Search results for ""Author Richard Nairn""

Richard Nairn has spent a lifetime studying – and learning from – nature. When an opportunity arose for him to buy a small woodland filled with mature native trees beside a fast-flowing river, he set about understanding all its moods and seasons, discovering its wildlife secrets and learning how to manage it properly. Wildwoods is a fascinating account of his journey over a typical year. Along the way, he uncovers the ancient roles of trees in Irish life, he examines lost skills such as coppicing and he explores new uses of woodlands for forest schools, foraging and rewilding. Ultimately, Wildwoods inspires all of us to pay attention to what nature can teach us. ‘A book to inspire anyone who wants Ireland to grow more Irish trees.’ Michael Viney ‘A welcome portal into a nearly lost habitat’ Catherine Cleary, Irish Times Weekend Review ‘Fascinating’ Paddy Kehoe, RTÉ ‘Nairn has a good style of writing that comfortably combines the conversational with the educational. Within a few pages, I felt myself drawn into the natural world he describes.’ Tony Canavan, Books Ireland

Read more less

‘An affectionate and timely celebration of Ireland’s richly varied coastline’ – Bryan Dobson ‘A great read – whatever part of the coast you visit’– Éanna Ní Lamhna ‘A brilliant and timely odyssey around our precious, precarious shores’ – Professor John Brannigan, University College Dublin ‘An exhilarating journey right around our coastline’ – Paddy Woodworth, journalist and author ‘An intimate, inspiring and lovely read about Ireland's shorelines: its places and spaces’ – Professor Robert Devoy, lead editor of The Coastal Atlas of Ireland Following the Irish coast in a clockwise direction, acclaimed ecologist Richard Nairn travels by boat, on foot and sometimes by air to visit the best remaining wild places, including islands, cliffs, beaches and dunes. The result is a unique mix of nature, history, science and a reflection on the author’s personal experiences of exploring Ireland’s coast. By viewing the Irish coastline from the sea, Richard gains a unique perspective on the island. And along the way, he recalls a lifetime spent studying nature.

Read more less

Rivers and lakes are the arteries and beating heart of Ireland. To our ancestors these wetlands were their highways, providing valuable sources of food including fish and wildfowl as well as vital materials such as reeds for thatching and willows for basket-making. Today they supply us with drinking water and cleanse our waste, their energy is harnessed to provide power, they are vital habitats for many freshwater species, and they are treasured places for tranquillity and recreation. Here, in a unique mix of nature, history and personal experience, ecologist Richard Nairn explores and celebrates the rivers and lakes of Ireland. Beginning with the Avonmore River system which flows through some of the most picturesque parts of Co. Wicklow, Wild Waters reveals the magic of Ireland’s rivers and lakes and contemplates the consequences for them as the rapid deterioration of our natural environment continues. Praise for previous books in this trilogy, Wild Woods and Wild Shores: ‘His description moves me. An engaging and ambitious new book,’ Michael Viney, The Irish Times. ‘This new book exploring our coastline can take us into places we would never have the time (or sea legs) to reach,’ Catherine Cleary, The Irish Times. 'A brilliant and timely odyssey around our precious, precarious shores,' Professor John Brannigan, College of Arts and Humanities, University College Dublin. ‘A great read - whatever part of the coast you visit,’ Éanna ní Lamhna, environmentalist and author. ‘Well-researched and beautifully written. An absolute gem,’ Zoe Devlin, Botanist and author of The Wildflowers of Ireland. ‘An exhilarating journey right around our coastline, melding a lifetime’s conservation research with rich personal experience, enriched by a broad repertoire of historical and literary references, especially the work of Robert Lloyd Praeger, ’ Paddy Woodworth, Journalist and author.

Read more less