What if we were to focus our efforts towards environmental protection on moving forward, rather than looking back to an idealized past that is impossible to attain? Our guest on this week’s show, writer and ecologist Richard Nairn, centers his most recent book, Future Wild: Nature Restoration in Ireland, on this very question.

When Richard first started working on a nature reserve in the 1970s, awareness of conservation in Ireland was very poor. The passage of the Wildlife Act in 1976 marked a turning point, but despite having to comply with environmental laws and regulations as part of joining the European Union, Ireland had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the environmental world of Europe. Thankfully, things began to improve at a bit of a faster pace in the 1990s.

Richard went on to become the first Director of BirdWatch Ireland, ran an environmental consultancy business for over 30 years, is an Irish Times columnist, and has published seven books. On this week’s show, we speak with Richard about Future Wild and his thoughts on the state of nature restoration in Ireland. Beginning with an overview of Irish conservation history, we discuss greenwashing and paying lip service to environmental protection; the need for Ireland to address whole landscapes rather than isolated patches of land; and the tendency of the environmental movement to focus on loss.

.

Known throughout Ireland and well beyond as the matriarch of Irish cuisine, Darina Allen is a powerhouse in the Irish food community. Since opening the first farm-to-table culinary education program at Ballymaloe Cookery School with her brother Rory O’Connell in 1983, Darina has gone on to publish more than twenty cookbooks and has presented nine seasons of the television show Simply Delicious (as well as other programs). Rather than take a retirement when she turned 75 two years ago, Darina decided to open a Farm School to teach students about sustainable food production and consumption.

On this week’s show, we speak with Darina about creating the holistic curriculum at the cookery school; how the typical Irish diet has changed since 1983; and her involvement in reinvigorating Irish farmer’s markets. We also discuss the dangers of ultra processed foods and their relationship to our growing health crisis, as well as how we might continue to influence people to eat healthier, environmentally safe foods. We are beyond thrilled to welcome the one and only Darina Allen to this week’s show.

Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media.

Max Jones is a traditional food preservationist and the founder of Up There the Last, a project based in West Cork. Max’s work revolves around practices that turn the landscape into food. He believes that within each of us is an inherent superhero ability to know what’s going on in our immediate surroundings and seeks to encourage people to allow that intuition to guide our choices—particularly concerning the food we eat.

It seems like there’s not much Max can’t do: he’s a teacher, a writer, a photographer, a builder, and a craftsman—in addition to being the father of two. When we recently learned he also plays a mean guitar, we almost lost it! On this episode, we speak with Max about the true provenance of food; how a customer complaint about food cost put him on an unexpected trajectory; building the Keep with Sally Barnes; and the impact of excessive food regulations on artisanal practices.