My Natural Habitat

Dark and enchanted forests are the setting for many of the stories we grow up with as children. They give us a unique perspective on the natural world that can influence how we understand it. Jane Mather shares a story of the dawn chorus and discusses the meaning that lies within it.

International travel has been halted by Covid-19. With questions already existing for many about the sustainability of our long-haul lifestyles, could a post-lockdown world reinvent the way we explore? Dr Emilie Crossley discussed the psychological concept of ecological grief and the opportunities for positive change in the tourism industry.

Carbon offsetting spells redemption for the flight-shame of long-haul travellers. But where does the money go? Jo Anderson is financial director of Carbon Tanzania, an organisation that creates and sells carbon offsets through forest protection.

Rewilding aims to restore lost wilderness with minimum intervention from humans. However, the reintroduction of predators such as wolves and lynx is a proposal that has caused dispute throughout Europe. To gain an insight to what it might be like to live alongside apex predators, I speak with Laura Perry and Antonia Leckie, two women working with lions and the communities that interact with them in East Africa.

Removing obsolete dams will bring new life to rivers, argue environmental advocates. Hydroelectricity was once hailed as a green alternative to fossil fuels, but do the ecological consequences outweigh the benefits? Ulrich Eichelmann discusses the work of RiverWatch, an organisation taking legal action to remove obsolete dams throughout Europe.

The oceans are being depleted of fish at an alarming rate. But a large portion of the world’s human population are reliant on fish as a source of food. I speak with Dr Solene Guggisberg about the law of the sea and the dark patches that allow wealthy nations to pillage foreign coasts.