Lucy Ní hAodhagáin (O’Hagan)

From a very young age, Lucy dedicated a lot of their time to activism, collective care and mutual aid. Today they focus on decolonisation through reconnecting people with Nature and themselves, so that we become tenders of the land again, through a project called Wild Awake Ireland. They are based in the far north west of Ireland, in a primarily Irish speaking town, which feeds into a large focus of their work on connecting to culture and the process of decolonisation.

“…in a country that has experienced a lot of colonisation, to reclaim language and ceremony and life ways is really important…”

Their work in outdoor spaces, informed by both personal and academic learning, embodies the power of reconnecting people with the land in ways that are mindful, restorative, and empowering. We were greatly inspired by Lucy’s deep-rooted commitment and mission for Nature and humanity. Their work, wisdom and practices for collective care are so important to share and spread, we had to make them part of our Class of Champions for 2025!

How does time in Nature, and feeling connected to Nature, help you personally?

“It’s no underestimation to say that my relationship with the land has saved my life multiple times. Whenever I connect to the wisdom of the mountain or learn from the intelligence of the crow or the fungi, I continually learn more about myself. Particularly the queerness of the natural world is really affirming for me and really exciting to see myself mirrored in the natural world. There’s often this narrative, particularly in rewilding fields, that if we just remove humans from the picture then nature will thrive and the world will be fine. But actually looking to the land, to the natural world and see where we fit in it and how we evolved to be a part of this place, fills me with relief. It also reminds me of the responsibility that it is to be alive in these times and my responsibility as a human.”

What advice do you have for people looking for a better connection with Nature?

“I think one of the most fundamental and radical things to remember first is that we are nature and that nature is not something outside of us. That is a colonial capitalist lie that has been fed to us that there is a binary between us and the land. With that in mind, I would say that people don’t need to even leave their homes. We can connect to nature within ourselves; by looking at our fingerprints that are shaped from the inside of our mother’s womb. We can connect to nature by looking out the window at some trees and noticing what leaves are on them now? What does that tell me about the season that we’re in? What does that season reflect to me about my own internal season? Nature Connection is a lot about curiosity and following that curiosity and being really happy to not know the answer, to actually sit in the mystery of this life and connect to that.”

What changes would you like to see to help more people access Nature and build positive, nurturing relationships with it?

“Ultimately, I would love to just see a complete reimagining of the ways in which we live, which are more aligned with indigenous worldviews and ways of living. I would love for capitalist systems to be completely composted so that people have enough time to take a breath and to remember their inherent belonging to this land and the responsibility that we have to one another and to all of the other species of this earth.”

Find out more about Lucy and their work:

Lucy’s Website: wildawake.ie

Lucy’s Airmid’s Journal (Biannual publication): https://www.wildawake.ie/airmids-journal

Lucy’s Instagram: @wildawakeireland