Dara McAnulty

Dara McAnulty, a 21-year-old Northern Irish naturalist currently studying at Cambridge, is home for the winter break. He takes Martha Kearney to one of his favourite places nearby - the Murlough National Nature Reserve in the Mourne Mountains. This special landscape of ancient forest, sand dunes, and a colony of seals lies on the edge of Dundrum Bay, framed by the Mourne Mountains.

Dara shares his deep connection to this place and explains why he loves visiting in all weathers. He reflects on his journey into the natural world, beginning with his early years in Belfast and growing up as an autistic child, finding solace, peace, and joy in the outdoors - and then writing about his experiences.

His debut book, Diary of a Young Naturalist, won the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing in 2020, among other accolades, and he is the youngest ever winner of the RSPB Medal. Dara has also written three children’s books: Wild Child: A Journey Through Nature, A Wild Child’s Book of Birds, and A Wild Child's Guide to Nature at Night.

Producer: Eliza Lomas