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Nature Boy: A memoir of birdsong and belonging
£22.95
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Ornithologist Seán Ronayne always knew he was different. At school, he struggled to fit in. Only when he was surrounded by nature, listening to birdsong, did he feel a sense of calm. There, he could truly be himself. His happiest times were spent walking in the woods with his father and grandfather. So much so that his peers labelled him Nature Boy. When, at the age of thirty-two, Seán discovered he was autistic, his life began to make sense. The feeling of inner alienation he’d carried for so long gave way to a new understanding of himself. He grew to recognize that his difference was a gift, enabling him to use his passion to help spread awareness of the beauty of the natural world — and the danger it currently faces. In 2021, Seán set out on his mission to be the first to sound record all the regularly occurring bird species in Ireland: a journey of discovery and wonder that has taken him to the four corners of Ireland. Nature Boy is the powerful story of a child who never fitted in – and a man who found his place in the world. It is a celebration of birds, connection and being true to yourself – and of the extraordinary, healing power of nature. In telling his story, Seán demonstrates how the pursuit of personal passions can be part of a collective effort to protect the world around us.
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Seán's sensitivity to the natural world captivates the reader, allowing all of us approach closer and appreciate more the sublime beauty of what surrounds us * Manchán Magan * Ronayne lays bare the experiences that cultivated in him such a rich and amplified lens on the natural world * Sunday Independent * Nature Boy is an earnest and uplifting blend of biography, almanac, travelogue and conservation call-to-arms * The Irish Times * Seán's sensitivity to the natural world captivates the reader, allowing all of us approach closer and appreciate more the sublime beauty of what surrounds us * Manchán Magan *
Author Biography
Seán Ronayne is a Cork-born ornithologist and naturalist who has spent a life immersed in nature. Following a childhood spent exploring the fields and woods of his hometown, Seán went on to study Zoology at University College Cork (UCC), as well as a Master's in Marine Biology, also at UCC. After graduating, he worked at a seabird sanctuary in the UK, and then returned to Ireland to enroll in a Master's in Ecological Impact Assessment, specialising in ornithology. He secured his first professional ornithologist job in 2017, and in 2018 he moved to Barcelona with his partner Alba, a Catalan native, where he began recording birds and wildlife in earnest. And following their return to Ireland in 2020, he embarked on his project to sound-record all of Ireland's regularly occurring birds, bringing him all over the country in search of rare and elusive species, some of which were on the cusp of extinction. He has now just three species left to record, out of almost 200, and has amassed a collection of over 12,000 recordings of Irish birds and other wildlife. In spring 2024, Birdsong, a documentary about Seán's recording project, was released to great acclaim. Birdsong is directed by Kathleen Harris and produced by Ross Whitaker and Aideen O'Sullivan for True Films. Seán lives near Cobh, County Cork, with Alba and their dog Toby. Nature Boy is his first book. @irishwildlifesounds (Instagram) @soundsirish (Twitter) https://soundcloud.com/irishwildlifesoundsRelated products
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