Welcome to the Nature Up Bookshelf:
Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty
OCTOBER 2021 book
Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty
About the book: “Diary of a Young Naturalist chronicles the turning of a year in Dara’s Northern Ireland home patch. Beginning in spring—when ‘the sparrows dig the moss from the guttering and the air is as puffed out as the robin’s chest’—these diary entries about his connection to wildlife and the way he sees the world are vivid, evocative, and moving.
As well as Dara’s intense connection to the natural world, Diary of a Young Naturalist captures his perspective as a teenager juggling exams, friendships, and a life of campaigning. We see his close-knit family, the disruptions of moving and changing schools, and the complexities of living with autism.” Learn more on the book’s page.
Why Carolyn picked this book to feature:
This book is special for a number of reasons. Dara McAnulty is a bright, beautiful soul with an amazing talent for sharing nature stories. Dara said that “just the simple act of noticing something is the base root of all connections,” and this book is a string of crisp stories asking the reader to slow down, pause, and notice. His lyrical writing paints beautiful pictures of Northern Ireland’s nature secrets.
At 16, Dara is a leader in the youth climate movement, and a fierce defender of nature. He also self identifies as autistic, and talks in detail about what his walk through life is like. He experiences the world differently than I do partly because of the way his brain receives and filters information, and partly because of the world people who are not autistic create for him. I think Dara’s quote about noticing applies both to nature and to our fellow human beings. We need to notice what our similarities and differences are, whether that is something physical or mental or emotional. I usually feel a stronger connection to someone as I begin to learn more about them, even if on the surface we are very different. Dara is also an amazing example of someone pushing outside of their comfort zone to do something they feel is important. We all need more examples of this as we attempt to create meaningful change.
Quotes we love:
About nature
“I am not like these birds but neither am I separate from them.” (p. 72)
“The chick inside looks like an autumn forest rolled in the first snows of winter. The plumage is still downy, feathery constellations shine out all over it. Breathtaking.” (p. 71)
On being autistic
“Bright colours cause a kind of pain, a physical assault to the senses. Noise can be unbearable. Natural sounds are easier to process.” (p. 28)
“We rarely think of all of that effort being made below the water, those webbed propellers whirring so the bird can glide with such ease and grace on the river. It’s just like being autistic. On the surface, no one realises the work needed, the energy used, so you can blend in and be like everyone else.” (p. 165)
Interview with author Dara McAnulty: “How nature helped my autism.” (BBC News)
A reading from “Diary of a Young Naturatlist” by the author. (Milkweed Press)
Bookshelf Artwork by Green Sparrow Arts
