Nature Books

By comparison with so many other countries, much of Ireland’s landscape is relatively unspoilt. But our wildlife is constantly under threat from development, climate change and other by products of the modern world. Knowing, understanding and caring about our natural environment is key. Here are three great books by Irish writers, all about the natural world.

Our Wild World, From the birds and the bees to our boglands and ice caps 

By Éanna Ní Lamhna is published by O’Brien Press

€16.99 from omahonys.ie

Éanna Ní Lamhna is probably best described as a force of nature. She’s a biologist, an environmental and wildlife consultant, a radio and television presenter, as well as an author and educator. In her latest book, Our Wild World, she takes us on a tour of the natural world, explaining its incredible processes and systems, and why we should pay more attention to it.

Learning about nature, she believes, is not just for young children and Sunday evening David Attenborough fans. It is a lifelong learning and necessary for our survival. Human needs and wants need to be balanced against the wellbeing of the planet and all its inhabitants. 

It’s a timely message and the right woman to deliver it. Lockdown has opened many people’s eyes to the beauty of the natural world and the necessity of having green spaces. But so often environmentalists are so passionate that they leave the rest of us behind, unsure why windfarms are so bad if we need greener sources of power and what exactly is meant by the term ‘biodiversity’. The subject is littered with unfamiliar and often overly scientific phrases (carbon sequestration?) that the average person tunes out. Meanwhile we’re bombarded with information and directives about how we should live greener lives. Not everyone wants to go vegan. We like our mobile phones. Global warming is terrible and all but, aside from sorting our rubbish – and ignoring what happens to it after its collected - what else can the average person do about it?

Eanna takes it all on in her typical no nonsense way, covering a multitude of current obsessions (no, we can’t get Covid-19 or any other disease from a phone mast). She deals head-on with the confusion we all feel about matters such as genetic engineering and recycling. 

She’s been talking to the general public for years as a member of the panel of experts on RTÉ’s wildlife programme Mooney goes Wild so she knows how to communicate to the layperson. An excellent book for the newly interested naturalist who wants to know more.

The Wildflowers of Ireland

By Zoë Devlin is published by O’Brien Press

€15.99, available from 28th May

Now in its second editon, The Wildflowers of Ireland is the bible when it comes to identifying Ireland’s native flora. With information on more than 620 wildflowers, it outlines the main identifying features of each plant – colour, size, shape of flower, leaf, habitat and flowering season. Author Zoë, has included 90 additional species in this edition. All the flowers have been photographed by Zoë. 

To find out more visit wildflowersofireland.net

Johnny Magory and the Farmyard Féasta

By EJ Leeson

€10 from johnnymagory.com 
Like many children around Ireland, Emma-Jane (EJ) Leeson grew up listening to stories her parents made up, in her case they were about Johnny Magory. The name comes form an old Irish rhyme: ‘I’ll tell you a story about Johnny McGory. Will I begin it? That’s all that’s in it!’.

This was the inspiration for a series of children’s books celebrating Irish wildlife and heritage featuring Johnny, Lily-May, Ruairi and their farmyard friends. The latest in the series, Johnny Magory and the Farmyard Féasta,  has just been released.

EJ has also gotten funding from Screen Ireland to produce, in conjunction with Elk Studios, an animated series based on the books.