Winner of the 2020 Wainwright Prize, Diary of a Young Naturalist chronicles the turning of Dara McAnulty's world, from spring to summer, autumn to winter, on his home patch, at school, in the wild and in his head. Evocative, raw and beautifully written, this very special book vividly explores the natural world from the perspective of an autistic teenager juggling homework, exams and friendships alongside his life as a conservationist and environmental activist. With a sense of awe and wonder, Dara describes in meticulous detail encounters in his garden and the wild, with blackbirds, whooper swans, red kites, hen harriers, frogs, dandelions, skylarks, bats, cuckoo flowers, Irish hares and many more species. The power and warmth of his words also draw an affectionate and moving portrait of a close-knit family making their way in the world.
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In 2017 Dara McAnulty was awarded BBC Springwatch `Unsprung Hero' Award and Birdwatch magazine `Local Hero'. In 2018 he was awarded `Animal Hero' of the year by The Daily Mirror and became ambassador for RSPCA and the iWill campaign. In 2019 he became a Young Ambassador for the Jane Goodall Institute. Dara lives in Northern Ireland with his family.
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