Book of Leaves

Darragh Wynne is a climate activist and host of the Climate Alarm Clock podcast , which you would have heard me chat about before. It’s a wonderful climate news podcast, based in Ireland and definitely worth checking out. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with them on ‘X’ @ theclimatealarm  or Instagram @climatealarmclock . I had a lovely time hearing Darragh...

Light pollution can often be overlooked as harmful to the environment as it’s taught to result in aesthetic consequences. Thankfully there are people like Georgia from Friends of Mayo Dark Skies working hard to not only educate people, but implement changes at local and national levels to ‘light right’. Keep up to date with their work on Twitter @MayoDarkSkies Facebook or Instagram @MayoDarkSkies...

Jessica Dunne is an activist I met at the recent Mary Robinson Climate Conference. She has put thousands of hours into campaigning for a just future across various groups such as Fridays For Future and Young Friends of the Earth. I wanted to interview her for advice on people (young or old) looking to join the movement, and also discuss the importance of having a unified front! You can follow her...

Eddie Mitchell has been a prominent activist in Ireland, contributing to the ban on fracking here and now devoting a lot of his time to extractivism in the country. He'll also be participating at this year's Climate Camp in August (9th-12th) which I'd encourage you to go to! Stay up to date with Eddy's activism by following him on Twitter @WestyEddy . [04:20] Eddie introduces himself & path in...

Joanna O'Dowd has one of those shining accounts on Instagram that's not only full of practical sustainable tips, but lots of positivity, needed now more than ever! The runs sewing classes in Cork and can be followed on Instagram @joannasfeelingcrafty and YouTube . [07:40] Joanna introduces herself [15:25] Why Joanna doesn’t like the term zero waste. [18:50] How sewing & mending came back into...

Whether or not you have participated in gardening (community or otherwise), this episode is bound to be inspirational for you. If you're in Cork, check out the various organisations Maria is involved with. Otherwise, search your locality for a food policy council, SHEP branch or community garden. The latter you can always set up yourself! Make sure to stay up to date with Togher Community Garden o...

With 62% of people in Ireland being regular drinkers of coffee, a bean we can't grow in Ireland, how can we make our consumption more sustainable? Alejandro, the man behind Ethical Origin , uses his Columbian roots to our advantage, and connects Ireland directly to coffee farmers. [03:25] Alejandro introduces himself [08:25] Ethical Origin . What’s it all about? [11:25] A look into the issues coff...

@tryingtobegreensince2016 is an Instagram account run by teacher Ide. She constantly shares the most thoughtful eco alternatives for absolutely everything. Like me, she's no expert on environmentalism, but you don't have to be to make a difference! She has generated so much advice over the years, I'm only delighted to have her share some insights and tips on Book of Leaves. Have a listen! [03:20]...

‘Save the paper!’ is something we hear so often, but every email, every website loaded and attachment sent, has a carbon footprint. This waste is often tucked away in data centres and thus out of sight, out of mind. Gerry McGovern has been working with the internet since the 90s and is here to remind us that digital is very much physical. From waste produced by our electronic goods to what needs t...

I only came across the amazing work of Sea Shepherd Ireland recently, despite them being around for  years  and doing absolutely amazing work! I hope you enjoy hearing country director Emma Tuite's beautiful story in how her love for the sea and its creatures developed, alongside the importance of Ireland in protecting our marine areas. Sea Shepherd are always on the look for volunteers,...

Book of Leaves is baaaack! How I've missed ye. Have a listen to episode 80 to hear about what I'm up to, and some travel diaries for you. Having visited Asia for the first time a few weeks ago, I gathered a few travel tips as leaves you can add to to your book. In two weeks, I'll be back with our usual interview format. In the meantime, here's all the topics I cover:   [04:45] Upcoming event...

If you haven't heard of forest bathing before, well you're in for a treat! And no, you can keep your kit on and leave the bathrobe at home. Forest bathing is about bathing your senses in the surrounds of a forest. The mental and physical health benefits of this are astonishing and of course, it strengthens your relationship and awareness of nature. As we head into 2023, I thought there's no nicer...

When I put the call out for suggestions of who I should interview on the podcast, Laragh McCann recommended interviewing her old school friend Fiona Byrne Ryan, who packed up her house and job to live in a tent in North Minnesota with her husband and son. How could I not! Fiona and her husband Brandon have been documenting their journey of what it's like to just  be  on and with the eart...

Just when I think I know all the essential information around Ireland’s woodlands, I learn that we have rainforests! Eoghan Daltun is on a mission to re-wild a neglected farm and lucky for us,  he wrote about about the journey  so far, so that we can have in on his learnings. Make sure to follow own on  Twitter  or  Instagram  @IrishRainforest for more facts and leave...

The wellness industry can be very hypocritical. On one hand it encourages it to be good to ourselves, while on the other it perpetuates harmful beauty standards or uses materials that exploit animals and the planet. Stefanie from Glow Circle is an amazing example of how you can break tradition and use the power of plants to create eco friendly, vegan products, and promote a wellness culture that d...

Only this year did I get to meet and work with Maeve for the first time, on a youth led climate project called Rising Tide (which is definitely worth checking out). Having known of her brilliant human rights and environmental activism through art for a long time, I'm only DElighted to finally have her on the show. You can check out her website here , where there's also a contact page, or follow he...

I came to know Caitríona through Extinction Rebellion. She has been showing up to protests since she was a child, and organising them since she was in her teens! She is an activist who advocated anti war, animal rights, Repealing the 8th, and of course the environment. She is now a member of Connecting Cabra & The Dóthain Collective, as well as being a recent graduate of the DCU Masters in Cli...

Common Knowledge is a new non-profit community based in County Clare, whose goal is to facilitate the sharing of skills we have almost lost over the years. From building a home works with nature as opposed to against, making ropes from scratch, or dyeing your own clothes with natural dyes, there's nothing this community isn't open to sharing! Check out their website , donate to their fundraiser ,...

A film student turned gardener, Connor Howlett is now based in Inchicore where he works as a gardener for Stillgarden Distillery . Why and how would a distillery use various gardens and organise foraging adventures? Well you'll just have to listen to find out! You can stay up to date with Connor on Instagram @thegardenerder , but don't forget to also follow @stillgarden_socialbotanists and @stillg...

This interview is with website designer and ethical activist JR Doyle of Kindly JR . Not only is she a wonderful person to work with, but I have learned so much from her since we connected on social media, and even more so in this interview. Whether you subscribe to all the emails, or you have a website of your own, I'm sure there'll be a leaf or two you can take away from JR's book. Don't forget...

Evelyn Suttle joins me for episode 70 to chat veganism, civil resistance, food security in Ireland, and Eco Feminism. With ties to so many groups that are striving to make the world a better place, Evelyn is a wonderful source of inspiration, whether you're a seasoned activist, or new to the movement. You can find all resources mentioned in below, but make sure to stay up to date with @Veghuns. [0...

You may have come across Orla Murphy’s story if you follow Irish climate activist groups, as they spent 5 weeks in prison last year for a direct action at Iveagh House that sparked some controversy. Here, Orla tells of their two actions that resulted in arrest here in Ireland, the ‘justice’ that was served, as well the broken prison system. We end with practical advice and tips that anyone can tak...

Diane is a wonderful beacon of joy in the climate movement in Ireland. She weaves activism into all aspects of her life from parenting & running The Sustainable Life School to her stand-up comedy shows. Full of practical tips and many laughs, I hope you enjoy this chat! Don't forget to check out t heir website and follow @SustainableLifeSchool and @DianeOConnor9 on Instagram for more tips and...

Rachel Dempsey has been clued into the environmental crisis since way before it was ‘cool’. She has a fascinating wealth of knowledge she has picked up and shared all across the world and I’m honoured to have been given her time for this interview. She was also the original creator of the Zero Waste Ireland Facebook group that has been mentioned on the podcast so many times before thanks to its he...

Patrick began an initiative with VOICE Ireland called Picker Pals that started with an unfortunate incident that turned into magic... Make sure to check out www.pickerpalsworld.org to request a pack or check out their resources. They also have a YouTube and can be followed on Facebook , Instagram @pickerpals and Twitter @pickerpalsworld [04:10] Intro to Patrick. [06:20] How Picker Pals came about....