Mooney Goes Wild

Michele Browne went to Mizen Head to meet Mary McCarthy (and her father Paddy) to talk about how fishermen of old would look to nature for signs of the weather. Mary reads these signs so well now, that people contact her for short term forecasts. To meet the demand, she has set up Mary's Mizen Weather on Facebook.

Listener Martin Murray from Waterford sent us in some lovely photos of a Glossy Ibis feeding. Ornithologist Eric Dempsey explains this interesting bird.

Éanna is taken with a new Irish version of 'Where the Tree Dogs Fly', an illustrated picturebook by Aileen Crossley. The author talks to Éanna about the new edition, An Áit a nÉitlíonn na Madaí Crainn, which is a 'love letter from mother nature to a troubled child'.

The Edward Worth Library is a rare books collection, bequeathed to Dr Steevens’ Hospital, Dublin, by Dr Edward Worth. It recently launched a web exhibition 'Birds at the Edward Worth Library' and Éanna Ní Lamhna was the speaker. Terry Flanagan went along to see this hidden treasure.

Though rarely seen, owls play a quiet but vital role in Ireland's ecosystem. The next featured talk in Killarney National Park's 'Autumn Talks Series 2025' will be 'The Secret Lives of Owls in Ireland'. Alan McCarthy, Barn Owl Project Officer with Birdwatch Ireland, will give the talk.

This year marks the 37th year of the annual Killarney National Park ‘Autumn Talks Series’, which is set to return this Thursday (October 9th). We speak to long-standing organiser of the annual series of talks, Pádruig O’Sullivan, Conservation Ranger with the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Each year, Jeremy Turkington and his colleagues at Hometree collect seeds from native Irish plant species in order to propagate them and ensure their future and genetic diversity in Ireland. For tonight’s programme, our researcher Michele Browne met him to find out more.

The 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,' as John Keats put it, is well and truly with us. Have you noticed the vast amounts of fruits, seeds and berries around this year? That’s because it’s a mast year. Terry Flanagan went to meet Dr. Matthew Jebb, Director of the gardens at the National Botanic Gardens, to find out all about mast years.

Last Thursday (October 2nd) was National Tree Day, a special day organised every year by the Tree Council of Ireland for primary school pupils (and the rest of us) to discover how amazing trees are. Éanna is a former President of the Tree Council of Ireland and she tells us more about this year’s celebrations.

Dublin city hosts a secret world of wildlife. When Éanna Ní Lamhna’s 'Wild Dublin: Exploring Nature in the City' was first published in 2009, it explored the surprising natural riches of our capital. Much has changed in 16 years and Éanna has now updated the book to reflect the new species, flora and fauna in the city.

Returning to the subject of invasive alien species, it is hard to imagine that some of these species might still be found for sale in some local garden centres around Ireland, but they are according to Noeleen Smyth, Assistant Professor in Environmental and Sustainable Horticulture at UCD.

One of the most striking examples of intelligence, manipulation and cooperation in the avian world concerns the Greater Honeyguide, a species native to Africa that feeds on beeswax. Sanele Nhlabatsi, a researcher from the University of Eswatini, recently led a study about how the species enlist human hunters to help it find food.

The term “birdbrain” should not be seen as an insult. Many bird species exhibit remarkable intelligence and problem-solving skills. The New Caledonian Crow, for example, fashions hooks from twigs and uses these to extract beetle larvae from wood. We examine impressive skills from some of our feathered friends.

When you are abroad and you see a beautiful plant, you might be tempted to uproot it or collect some seeds, and bring it back to your garden. We have one simple word: DON'T! Éanna Ní Lamhna explains the huge risks of introducing a non-native plant to the ecosystem.

One of the most memorable songs in the wonderful musical 'The Sound of Music' – released a shocking 60 years ago! – is about the beautiful Edelweiss flower. It happens to be one of Derek’s favourite songs, but why does he start tonight’s programme by playing it? Keep listening and all will become clear.

Tonight, we hear a repeat of Dr. Ken Whelan's documentary on the Mayfly. Something strange is happening with mayfly populations. In this Nature On One special, fisheries scientist Dr Ken Whelan sets out to uncover the truth.

The Sustainable Futures Forum brought together experts in biodiversity, climate action, and education. Terry Flanagan explores Ireland's nature crisis with Seán Ronayne, Éanna Ní Lamhna, Niall Hatch, and meets voices from the EPA, Creative Ireland, and UCC students working across science, policy, and the arts for a sustainable future.

In the human world, we know that friendships are important. But a recent report in 'Proceedings of the Royal Society B', show that friendship is an important bond for gorillas studied in Rwanda. One of its authors, Victoire Martignac, tells us more.

Last month, the town of Dungarvan celebrated the unveiling of Crockery Mountain, a 45 foot wide mosaic made from donated cups, plates, bowls and mugs. It was created to encourage sustainability and avoid waste. Terry Flanagan had to pay a visit and he speaks to the artist, Sean Corcoran.

Derek and Niall discuss how we can identify different species through their distinctive features and calls, and we answer some of your questions.