Mayo environmental advocates selected for national portrait series

Two Mayo-based environmental advocates, Georgia MacMillan and Aoibhín Ní Bhroin, have been selected for Bean Feasa, a national portrait series celebrating women working to protect and restore nature across Ireland.

The series, whose name means “wise woman”, is co-created by award-winning photographer Evanna Devine, Tóchar Midlands Wetland Restoration and Photo Museum Ireland.

Georgia MacMillan has been recognised for her work protecting Ireland’s dark skies, while Aoibhín Ní Bhroin has been selected for her contribution to river conservation, biosecurity and environmental stewardship through paddle sports.

Georgia is one of Ireland’s leading advocates for dark sky protection and restoration. She is currently completing a Research Ireland Enterprise PhD Scholarship as Mayo Dark Sky Park development officer, in partnership with the University of Galway and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Her research examines the role of dark skies in regenerative tourism, society and policy development, drawing on her work at Mayo Dark Sky Park.

In her role, Georgia manages dark sky programming, interpretation and nightscape restoration, helping communities understand the importance of protecting natural darkness for wildlife, ecosystems and human wellbeing.

She was a core member of the team that secured international accreditation for Mayo Dark Sky Park at Wild Nephin National Park, Ireland’s first International Dark Sky Park.

Georgia has also developed community initiatives encouraging people to monitor light pollution, while promoting dark sky tourism as a sustainable opportunity for rural areas.

She is chair of the Friends of Mayo Dark Skies community group and a founding board member of Dark Sky Ireland, an organisation working to restore and protect dark skies nationwide.

Speaking about her selection, MacMillan said she hoped the project would raise awareness of the value of natural nightscapes.

“I am privileged to work in nightscape restoration, a practice that reconnects us with the basics of biological rhythm — natural day and night cycles,” she said. “By exploring restorative lighting strategies that are both collaborative and practical, I believe we can enhance our nocturnal environment for the benefit of both humans and nature.”

Aoibhín Ní Bhroin is a kayaker and environmental advocate with an MSc in marine and freshwater resources management from the University of Galway.

Through her work with Canoeing Ireland, she has helped introduce an environmental module into instructor training and developed educational resources for people who move between waterways through sport.

Her work focuses on protecting rivers, lakes and other freshwater environments through improved biosecurity and environmental awareness.

Aoibhín has also developed connectedness-to-nature workshops for kayak instructors and is a member of The River Collective, a global network working to turn knowledge into action for healthy rivers.

“I would like to express my gratitude for being selected for this incredible project,” Ní Bhroin said. “It is such an honour to be given this opportunity and to be able to promote the protection and restoration of our water bodies, both in terms of environmental quality and community connections.”

Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan said Bean Feasa celebrated women 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,” he said.

Evanna Devine was awarded the €15,000 Bean Feasa Photography Commission following an international open call. Photo Museum Ireland is supporting the development, production and curation of the project, including access to specialist image-processing facilities.

The completed portraits will form part of a public exhibition and publication launching in November 2026 before touring nationally.

Bean Feasa forms part of the wider work of Tóchar Midlands Wetland Restoration, 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. Further information is available on the Tóchar Wetlands website.