Omagh woman shares her love of nature this Earth Day

Nature in all its striking glory is hard to ignore. Every single majestic and intricate nook and cranny of the environment is not only uniquely beautiful in its own right, but it is also a pleasure and delight to behold. It demands attention.

But some of us take more time to revel in its splendour than others…

For example, there’s not a minute of the day that Emma Denton, an Omagh environmental ambassador, doesn’t devote to Mother Nature.

The 24-year-old spoke with the Tyrone Herald to mark ‘Earth Day’ which falls today (Monday), sharing her life, which has been steeped in a fascination with wildlife, and her fulfilling career working for ‘Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.’

BUG COLLECTING

“I grew up in Omagh, went to school there, and spent most of my childhood climbing trees, jumping in puddles and collecting bugs,” Emma began. “I studied Geography at Queen’s University, Belfast, and spent most of my free time exploring the countryside and volunteering with the Belfast Hills Partnership, where I started to build more of an in-depth knowledge of conservation and the natural world.

“Since I was a child, I have always had a very strong connection with nature.

“I spent my summers becoming particularly proficient in catching grasshoppers and studying insects in old jam jars.

“I remember when I was around the age of ten; we received free copies of the Planet Earth DVDs in a local newspaper. I watched those David Attenborough documentaries over-and-over until the discs broke.

“Nature never ceased to amaze me, and it still does!

“There is always more to learn; whether it’s recognising a plant that I haven’t seen before, following an animal trail or recognising a bird by its song or call.”

FINDING JOY

Emma explained a bit about her role with environmental charity, ‘Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’, and how much ‘joy’ it brings to her life.

“I work for Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, the environmental charity that manages the ‘Eco-Schools’ and ‘Live Here Love Here’ programmes in Northern Ireland.

“My role is Biodiversity Recovery Coordinator, so my days vary between developing content for environmental education programmes and delivering nature-themed workshops for communities or young people,” she said.

“I think that finding joy and satisfaction in your adult life – especially your job – has a lot to do with returning to what you enjoyed as a child. That is definitely the case for me, because now I get to show people all the fascinating things that I have learned over the years, along with planting trees and helping to inspire the next generation of environmentalists.”

Her work with the environment is not strictly during work hours, however, Emma also dedicates a great deal of her spare time to nature.

PRIVILEGE TO BE CLOSE TO ANIMALS

“Aside from work, I volunteer as a trainee bird ringer with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

“This means that I often get up around 5am to meet my ringing group, and set up mist nets for the next few hours, which we use to capture birds, record biometric data, such as their wing length and weight and give them a little metal ring on their ankle, which will allow us to see where they move/migrate to and how long they live.

“This type of information is important for conservation efforts, especially because birds are a great indicator for the health of the overall environment.”

Emma started bird ringing in February 2023, and through this, has become an active member of Copeland Bird Observatory, where she spends time in the summer monitoring the birds of the islands.

“It’s a privilege to be so close to these wild animals in their natural habitat. It puts life into perspective when you see the simplicity of their lives, but there is also struggle…

“These birds battle against the elements, competition with others, and even disease or predation.”

IT’S EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY

Challenging readers to reconnect with the wonderful world around them this Earth Day, Emma shared some closing sentiments.

“I think many people have lost their connection with nature, and, therefore, don’t feel a responsibility to protect it,” Emma said. “But that is not the case – it is everyone’s responsibility.

“We are part of this planet and share it with so many other living and sentient creatures.

“Since the industrial revolution, the UK has lost about 50 per-cent of its biodiversity, and although we may be planting more trees, nature is still in decline. But the more that people are willing to learn and change, the more that we can make a difference for nature.

“As David Attenborough says: ‘No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced’.”

Top tips to help nature thrive 

EMMA Denton shared with the Tyrone Herald what everyone can do to play their part in helping nature to thrive.

She said, “If I were to ask people to do one thing, it would be to rewild part of their garden.

“As nice as you think your short, green lawn looks, it does nothing more than act as a ‘green desert’. I always tell children in my workshops that ‘nature doesn’t like neat’.

“We have to change our perception of what our gardens should look like if we are to reverse the decline of nature at a local level.

“Remember, if everyone does one small thing, it would make a difference,” Emma concluded.

• Leave a ‘wild’ space in your garden – it can be an area of grass that you don’t cut at all, or at least cut it less than you usually do. Mowing once a month as opposed to once a week is a great option if you still want a relatively maintained look. If you have the space, you could create a meadow or even sow native wildflower seed.

• Plant heritage apple varieties or other flowering trees and shrubs to support pollinators. Native trees like rowan, willow, holly and crab apple are excellent food sources for pollinating insects.

• Choose nectar/pollen-rich plants and avoid the use of double flowered varieties, which are either inaccessible for bees or provide no nectar or pollen.

• If you have a bird feeder, ensure you clean it regularly to prevent the spread of disease. You should also be cleaning out any water containers too.

• Stop or reduce your use of pesticides. Pesticides don’t usually target just one species, but they will impact many others and can negatively impact a whole ecosystem. If you have a vegetable patch, you can try companion planting instead of using any chemicals, for example, marigolds deter white fly from tomatoes and are also great for bees!

• If you don’t have a garden, you can still grow some pollinator-friendly plants or herbs in a window box or container… lavender, thyme, and chives have great flowers for bees.