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PODCAST

In Your Nature

By BirdWatch Ireland

The In Your Nature Podcast brings you conversations about birds & wildlife, wild places, the work of BirdWatch Ireland and wildlife conservationists. The podcast features Ricky Whelan, biodiversity officer with Offaly County Council in conversation with Niall Hatch of BirdWatch Ireland with regular expert guests. BirdWatch Ireland is Ireland"s largest independent conservation organisation. Episodes are released in seasons (three per year) with six episodes in each, dropping weekly (Monday

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All Episodes

55:17

In Your Nature Ep 68 - Record Breaking Birds

In Your Nature ·

2026/09/27

Send us Fan Mail You may know the Ostrich is the world’s largest bird, but did you know an extinct bird known as the Elephant Bird was around five times heavier? Or that Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture can fly at altitudes of up to 11,000 metres — more than 2,000 metres above Mount Everest! This week, Niall and Ricky are talking about record-breaking birds. From speed and longevity, to wingbeats, clutch size or migration, discover some of the most remarkable bird species in Ireland and beyond. ...

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43:36

In Your Nature Ep 67 - John Feehan (Peatland...

In Your Nature ·

2026/09/20

Send us Fan Mail Professor John Feehan is a renowned Irish geologist, botanist, author and former lecturer at University College Dublin (UCD), widely respected for his work interpreting Ireland’s landscapes, biodiversity and cultural heritage. In this episode, he shares his deep knowledge of Ireland’s peatlands, exploring their ecological and cultural importance whilst offering a perspective on their future. John recalls exploring the bog near his home in Offaly as a young boy. In the m...

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39:59

In Your Nature Ep 66 - Bird Nests

In Your Nature ·

2026/09/08

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode of In Your Nature, Ricky and Niall are diving into the world of bird nests. Whether the nest is on the ground, in a cavity, or reused from another species, nests are just as unique as the birds who use them. Long before a chick is hatched or a egg is laid, birds pick specific spots for their nests and to build their families. Learn how, when, and who is building nests across Ireland. In Ireland, nests and breeding birds are legally protected from March ...

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57:18

In Your Nature Ep 65 - Butterflies with Jesmond Harding

In Your Nature ·

2026/09/06

Send us Fan Mail In Your Nature with Niall Hatch and Ricky Whelan is back! Kicking off the season at Bog of Allen Nature Reserve in Co. Kildare, Niall and Ricky meet up with butterfly guru, Jesmond Harding. The three explore the reserve while covering a range of topics, from fascinating wing adaptations that trick hungry predators to specific plants required for the survival of different species. Like much of Ireland's wildlife, butterfly species are on the decline. Even our most common...

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56:43

In Your Nature Ep 64 - Pádraic Fogarty

In Your Nature ·

2025/08/24

Send us a text In Your Nature returns with a thought-provoking new episode featuring Ricky in conversation with Pádraic Fogarty—ecologist, author, and one of Ireland’s most influential voices for nature. The discussion centres on Pádraic’s long-standing work advocating for more ambitious and meaningful conservation efforts across Ireland, from rewilding landscapes to reforming environmental policy. Together, they explore the state of Irish biodiversity, the systemic challenges facing conserva...

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38:09

In Your Nature Ep 63 - Birds of the Falkland Islands

In Your Nature ·

2025/08/17

Send us a text In Your Nature returns with a captivating new episode recorded live from Global BirdFair 2025, where Niall Hatch is joined by two seasoned nature guides with deep ties to the Falkland Islands—Andy Pollard, a Falklands native and expert birder, and Martin Anstee, a conservationist and expedition leader with decades of experience in the region. Together, they explore the unique biodiversity of the Falklands and surrounding South Atlantic islands, from windswept tussac grasslands ...

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41:45

In Your Nature Ep 62 - Ealing (London) Beaver Project

In Your Nature ·

2025/08/10

Send us a text In Your Nature returns with a fascinating new episode spotlighting the Ealing Beaver Project, a pioneering urban rewilding initiative bringing these charismatic ecosystem engineers back to West London after a 400-year absence. Niall is joined (recorded live from Global BirdFair 2025) by Dr Sean McCormack, founder of the project and a native of County Kildare. Together, they delve into the story behind the beavers’ return, from the inspiration and planning stages to the challen...

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46:37

In Your Nature Ep 61 - Return to Nature Clare Church...

In Your Nature ·

2025/08/03

Send us a text In Your Nature returns with a heartening new episode exploring the Return to Nature Clare Church Biodiversity Project, a community-driven initiative transforming churchyards into havens for wildlife and reflection. Ricky is joined by Barry O’Loughlin, Biodiversity Officer with Clare County Council, to discuss the origins of the project, its progress to date, and the vital role of community involvement in its success. Together, they reflect on how with the bishops blessing...

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45:15

In Your Nature Ep 60 - Dark Skies

In Your Nature ·

2025/07/27

Send us a text In Your Nature returns with a luminous new episode exploring the theme of Dark Skies, featuring a guest interview with Kerem Asfuroglu of Dark Source (lighting design consultancy) and Dark Skies Ireland. As artificial light increasingly disrupts ecosystems and obscures our view of the stars, this episode sheds light on the growing movement to preserve natural darkness for the benefit of wildlife, human health, and cultural heritage. Kerem shares his unique perspective as a lig...

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64:35

In Your Nature Ep 59 - Breeding Waders EIP

In Your Nature ·

2025/07/20

Send us a text In Your Nature is back for a new season and this time we welcome Owen Murphy, Senior Project Manager with the Breeding Waders EIP, to discuss the ambitious and urgent work being done to conserve Ireland’s most threatened ground-nesting birds. With populations of species like the Curlew, Lapwing, and Redshank in steep decline, the Breeding Waders EIP is taking bold, science-led action to reverse the trend. Ricky speaks with Owen about the formidable challenges of protecting vuln...

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41:07

In Your Nature Ep 58 - Biodiversity with Éanna Ní Lamhna

In Your Nature ·

2024/12/19

Send us a textIn our last episode of 2024, In Your Nature welcomes a well-known nature celebrity for a very lively chat. Niall and Ricky speak to Éanna Ní Lamhna about biodiversity and her long track record of writing, broadcasting and advocating about and for Ireland’s flora and fauna. Éanna gives her characteristic, energetic and unfiltered opinion on nature broadcasting, biodiversity loss in Ireland, together with her hopes and dreams for Irish biodiversity in the future. Éanna really...

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44:36

In Your Nature Ep 57 - Farming For Nature (Handbook)

In Your Nature ·

2024/12/05

Send us a textThe eagerly awaited, Farming For Nature (FFN) Handbook has just been published, Ricky and Niall take the opportunity to discuss how important farms and farmers are for nature in Ireland, given the dominance of agriculture lands across the Irish landscape. Ricky speaks Dr Emma Hart on behalf of FFN and co-authors, Bridgit Barry and Brendan Dunford about the book, its content and objectives. The Farming For Nature Handbook (purchase here) was inspired by the regular requ...

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33:34

In Your Nature Ep 56 - Step Into Nature

In Your Nature ·

2024/11/26

Send us a textStep into Nature, is a new book written and illustrated by naturalist Rachel McKenna, chronicles a year of her observations of everything from plants to birds, insects and fungi. It is journey through her year, describing her finds and allowing readers to pick up the book and share in her curiosity and learn from her finds. Ricky speaks to Rachel from Killaun Bog near Birr Co. Offaly, one of the sites Rachel frequents. She outlines how her curiosity was triggered, where she has ...

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61:53

In Your Nature Ep 55 - Eco Tourism (or is it?)

In Your Nature ·

2024/08/05

Send us a Text Message.We all need a holiday from time to time but there's no doubt that travelling comes with a cost, and we're not just talking about to your bank balance! Travelling comes with an environmental impact but "eco-tourism" or "sustainable tourism" offers an opportunity to lower that impact significantly. However, with these terms becoming buzzwords in recent years, it is important to avoid accepting them at face value. So, how can you distinguish a true eco-tourism option from ...

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61:49

In Your Nature Ep 54 - Global Birdfair 2024

In Your Nature ·

2024/07/28

Send us a Text Message.This episode of In Your Nature comes from across the pond as Niall records from the 2024 Global Bird Fair in Rutland, United Kingdom. Known to many as "Glastonbury for birders", the Global Bird Fair sees conservation organisations, photographers, authors, artists ecotourism companies and many more join together to celebrate their shared love of birds. Over a July weekend, attendees are treated to a jam-packed schedule of talks, workshops, film screenings and other event...

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45:17

In Your Nature Ep 53 - Bats

In Your Nature ·

2024/07/21

Send us a Text Message.Bats can sometimes get a bad rap but in this episode of the In Your Nature podcast, we hope to dispel some myths and shine a light on these truly remarkable creatures. For this conversation, we are joined by Bat Ecologist and Senior Projects Manager with Bat Conservation Ireland, Niamh Roche, who gives us an insight into the lives of Ireland's nine species of bat.On listening to this episode, you'll quickly that bats are not to be feared, but to be supported and admired...

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38:13

In Your Nature Ep 52 - Herons (Critter Shed Colab)

In Your Nature ·

2024/07/14

This episode of In Your Nature is another collaboration with Collie Ennis of The Critter Shed and this week, we're talking all about the Grey Heron!Although amphibian expert Collie has an understandably complex relationship with the Heron, this episode has given him a newfound respect for the species! While they're known as skilled fishers, did you know that Herons have adapted to consume a wide range of prey including small mammals, insects and reptiles? Or that they have small combs on the ...

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39:00

In Your Nature Ep 51 - Ticks, Mites and Flat Flies...

In Your Nature ·

2024/07/07

We know you'll be itching to listen to this episode, which is a collaboration with Collie Ennis of The Critter Shed. This week, we're talking all about, you guessed it, critters, though not the cute and cuddly kind. Ticks, fleas and flat flies are the focus of this conversation and while the thought of that might make your skin crawl, we encourage you to listen on!Ticks, mites and flat flies may not appeal to most, but these fascinating creatures play a vital role in the shaping of our ecosys...

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48:59

In Your Nature Ep 50 - Live from Wild Mind

In Your Nature ·

2024/06/30

In an In Your Nature first, this episode was recorded live with an audience from Wild Mind Festival in Fenit, County Kerry earlier this spring. Wild Mind is a festival that celebrates our natural environment, making it the perfect fit for a visit from In Your Nature. Picture this, Niall and Ricky sitting on hay bales on stage in a artificial barn/shed structure waxing lyrical about spring and what it means for our fathered friends. The lads discuss the complex sequence of events that is the a...

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38:00

In Your Nature Ep 49 - What's at Santa's Bird Table

In Your Nature ·

2023/12/16

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