Today Mary is talking to Dr Paddy Madden.

"How far we adults have retreated from childhood"

Paddy worked as a primary school teacher for three decades before becoming a lecturer in SESE education. He presently works as a Heritage in School Specialist and delivers CPD courses. He constructed the first school wildlife garden in Ireland in 1984 on which his thrice printed book Go Wild at School is based.

In 2010 he co-founded SEED, an organisation which seeks to promote school gardening on the island of Ireland. To date, SEED has organised 6 school garden conferences and has planned and constructed 7 school gardens at Bloom.

In 2019 Des Murtagh and Paddy launched a new website www.engagewithnature.ie

He owes his interest in nature to his parents and a primary school teacher in Lakyle N.S, Whitegate, Co. Clare.

Links

Listen to Paddy on the Inside Education podcast
http://bit.ly/2KJJgyz

Paddy's website
www.engagewithnature.ie
Videos on gardening and information on nature in general and Paddy's weekly blog.

An Exploration of the state and status of nature awareness, appreciation and education in the Irish primary school system by Paddy Madden. Available at http://rian.ie/en/item/view/164446.html

SEED (www.schoolearthed.ie)

Opening the World through Nature Journaling by John Muir Laws, Emily Breunig, Emilie Lygren, Celeste Lopez. Available to download free at
https://bit.ly/2M3xn73



Recommended books:

Go Wild at School By Paddy Madden. Available from engagewithnature@gmail.com
www.engagewithnature.ie

Looking at Nature
By: Elsie Proctor

Wildflowers of Offaly
By: John Feehan

Gardeners World
By: Geoff Hamilton

Last Child in the Woods
By: Richard Louv

How to Teach Nature Journaling: Curiosity, Wonder, Attention
By: John Muir Laws.

Poems
By: Wordsworth

The Living Countryside Magazine (out of print)

Connect to Mary Bermingham at
mary@burrennaturesanctuary.ie

Check out Burren Nature Sanctuary at
www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie
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