Cultural Identity & Landscape | Exploring the Burren in Ireland

In this interview with Brandon Dunford, you will hear his personal stories and insights from his life in Burren, including:

• An overview of the Burren’s geology, archaeology, and biodiversity, such as its limestone “skeleton” carved by glaciers, 6,000-year farming history, portal tombs, and rare wildflowers
• A description of the revolutionary Burren Programme that Brendan co-created, which rewards farmers for delivering environmental outcomes rather than penalizing them
• The philosophy behind the Burrenbeo Trust, which connects people to place through education, monthly walks, festivals, and place-based learning programs that inspire both children and adults to take ownership of their landscape’s care
• Personal reflections on moving from apathy to empathy in conservation work, the power of local knowledge, and how investing in communities can create sustainability that will protect cultural landscapes for future generations

Expected Learning Outcome:

This lesson includes clear expected learning outcomes that support students in understanding cultural identity through first-person perspectives, while building intercultural awareness and connections between individual experience and global traditions.

• Students will identify and describe key cultural practices and beliefs from the lesson’s focus community (i.e., Irish culture).
• Students will articulate insights into their own cultural identities and how those identities relate to what they learned.
• Students will analyze how cultural expressions (like landscapes) reflect values, history, and social traditions.
• Students will compare perspectives across cultures while finding similarities and differences through human themes.
• Students will make connections between cultural traditions and broader global contexts (biodiversity, cultural preservation), showing critical thinking about identity and intercultural understanding.