their work on Twitter @M…

Jessica Dunne is an activist I met at the recent Mary Robinson Climate Conference. She has put thousands of hours into campaigning for a just future across various groups such as Fridays For Future and Young Friends of the Earth. I wanted to interview her for advice on people (young or old) looking to join the movement, and also discuss the importa…

Eddie Mitchell has been a prominent activist in Ireland, contributing to the ban on fracking here and now devoting a lot of his time to extractivism in the country. He'll also be participating at this year's Climate Camp in August (9th-12th) which I'd encourage you to go to! Stay up to date with Eddy's activism by following him on Twitter @WestyEdd…

Joanna O'Dowd has one of those shining accounts on Instagram that's not only full of practical sustainable tips, but lots of positivity, needed now more than ever! The runs sewing classes in Cork and can be followed on Instagram @joannasfeelingcrafty and YouTube. [07:40] Joanna introduces herself [15:25] Why Joanna doesn’t like the term zero waste.…

Whether or not you have participated in gardening (community or otherwise), this episode is bound to be inspirational for you. If you're in Cork, check out the various organisations Maria is involved with. Otherwise, search your locality for a food policy council, SHEP branch or community garden. The latter you can always set up yourself! Make sure…

With 62% of people in Ireland being regular drinkers of coffee, a bean we can't grow in Ireland, how can we make our consumption more sustainable? Alejandro, the man behind Ethical Origin, uses his Columbian roots to our advantage, and connects Ireland directly to coffee farmers. [03:25] Alejandro introduces himself [08:25] Ethical Origin. What’s i…

@tryingtobegreensince2016 is an Instagram account run by teacher Ide. She constantly shares the most thoughtful eco alternatives for absolutely everything. Like me, she's no expert on environmentalism, but you don't have to be to make a difference! She has generated so much advice over the years, I'm only delighted to have her share some insights a…

‘Save the paper!’ is something we hear so often, but every email, every website loaded and attachment sent, has a carbon footprint. This waste is often tucked away in data centres and thus out of sight, out of mind. Gerry McGovern has been working with the internet since the 90s and is here to remind us that digital is very much physical. From wast…

I only came across the amazing work of Sea Shepherd Ireland recently, despite them being around for years and doing absolutely amazing work! I hope you enjoy hearing country director Emma Tuite's beautiful story in how her love for the sea and its creatures developed, alongside the importance of Ireland in protecting our marine areas. Sea Shepherd …

Book of Leaves is baaaack! How I've missed ye. Have a listen to episode 80 to hear about what I'm up to, and some travel diaries for you. Having visited Asia for the first time a few weeks ago, I gathered a few travel tips as leaves you can add to to your book. In two weeks, I'll be back with our usual interview format. In the meantime, here's all …

If you haven't heard of forest bathing before, well you're in for a treat! And no, you can keep your kit on and leave the bathrobe at home. Forest bathing is about bathing your senses in the surrounds of a forest. The mental and physical health benefits of this are astonishing and of course, it strengthens your relationship and awareness of nature.…

When I put the call out for suggestions of who I should interview on the podcast, Laragh McCann recommended interviewing her old school friend Fiona Byrne Ryan, who packed up her house and job to live in a tent in North Minnesota with her husband and son. How could I not! Fiona and her husband Brandon have been documenting their journey of what it'…

Just when I think I know all the essential information around Ireland’s woodlands, I learn that we have rainforests! Eoghan Daltun is on a mission to re-wild a neglected farm and lucky for us, he wrote about about the journey so far, so that we can have in on his learnings. Make sure to follow own on Twitter or Instagram @IrishRainforest for more f…

The wellness industry can be very hypocritical. On one hand it encourages it to be good to ourselves, while on the other it perpetuates harmful beauty standards or uses materials that exploit animals and the planet. Stefanie from Glow Circle is an amazing example of how you can break tradition and use the power of plants to create eco friendly, veg…

Only this year did I get to meet and work with Maeve for the first time, on a youth led climate project called Rising Tide (which is definitely worth checking out). Having known of her brilliant human rights and environmental activism through art for a long time, I'm only DElighted to finally have her on the show. You can check out her website here…

I came to know Caitríona through Extinction Rebellion. She has been showing up to protests since she was a child, and organising them since she was in her teens! She is an activist who advocated anti war, animal rights, Repealing the 8th, and of course the environment. She is now a member of Connecting Cabra & The Dóthain Collective, as well as bei…

Common Knowledge is a new non-profit community based in County Clare, whose goal is to facilitate the sharing of skills we have almost lost over the years. From building a home works with nature as opposed to against, making ropes from scratch, or dyeing your own clothes with natural dyes, there's nothing this community isn't open to sharing! Check…

A film student turned gardener, Connor Howlett is now based in Inchicore where he works as a gardener for Stillgarden Distillery. Why and how would a distillery use various gardens and organise foraging adventures? Well you'll just have to listen to find out! You can stay up to date with Connor on Instagram @thegardenerder, but don't forget to also…

This interview is with website designer and ethical activist JR Doyle of Kindly JR. Not only is she a wonderful person to work with, but I have learned so much from her since we connected on social media, and even more so in this interview. Whether you subscribe to all the emails, or you have a website of your own, I'm sure there'll be a leaf or tw…

Evelyn Suttle joins me for episode 70 to chat veganism, civil resistance, food security in Ireland, and Eco Feminism. With ties to so many groups that are striving to make the world a better place, Evelyn is a wonderful source of inspiration, whether you're a seasoned activist, or new to the movement. You can find all resources mentioned in below, …

You may have come across Orla Murphy’s story if you follow Irish climate activist groups, as they spent 5 weeks in prison last year for a direct action at Iveagh House that sparked some controversy. Here, Orla tells of their two actions that resulted in arrest here in Ireland, the ‘justice’ that was served, as well the broken prison system. We end …

Diane is a wonderful beacon of joy in the climate movement in Ireland. She weaves activism into all aspects of her life from parenting & running The Sustainable Life School to her stand-up comedy shows. Full of practical tips and many laughs, I hope you enjoy this chat! Don't forget to check out their website and follow @SustainableLifeSchool and @…

Rachel Dempsey has been clued into the environmental crisis since way before it was ‘cool’. She has a fascinating wealth of knowledge she has picked up and shared all across the world and I’m honoured to have been given her time for this interview. She was also the original creator of the Zero Waste Ireland Facebook group that has been mentioned on…

Patrick began an initiative with VOICE Ireland called Picker Pals that started with an unfortunate incident that turned into magic... Make sure to check out www.pickerpalsworld.org to request a pack or check out their resources. They also have a YouTube and can be followed on Facebook, Instagram @pickerpals and Twitter @pickerpalsworld [04:10] Intr…

For episode 65 I chatted to Amy O'Brien whom you may know from The Sustainable Sleepover Podcast (which I definitely recommend checking out if you haven't already!) about her experience as an activism campaigning for social justice from climate issues to women's rights. You can keep up to date with her on Instagram @b_amyo or find her other socials…

There’s no better time to give as much help to our pollinators than now. Úna is a wealth of knowledge and the work of the National Biodiversity Data Centre, including the All Ireland Pollinator Plan, is crucial. Stay up to date with their work by signing up to their newsletter or following them on Twitter @BioDataCentre @PollinatorPlan , Instagram …

For the longest time I've wanted to learn about the hemp industry in Ireland, so I reached out to the Hemp Cooperative who suggested I chat to Freya Bartels, a hemp farmer based in Mayo. This is an area I know nothing about so I hope you'll enjoy learning with me! If you're interested in staying up to date with all things hemp farming, you can foll…

For the first episode after the break, I want to introduce you to a secondary school teacher, Patrick Kirwan (thank you Codie for the recommendation!). His story is such an inspirational one that I hope you'll be as encouraged as I am by him and share this with as many students and teachers as possible! You can follow Patrick on Twitter @GrowGarden…

Hello and welcome back to Book of Leaves! I am coming out of my annual podcast hibernation and I cannot wait to see where the year takes us. Who knows who I'll get chatting to or what I'll learn by the end of the year and I'm so excited to have you on this journey with me. Before I release episode 62, the opening act, I wanted to share an update as…

For episode 61 and the last in season 3 of the podcast, I interviewed Jane Killingbeck about The Work That Reconnects. Developed by Joanna Macy, in her own words "The Work that Reconnects helps people discover and experience their innate connections with each other and the self-healing powers of the web of life, transforming despair and overwhelm i…

For episode 60, I chatted to Ahmad Mu'azzam, one of the creators behind Evocco, a food impact tracking app. I reached out to him for an interview after finding the app and their newsletter so helpful and full of solution based tips. This episode is encompasses simple practices we can take on board systemically and individually. [06:10] Ahmad's intr…

You can hear how much I enjoyed this chat with Flossie Donnelly on all things beach cleaning! The name Jeremy will forever have a new meaning… Stay up to date with her ventures on Instagram @Flossieandthebeachcleaners! and you can find out more about their workshops on their website at www.flossieandthebeachcleaners.com. Don't forget to rate, revie…

Episode 58 has me chat to Laragh McCann, a former model turned activist, film maker, and fellow jack of all trades! She is also the force behind 100% ReLoved and the founder of Climate Love Ireland. You can follow them on Facebook or @climateloveireland and @100percentreloved_ on Instagram. Some of the topics we covered are: [07:30] An introduction…

Past interviewee & marine biologist Ruth Leeney, has made herself quite busy since speaking to her last in June 2020. Have a listen to that episode, 32, here! Now we're here to chat about her upcoming book campaigns, bottom trawling and some of the animals she is working so hard to conserve. You can follow her on Instagram @ruleeney. [05:30] An int…

Episode 56 is with Wicklow-based ecologist Alex Konieczka. One of her many ventures is Understory, a truly zerowaste business where she sells upcycled terrariums among other things. You can follow her on Instagram @understory_ie to keep up to date with the pieces she creates and foraging excursions she plans, or reach out to her via e-mail on alex@…

Gary Tyrrell works for An Taisce's educational unit as part of the Climate Ambassador Programme. You'll have heard me chat about this programme over the past year as it's one I was accepted onto myself, plus I interviewed a few ambassadors from it! They open applications for the following year usually every September so make sure to check out their…

Episode 54 is coming from the vaults as I interviewed fellow activist Paul McCormack Cooney a few months ago. Paul is another absolutely wonderful human I got to know through Extinction Rebellion. He recently started a blog called Climate Dad which despite being a work in progress, I definitely recommend checking out! And you can follow Paul on Twi…

For episode 53 I go back to the basics of environmental issues and talk about the infamous single use polluter: disposable coffee cups. For this, there's none other to talk to other than Sorcha Kavanagh from The Conscious Cup Campaign. This is a programme not just encouraging individuals to bring a reuseable cup, but encouraging cafés and businesse…

I can't believe it's taken me until episode 52 to dedicate an interview to trees! Shocking behaviour, but this lovely chat with Orla makes up for it. You can follow Orla on Twitter @NaturallyOrla & don't forget to listen to her podcast The Broad Leaf! You can find out more about The Native Woodland Trust on their website and stay up to date with th…

In episode 51 I chatted to artists Eva O'Connor and Hildegard Ryan about using the world of theatre to spark discussion and inspire change. Their theatre company, Sunday's Child, has a play called Afloat, streaming all this month (August 2021) as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I'd advise you to support it and hopefully this discussion will …