Part memoir and part call to arms. Daltun bought a farm on the Beara peninsula, in the far southwest of Ireland. He dug out the rhododendrons, fenced off the sheep and feral goats, and watched nature take the land back. Soon a rich ecosystem emerged.
This review captures the essence of Daltun’s journey and the profound realization that drives his work: the need to reconnect with and protect the natural world. By purchasing a farm on the Beara Peninsula and allowing the land to revert to its natural state, Daltun has demonstrated how ecosystems can flourish when given the space and time to recover. The transformation of his land into a thriving temperate rainforest, a rare and endangered ecosystem in Ireland, serves as both a personal victory and a broader commentary on conservation.
Ireland’s natural habitat is rainforest — of the temperate rather than the tropical kind. But so little of it is left, and that little is under threat. We bemoan the destruction of the Amazon but fail to realise what has been done in our own backyard.
As Dalton so rightly states, ‘Quite simply, it is profoundly immoral for us to think and act as if the entire planet were ours alone, and that we don’t have to leave enough wild spaces for the millions of other species that have just as much right to exist as we do.’ The realisation and humble acceptance that our species is just one of the millions which are lucky enough to exist on the planet and not the most essential one is a central message of the book. On one hand, ‘An Irish Atlantic Rainforest’ is not a ‘climate’ book- and yet, it is. I have no doubt it has changed perspective to encourage people to live as a part of nature and to respect nature as a living entity.
Daltun’s core message: the recognition of humanity’s place within the broader tapestry of life on Earth, rather than above it. This humility and acknowledgment of our role as stewards, rather than owners, of the planet are critical to fostering a sustainable future. The comparison to the Amazon rainforest underscores the often-overlooked importance of local ecosystems, reminding readers that the fight for conservation is not just a global issue but a local one as well.
In conclusion, The Atlantic Rainforest not only captures the essence of Daltun’s journey and message but also situates his work within the larger conversation about our relationship with nature. It challenges readers to reconsider their own role in the natural world and to embrace a more respectful and symbiotic relationship with the environment. ‘Quite simply, it is profoundly immoral for us to think and act as if the entire planet were ours alone, and that we don’t have to leave enough wild spaces for the millions of other species that have just as much right to exist as we do.’ The realisation and humble acceptance that our species is just one of the millions which are lucky enough to exist on the planet and not the most essential one, is a central message of the book. “An Irish Atlantic Rainforest” may not be explicitly framed as a climate change book, it inherently addresses the broader environmental crisis by advocating for a change in perspective and values.
It is a superb read of someone’s lived experience and the transformation it brought them in reframing their perceptions of the Natural Trees and moreover out dying Temperate Rainforests.
