Episode 83: Tracking Seals with Sam L Cox

This is yet another episode of the podcast where we talk about seals. This time I hit you with a healthy dose of unbiased, evidence-based knowledge. Actually, that’s not me doing the hitting but our guest Dr Sam L Cox who is a quantitative ecologist and researcher for the SeaMonitor project. In our conversation, we discuss the behaviour and spatial ecology of harbour seals which are tracked using GPS tags glued to their head. But that’s not all, Sam has done a lot of research studying other, more exotic, species of seals, like elephant seals. So, we discuss that too! We also touch on the anthropogenic impact on seals and mobile marine predators in general. This is one interesting episode. Enjoy!

Episode 82: Outdoor Therapy with Ruth Allen

The benefits of being outdoors for our mental health and wellbeing have been discussed on the podcast a few times already. But this is a subject that is always worth revisiting. Especially when my guest’s impressive resume guarantees a fresh and well-developed approach.

And so in this episode, our guest is Dr Ruth Allen, an outdoor and online counselling therapist, professional development coach, and experienced consultant, trainer and facilitator. During the podcast, we discuss the importance of connecting with nature, being comfortable with one’s own company and thoughts, dealing with negativity, the destructive effects of social media and the need to disconnect in today’s always-online world.

Lockdown 2 Vlog | Back to Where We Were

From your feedback on the videos, I posted during the previous lockdown I know that many of you outdoors enthusiasts were stuck at home. Many of you said that my videos of nature and outdoor settings were helpful in getting through these difficult times. Since many countries are reimposing travel restrictions, aka lockdowns, I decided to start posting regular short videos of nature and landscapes to cheer you up and hopefully help you get through this round of lockdowns. Let me know if you like the idea and the videos!

feature_thumbnail

Finding Bass Marks | How to Get Started with Lure Fishing for Bass – part 2

This is the second instalment of my beginner’s guide to bass fishing with lures. In this episode, I discuss the most promising types of marks and at what stage of the tide you should fish them. Also, I give you some general tips about how to find the right bass fishing mark.

For bass fishing gear visit our friends at landers.ie

feature_thumbnail

Episode 81: Skates and Marine Rewilding with Patrick Collins

Not that long ago I wrote a blog post about angling for endangered fish species, including the common skate, which is highly sought after as a trophy catch. These elusive fish, however, are classified as critically endangered and unfortunately, we don’t have much information about their life history. 

So I welcomed the opportunity to talk with Dr Patrick Collins who is a marine biologist at Queen’s University Belfast where he works on large scale marine rewilding. Currently, he is focusing on translocation of the locally extirpated flapper skate. Patrick is also an angler. A perfect combination! So whether you are interested in marine biology, rewilding, or you’re an angler who wants to learn more about skates, this episode is for you!

This episode was possible thanks to SeaMonitor marine research project. Feature image courtesy of Carrigaholt Sea Angling Centre.

Episode 80: Into the Wilderness with Byron Pace

Byron Pace needs no introduction to most of you. He is a man of many talents: a filmmaker, photographer, writer and the host of the excellent Into The Wilderness and Into The Anthropocene podcasts. Given that we share many topics, and even guests, on our podcasts I was delighted to talk with Byron. During our conversation, we discussed the importance of hunters and anglers for wildlife conservation and education about the natural world. We also delved into the subject of rewilding. Obviously, I didn’t forget to ask Byron about his road to becoming such a prominent outdoors content creator. For me, this truly is a milestone episode. Please enjoy Tommy’s Outdoors number 80.

Episode 79: SeaMonitor and Ocean Tracking Network with Ross McGill and Fred Whoriskey

On Tommy’s Outdoors, we spend a lot of time talking about fish tagging programs and various types of research supported by them. But our guests today are taking this concept to an entirely new level. They are Ross McGill, the Principal Project Officer for SeaMonitor at Loughs Agency and Dr Fred Whoriskey, the Executive Director at Ocean Tracking Network.

If research and monitoring of marine wildlife and the environment is your cup of tea you will be delighted to hear from these two gentlemen. During the podcast, we talk about the SeaMonitor project itself as well as the technology used in the research, from Bluetooth enabled GPS tags all the way to autonomous submarines and seagoing drones.