{"alias":"newsItem","byline":" As told to: Aimee-lee Abraham | Photos: Elaine Hill ","standfirst":"Young naturalist, activist and author Dara McAnulty has found inspiration and comfort in the natural world, especially as a young person with autism.\n\nHere, the former Scout talks to us about the central role nature plays in his life.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/6029/ehp_20140101_2406.jpg","width":7360,"height":4912,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EAt the age of 12, wildlife enthusiast \u003Ca href=\u0022https://twitter.com/NaturalistDara?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\u0022\u003EDara McAnulty\u003C/a\u003E sat down at his keyboard and started a \u003Ca href=\u0022https://youngfermanaghnaturalist.wordpress.com/\u0022\u003Eblog\u003C/a\u003E: Young Fermanagh Naturalist. It was an attempt to get all his thoughts down, and to share his passion for the \u2018beauty and wonder of nature; the challenges it faces, and the ways we can help\u2019.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver the days, weeks and months that followed, Dara watched in amazement as his writing quickly gathered support from some of the world\u2019s most eminent conservationists and environmental leaders.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince then, he\u2019s captured the imagination of thousands across the globe, spoken at 10 Downing Street, and scooped up numerous awards for his contribution to conservation, including the title of BBC Springwatch\u2019s \u2018Unsprung Hero\u2019, Birdwatch Magazine\u2019s \u2018Local Hero\u2019 and the prestigious RSPB medal, of which he\u2019s the youngest ever recipient, joining the likes of previous winners Sir David Attenborough and Bill Oddie OBE.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDara talked to us about how his passion began with picking up feathers in the playground and took flight thanks to the support and encouragement of a very special Scout Group \u2013 where he found himself at home in the company of other young people who shared his love of the landscape.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/6032/ehp_20140101_2496.jpg","width":7360,"height":4912,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt all started with picking up feathers.\u003C/strong\u003E Growing up in Belfast, I was used to being enclosed by massive buildings; to feeling contained and constrained. But there were trees lining the street. And a park to run around in. And there were plenty of pigeons that would drop feathers on the ground as they scurried past. As a small child I\u2019d pick those feathers up and look at them for hours, marvelling at all of the subtly different patterns and colours, finding little bits of wonder in them. The more I saw, the more I wanted to learn.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMy earliest memories fall into two categories: either I was spending time inside my own head, or I was amongst the creeping, crawling, fluttering wild things.\u003C/strong\u003E I\u2019m autistic, and the natural world always made sense to me in a way that people just didn\u2019t. I can still remember lying in bed with my parents, aged three, waiting to hear the early morning notes of the blackbird on the roof, harking from the kitchen extension. Whenever it came, I\u2019d breathe a sigh of relief, because it meant the day had started just like any other. There was symmetry to it. Clockwork.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA lot of young people don\u2019t get the chance to get to know nature, because their parents think it\u2019s \u2018dirty\u2019.\u003C/strong\u003E I\u2019ve seen parents warn their children: \u2018Don\u2019t touch that feather!\u2019 or \u2018Don\u2019t go near the mud!\u2019 I\u2019ve lived in cul-de-sacs alongside families who keep their children indoors and empty-nesters who tend to their lawns with scissors. If you\u2019re raised to view nature as unclean and unpleasant, you might always see it that way, but if you\u2019re allowed to explore nature from a young age, the likelihood is you\u2019ll fall in love with it, and you\u2019ll continue to love it for the rest of your life.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/6031/ehp_20140101_2487.jpg","width":7360,"height":4912,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt doesn\u2019t matter where you live, or how much money you have; all you have to develop a better relationship with nature is to start noticing things.\u003C/strong\u003E Start small. You don\u2019t need fancy equipment and you don\u2019t need to live in the countryside. Maybe, next time you\u2019re out on the street, you could listen out for the birds instead of automatically putting your headphones in. Or you could take a look at a street tree, noticing the patterns in the bark.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce you start noticing, you develop that sense of place; that connection. I\u2019ve always believed that anyone can do this, because everyone is born into this world with an innate yearning to connect to nature. It\u2019s how your life unfolds as you get older that determines what happens next, I think; whether you\u2019ll pursue that connection or lose out on it.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EI knew early on that my passions weren\u2019t typical.\u003C/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EIn primary school, it became apparent pretty quickly.\u003C/strong\u003E No one else got quite so excited over a fallen acorn. When I tried to show people the worms I\u2019d found in the playground, they\u2019d run away. I was badly bullied for a while. My inability to break into the world of talking about football and Minecraft wasn\u0027t tolerated. But I found solace in writing down how I felt about nature. It made it more real.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EI didn\u2019t start out planning to be an activist for our climate and environment; it was more of a graduation into that space\u003C/strong\u003E. I guess it began with my blog. I started it in June 2016 as a way to process my thoughts, and was soon shocked and overwhelmed by the response to it from people all over the world. When I got a few followers, I moved into Twitter because I wanted to really make sure that my message was heard.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EI\u2019ve since met some wonderful people and have had extraordinary opportunities.\u003C/strong\u003E I\u2019ve pushed myself to the very limits of my comfort zone, doing things I was scared to death of doing not so long ago; things I\u2019d previously felt so overwhelmed by I\u2019d get palpitations and want to be sick.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen I won the RSPB medal for my contribution to conservation, I made mistake of looking at the previous winners (who include some of my heroes, like Sir David Attenborough). I just couldn\u2019t believe I deserved it. I thought it was a joke at first! I\u2019m so grateful, and I hope to use these opportunities to show people that those who are autistic can achieve amazing things if they\u2019re placed in a nurturing environment.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAfter I found out about the crisis our world is in, I couldn\u2019t stand by and \u003Cem\u003Edo nothing\u003C/em\u003E, but I don\u2019t think campaigning is the magical elixir.\u003C/strong\u003E We need a lot more than our voices. We need reforms to the education system. We need more places for young people to go. We need governments to listen. We need social justice. All of these things. Only then will nature be fully healed.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u00A0\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScouts was a game-changer for me.\u003C/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EFor the first time, I was surrounded by people who wanted to be outside as much as I did.\u003C/strong\u003E My leader, Tony, was the person who showed me the absolute wonder that could be found in pursuing my interests. He was absolutely inspiring to be around, because he led by example and had all of these amazing outdoor skills which he\u2019d share with us all. Seeing that other people could feel that connection to nature as intensely as I did made me feel less alone; it helped drive me forward. \u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/6038/ehp_20140101_2529.jpg","width":4643,"height":6957,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBefore Scouts, my experiences with nature had always been pretty insular\u003C/strong\u003E. Being outside with other people was an entirely different experience. There was lots of time spent talking, and big camps we\u2019d go on pretty much every month together. It helped me to develop my conversational skills, which were abysmal at the time! Now, I can stand up in front of crowds to talk about my passion for nature, which is an amazing improvement. I\u2019d recommend Scouts to anyone: I think it\u2019s one of the best things you can do.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecently I\u2019ve started an Eco Group at my school. \u003C/strong\u003EThere are 18 of us, which is way more than I ever thought would show up. I was quite shocked at first. When we get together, I pass on a bit of knowledge about the creatures that live near our school and what we can do to help them thrive. Recently, we looked at the mudflat, and learned about all the waders and shellfish and seagulls who frequent it. It\u2019s been an amazing experience. In previous schools, I\u2019d always tried to set a group up, but there was always a reason not to do it: like not having enough teachers to supervise, or problems with insurance.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMoving out of the city when I was a bit younger was an incredible experience for me. \u003C/strong\u003EFor the first few nights, I could hardly sleep because I was distracted by the sound of the cows mooing in the field outside. I\u2019d never heard anything like it in my life! If you are autistic, change can sometimes feel traumatic. But it depends on what sort of change it is. In this instance, it was such a profound improvement; I\u2019d adjusted to my new surroundings within a week. Now, I go out into the forest with my family most days. If I didn\u2019t do that, I\u2019d probably go insane. I don\u2019t know what I\u2019d do without it. It\u2019s probably one of the best things I can do if I\u2019m really stressed.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/6036/ehp_20140101_2847.jpg","width":7360,"height":4912,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt\u2019s hard to choose a particular favourite landscape, because I seek out different things to suit particular moods.\u003C/strong\u003E If I\u2019m anxious, I\u2019ll go out into the forest for a bit. If I need some peace and tranquillity, I\u2019ll go up a mountain. It\u2019s hard to explain, because it\u2019s not based on logic. It\u2019s how I am. When I wake up in the morning, my brain will tell me: \u2018OK, this is a day where I really need to go out and get into some woodlands\u2019, or \u2018This is a day where I could really do with being sat somewhere 700m above sea level\u2019. It\u2019s instinctive, and I think it\u2019s something that you learn about yourself over time, the more you get to know the areas around you.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EI have so many hopes and dreams for the future.\u003C/strong\u003E I hope that our world begins to heal. I hope that the biodiversity crisis is resolved. I hope that people begin to listen to the scientists who are offering up solutions to these problems. I hope the education system is reformed, so nature can play a more prominent role within it.\u00A0It can be hard not to feel disheartened when we look at the state of our planet, but I\u2019ve seen dramatic changes happen before my eyes over the last few years in terms of attitudes. And young people are leading the way. I think it\u2019s a miracle we\u2019re finally waking up to beauty and fragility of this world, and working so hard to protect it. It gives me a lot of hope.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u00A0\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt\u2019s hard to choose a favourite memory from my time at Scouts, but if I had to choose one, I guess I\u2019d go for the woodpecker story\u003C/strong\u003E.\u00A0It happened on one our camps. I was hiding just behind a holly bush as part of a game. When I took a step forward, a massive woodpecker leapt out and scared the living daylights out of me. It was absolutely ginormous! It was actually the first woodpecker to be seen in this part of the world for a long time. You don\u2019t really get woodpeckers in Ireland, so it was a bit of a shock.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThroughout the rest of the camp, we\u2019d be lying in our tents at night and we\u2019d hear the knock-knock-knocking of the wood.\u00A0I can remember it so clearly; this blur of red and white feathers. I was in a state of shock for about ten seconds afterwards, to be honest, holding my breath. But standing there alone in the forest, realising what I\u2019d just seen: it was spellbinding.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u00A0\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EI\u2019m not really sure how to describe the feeling I get when I\u2019m out in nature. \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a multitude of different emotions, all flooding in at once\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C/strong\u003E A mixture of contentness, happiness, joy, and wonder. All of them coming in in different ratios, and building up to this overwhelming feeling of amazingness. It\u2019s impossible to describe it in full. And it\u2019s impossible to simulate. When you feel yourself making that connection, you\u2019ll know. It\u2019s probably the best experience a human can have in this world.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDara\u2019s debut book, \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.littletoller.co.uk/shop/books/little-toller/new-books/diary-of-a-young-naturalist-by-dara-mcanulty/\u0022\u003EDiary of A Young Naturalist\u003C/a\u003E, will be released on 25 May. Published by \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.littletoller.co.uk/\u0022\u003ELittle Toller Books\u003C/a\u003E, it\u2019s available to pre-order now\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u00A0\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"30 March 2020","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":76342,"nodeName":"Interview with a young naturalist","title":"Interview with a young naturalist ","type":"newsItem","image":{"url":"/media/6037/ehp_20140101_2674.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd00f15790","caption":"EHP 20140101 2674 (1)","type":"jpg","size":3472961,"width":7360,"height":4912,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Interview with a young naturalist ","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC83NjM0MiJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2020/march/interview-with-a-young-naturalist/"}