Episode 2, Series 5
Episode 2 of 2
Sunday 24 May, RTÉ One, 18.30
Series Overview:
Two-part nature series hosted by Derek Mooney.
Derek travels across Europe to meet the people helping wildlife adapt to cities and helping humans adapt to urban wildlife.
Across the world, 4.8 billion people live in cities, leading to the destruction of 60% of wildlife habitats by humans and a huge impact on mammals, birds and even fish species.
But right across Europe people are making a difference – these are stories of hope and resilience.
Back From The Brink is an EBU co-production with nine broadcasters across Europe, with RTÉ being the producer broadcaster.
Episode 2 overview
Derek Mooney continues his journey across Europe witnessing the work being done by conservationists to ensure urban wildlife has a chance to survive and thrive in our cities and towns. These are stories of ingenuity and hope.
We soar to the steeple of Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral in the heart of Cork City, where a pair of peregrine falcons named Macheda and Samson have been helped to nest by conservation efforts of Sam Bayley (National Parks & Wildlife Service) and Alan McCarthy (Birdwatch Ireland).
The next generation arrives – a chick is hatched. Pupils from the nearby St. Maries of the Isle National School keep a close eye on camera footage which shows the nest’s comings and goings, as the chick, aptly named “Hope” by the children, prepares to fly the coop.
In Slovenia, Derek meets a team of botanists from University of Ljubljana Gardens who joined forces with the city council to transform bus shelter roofs into roof gardens.
In The Netherlands, Aaf Verkade is making a difference to a world most people don’t even notice. Hailing from the city of Leiden, she has a curious claim to fame – she’s the only person authorised to snorkel in city’s canal. Using remarkable footage she shoots herself beneath the surface of the canal, she advocates for the fish population.
Other stories featured in the series include starling enthusiasts in Belfast dimming the city lights in an effort to ensure their breathtaking murmurations continue in the city, hedgehogs in Berlin struggling with traffic, attempts to save otters in Wales and European Mink in Rioja in northern Spain, and how education is a key part of saving the native honey bee in Northern Ireland.
Featuring footage from Ireland, The Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Wales, Slovenia and Germany, Back From The Brink gives a birdseye view of what’s happening on the ground in our cities to ensure the human and natural world can live together in harmony.
Derek Mooney
A Peregrine falcon sits atop Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral in the heart of Cork City. Photography credit: Jim Wilson
A Peregrine falcon sits atop Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral in the heart of Cork City. Photography credit: Jim Wilson
Dr Blanka RavnjakIn, part of a team botanists from Slovenie who have transformed bus shelter roofs into roof gardens.