Nature on One is a series of natural history documentaries produced by the Mooney Goes Wild team, that will air on public holidays on RTÉ Radio 1.
The programmes will celebrate the different facets of the natural world that form part of the rich tapestry of life, a must-listen for anyone with even a passing interest in nature.
This series began at 3pm on St. Patrick's Day, Friday 17th March 2023, with a programme presented by Mooney Goes Wild Biologist Terry Flanagan about the Dandelion. Other documentaries in the series to date include The Bird Conference, The Mooney Goes Wild Dawn Chorus, Bats and The Puffin. Future documnetaries will include subjects as diverse as Peregrine Falcons, Tulips, European Bison, Beavers, Moths and more.
The Extraordinary Tale of the White Prominent
Presented by naturalist and author Eric Dempsey, The Extraordinary Tale of the White Prominent follows his quest to track down one of our rarest insects. Believed to be extinct in Ireland for over 70 years, in 2008 the beautiful White Prominent moth was sensationally rediscovered in one small area of Co. Kerry, where it had somehow managed to cling on, unseen and unknown.
The Wonderful World of Birds' Eggs
The truth is, most animals lay eggs . . . at least, the female ones do. It is the main way in which a vast array of different creatures, from insects and spiders to fish and reptiles, reproduce.
It is we mammals that are the most significant outliers when it comes to egg-laying, or the lack thereof, with the vast majority of mammals reproducing via live birth . . . but even then, there are exceptions, as the Duck-billed Platypus of Australia, the most famous modern egg-laying mammal, attests. In nature, the laying of eggs is the rule, rather than the exception.
But when most of us hear the word "egg", we immediately think of just one very particular type of egg. Those laid by birds. Those wonderful, hard-shelled miracles of nature, rounded at one end, tapered at the other and containing all of the materials required for the growth of an embryo from single cell to fully formed infant are today unique to birds. But, as we shall hear during the programme, they didn’t start with birds . . . they go much further back than that, and there is a lot more to them than meets the eye.
Presenter Niall Hatch,
Producer Derek Mooney
Nature On One - The Magpie
We look into the wonderful world of Magpies. Known to eat anything, including birds eggs and chicks. They are also thought to be one of the smartest birds in world. Produced by Derek Mooney, Presenter, Reporter and Biologist Terry Flanagan debunks some of myths and asks just why we have such strong feelings about this beautiful and intelligent creature.
Nature On One - The Beaver
In October of 2023, for the first time in over 400 years, a family of Beavers were released at Paradise Fields in west London, not far from Heathrow Airport. The reintroduction of these aquatic mammals was the brainchild of Irish Veterinary specialist Dr Sean McCormack. In this documentary we discover how one man's dream became a reality.
Nature On One - Great BIG Garden Birdwatch
Nature On One series on Public Holidays and Mooney Goes Wild have teamed up with BirdWatch Ireland, Ireland's largest wildlife conservation charity, to bring you our inaugural live Garden Birdwatch.
Nature On One series on Public Holidays and Mooney Goes Wild have teamed up with BirdWatch Ireland, Ireland's largest wildlife conservation charity, to bring you our inaugural live Garden Birdwatch.
Nature On One - The Pigeon
TX Tuesday 26th December 2023
RTÉ Radio 1
Presenter Terry Flanagan
Producer Derek Mooney
In this Documentray we explore the world of a common species, that's loved and loathed in equal measure, even though throughout history, this ubiquitous bird helped to save millions of human lives. Perhaps 'man's best friend' is the Pigeon.
NATURE ON ONE-THE OSPREY
TX Monday 30th October 2023
RTÉ Radio 1
Presenter Derek Mooney
The first Osprey chicks from a new National Parks and Wildlife Service reintroduction programme were released into the wild in August. Derek Mooney charts their progress.
NATURE ON ONE - THE PUFFIN
TX Monday 7th August 2023
RTÉ Radio 1
Presenter Niall Hatch
Producer Derek Mooney
The Puffin must surely be one of Ireland's most engaging, unusual and, dare we say it, comical creatures. These diminutive seabirds are utterly unmistakeable, looking like nothing else that can be found in the natural world. Indeed, with their oversized, multicoloured beaks, clown-like faces and endearing waddling gait, they look more like soft toys, children's drawings or cartoon characters than real, live birds.
We visit locations from the Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare to the Westman Islands, off the southwestern coast of Iceland, to explore the beauty and astonishing adaptations of these "sea-parrots", as well as to see how conservationists are trying to turn the tide so that these unique creatures can have a future.
Nature On One- Bats
Presented by Terry Flanagan
Produced by Derek Mooney
TX Monday 5th June 2023
In this Nature on One documentary produced by the Mooney Goes Wild team, biologist Terry Flanagan dispels the myths and highlights the important roles which bats play in the ecosystem. He also meets the dedicated teams of volunteers that work tirelessly on behalf of these oft-misunderstood creatures and talks to a scientist who believes that they may even hold the key to immortality.
For more information about bats in Ireland, visit
https://batconservationireland.org/irish-bats
Nature On One: The Mooney Goes Wild Dawn Chrous
Produced and Presented by Derek Mooney
TX Monday 7th August 2023
The dawn chorus is one of the most magical experiences in nature: a multitude of birds of many different species all singing together in harmony as morning breaks and light begins to fill the skies. As our natural world's most impressive and renowned concert, it is almost as though it has been tailor-made for radio. But what is it all about? In this special documentary Derek Mooney and his team explain the history of the Dawn Chorus on RTÉ Radio and take a closer look at some of the singers.
Nature On One: The Bird Conference
On 10th and 11th of March 2023, the 8th Irish Ornithological Research Conference was held at University College Cork.
Produced and Presented by Niall Hatch
TX Monday 7th August 2023
On 10th and 11th of March 2023, the 8th Irish Ornithological Research Conference was held at University College Cork. The culmination of years of planning, it represented the first opportunity since Covid began for academics, researchers, conservationists and bird enthusiasts to come together to learn about the latest scientific research into birds, to exchange views, to form new collaborations . . . and even just to connect once more with old friends over chats about the birds visiting their back gardens.
Our very own Niall Hatch was on hand during the proceedings in Cork to make a special documentary all about the event. Called The Bird Conference, it will be broadcast on RTÉ Radio One at 15:00 on Easter Monday, 10th April.
Nature On One: The Dandelion
Presenter Terry Flanagan
Producer Derek Mooney
TX Monday 17th March 2023
Terry Flanagan of the Mooney Goes Wild team as he delves deep into the world of Dandelions and reveals just why there is more to these amazing plants than first meets the eye.