Wild Connections: Nature, Wellbeing and Belonging

11am - 12 pm 

Poetry and Music Walking Tour - with Jane Clarke & musician TBC.

Join acclaimed poet Jane Clarke for a walk through TU Dublin’s Grangegorman campus based on her latest collection Coracle (Bloodaxe Books), which explores what it means to care for each other and the natural world in the midst of social and environmental jeopardy. These finely observed, distilled and intimate poems reflect on our kinship with all living things, facing the reality of loss while celebrating acts of restoration that inspire hope.   We will pause along the way for poetry and music, while also paying attention to the biodiversity being nurtured on the campus.

12pm - 1pm 

Renewed in Nature John S. Doyle and Eoin Warner in conversation with Duncan Stewart environmentalist and documentary maker

Join us for a powerful and moving conversation with two authors as they discuss their memoirs, both exploring the importance and impact of nature on us as individuals. John S. Doyle’s Salt Wind, Rising Water: Planting a Wood on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Coast (Merrion Press) is a gentle and hopeful ode to nature, capturing a story of resilience, community and learning to work with the land, as John and his family transformed two wild, windswept acres on Sligo’s north coast into a thriving wood, orchard, and garden. Eoin Warner’s Through the Long Grass: Love, Loss and Belonging in Nature (Gill Books) is a moving memoir that begins with loss but emerges as a powerful meditation on how the natural world reflects so much of our human story. Charting Eoin’s many vivid encounters with the natural world, this book celebrates the gifts that nature gives us when everything else falls away – patience, solace and a sense of belonging. The authors join environmentalist and documentary maker, Duncan Stewart, in conversation.

1pm - 2pm

Insect Portraits: Photography Workshop with Lisa Clancy

Join insect photographer and nature enthusiast Lisa Clancy for a captivating workshop where she will discuss her book Insect Portraits: Capturing the Personality of (Mostly) Irish Insects (Mayo Books). This collection of portrait-style photographs reveals the remarkable ‘personalities’ of Irish insects and offers a glimpse into the fascinating world of scientific research using these extraordinary creatures. In this session, Lisa will detail the techniques she used to photograph many of the portraits, as well as some of the interesting natural histories she learned about the subjects. The session will involve an interactive, hands-on component. Attendees are welcome to bring their own equipment, if they wish, and try their hand at creating their own insect portraits. 

2pm - 3pm

The Healing Power of Nature: Bridget Anna McNeill, Dearbhla Mescal and Miriam Mulcahy in conversation Maria Kenneally 

Join us for an inspiring afternoon of conversation with three authors whose books explore how nature positively impacts our well-being, and the importance of self-care in a fast-paced and challenging world. Exploring the wildlife, folklore and medicinal properties of common wild flowers and trees, Bridget Anna McNeill’s The Wild Within (Duckworth Books) is an immersive and enriching journey of recovery, healing and rewilding, one wild plant at a time. Dearbhla Mescal’s Finding Joy (Eriu) is a wise and heartfelt collection of poems, musings and prompts encouraging readers to slow down and notice the ordinary joy and calm to be found in the world around us. Miriam Mulcahy’s Walking to the Foot of the Sky (Eriu) charts Miriam’s story of walking the Beara Breifne Way. What began as a desire to experience the beauty of nature became a lyrical and life-changing journey through Irish landscape, history and renewal in the spaces where myth and memory linger. The authors join mindfulness expert, Maria Kenneally, in conversation.

10:30am - 11:30am 

Creating Creatures Workshop with Bex Sheridan: Age: 3rd – 5th Class

Join author and illustrator Bex Sheridan for an exciting and hands-on workshop inspired by her heartwarming picturebook Wild Eyes (Natural World Publishing). In this beautifully illustrated book, a young girl carefully and thoughtfully nurtures her little garden, making a deeply meaningful and lasting impact on the nature and wildlife around her. Immerse yourself in nature and discover some of the wonderful wildlife that might even be found in your own garden as Bex shows you how to create your own creatures. Then have a go at drawing them for yourself, putting your imagination on the page and developing your own ideas through illustration!