S2 Ep1: Shorelines

The undersea world often remains out of sight. In this episode, our guests take us from the forests of County Down to the rocky shores and hidden depths of Carlingford Lough. Together, we explore how we can make the natural world more visible through creative and scientific approaches, activism and art. 

There’s a lot to be learned from a walk on the beach, where creatures washed up on the sand provide insight on what is happening beneath the water. Citizen science can offer everyone a means of contributing towards marine research, by helping to provide baseline information for measuring future change. A lack of historical scientific data can often make it difficult to understand just how much life has been lost in our oceans. And so, in this episode, we take a look at the role that anecdotal evidence plays in learning about the ecological past.

Colum Sands is a universal storyteller drawing on a long Irish tradition of humour and poetry to weave songs for the world. He has performed solo and as a member of “The Sands Family” in over thirty countries, presented BBC radio programmes over 22 years, and produced over 100 albums. Colum is a founding member of RARE (Rostrevor Action Respecting the Environment). Today, Colum remains committed to a joyful journey of discovery, exploring how creative action can channel the energy of community power to celebrate, respect, and protect the natural life-support system that we are lucky enough to be surrounded by. 

Dave Wall is Citizen Science Officer at the National Biodiversity Data Centre where he manages the Explore Your Shore! and Dragonfly Ireland 2019-2024 citizen science projects. He also leads on developing the Data Centre’s work programme on citizen science and marine biodiversity.

Susan Farrell is a writer and painter who is inspired by her love for the shores of
Carlingford Lough. Her creative works intentionally seek to remind others of the beauty and
delicacy of the environment and the urgent need to preserve it.

Explore Your Shore is a national survey of marine and coastal biodiversity, intended to create a robust baseline dataset for intertidal plant and animal species in Ireland. Their website hosts a useful set of online training materials to prepare citizen scientists who want to contribute to marine research. The National Biodiversity Data Centre runs a range of other programs that are worth checking out. You can also visit iNaturalist, a worldwide community of citizen scientists.