The Birds of Ireland, Jim Wilson with photography by Mark Carmody – Today Mary is talking to Jim Wilson and Mark Carmody. Jim Wilson in a wildlife writer, broadcaster, tour leader and former chairman of Birdwatch Ireland. Mark Carmody has a PhD in biochemistry and works as a European Patent Attorney. He is an award winning wildlife photographer. Th…

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 he…

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.By Mary Bermingham

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…

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 th…

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 …

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…

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…

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 Inte…

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, …

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 P…

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 obtai…

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

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 200…

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…

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…

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 t…

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 ha…

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 …

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, Nation…

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…

After various requests this week's episode is a brief description of The Burren Nature Sanctuary; it's vision and mission. Mary paints a picture of the home of Nature Magic to help people place the podcast in the landscape that it is broadcasting from. Visit the website www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie to find out more Or email Mary at mary@burrennatur…

Today Mary is talking to Dr Stephen Newton. senior Seabird Conservation Officer Stephen is responsible for managing the long-term conservation projects at Rockabill (Roseate Terns), Kilcoole (Little Terns) and a variety of other seabird monitoring and research initiatives, including the FAME and MarPAMM programmes which have focused on deploying lo…

Today Mary is speaking to Éanna Ní Lamhna.Éanna is an Irish biologist, environmental consultant, radio and television presenter, author and educator. She is one of the best-known public figures in Ireland in the area of nature and the environment. Her books include Talking Wild, Wild and Wonderful and Straight Talking Wild. Her latest book Our Wild…

Today Mary gives a brief outline of her experience at the National Biodiversity Conference in Dublin Castle that took place over two days in June 2022. Act Now For Nature https://www.biodiversityconference.ie/By Mary Bermingham

Féidhlim Harty is an environmental consultant and writer. His company, FH Wetland Systems, established in 1996, offers designs and guidance on waterway repair and rewilding, eco-friendly wastewater treatment, and holistic landuse management for catchment protection and regeneration. His recent books include Towards Zero Waste and Permaculture Guide…

Today Mary is talking to Harrison Gardner. Harrison is a builder, teacher and co-founder of Common Knowledge, the non-profit social enterprise focused on sharing skills for a sustainable life. He has 15 years experience designing and managing the construction of conventional, sustainable and alternative buildings worldwide. His current focus is on …

Today Mary is talking to Janet Jones. Janet applies brain science to the training of horses and riders. She earned her Ph.D. from UCLA and taught the neuroscience of perception, language, memory, and thought for 23 years. Janet trained horses at a large stable early in her career, and later ran a successful horse training business of her own. She h…

Today Mary is talking to John Carrig. John set up The Barn Owl project in January 2019 to help with conservation of Barn Owls in Ireland. Johnis a published wildlife photographer and has been involved in wildlife conservation and rescue for many years. The project team consists of a number of wildlife experts covering conservation rescue and rehabi…

Today Mary is talking to Elaine Butler. Elaine runs the website Living Lightly in Ireland. This website is a sustainable living guide with all the information needed to live a greener life; from where to shop, to what to cook. She has been featured in the Irish Times, The Irish Independent, and on Radio 1, RTE and Virgin Media. https://livinglightl…

Welcome back to Nature Magic after our winter hibernation! Today Mary is talking to Lisa Tully. Lisa is professional animal healer & communicator She has an international practice working with all kinds of species. Lisa travelled to Mongolia to study shamanic healing for animals. During her studies she learnt to identify the root causes behind any …

The nature magic podcast is taking a short break - We wish you all a very happy holidays and for the final episode of 2021 Today Mary is reading a short story that she wrote based on real life events. Thank you for all the support spreading a positive voice for nature from Ireland- See you in 2022! Contact Mary Bermingham at mary@burrennaturesanctu…

Today Mary is talking to Conor Ruane. Conor is a Community Water Officer with the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) covering Galway and South Roscommon. Conor works with voluntary groups to support projects focusing on the protection of rivers, lakes, coastal, and groundwater. Conor previously worked as a freshwater ecologist carrying out e…

Today Mary is talking to Nancy Striniste, as part of our mini series of nature educators. Nancy has a lot of amazing advice to offer. She is Director of East Coast Programs for Green Schoolyards America; and founder and principal designer at EarlySpace. Nancy has a unique background as both a landscape designer and an early childhood educator and s…

Today Mary is speaking to Wildlife warrior Matilda. Matilda moved from Australia to Ireland a couple of years ago. Matilda is a conservationist and activist and we became aquainted two years ago when she was running a fundraiser for wildlife aged 6 She is part of the Australian zoo wildlife warrior programme. The vision of the programme is that peo…

Today Mary is talking to Nikita Zimov, director of Pleistocene park. Nikita is a Russian scientist at the cutting edge of the fight against climate change. Nikita and his father Sergey have been resurrecting an Ice Age biome since 1998. Pleistocene Park is a major initiative that includes an attempt to restore the mammoth steppe ecosystem, which wa…

Today Mary is talking to Professor Martin Bunzl. Martin taught Philosophy at Rutgers University in New Jersey for 40 years Much of his work has revolved around the nature of scientific knowledge and in his new book Thinking While Walking reflections on the pacific quest trail….. He delves into difficult topics such as these. •Millions of trees alon…

Today Mary is talking to Joe Slattery. Joe is an Experienced Addiction counsellor and coordinator of the NorthStar Family Support Project, a community based project in Limerick , Joe is a specialist in-dealing with issues of substance abuse with adolescents and their families. Joe is the Irish network coordinator and advanced certified in the EAGAL…

Today Mary is talking to Randal Plunkett, 21st Baron of Dunsany Castle, in County Meath. The Plunkett family motto is: Make Haste Slowly and through Randal’s dedication to rewild the estate he is at the forefront of the battle to fight the biodiversity crisis. The ancient slow growing trees are the backbone to the project that leaves 750 acres to n…

Today Mary is talking to Kushal Jayakumar and Anees Ali from the Ecology department of Christ Junior College, Bangalore on their new podcast Geeks in Suits. Geeks in Suits are on a quest to unravel the journeys of experts in various fields with an enquiry on Physis-Nomos! We talk about the biodiversity crisis, species on the edge of extinction and …

Today Mary is talking to Dr Karen L. Bacon. Karen is a plant ecologist and palaeoecologist based in Botany & Plant Sciences at the National University of Ireland, Galway. She completed her PhD in plant palaeoecology in 2012 in University College Dublin. After spending several years in the UK, she returned to Ireland in 2019. Dr Bacon’s interests sp…

Today Mary is talking to Aga Grandowicz. Aga is a multi-award winning art director, graphic designer and wildlife illustrator. Aga studied graphic design, graphic art, fine arts and traditional photography in ASP Gdansk (Academy of Fine Arts Gdansk) and Shortly after completing her masters in 2003, with the highest honours, she set up her graphic d…

Today Mary is talking to Gearoid McEvoy, a 21-year-old Irish Wildlife Biology graduate and the founder of Reforest Nation that has just hit it's goal of planting 50,000 trees in Ireland. Burren Nature Sanctuary has partnered with Reforest nation to plant 1000 trees this Autumn. Their new goal is 1 million trees planted- listen in to the amazing sto…

Today Mary is talking to Conor W. O’Brien, author of Life in Ireland- A short history of a long time. Available to purchase at https://irishacademicpress.ie/product/life-in-ireland-a-short-history-of-a-long-time/ Conor is a wildlife writer and photographer, with a lifelong interest in the natural world. His work has been published in Ireland’s Own,…

Today Mary is talking to Dr Joseph Bruchac, proud Nulhegan Abeneki citizen and respected elder of his tribe. For over forty years Joseph Bruchac has been creating literature and music that reflects his indigenous heritage and traditions. He is the author of more than 170 books for children and adults. His best selling Keepers of the Earth: Native A…

Today Mary is talking to Dan Donoher Animal Manager of Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland’s brand new Wildlife Hospital. Dan is amongst a group of admirable people who this year started the first Wildlife hospital in Ireland. The emergency facility is in Garlow Cross, County Meath in an adapted barn and stables. Dan worked previously at the wildlife u…

Today Mary is talking to Ramiro D. Crego. Ramiro is a conservation biologist from Argentina, living on the farm at Burren Nature Sanctuary with his wife Nora and their rescue cat, Alba and currently working remotely as a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, USA. Ramiro has been studying birds and mammals inhabiting…

Today Mary is talking to Janie Chodosh, author of 'The Elephant Doctor of India'. She is an undergraduate at the University of Michigan and majored in biology, ecology, natural resources management, creative writing, and poetry. After college, she moved to Yosemite National Park where she worked as a naturalist and educator and learned to rock clim…

Today Mary is talking to Dr. Claire Warden. Claire is an advocate for outdoor learning. Among many achievemnts she is Founder of Living Classrooms, the International Association of Nature Pedagogy and the Mindstretchers Academy. Claire is also director of the wonderful Auchlone Nature Kindergarten in Scotland where children spend 80% of their day o…

Today Mary is speaking to Warwick Schiller. Warwick is a You tube superstar with over 20 million views of his horse training videos. Warwick moved from his home country of Australia in his 20s to the United States. He became NRHA Reserve World Champion representing Australia at the 2010 & 2018 World Equestrian Games. Warwick's ever-evolving trainin…