A blog about nature written by 12-year-old Dara McAnulty has attracted the attention of BBC Springwatch presenter Chris Packham.

A naturalist and broadcaster, Mr. Packham connected with the Enniskillen youngster through twitter, telling Dara that he has recommended him for a TV programme he is working on.

The Enniskillen Royal School pupil has also been tweeted by Canadian author Rob Laidlaw who is interested in featuring Dara in his forthcoming book about bats.

As well as sharing his passion for nature with the rest of the world, Dara, who has Asperger syndrome, finds that blogging has helped improve his school grades, particularly in English and Geography.

The author of the Young Fermanagh Naturalist blog told The Impartial Reporter: “I started my blog for two main reasons: one, to use my voice to inspire young people to watch, research and feel passion for nature; and two, because my English skills didn’t match my ability with words. This blog has incredibly improved my grades to A* level.”

Dara continued: “My blog has helped my social interactions with the rest of the world. I’ve had comments and feedback from over 20 countries and people from 70 countries have read my blog. My social media presence has connected me to other young naturalists and to some famous naturalists such as Chris Packham and Rob Laidlaw. I’m actually going to Birdfair this year to meet some of my fellow young naturalists! My hope though is to make a more local connection and get my school involved in an Eco Group.”

Countryfile were also in touch with Dara. He commented: “It didn’t work out but it was lovely to be asked. I have been amazed by the feedback! I just find it unbelievable that these things are happening to me.”

The oldest child of Róisín and Paul McAnulty from Enniskillen, Dara hopes that his blog will form a journal of his experiences. “I want to create something I can be proud of and it’s something that might actually help me in my career as a scientist in the future,” he explained. “I hope it creates awareness and helps those who for many reasons don’t have access to nature or the knowledge and confidence to explore and learn about it. This is already happening as lots of people have said my blog helps them. I feel really humbled that it has done this,” he said.

Outlining his passion for nature, Dara stated: “We are all connected, nature is a part of us. Feeling this connection makes us happier.
“I also love researching about the science of nature. It’s so interesting! I really love birds, I birdwatch every day. I take part in citizen science projects such as The Big Butterfly Count, The Big Garden Birdwatch Survey and I survey Hen Harriers for our local Raptor Study Group. “
His “big drive” is his desire to protect nature. He commented: “Nature is in crisis and we need to do everything we can to help our special landscapes and species.”

Dara’s favourite outdoor space is the Marble Arch Geopark “because it holds some of the most amazing wildlife and scenery in Fermanagh, especially my favourite bird the Hen Harrier.”
Outlining the positive and negative aspects of having Aspergers, Dara explained: “I like my ability to focus on the fine details and to see things from an interesting perspective. I like my ability to be ordered, punctual and feel great joy without wondering what other people think. I think I feel things differently and uniquely, for example, I see the need to fight for things. People with Aspergers feel a sense of injustice, we have moral courage and sometimes people don’t like that but I do. I’m a bit of a rebel!”

He added: “I think I see things black and white and I can’t hold back in debates. I think it affects my ability to make friends and I’m not very streetwise. I don’t like small talk either, which doesn’t help the friendship front! I sometimes dislike how intensely I feel things because these feelings can be very overwhelming.”

Dara looks forward to continuing his journey into blogging. He concluded: “My English has improved so much. It helps my geography, my local knowledge and my ability to take time to observe and research. It has also given me great motivation and skills such as patience and perseverance.”