Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty (Omnibus)

Original version

BBC Radio 4 Extra

Factual: Life Stories

Factual: Science & Nature

Diary of a Young Naturalist, by Dara McAnulty

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty (Omnibus)

An autistic teenager documents the passing of a year in both nature and his life.

Autistic teenager, Dara McAnulty, documents a year in his life as a person with an intense connection to the natural world.

Chronicles of the turning world of autistic teenager Dara McAnulty.

“I was diagnosed with Asperger’s/autism aged five. By age seven I knew I was very different, I had got used to the isolation, my inability to break through into the world of talking about football or Minecraft was not tolerated. Then came the bullying. Nature became so much more than an escape; it became a life-support system.”

Beginning in spring, his diary takes us through a year in his home patch in Northern Ireland.

Omnibus of five episodes abridged by Jill Waters and Isobel Creed.  

These vivid and moving diary entries about Dara’s connection to wildlife, and the way he sees the world, are raw in their telling and urgent in their message. They communicate his intense connection to the natural world, and his perspective as a teenager juggling exams and trying to build friendships alongside a life of campaigning.

Written and read by Dara McAnulty.

Producer: Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in May 2020.

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama. With recent favourites from BBC Radio 4.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty (Omnibus)

Genres

BBC Radio 4 Extra

About BBC Radio 4 Extra