Winter Wonderland

It s 8:30 in the morning and I m standing on the freezing deck of a boat on the River Shannon. The air is what they describe as brisk and I definitely see the beginnings of icicles on my lashes. My gloveless fingers grip a pair of binoculars and threaten never to let go again. The tips of my ears complain that I have forgotten my hat as well as my gloves. The reason for this early morning experience is a wildlife-watching jaunt up (and down) a part of the River Shannon.
All this is part of the Lough Ree Rural Development Association s plan. With the help of sponsorship from the ESB they have set up the ESB Lough Ree Environmental School at Lanesborough a school with a difference, because it allows the students to interact with the unique environment of the area. The bogs, lakes, woodlands and callows of the region provide the classroom and the teachers are not going to look reprovingly if you get something wrong. Field trips on land and water form the basis of the school which provides people who are interested in the environment with an opportunity to learn from the experts about the habitats, flora and fauna of the midlands. All you need is good footwear and a waterproof coat (not forgetting those hats and gloves!). They will even provide you with binoculars and a promise that there s no homework.
On the weekend I attended I elected to take the boat trip first, figuring that there was less effort involved until I woke up properly. Needless to say I hadn t counted on the sharp wind working better than any alarm clock. Our host, Dick Warner, is one of the best known Irish environmental commentators. Acknowledged champion of Irish waterways, and an accomplished television and radio producer/presenter, he is well known to the general public for television documentaries such as Spirit Of The Trees, Ironing The Land, Voyage Around Ireland and Waterways. He also has a a dry ironic wit.
Dick got involved at a very early point of the planning stages of this venture. He maintains that the Winter School was his idea. The organisers had already put together a Summer School and he impressed upon them that this part of the Shannon and Lough Ree is particularly important during the winter months for over-wintering wildfowl and waders. Dick has an infectious enthusiasm for the project and hopes that those attending will get a feeling and appreciation for the tremendous richness of the natural heritage.
One minute we are spotting ducks and swans, the next Dick is telling us an anecdote about the invention of yachting on Lough Ree. Other ornithologists and naturalists often accompany him on the boat trips to give as broad a picture as possible of the various natural elements of this beautiful lake.
Leading the bird-watching trips through the woodland and around the lake is Richard Collins. Known as the swan-man for his pioneering work on what he calls his giraffe ducks , Richard is the official registrar of births, deaths and marriages in mute swans. He is also an experienced broadcaster and writer, who appears regularly on RTE radio s Mooney Goes Wild. He has a dry wit and a quirky sense of humour that lends itself perfectly to weekends such as these.
Richard maintains that our midlands are a forgotten part of the country and aren t sufficiently appreciated, so he jumped at the chance to explore and lead others on a voyage of bird-watching discovery in this neck of the woods.
Joining Dick and Richard are a number of other experts that delve into as much of the wealth of nature and environment as time will allow. Cathryn Hannon is one of the Environmental School s most popular regular hosts. A native of the area, her knowledge of the local riverbank, woodlands, peat lands and lake is second to none. She used to co-present on RTE with Eamonn de Butleir and she is also co-author of the ecological study Lough Ree King of Lakes.
Eanna Ni Lamhna is best known for her larger than life broadcasting work. Eanna has been a regular contributor to RTE Radio and in more recent times, the RTE s Late Late Show and Open House. She is a botanist with a special interest in and affection for creepy crawlies. John Feehan is one of Ireland s leading authorities on the natural history and heritage of peat lands and he is no slouch on the subject of eskers either. He is co-author of the definitive book on Irish bogs and he won a Jacob s award winner for his acclaimed television series Exploring the Landscape.