Bean Feasa, meaning wise woman, celebrates women helping to restore, protect and reimagine nature across Ireland.
Thursday, 24 September 2026, Ireland: Leitrim environmental educator and former Conservation Ranger Fiona Wheeldon is among the stories of thirteen women being featured in Bean Feasa, a national portrait series co-created by award-winning photographer Evanna Devine, Tóchar Midlands Wetland Restoration and Photo Museum Ireland. Her selection recognises her contribution to environmental education, habitat restoration and grassroots conservation action.
Former Conservation Ranger Fiona Wheeldon is recognised for her longstanding commitment to nature conservation and environmental education in County Leitrim. Through her work, she has helped people of all ages develop a deeper understanding of biodiversity while actively contributing to the restoration and protection of local habitats.
In 2019, Fiona established Green Shoots Play Group, a voluntary parent and toddler group based at The Organic Centre in Rossinver. The initiative encourages children and families to engage directly with nature through activities such as pond surveys, wildlife identification, food growing and seasonal outdoor learning experiences. Through hands-on exploration of the natural world, participants learn about biodiversity, ecosystems and the importance of caring for the environment from an early age.
Fiona is also a founding member of Our Native Glens, a volunteer-led conservation group dedicated to restoring Leitrim’s Atlantic temperate rainforest. The group brings local communities together to undertake practical restoration activities including native tree planting, seed collection, invasive species removal and biodiversity recording. Through regular volunteer workdays, Fiona has helped mobilise communities to get involved in nature restoration while fostering a greater appreciation of Leitrim’s natural heritage.
Speaking about her nomination, Fiona said:
“Co-founding and helping to run ‘Our Native Glens’ has been my most significant achievement in nature restoration. As a mother with young children, I felt helpless to address the issues I saw around me. Now, as part of a group working together every second weekend, I see firsthand how even small actions can make a difference, whether it’s removing a Himalayan balsam plant near a river or a small rhododendron bush in an oak woodland that could regrow into a thriving Atlantic temperate rainforest.
Her selection recognises both her practical contribution to habitat restoration and her dedication to helping future generations build meaningful connections with the natural world.
As part of the campaign, photographer Evanna Devine will travel across Ireland to create intimate portraits of each participant in landscapes connected to their environmental work. The resulting body of work will provide a powerful visual record of the women helping shape Ireland’s environmental future.
Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan, said:
“Bean Feasa is a powerful celebration of the women who are helping to restore, protect and reimagine nature in communities across Ireland. Each of the women featured in this series shows the vital role that local leadership, creativity and community action play in tackling biodiversity loss and building a deeper connection with the natural world.
“Through the partnership between Tóchar Midlands Wetland Restoration, Photo Museum Ireland and photographer Evanna Devine, this project will bring these important stories to a wider audience and shine a light on the people whose work is helping shape Ireland’s environmental future. I warmly congratulate all thirteen women selected for this inspiring national portrait series.”
Commenting on the announcement, Shirley Clerkin, Project Manager with Tóchar Midlands Wetland Restoration, said:
“Fiona’s work perfectly demonstrates how nature restoration and environmental education go hand in hand. Through her dedication to conservation and her ability to inspire people of all ages to engage with nature, she is helping to build stronger connections between communities and the landscapes around them.”
Trish Lambe, CEO of Photo Museum Ireland, added:
“Bean Feasa recognises women whose work is shaping Ireland’s environmental future, while supporting a leading Irish photographic artist to create an important photographic record of that work. Evanna’s compelling portraits will connect these individual stories with the landscapes and communities around them, bringing this important work to wider audiences through this exhibition.”
Evanna Devine was awarded the €15,000 Bean Feasa Photography Commission following an international open call. As the national centre for contemporary photography, Photo Museum Ireland is supporting the development, production and curation of the work, including access to its specialist image-processing facilities. The completed series will be presented, along with a bespoke publication, at Photo Museum Ireland later this year before touring nationally.
The Bean Feasa exhibition forms part of the wider work of Tóchar Midlands Wetland Restoration, one of Ireland’s largest nature restoration initiatives. The project reflects Tóchar’s commitment to ensuring that nature restoration is recognised not only as an environmental challenge but also, as a social movement driven by people working within their communities.
Tóchar Midlands Wetland Restoration is one of the largest restoration projects currently underway. It is a three-year, €12 million wetlands restoration project co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund Programme. The project is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. To find out more visit: https://www.tocharwetlands.ie/.
The commissioned portraits will form part of a public exhibition and publication launching in November 2026 before touring nationally.