Smart human intervention can bring Europe's wildlife ‘Back from the Brink’

The show highlights how European conservationists are working — often using very simple and practical things — to stem the tide of a biodiversity crisis and climate change one step at a time.

Mooney notes: “Our planet is paying the price for generations of environmental mismanagement, but smart human intervention can bring Europe's wildlife back from the brink.”

And the show itself is also based on a very smart and simple premise: it’s made in conjunction with the European Broadcasting Union and 11 other member broadcasters so it can be broadcast in some 52 countries. Each broadcaster presented two six-minute films highlighting conservation in their country. These were then put together by the RTÉ Cork team to make two one-hour programmes. So if you’re on holidays this summer and flick on the TV in your gîte or mobile home or apartment you might ‘meet’ Derek Mooney’s Spanish or Austrian counterpart. They’ll be talking about topics such as the return of the Wolf to Rome and turning the Swedish Moose into a TV star.

Of course, clever Irish projects are also showcased in the programme.

Derek Mooney and the team worked with John Lusby of Birdwatch Ireland, to tell the remarkable story of how the farmers’ friend, the barn owl, is making a comeback for the first time in decades.

“That barn owl story was just fantastic, John Lusby is a raptor conservator and has been monitoring those birds for years. If you use rodenticide then yes rats die but the owls eat the rats and die from secondary poisoning. We know now that if we attract and look after owls they will kill more rats than just rat poison. It’s amazing and great that farmers are taking up that now.”

Another owl initiative also delights Mooney with its simplicity: “Barn Owls are one of the most susceptible birds to vehicle collisions as they often fly and forage near busy roads. But research led by BirdWatch Ireland and commissioned by Transport Infrastructure Ireland identified owl kill hotspots and shows that if we can divert their flight height above the height of vehicles — encourage them to fly higher to get over a hedge for example then they clear the road too. And it’s great that these measures will be considered when planning new road projects.”

Mooney travelled to Granada in Spain to investigate how irrigation ditches built by the Arabs more than 1,000 years ago are being used by farmers to combat drought.

Sierra Nevada National Park features mountains as well as forests, and crops — and water management is vital there: “How simple and so genius at the same time. These irrigation channels were put in to get water all the way down from thawing icecaps into the city and agricultural land to water plants. Of course water flows down — these channels direct it where it’s needed — let it flow and with that comes life. It’s a zero technology solution and it’s great.”

Mooney is also fascinated by the less ‘pretty’ creatures and laughs that Eurasian Black Vultures are “ugly looking yokes.”

“They remind me of Dustin the ‘turkey vulture’ and they wouldn't be my favourite birds but when you see them in operation...wow.”

This ‘public relations’ for nature is what the show is all about according to Mooney. “You have ‘bluechip programmes like Attenborough programmes and Eoin Warner’s recent series and they are superb and beautiful. This show is selling a conservation message. Here’s the problem: habitat destruction, climate change, biodiversity loss. And here’s what you can do about it — telling it through the people doing the work.”

And Mooney notes that a passion for the environment and natural world often comes more easily when people engage from a young age: “Children brought up with pets are very different people as adults to people who are not brought up with pets. If you’re surrounded by animals all your life and if you have to mind and care for them then it’s engrained in you as a child. Studies have been done showing this. It’s very hard to get people to care about anything until they buy into it.”

Other stories to feature on Back from the Brink include a visit to Portmagee in South Kerry where Lucy Hunt of marine NGO, Sea Synergy, and a local fisherman may have discovered a lost Native Oyster bed that could have a huge positive impact on biodiversity in the area.

Then it’s off to Berghausen in Southern Bavaria on the Austrian border where Mooney meets Corinna Esterer. She is the woman responsible for reintroducing the Northern Bald Ibis which has been bred in Europe for the first time in 400 years. Corinna used a microlight to fly alongside the chicks to show them the path over the Alps to their summer migration grounds in Italy.

And on a visit to Scotland we’ll meet scientists who are building the ideal location for the re-release of the endangered Scottish Wildcat.

• Back From The Brink is on RTÉ One at 6.30pm June 4. Episode two airs on June 11 at 6.30pm