Conservation and Science

In episode 72 we started a discussion about seals in Ireland. As you might remember, at the time, I said that we wouldn’t get into the subject of human-seal conflict in that episode, as this is a complex subject that requires its own discussion. Since then, I’ve wanted to cover it from all angles but it has been difficult to find people willing to talk about it on record. Clearly there are a lot o...

This is a really delicious episode for all hunters who want to learn about hunting in Sweden. Our guest, Andreas Michalik, is a Swedish hunter and fellow blogger at https://swedenishunting.com/ During the podcast we dig deep into what hunting is like in Sweden. We discuss regulations, the public perception of hunting and Andreas’ personal journey to becoming a hunter. We also talk in detail about...

Ron Thomson should be well known to anyone interested in wildlife management on the African continent. He started his career as a game ranger in 1959. Throughout his career, he has worked in Africa's biggest and most prestigious game reserves. He has published fourteen books and we can safely say that he is one of the most experienced African big game hunters alive today. Ron is also the CEO of th...

This is yet another episode where my guest and I take on the subject of rewilding. This time our guest is the host of the discussion platform called Rewilding Ireland. During the podcast, we talk in length about various aspects of rewilding but we also talk about the future of the Rewilding Ireland platform. And towards the end of the podcast, we spend some time discussing whether or not megafauna...

A few weeks ago Inland Fisheries Ireland distributed an online survey through social media, looking to gather information from all Irish sea anglers. The survey was part of a new programme called the Irish Marine Recreational Sea Angling Survey or IMREC for short. IMREC’s aim is to show how fishing activities relate to stock levels. The collected data can improve the management of fish stocks and...

Is it possible to use artificial intelligence to tell us how rewilding will look in any area where it is implemented? Is it possible to create a computer model that would tell us how the species eradicated from the landscape hundreds of years ago would behave when reintroduced? Listen to my conversation with Kilian Murphy where we talk about such models. During the podcast, we discuss the possibil...

In this episode, I talk with Mel Robinson who is the Director Of Animal Care for Seal Rescue Ireland. While listening to this episode you can learn what Seal Rescue Ireland is, how and why they are helping seals, as well as a few rather interesting facts about seals. In the podcast, we purposely did not delve into the issue of human-seal conflict. To me, it is a complex and interesting problem and...

The European Federation for Hunting and Conservation, or FACE for short, is an international organization that represents the interests of European hunters. It serves as a bridge between the institutions of the European Union and hunters. In episode 59 I talked with Dan Curley, the chairman of NARGC, the Irish member organization of FACE. Today, however, we’re going to talk about hunting from the...

As regular listeners to the podcast might remember, in episode 47 we hosted Matt Cross, a field sports journalist, writer and blogger. At that time, we talked about yet another unlawful killing of a hen harrier. That episode was specifically focused on the issue of raptor persecution and we didn’t have a chance to tap into Matt's vast knowledge about field sports. Today we’re going to fix that as...

Professor Adam Hart was our guest on the podcast not long ago, in episode 66. However, given the unusual situation we are going through globally, we decided to get together again just a few weeks later. The reason is to discuss the devastating effect the COVID-19 pandemic is having on wildlife conservation. Major sources of funding for conservation, like tourism and hunting, have dried-up overnigh...

Pádraic is well known to my podcast listeners. He was our guest in episodes 20 and 35. And in episode 62 I talked with Patrick Cross about his work inspired by Pádraic’s book. There have been many things I have wanted to talk with Pádraic about since our last podcast, which was a year and a half ago. So today I am pleased to bring you another conversation with Pádraic. We talk about rewilding, rei...

I had the pleasure to fish with Richard a number of years ago on the waters of Bjagos Islands archipelago in Guinea Bissau. That is without a doubt one of the highlights of my angling career. Richard runs World Sport Fishing, a fishing and shooting holiday outfit. So if you are after a bucket list angling experience, definitely check out their website or simply give them a call! I probably waited...

The issue of African wildlife conservation is very complex and difficult. There are many factors that have to be considered, some of them are literally a matter of life and death. All that immersed in a highly emotional atmosphere. This subject is infinitely interesting to me. So, today I am delighted to bring you my conversation with biologist, broadcaster, academic and author, Professor Adam Har...

Victoria Livschitz is a very successful, serial tech entrepreneur in Silicon Valley whose hectic life was profoundly changed by multi-day backpacking. That activity made her both physically and mentally healthier and better able to deal with stress at work and at home. On the podcast, we talk about her path from busy, stressed, out-of-shape newbie to conqueror of major trails. Victoria also co-fou...

Leave No Trace is an outdoor ethics programme designed to promote and inspire responsible outdoor recreation through education, research and partnerships. Their message is all about helping outdoor enthusiasts to minimise their impact on the environment. Today our guest is Maura Kiely who is the CEO of Leave No Trace Ireland. During the podcast, we discuss the structure of Leave No Trace, the stor...

In this episode, our guest is one of the leading salmon scientists in the world, Professor Thomas Cross. During our immensely interesting conversation, we discussed subjects like salmonids biology, salmon stocks in the wild, salmon fishing and salmon farming. And if you are interested in the subject of salmon fishing, revisit episode 51 where we discussed the issue of illegal salmon netting on Iri...

We have talked about the book “Whittled Away - Ireland’s Vanishing Nature” twice already. In episode 20 our guest was the author, Pádraic Fogarty, who was also featured in episode 35 where I brought you the recording of his talk under the same title as the book. Today I talk with Patrick Cross about his photographic project based on that book. We also talk about photography (the outdoor flavour),...

The issue of African Swine Fever, ASF for short, is important for hunters and other outdoors people who might get to travel to countries with wild boar populations. In fact, all tourists travelling to and from countries where ASF is present should be aware of the basic facts and take the necessary precautions. To raise awareness of this serious disease, I sat down with Shane McAuliffe, who is the...

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all listeners to Tommy’s Outdoors podcast and viewers of Tommy’s Outdoors YouTube channel. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for joining me this year on Tommy’s Outdoors platform: the website, the podcast, and all the social media networks. Thank you for all the comments, likes, shares and other engagements, including those less tha...

A few weeks ago I published a series of videos on YouTube regarding the proposed EU ban on all lead in shooting and fishing. At that time, Dan Curley, the chairman of NARGC, helped a lot by providing me with the information and documentation regarding this issue. In this episode, I met with Dan in person to discuss what has happened since. And a lot has happened. In fact, you should check Dan’s ap...

James is a fellow blogger and vlogger on Irish Angling Adventures . We had the pleasure to host him on episode 42. The second part of that podcast was dedicated to his trip to the Norwegian island of Vega. We finished that podcast with James’s plans to come back to this excellent fishing spot. Not long ago he and his fishing buddies came back from their second trip to Vega Island. That right there...

The Wild Deer Association of Ireland was on my radar for a long time for all the obvious reasons. I have even had one of their long-time members, Paul Dowling, on the podcast. But we ended up talking about deer hunting in general, rather than about the Wild Deer Association of Ireland. So, more than one year later, I am pleased to host on the podcast David Dunne, who is a seasoned deerstalker and...

The benefits of being outdoors for mental health and well-being have been discussed on this podcast many times. Each time you, my listeners, have expressed a great interest in this subject. So, today, we are back at it with Philip Stallard, who is a Director and Adventure Therapist at New Wave Adventure Therapy which offers outdoors-based therapeutic intervention grounded in the disciplines of psy...

Listeners to this podcast, outdoors people, are a high-risk group when it comes to Lyme disease, a serious bacterial infection that gets passed to humans through tick bites. Spending long hours in the wild, often off the beaten track, exposes us to insect bites more than regular folks. But Lyme disease is not only a threat to bushwhacking deerstalkers. Even children on the playground are at risk....

Many of us outdoors people like to keep records of the animal and fish species we have encountered, caught or seen during our time in the outdoors. To keep those records we use spreadsheets, databases, dedicated apps and, perhaps, a pen and paper if you’re a little old-timey chap. As it turns out, there is a website that can not only help you record and explore your sightings but also include your...