Podcasts about James Hutton Institute

Mark Stephen meets head of soil forensics at the James Hutton Institute, Professor Lorna Dawson. Mark meets Lorna at the Institute's research farm, Glensaugh in Aberdeenshire to find out what exactly her job entails

Tennants of Elgin is a family quarrying business that has been operating out of the North East of Scotland for fifty years. They have had numerous impressive contracts across Europe, but have recently begun some work that's a little closer to home – providing the granite for Aberdeen's Union Street works. Mark went along to meet with Director Gavin Tennant, and find out more about the quarrying process.Muirburn is a polarising issue at the moment in Scotland, particularly in light of recent wildfires across the country. Helen Needham met with Stuart Smith from the James Hutton Institute to find out more about the latest research on these land management practices.Buckhaven on the East coast of Fife was once a thriving fishing port, although the town's harbour has since been lost to time. Pupils at the Mountfleurie Primary School have been uncovering their local history in conjunction with the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther. Rachel met up with the head curator Linda Fitzpatrick to find out more about the town's hidden history.Rachel visited a community woodland in Gifford, East Lothian, to try her hand at some birch tapping. She met with Rupert Waites from Buck and Birch, who use birch sap in a number of ways, combining it with other foraged materials to make liquors and spirits, that harness the taste of the Scottish landscape.Kris King joins Mark and Rachel on the programme to tell us more about the Highland Ultra taking place next week. This race takes place in three stages, across the Knoydart Peninsula - what he calls the UK's last true wilderness. We hear more about what inspired the race, but also how the race aims to give back to the local rural community.The Corbenic Camphill Community is a residential care home for adults with learning disabilities. This year marks the 10th anniversary of their Poetry Path, which winds through the surrounding grounds and showcases the work of some of Scotland's greatest poets, as well as the work of some of the care home's residents. Mark met with Jon Plunkett, the Community Director, to find out more about the inspiration behind this project, and how they are celebrating this anniversary.Aberdeen and Stonehaven Yacht Club have begun their spring season of sailing upon the Loch of Skene. Mark headed out on the water with them, to find out more about the club, their history, and the exciting events they host throughout the year.

A project that aims to use kelp extracts to manage nutrients more efficiently is underway with a partnership of experts funded by Innovate UK. The project, 'Assessing Sugar Kelp Extracts as a Nutrient Management Tool' (or SKE-NMT), is in its early stages and is led by Algapelago Marine Ltd in collaboration with project partners The James Hutton Institute, Atlantic Mariculture Ltd and the UK Agri-Tech Centre. This project responds to the need for more efficient nutrient management in agriculture by adopting a biological approach, valuing the importance of microbial and fungal communities in the breakdown, cycling and retention of nutrients in soil. Through application of seaweed biostimulants under reduced mineral fertiliser application, this project aims to confirm new nutrient management options through stimulating plant responses and promoting healthy soil biology. Kelp extracts to manage nutrients more efficiently Seaweed supplements (due to their uniquely rich profile of fibres, micronutrients and bioactive components) enhance the growth of specific microbiota in soil, which leads to a cascade of biological functions with beneficial impacts for productivity, resistance to abiotic stress and resistance to pathogens. This approach is relevant across a wide range of crop types including broadacre, horticulture and top fruit. As such, use of seaweed biostimulants meet multiple biotic and abiotic challenges to transition to more sustainable and resilient farming systems. This will unlock further research opportunities to explore larger-scale field trials to confirm the ability of kelp biostimulants to improve Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE). How does it work? Rhizosphere microbiota is a collection of microorganisms that live in the soil and around plant roots and plays an essential role in the degradation of organic matter, nutrient retention and recycling. Previous work has shown seaweed extract application improves microbial diversity and community structure and benefits crop yield and quality. The SKE-NMT project builds on an ongoing Innovate UK project, called 'Optimising Low Energy Extraction of Kelp for Soil and Livestock Nutrition', and is assessing the ability of biostimulants and livestock feed additives, again derived from sugar kelp using a novel low energy extraction method, to influence feed efficiency and improve soil health. The seaweed extracts are novel, firstly because cultivated sugar kelp (a type of brown alga native to UK coastal waters) is a new species in the seaweed extract industry with a unique biochemical profile. Secondly, these extracts are produced using a novel low-energy fermentation and extraction process. Cultivated kelp offers a sustainable and scalable alternative to wild harvested marine biomass. However, the potential of novel cultivated seaweed biomass, particularly in applications like biostimulants, remains underexplored. This project aims to establish an innovative supply chain where cultivated seaweed biomass serves as a cornerstone, significantly contributing to the global transition toward sustainable agricultural practices. The new SKE-NMT project will quantify the ability of these low energy seaweed extracts to improve nutrient use efficiency in stringently designed crop trials. This will explore yield responses under reduced nitrate and phosphate conditions and correlate improved uptake of Nitrogen and Phosphorus under fertiliser limitation with impacts on microbial diversity and community structure. The project will combine the development of new technologies (novel seaweed extracts) with further means to improve nutrient use efficiency in arable and horticultural systems. Wider impacts Conventional nutrient management systems depend on high mineral fertiliser inputs, leading to high input costs and environmental issues. Incorporation of seaweed supplements can improve NUE with significant implications for carbon emissions and soil fertility. This project tests the hypothesis th...

Farmers who've had illegal hare coursers on their land are warning it's only a matter of time until someone is killed. Hare coursing involves betting on dogs chasing hares, and police say those taking part are often involved in criminal gangs and are using more and more extreme tactics.Xylella is a bacterial infection in plants spread by spittlebugs. It hasn't yet arrived in the UK but has had a serious impact on olive trees in the Mediterranean. Imported plants are being checked at the border to try to prevent the disease getting here, but preparations are also being made in case it does. We visit a secure lab to speak to some of the scientists involved.And a new study has found that after 4 years of applying sewage sludge to farm land, the amount of microplastics in the soil had risen by 1,450%. Researchers from the James Hutton Institute and Robert Gordon University looked at soil samples from an experimental field in North Lanarkshire. Presented by Anna Hill Produced by Heather Simons

The National Farmers Union of Scotland Conference has been underway this week, and Kevin Keane is there, joined by Professor Colin Campbell from the James Hutton Institute, to hear his advice on how farms can become more resilient in the face of climate change.Muiravonside, Falkirk's only country park, features several attractions, from a sculpture and poetry trail to the Avon aqueduct. Rachel catches up with the park's ranger, Claire Martin, to hear about the history and appeal of the estate.Otters have been making a comeback along the Water of Leith, deep in the heart of Edinburgh. Rachel meets with Helen Brown from the Water of Leith Conservation Trust to hear about the lives of these metropolitan mammals.Sunset Song was written by Lewis Grassic Gibbon in 1932, and in 1971 was brought to TV screens across the UK by the BBC, in what is still claimed as one of the finest BBC dramas ever made. Mark learns about the history of the novel, and how the landscape of East Coast of Scotland, ahead of the re-release of the drama for the 90th Anniversary of the author's death.Phil heads out with the Highland VIP group in Inverness, who work to increase the mobility of visually impaired people by bringing them together with sighted volunteers to take part in walks and other outdoor activities.And the Turra Coo, the infamous symbol of a dispute between Turriff townspeople and the government over national insurance and rising taxes, received a shout out from the newly crowned BBC Radio Scotland's Young Traditional Musician of the Year, Ellie Beaton, at the competition's final last Sunday. Rachel heads to Turriff to hear all about the cow and her role in the protests.The River Tweed's salmon fishing has begun once again, and Mark heads down to see how the fish are faring at the beginning of this year's season.We also hear from Anne Woodcock about how important fishing is for the local communities on the banks of the Tweed, and the positive impact it can have on your mental and physical health.

As part of our 'Community' series, we're launching a new series called the Emerging Leadership Management (ELM) Network, hosted by Professor Rob Brooker, Professor Thorunn Helgason, and Professor Pen Holland. The new BES ELM network is born out of a shared vision to help and celebrate researchers' transitions into management and leadership roles. In this episode, they interview Yadvinder Malhi, a former BES president and Professor of Ecosystem Science at the Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, and Senior Research Fellow at Oriel College. Tune in to hear Yadvinder discuss transitioning into a leadership role and the key aspects of managing and leading a team. ELM Network | What leadership looks like with Professor Yadvinder Malhi By British Ecological Society is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Host Rob Brooker, Head of Ecological Sciences at The James Hutton Institute and Honorary Secretary at the British Ecological Society. Host Thorunn Helgason, Chair in Ecology, School of Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh and Board of Trustee at the British Ecological Society. Host Pen Holland, Deputy Head of Department (Education) at the University of York.

A creamery which has been producing Stilton since 1780 is due to close its doors with the loss of 60 jobs. Tuxford and Tebbutt in Melton Mowbray is owned by the farmer co-operative Arla, which has been trying to sell the creamery as a going concern. They've blamed the closure on what they say is a decline in the speciality cheese market. Dairy industry analyst Chris Walkland explains what's happened. There's been some debate about whether this wet spring has had an effect on the bee population. Ian Campbell is a spokesperson for the British Bee Keepers Association. He says this has been a challenging year for honey bees. A farmer who switched from intensive cereal production to wildflower meadows, and open access to walkers, says the farm is now just as profitable as when he was feeding people. Chris Skinner runs High Ash Farm just outside Norwich. He says even though he's not producing food, he feels he's still giving people a valuable benefit...and many visitors are happy to donate to support his wildlife work. Anna Hill joined him for a walk in the meadows. Scottish raspberries are famed for their flavour and quality...But disease, labour costs and supermarket prices mean the industry is taking a beating, with some growers pulling out or cutting production. Now the James Hutton Institute is developing varieties and growing techniques which can solve at least some of these problems. Richard Baynes has been to Invergowrie on Tayside to find out more.

Welcome to the second episode of In Conversation With… hosted this month by Senior Sheep and Beef Consultant Kirsten Williams. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. On today's episode Kirsten is joined by Poppy Frater (Senior Consultant, SAC Consulting) and Kerr Adams (Research Scientist, The James Hutton Institute). They discuss grass and water management and look at how to build resilience into a system. Also, the wet winter, late spring and how to manage grass growth and maximise productivity. To round off the discussion, our panel look ahead to the summer months, trends and how to plan for possible drought problems. Episode Timestamps 00.00 Introduction 01.29 Making best use of pasture 02.35 Three leaf rule 04.19 Grass target heights – hitting the sweet spot 05.45 Value of rest 10.30 Effect of a changing climate on water availability 11:55 Climatic water balance projections 15.23 Water footprint 18.52 Strategies to increase water holding capacity 21.59 Sheep are the solution! 22.15 Building resilience into the system 25.45 Learning from others 28.18 Software to help manage supply and demand. Scenario planning. 32.42 Forage crops 33.16 Cashflow 34.35 Change one little thing 38.50 Key message for managing grass supplies 39.34 Key message for managing water supplies 41.17 Kirsten's take home message FAS Resources www.fas.scot/publication/resilient-technology-options-for-water-management-on-farm/ www.fas.scot/article/water-scarcity-and-rising-temperatures/ www.fas.scot/publication/feast-or-famine-water-on-your-farm-water-scarcity-video/ Other Resources www.hutton.ac.uk www.crew.ac.uk/ www.sruc.ac.uk/business-services/sac-consulting/agricultural-production/grassland-management/grazeup/ www.farmingandwaterscotland.org www.rsabi.org.uk For more information, visit www.FAS.scot Twitter: @FASScot Facebook: @FASScot National Advice Hub Phone: 0300 323 0161 Email: advice@fas.scot

We live in a Consumer Society.  Rising consumption is good, since it makes the economy grow.  At the same time, we face a Climate Crisis.  Rising consumption is bad, since it makes carbon emissions grow.  People across the Global North believe we must reduce emissions but they are reluctant to reduce their consumption. What can we do?  Some advocate ecological modernization by making our goods and services greener.  Others argue that only shrinking the economy--"degrowth"--will do the trick.  Maybe both are more mythic than technologically or politically feasible. Can we square the circle (or, maybe, circle the square?) and find a path to sustainability? Join SN! host Ronnie Lipschutz for a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Jean Boucher, about the promises and myths of sustainable consumption.  Boucher is a senior Research Scientist and Macaulay Development Trust Fellow in Land Use and Societal Metabolism at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland.  His research ranges from people's attitudes about climate change and their carbon-intensive lifestyles to the demographic distribution of clean energy technologies, the socio-technical factors that influence cultural and institutional behavior, and macro-scale societal metabolics analyzing materials and energy flows through households and economic sectors.

A bumper programme, with five interviews covering everything from natural capital markets available to farmers to the fact that climate change is happening faster than predicted in Scotland. We'll hear from the Food Ethics Council about their proposals for UK dairy, from the head of the RSPB's Fair to Nature, and from a farmer who's successfully introduced hemp as a break crop. Helen Avery from the Green Finance InstituteAbi Williams from the Food Ethics CouncilChristy York from the Hutton Wandesley EstateMark Varney from Fair to NatureAnd Dr Mike Rivington from the James Hutton Institute. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/farmgate/message

Professor Lorna Dawson is one of the UK's leading forensic scientists. She examines soil in order to solve crimes. For over thirty years her pioneering techniques, using soil evidence on shoes, clothing and vehicles, have led to numerous high-profile convictions. Her work has received global recognition and now inspires crime writers such as Ian Rankin and Ann Cleeves. Lorna is head of the centre for soil forensics at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen, which conducts research into land, crops, water and the environment. She also works with SEFARI, the Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutions, delivering farming systems that benefit the environment and nature. Lorna's choices include music by Elgar, Mozart and Ravel.

Perthshire is known for its big trees and stunning countryside, and it is also home to a large number of artists. Rachel hears about the Perthshire Creative Trail which has been established to encourage people to explore the great outdoors while soaking up some art at the same time. She meets one of the organisers and an artist involved.Mark meets Mike Scotland, the founder of Community cleanUP. The Aberdeen-based group organises litter-picks to clean up the city. But as Mark hears, starting to litter-pick has literally been a lifesaver for Mike.In this week's Scotland Outdoors podcast, Mark meets Martin Kennedy, chairman of the National Farmers Union of Scotland. In this excerpt, Martin discusses river management and laments the lack of dredging and what he sees as the negative side effects.In response to Martin, we chat live to hydromorphologist Dr Stephen Addy from the James Hutton Institute. He tells us what his role involves and why our approach to river management has changed over the years.A little earlier this week, Inverurie in Aberdeenshire attempted to stage the biggest snowball fight in Scotland. Rachel was in the thick of the action as the snowballs were flying between the two teams.Before Christmas we asked you to send in your ornithological queries for friend of the programme and North East Bird Recorder, Ian Broadbent to answer. This week, Mark and Rachel met up with Ian at the Inchgarth Reservoir to put his knowledge to the test and see if he come up with all the answers!And in a week where the North East has been blanketed in snow, Mark heads out to muse about his love-hate relationship with the white stuff.

Rachel is on Deeside where a rare and elusive ant which hadn't been spotted in the area for over 70 years has been rediscovered in large numbers. She hears from the man who found it.And Rachel also chats to Dr Jenni Stockan, an insect ecologist at the James Hutton Institute who confirmed the ant discovery. She explains the process of identifying insects.We hear an excerpt from this week's Scotland Outdoors podcast which features author Peter MacQueen. Peter's family have a hut in Argyll but to get there, you have to cross a stretch of water by boat or canoe. Mark heads out to visit the hut with Peter and his Dad.Dundee Museum of Transport is on a major fundraising drive to make their planned new home weather tight. The museum has major plans for the old Maryfield tram depot but before work to relocate can take place, Mark hears about the maintenance they need to carry out.We have not one but two rare insects on the programme this week as we also hear about the discovery of medicinal leeches in Dumfries and Galloway. Craig Macadam from charity Buglife joins us live to tell us about these fascinating invertebrates.Rachel is in Edinburgh visiting Rhyze, a community mushroom farm. She hears how the group got started in a shipping container on a former industrial site and what their plans are for the future.Paul English joins the Inverclyde Time Teamers, a group of enthusiastic amateur archaeology detectives, and hears about some of their incredible finds.And sticking with archaeology, Mark hears about the discovery of the site of Deer Monastery where it is believed the Book of Deer, possibly the earliest surviving manuscript produced in Scotland, was written. Dr Ali Cameron was part of the dig and she tells Mark about its significance.

An interview with plant ecologist Dr Ruth Mitchell from The James Hutton Institute about visible and invisible forest diversity. And this week's 8.9ha Discussion is on Labour party policy on land use, trade and agriculture. ffinlo Costain is joined by Phil Carson, the UK Policy Lead for the Nature Friendly Farming Network, and by Vicki Hird, author of Rebugging the Planet, and Strategic Lead on Agriculture with The Wildlife Trusts. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/farmgate/message

Breeding a new potato variety is not easy. For starters, whereas most plants have two copies of each gene, potatoes have four. As a result, potatoes have a particularly large and complicated genome. Finally sequenced in 2011, a printout on paper would cover the distance from Melbourne to Cairns! Growing and screening new varieties takes time and space, making it both expensive and slow. Researchers at the James Hutton Institute in Scotland are fast tracking potato breeding. Using genetic markers, the team have identified new genes for disease resistance as well as the rapid screening techniques to detect them in tiny seedlings. With access to a massive collection of over 1,500 potato varieties, it seems likely the genes for every attribute we need is in there somewhere.In this podcast, Doctors Ingo Hein, Sanjeev Sharma and Xinwei Chen talk to PotatoLink about their research, and the exciting new world of advanced potato breeding.Link to the website: https://potatolink.com.au/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PotatoLinkAustraliaTwitter: https://twitter.com/PotatoLink_AuLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/potatolink/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/potatolink_au/ Please direct all enquiries to: info@potatolink.com.au Phone: (02) 8627 1040This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project PT20000 Potato Industry Extension and Communications Program. It was funded through the Potato-Processing and Potato-Fresh levy funds and contributions from the Australian Government.The music for this podcast is "The Beat of Nature" by Olexy, you can access the music here: https://pixabay.com/music/solo-guitar-the-beat-of-nature-122841/

In this episode we chat to Robin Pakeman from the James Hutton Institute about the underlying causes of nature loss in Scotland. Recently revealed in a new report commissioned by NatureScot and co-authored by Robin and colleagues at the James Hutton and from the University of Glasgow, these seemingly unrelated factors can have a significant impact on both nature and climate.We also meet with Clive Mitchell, NatureScot's Strategic Resource Manager (Nature & Climate Change) who takes us through some of the changes that need to happen for Scotland to become a sustainable, nature-rich, net-zero nation, and he gives us an insight into some of the actions we can all take to get closer to living in harmony with nature.More information:James Hutton Institute partnership news release: Considerable change needed to stop nature loss in ScotlandUnderstanding the Indirect Drivers of Biodiversity Loss in Scotland - A SummaryNatureScot Research Report 1309 - Understanding the Indirect Drivers of Biodiversity Loss in ScotlandScottish Government news release: New legal targets proposed for nature recovery

In part one we hear three interviews. With: David McCulloch from Tilhill on the urgent need to increase productive UK forestry for wood Niamh Carr from The James Hutton Institute on proposals for a green hydrogen powered farm And Stéphanie Mielnik from the Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute about the risk to investors if they buy bonds from companies with links to illegal deforestation. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/farmgate/message

On this episode, I speak with 3 fabulous queer wildlifers - all of whom you've heard from before during our second season from early 2022! The fields of wildlife conservation and biology are full of diversity, and I have some of those examples for you today. First up, we have Taniya Gill, who you first met in episode 16: The Thing About Personalities. Taniya is a doctoral candidate from the Department of Anthropology at the University of Delhi, and works closely with urban rhesus macaques of Delhi, where she studies their myriad personalities.Next, we have Ishaan Patil from episode 18: The Thing About Getting Started. Ishaan is a multi-talented, multi-faceted individual who has already forayed into several avenues of the conservation space: from environmental education and better understanding hornbills to social sciences and social justice at the James Hutton Institute.And then, from Season-2 Episode 19: The Thing About Landscape Avifauna, we were joined by Jobin Varughese. Landscape architect turned birder and ecologist, he is nearly Dr Jobin at the moment - having completed his doctoral work since we last spoke at IISER Thirupathi. Together, we spoke at length about our collective queer experiences and how they link into our careers! If you haven't heard the episodes I just mentioned yet, do give them a listen after this one! The work that Taniya, Ishaan and Jobin do is truly fantastic, interdisciplinary and inspiring! If you are a queer-identifying individual in the field of ecology/conservation, do consider joining the Indian Queer Wildlifers Circle! To be a part of this group - one that respects your anonymity and keeps your identity confidential - please write in to me at thethingaboutwildlife.com or DM me on any of our socials! We are currently a group that is over 80 members strong, and we're still growing. Remember, you're not alone - we're all in this together.

In this episode, we discussed SEAMS (Sus­tain­abil­i­ty in Edu­ca­tion and Agri­cul­ture using Mix­tures), a four-year project funded by the Esme Fairbairn Foundation and coordinated by the James Hutton Institute, as the project draws to a close. The project focused on crop mixtures and aimed to develop, promote and implement crop species mixtures as a sustainable crop production system for Scotland and as a resource for knowledge exchange on food production, agricultural ecology and environmental sustainability. We were joined by the project lead of SEAMS, Rob Brooker from the James Hutton Institute and Thomas Veitch from Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, who was involved in running trials as part of the project. In this discussion, Rob and Thomas reflected on the project's outcomes and legacy and looked at the next steps for crop mixtures within sustainable crop production systems.The data platform mentioned in the podcast is already available here, but will be officially launched at this year's Arable Scotland in July  For more information on the SEAMS project please visit:https://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/projects/seams-sustainability-education-and-agriculture-using-mixtures Support the show

Welcome to CropCast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Mactaggart will be joined by a range of industry experts, bringing you timely updates to help you make decisions in the field. Producer George Gauley, Editor Iain Boyd, Executive Producer Kerry Hammond, in association with the Scottish Government. In this episode Tiffany Mactaggart is joined by Dr Henry Creissan an applied plant pathologist at SRUC and Professor Adrian Newton, a cereal pathologist/ Agroecologist at the James Hutton Institute, to discuss their work, which is looking at the impact of reduced tillage on integrated pest management (IPM) and how farmers can practically incorporate IPM into their own businesses. Linked FAS Resources The Centre for Sustainable Cropping is: https://csc.hutton.ac.uk/ Hutton's IPM website: https://ipm.hutton.ac.uk/ Grieve's House Tillage Platform: https://ghplatform.hutton.ac.uk/ and virtual tour: https://virtualtours.hutton.ac.uk/grieveshousetour/ Arable Scotland: https://www.arablescotland.org.uk/ Groundswell Scotland is this: https://www.fwi.co.uk/regenerative-agriculture/falkland-estate-to-host-new-regenerative-farming-event-in-scotland Bayer open day at Boghall trial site. https://cropscience.bayer.co.uk/events/bayer-field-day-edinburgh/

The regenagri podcast is a platform for leading industry experts to explore the future of farming and the hot topics surrounding the global movement of regenerative agriculture. In episode 28, Rose Riley from Control Union UK, welcomes Michael Kavanagh, first-generation regenerative farmer and co-founder of the Green Farm Collective, and Andrew Christie, agronomist and agri-technologist at the James Hutton Institute, to discuss the biodiverse benefits of regenerative farming. This episode explores Michael's regenerative journey on his mixed arable and sheep 700ha farm in Shropshire, UK, over the last eight years and what inspired him and other likeminded award-winning regenerative farmers to create the Green Farm Collective. Andrew also shares findings from large-scale regenerative trials in Scotland, with a diverse range of arable crops, that have just completed a second six-year rotation and how the cost-benefit analysis is showing that regenerative farming can deliver public goods as well as close the yield gap over time. To learn more about our guests and follow their regenerative journeys and perspectives, visit the links below. Green Farm Collective Website https://www.greenfarmcollective.com/ Twitter @TheGreenFarmCo1 / @Churchfarmkav Facebook Green Farm Collective Instagram @thegreenfarmcollective James Hutton Institute Website https://www.hutton.ac.uk/ Twitter @JamesHuttonInst Facebook James Hutton Institute Instagram @jameshuttoninst LinkedIn James Hutton Institute

Think rainforest and you might think of the Amazon or Sumatra, but Britain has its own rare rainforest habitat, known as ‘temperate rainforest'. The Wildlife Trusts are beginning an ambitious project to restore and create more of them, using £38 million of funding from the insurance company Aviva. The impact of climate change on UK agriculture is something we often discuss on this programme, and many farmers are working closely alongside scientists to help prepare for the different growing conditions we're likely to experience in future. We visit the James Hutton Institute to hear about the latest in blackcurrant research and breeding. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Support balancing female hormones with brassica vegetables as part of your food plan. To help you choose natural plant foods to support your mid-life symptoms we are going to give you a snap-shot of … Boosting Brassicas for Hormonal Health … we'll talk about:· Why Brassicas are supportive of health, especially hormonal health· How you can maximise their nutritional properties to get the best from them· Ideas for your food planIf you would like to find out more about our Healthy Woman Healthy Runner Programme please book a FREE Discovery CallBook your place on our next FREE TRAINING: Learn all about our Healthy Woman Healthy Runner Method.You can choose either 12 noon or at 6pm (BST), whichever best suits your lifestyle. Book for 12 noon GMT, 19:00 AWST, 21:00 ACST HEREBook for 18:00 GMT, 13:00 ET, 10:00 PT HEREWe love podcasting but we love being with you LIVE even more so we can't wait to meet you in our ZOOM ROOM! SHOW NOTES (01:38)Brassicas - people either love them or hate them as they sometimes have a slightly bitter taste. There's lots you can do to make them palatable and easy to include in your food plan, and it's worth it as there are so many health benefits from eating them. (04:13)Nutrient Value of Brassicas include Vitamin C, K, A, B9 (folate) as well as being rich sources of potassium and phosphorus and contains smaller amounts of calcium, magnesium iron and zinc.Brassicas are a good source of FIBRE which is important for the digestive system and will help you have regular bowel movements which is important for many reasons but will help with the elimination of excess hormones.The Brassicas – An Undervalued Nutritional and Health Beneficial Plant Family a joint publication from The James Hutton Institute, Dundee and Herriot Watt University in Edinburgh. At the end of the pdf you'll find some tables which list nutrient content of the different vegetables in this category.(06:09)What is it about brassica vegetables that is known to be supportive for hormone balance?(07:05)How to maximise the nutritional properties of brassicas with preparation and cooking methods.(08:54)Should we buy fresh or frozen?(10:48)Should we be concerned about packaged brassica vegetables and how should we store them at home?(12:50)How to cook brassicas to preserve nutrient status.(15:05)Introducing the HEALTHY WOMAN HEALTHY RUNNER PROGRAMME and an invitation to book a free DISCOVERY CALL.(18:10)Food tips on how to add brassicas into your food plan. We share ideas for raw and cooked dishes: soups, salads, and side dishes. We and talk about goitrogens in brassicas and the potential impact on thyroid health.(21:27)SOUP TIPAny soup can be enhanced by adding some shredded greens like kale or broccoli or maybe tender stem. Add just before serving so the brassica vegetables are gently cooked.(21:58)SALAD IDEASUse a base of...

Join host Matt Tilt for this second episode featuring the Cereals 2023 agronomy and crop exhibitors this time featuring: - Olivia Potter of KWS - Simon Fox & Wilson Boardman of OptiYield - Richard Phillips of AminoA - Gregor Pierrepont partner at Thoresby Estate - Karen Walker of the Multiple System Atrophy Trust - Malcolm Macaulay of the James Hutton Institute and International Barley Hub You can also find out the latest tractor registration in this episode, so why not give it a listen!

Dr. Mike Blatt is the Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow and Adjunct Professor at Pennsylvania State University. Mike is a cell biologist and physiologist who studies cells to understand how the parts fit together to accomplish important functions in plants. He is also passionate about electronics, and he has built much of the equipment they use for their work. Mike loves winter sports, especially downhill and cross country skiing. In fact, he has skied throughout most of his life is currently looking forward to an upcoming ski trip to the Alps with his father who is still hitting the slopes in his nineties! He conducted his undergraduate studies at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver and at the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he received his BS with honors in Botany and Biochemistry. Next, Mike was awarded a PhD in Plant Biology from Stanford University while working in the Department of Plant Biology at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. During his graduate work, Mike received a Fullbright-Hays Graduate Fellowship to study at the University of Nürnberg. Afterwards, Mike traveled to Yale University Medical School to accept an NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship and then to the University of Cambridge to accept a NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship. He has served on the faculty at the University of London and Imperial College London prior to joining the faculty at the University of Glasgow. Mike has received many awards and honors throughout his career, including being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the James Hutton Institute, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is also Editor-in-Chief of the premier international journal Plant Physiology. In this interview, Mike discusses his experiences in life and science.

Mark Stephen meets Derek Stewart of the James Hutton Institute in Dundee.

From humble but happy beginnings in north London, Ray Perman has been a popular and much admired figure in the Scottish business world since permanently moving to Edinburgh in 1975. The former Scotland correspondent for the Financial Times, went on to found the successful Business Insider publishing group before becoming Chief Executive of Scottish Financial Enterprise, Chairman of Social Investment Scotland and Chairman of the James Hutton Institute – as well as many other roles. But you may know him better as the author of a gripping book about the 2008 banking crisis called Hubris: How HBOS Wrecked the Best Bank in Britain – plus two more excellent books about the pioneering environmentalist John Lorne, and the financial history of Edinburgh. Interview by Fraser Allen on 17 May 2022. www.allencomms.co.uk

In the first of two programmes all about beans, Sheila Dillon asks if they could be the answer to our issues with health and global warming. We're often told how eating less meat is crucial for a healthy lifestyle and a healthy planet. In response, supermarkets and food outlets have been adding more meat-free options, and whole plant-based product ranges, which are often highly processed. So what if there was another food that we could all do with eating a lot more of, that's relatively affordable, is healthy and can be good for soil health and the environment? For hundreds of years beans have had a reputation in the UK of being food for the poor, vegetarians, or as filler for stews and curries. Mainly sold pre-cooked in cans, the ranges have been growing in recent years, but by far the biggest seller are Baked Beans. Someone who wants to change that is entrepreneur Amelia Christie-Miller, the founder of a new brand called Bold Bean Co. Sheila finds out why Amelia's beans that come in glass jars, taste so different from the ones she is used to eating from cans. The beans are imported from Spain, where they are a much bigger part of the culture. The owner of Spanish restaurant chain Bar44, Owen Morgan demonstrates how to make them the main event; Dietitian and nutritionist Dr Megan Rossi from Kings College London explains how the can also improve our gut health; and Dr Pete Iannetta from the James Hutton Institute, and writer and grower Susan Young (author of "Growing Beans: A Diet for Healthy People and Planet") say we should all be considering growing more beans in order to reap the benefits for our soils and health. Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

Lorna Dawson is currently Principal Scientist and Head of Forensic Soil Science at the James Hutton Institute and visiting Professor at RGU. She is a registered expert with the National Crime Agency and works with police forces, lawyers and agencies in soil-trace-evidence provision and regularly attends court as an expert witness. Lorna is passionate about the effective communication of science, and her opinion is widely sought on aspects of soil science and forensic science in various media, including news, education, and drama. She has published over 100 scientific papers, books and book chapters and holds a diploma in Science Communication. Please join us as we discuss how studying soil can contribute to forensic investigations.Originally aired on February 17, 2022

Ishaan Patil is an early career scientist who is not sure what to call himself yet: anthropologist, environmental scientist or social scientist? He studied Life Science at St. Xaviers' College, Autonomous, Mumbai, and then took a year off to intern close to home at the Centre for Wildlife Studies and the Nature Conservation Foundation. Next, he did his Masters in Environmental Anthropology at the University of Kent, and now works as a research assistant at the James Hutton Institute in Scotland. He is multi-talented, with interests both personal and professional ranging from art and video making to social media and social justice. Social Media: Instagram: @ishaanpatil | Twitter: @Ish2an

What does fast developing technology mean for life in our food system? And how does what we observe change our understandings of nature? We caught up with Prof Mark Maslin - Agritech and Anthropocene expert at University College London and co-founder of Rezatec: Innovative Geospatial AI Ltd, Michelle Nijhuis - Science writer, Prof Derek Stewart - Dir. of The James Hutton Institute's Advanced Plant Growth Center and Dr Youri Martin - Biodiversity Engineer at the Luxembourg Institute of Science & Technology ~ to find out! Episode Show notes: https://linktr.ee/prophets_wizards_pod

So how can we value nature in our food system hands-on? And what are the social contexts in play? We catch up with Dr Lee-Ann Sutherland - Dir. of the James Hutton Institute's International Land Use Study Center, Cristóbal Reina- olive farmer + hunting society president and Bertrand Frézel - Peasant Farmers' Union Rep, to continue our quest... Episode show notes: https://linktr.ee/prophets_wizards_pod

The food system is reportedly globally responsible for a third of all greenhouse gases – so avoiding a lot of meat and dairy is widely recognised as helping reduce environmental impact. On the other hand, a vegan diet and meat-substitutes can involve intensive water production, high air-miles from flying certain products across the globe, as well as impacting the source nation's supply chain. And that's without even discussing how we move the giant tankers of food-service and restaurant industries around? Join the panel to discuss the good, bad and best ways of consuming food that is best for us and the planet. This event is brought to you in partnership with James Hutton Institute. It is chaired by Emma Harper MSP, with panellists Prof Derek Stewart; Dr Malte Roedl; Debs Roberts and Prof Mads Fischer-Moller.

The pandemic had significant impacts on supply chains, including food and seedings, exacerbating existing challenges with diseases and pests that come through the transportation and handling of seedlings. Vertical farming presents an opportunity to address some of these issues by propagating quality seedlings in a totally controlled environment to then transfer into poly tunnels or open fields with the comfort of knowing that the quality and health of the plant is intact. The potential this brings for roots, fruits and even trees is significant, and the combination of the science and technology is only really starting to scratch the surface here. To discuss this further, we welcome Archie Gibson from Agrico UK: one of the world's largest seed potato distributors. Archie is also on the Board of the James Hutton Institute. Click here to download your free introductory guide to vertical farming. To subscribe to Clima and see all the current editions, head over to igsclima.io.

In the first of our Food & Drink podcast series in the run-up to COP26, taking place in Glasgow in November, we speak to Iain Stirling of Arbikie Distillery about the production of and unique science behind Nàdar and the collaboration with the James Hutton Institute and Abertay University that led to the world's first Climate Positive Gin. 

In our fourth episode of season 4, guests Emma Aviet and Lorna Dawson talk about the colour spectrum of soil, links between science and art and the Salem witch trials. Emma is currently completing her PhD in English Literature at the University of Edinburgh. Originally from California, she moved to Edinburgh in 2018 to pursue her MSc in Literature and Society, after completing degrees in both English Literature and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.  Lorna is Head of the Soil Forensics Group at the James Hutton Institute, an interdisciplinary research institute based in Scotland which drives the sustainable use of land and natural resources. Since completing her BSc in Geography at the University, Lorna has over 30 years’ experience in managing and conducting research in soil and plant interaction, in particular its application in the criminal justice system.  Season 4 is all about student voices. Each episode features a student in conversation with a member of the wider community. Sharing experiences and finding unexpected common ground. Subscribe now for University of Edinburgh community exploration and really good chat.You can find more information on the Sharing things website.

Dr. Pete Iannetta, agroecologist with the James Hutton Institute in Scotland, has taken a non-traditional path to plant science. Fishing, aquaculture,teaching and social care were all part of his route to plant biology and ecology. Today, his work at the James Hutton Institute focuses on the utility of legumes in production and semi-natural systems to improve agricultural sustainability. In this episode of Plant Breeding Stories, Iannetta shares how his research on legume production and processing led to working on producing a carbon-neutral Scottish gin, Nadar. He also discusses his quest to breed out nitrogen fixation in legume crops and talks about how his broad life experiences and background in ecology gives him a systems perspective on the the connections between social sciences, economics and agriculture. A transcript of this podcast is available at www.pbsinternational.com/podcast Find more about Pete and his work here: Twitter: @AgroEcoAtJHI @JamesHuttonInst

Scotland has a similar climate to ours and the research carried out there is more comparable to Irish farms than work from continental US or Europe and on this week's Tillage Edge podcast, Dr Cathy Hawes, from the James Hutton Institute near Dundee in Scotland joins Michael Hennessy to discuss the Scottish experience of maximising rotations. She explains that in the region she works in, they have similar rainfall totals to Carlow but average yields of wheat and barley are a little lower than Irish yields. Cathy is an ecologist working on a large scale trial looking at a broad suite of system outcomes from the trial. These parameters include economic, yield mapping, crop diseases, soil quality, carbon storage, biodiversity, infield weeds, etc. Within the trial, different establishment systems, including the direct drill system, is looked at under a six year rotation (which includes potatoes). This long term trial has produced some interesting results already. Cathy points to the benefits of increasing soil carbon which has increased nutrient efficiency and also results in a better performing soil to suppress harmful soil pathogens. Cathy believes the results of the work can be very useful to farmers, especially where strategies can be combined to give benefits both economically and to the wider environment. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to: https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ And don't forget to join us for the virtual 2021 National Conference split over two days on Feb 3rd and Feb 17th. Register in advance at: https://www.teagasc.ie/news--events/national-events/events/2021tillageconday1.php

World Soil Day celebrates the importance of our soils for healthy food, flood prevention, tackling climate and biodiversity emergencies. To mark the occasion and find out about how regenerating soils can help us fight climate change, we got together for a discussion of "Kiss the ground" documentary on 26th of November, 2020. We were joined by three experts who provided local Scottish context to the material covered in the film: - Peter Christopher, PLANT Community Gardener and horticulturists with over 30 years gardening experience, talked about how the regenerative methods can be applied at our Tayport Community Garden and in growing food at home. - Dr Jennifer Brown, a soil expert from Ecological Department of James Hutton Institute, provided a research perspective on how regenerative farming can be applied in Scottish and UK agriculture. - David Aglen, Farm manager at Balbirnie farm in Fife spoke from the hand-on farming point of view on using regenerative agriculture methods on his farm. The discussion was lead by Kaska Hempel from PLANT and Helena Simmons, PLANT Carbon Conversation Facilitator and Community Gardener at the Ninewells Community Garden, and we were joined by over 30 participants from Fife, Dundee and beyond. This is an edited recording from the discussion on Zoom. Apologies for the variable sound quality - this was due to connection problems with a couple of the particpants.

LEAF Technical Assistant Emily Trivett chats with Ali Karley and Rob Brooker from the James Hutton Institute about the benefits of intercropping and the exciting projects that LEAF is involved with.Support the show (https://leafuk.enthuse.com/LEAF_Friend#!/)

In our latest episode, AHDB's KE Manager for Soft Fruit and Tree Fruit Scott Raffle sat down with Louise Sutherland - Chair of the Raspberry Breeding Consortium, Nicki Jennings - Raspberry Breeder at the James Hutton Institute and Jeff Layton, a Fruit Agronomist . They discussed each of their roles, the current state of play and how raspberry varieties may change in the future. To discover more about AHDB's role in assisting in raspberry-based research through our NIAB EMR Centre, visit https://ahdb.org.uk/farm-excellence/WETCentre. 

At IGS we are very aware just what a challenging time this is for our customers and partners, with many countries across the globe still in some form of lockdown or considering the right strategies to lift COVID-19 restrictions. There is still much speculation as to what a ‘new normal' will look like. There are many discussions to be undertaken and learnings to be identified from this pandemic as we adapt and shape our planning for the future. In our first edition we were extremely fortunate to have the chance to interview Professor Colin Campbell, CEO of the James Hutton Institute. Professor Campbell spoke with our colleague Kate Forster as our first podcast interviewee. To subscribe to Clima and see all the current editions, head over to igsclima.io

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the wondrous opportunity to interview Leanne Townsend. Leanne is the founder of Wild Food Stories which sees her leading a variety of courses, workshops and events throughout the year in Aberdeenshire, and throughout Scotland.Let's travel to rural Scotland and hop from birch tree to birch tree finding beautiful golden chanterelles. We'll experience living and foraging in rural Scotland and then look more broadly at the wild food landscape across the UK. We'll also join the Association of Foragers and see the culture coalescing around wild foods. How is foraging culture viewed in the UK? What are the conversations surrounding forage culture and the opposing viewpoints?Leanne is also an academic professional leading research with the James Hutton Institute. This role sees her analyze many dynamics effecting rural communities, including wild food! One of her new paths of research has given her the opportunity to examine different viewpoints in and about the wild food community. She aims to produce academic research on different foraging subcultures and foraging practices present in the UK, beyond just their economic impact. What are some of the questions her research is looking at? How can this research on foraging bring people together around an appreciation for nature?Thanks for listening and Mush Love! Directed, Recorded, Produced by: Mushroom Hour (@welcome_to_mushroom_hour) Music by: Ancient Baby Art by: Wyn Di Stefano Episode Resources Wild Food Stories IG: https://www.instagram.com/wildfoodstory/ Wild Food Stories Website: https://www.wildfoodstories.co.uk/James Hutton Institute: https://www.hutton.ac.uk

This research team from the Simpson lab at the James Hutton Institute, University of Dundee discuss a recent paper published in elife entitled ‘Nanopore direct RNA sequencing maps the complexity of Arabidopsis mRNA processing and m6A modification. Apologies for the poor sound quality of the transmission coming down the line from Dundee! The post Matthew Parker, Kasia Knop and Anya Sherwood talk to the GARNet community podcast appeared first on Weeding the Gems.

Below you can find information on each of the speakers and their subject by using the links below: Potatoes in Practice - https://www.hutton.ac.uk/events/potatoes-practice-2019 - Greg Dawson Scottish Agronomy - https://www.hutton.ac.uk/news/future-chemistry-focus-potatoes-practice - Prof Derek Stewart, James Hutton Institute - https://www.hutton.ac.uk/staff/derek-stewart - Gerry Sadler SASA -  https://www.sasa.gov.uk/content/professor-gerry-saddler

In this episode, Mark interviews the brains behind @CECHR_OuD to reveal how she reached 87,000 followers in four years, currently growing at 150 followers per day, to become one of the most influential research institutional Twitter accounts in the world. Mark also describes six things you can do to grow your influence on social media: 1. Have a social media strategy: know your audience, add value to them and actively promote your research 2. Focus on Twitter (and LinkedIn if you’ve got time) 3. Be credible: be professional and link to content 4. ​Be visual: stand out from the crowd 5. Tweet at the right time: audience time zone and engagement peak times 6. Curate your top 3 tweets and have a follow/unfollow strategy The Centre of Environmental Change and Human Resilience (CECHR) is a partnership between the University of Dundee and the James Hutton Institute. Find out more about their work here: http://www.dundee.ac.uk/cechr/

Wi hae passed the Spring Equinox - so it must be Spring. An in this April edition o the programme wi jine the gaitherin at the James Hutton Institute in Aiberdeen tae enjoy the Young Biodiversity Awards . We re wi the Irish an Scots Poets as part o Neu Reekie at the Poetry Library in Edinburgh, an we experience the spectacular production o Nordics In Exile at St Nicholas Kirk in Aiberdeen. Aa this an enjoying the company o oor Studio Guest, folklorist and musician, Steve Byrne spikkin aboot a new CD o Ballads fae Sir Walter Scott s Minstrelsy o the Scottish Borders. Jine us.

Wi hae passed the Spring Equinox – so it must be Spring. An in this April edition o the programme wi jine the gaitherin at the James Hutton Institute in Aiberdeen tae enjoy the ‘Young Biodiversity Awards’. We’re wi the Irish an Scots Poets as part o Neu Reekie at the Poetry Library in Edinburgh, […]

Scottish Mountain Hare  www.hareoftherabbit.com There is a special place high up in the Cairngorms where the mountain hares hide. Andy Howard knows it well, as only a person can who has spent up to five hours at a time lying in snow waiting for a moment such as this. It is winter in Scotland, some 2500 miles from the Arctic, and a cold like no other is sinking into his bones. He dare not move, not even one inch, or he risks startling the animal barely a few feet from him. She's fast, he's seen her run before. If she wants to, she can take off like a silver bullet, leaping into the mountain mist like a salmon into a river. He takes a shallow breath - in-two-three and out-two-three. She moves. He freezes. Her paws pad softly over the rocks, graceful as ever in her silence. She sits herself down beside him, oblivious or deliberating ignoring the loud thumping of his heart, and delicately nibbles at the heather. She's beautiful, her pearl grey coat soft as down and the tips of her ears dark, as though dipped in coal dust. "I call her Mrs Grey," he says. "She's really quite special." Mrs Grey is his most recent subject and the images he is able to take of her are captivating. Andy often goes out in the middle of winter, Andy describes these moments as addictive as a drug - being close enough to wild animals like hares when they trust you enough to relax and behave as though you aren't there. "There is no fear, no worry, they're just carrying away on their own," he says. "That's a real privilege, for a wild animal to trust you that much." Andy is an award-winning wildlife photographer who has sat in more snow drifts and bogs than most. The wild creatures almost seem to deliberately pose for him and he has become adept at capturing their fleeting expressions and personalities, as he has with other wildlife. His ethos is always stay quiet and don't interfere. "You cannot harm them or disturb them," he says. "You must respect them and know when to leave them in peace." "I've been photographing her since September and I want to head up there and photograph her every month so I can get a full cycle," he says. Andy is trying to capture a full year in the life of his own Mrs Grey. Many professionals wait for weather windows and can plan shots years, even decades, in advance. "Sometimes, you have to wait a full year for the exact conditions to come again," explains Andy. Hares are herbivorous mammals closely related to rabbits. Two species are found in Scotland - the brown hare and the mountain hare. Mountain hares are smaller than brown hares and have shorter ears. They molt their grey coat in early winter, turning white to blend in with the snow on the uplands. They are very timid and mainly nocturnal, although they can be active during the day if undisturbed by humans. If danger is near, they crouch motionless with their ears down and at the last minute, can dart uphill at high speed. After about 50m, they stop to stand up on their hind legs and look back at what startled them. They are mainly solitary animals, especially when resting, but often graze in groups, feeding along well-trampled trails through long vegetation. On this episode we are going to explore the Scottish Mountain Hare. The mountain hare has grey/brown fur often with a slightly blueish tinge in summer and a white tail. In winter it molts to a white coat, although some animals do not become completely white. The mountain hare also has black tips to its ears. In Britain, hares are animals of open ground, relying on their good eyesight, camouflage and high speed to avoid predators. Only the mountain hare is native and is the only truly arctic mammal. Mountain hares are most likely to be seen on heather moorland that is actively managed for red grouse. The mountain hare often uses patches of woodland including conifer plantations, on the margins heather moorland. Sometimes called the 'blue' hare because of the tinge of its fur in spring and autumn, you can see mountain hares on the middle and upper levels of heathery hills and some other places besides. A mountain hare in its winter coat has a mix of white, blue-grey and black (on the ears) fur. The summer coat is much greyer, but still paler than the brown hare of lowland farmland. Be alert for the outline of large ears above heather, or for hares in winter whites that show-up against snow-free areas on hillsides. A mountain hare’s broad feet act like snowshoes (it’s North American cousins are called 'snowshoe hares'), spreading the animal’s weight over snow. Mountain hares thrive on healthy young heather, so can be abundant on the middle slopes of hills managed as grouse moors. There are mountain hares in some unusual places, such as the boggy flatlands of Flanders Moss between Stirling and Aberfoyle. They can be quite easy to see on moorland in Shetland (where the local animals don’t turn white in winter). Strongholds are in grouse-moor areas such as the hills of Deeside in the Cairngorms. Travel the A939 road from Cock Bridge to Tomintoul (traditionally, one of the first to get blocked by snow) to journey across mountain-hare-rich moors. Mountain hare bones between 114,000 and 131,000 years old have been found in the Joint Mitnor cave in Devon and in the Thames Valley. Today, the mountain hare is confined to Scotland where it is indigenous and the Isle of Man and the Peak District of Derbyshire where it was re-introduced. Mountain hares were also introduced to the Snowdonia district of Wales, but died out. Mountain hares are smaller and have a more compact shape than brown hares, but vary geographically depending upon habitat and altitude. In Britain they are only found above 500m. However, eventual weakening of the Gulf Stream could make Britain colder and increase habitat for mountain hares. Mountain hares have a very wide, virtually circumpolar distribution extending throughout the tundra regions of eastern and northern Europe, with the closely related Arctic hare (Lepus articus) in Canada and Alaska. In the Old World their habitat extends southward throughout the boreal zone to the fringes of agricultural land or open grassland. In North America the Arctic hare is restricted by the boreal forest, which is inhabited by the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). This world-wide pattern of restriction by both habitat and other species of hare explains the distribution of the mountain hare within Britain. After the introduction of the brown hare to England in Roman times, mountain hares became restricted to upland regions where they were able to hold their own, feeding on heather and other moorland plants, while the brown hares fed on lowland grasses and agricultural crops. By the early 19th century mountain hares were found only in the Scottish Highlands. Towards the middle and end of the 19th century - accompanying the development of grouse shooting and the management of heather for grouse - some landowners released mountain hares across the remaining British uplands. Many of these re-introduced populations have died out, leaving the large core population in the Scottish Highlands, a well established population in the Southern Uplands and a small one in the Peak District, while that in northern Wales has probably died out in the last two decades. Mountain Hares live in Scotland and the North. They graze on vegetation and nibble bark from young trees and bushes. Hares shelter in a 'form', which is simply a shallow depression in the ground or heather, but when disturbed, can be seen bounding across the moors using their powerful hind legs to propel them forwards, often in a zigzag pattern. Mountain Hares live in upland areas and are most common on heathland; they are at their most visible in spring, when the snow has melted but the Hares are still white. Total body length ranges between 430 and 610 mm. and the black tipped ears from 60 to 80 mm. Unlike brown hares the ears of mountain hares would not reach the tip of the nose if pulled forward. Like brown hares, males are slightly smaller than females. There are three moults and during the second from October to January the coat changes from russet brown to white or grey and back to brown from February to May. Both tail surfaces remain white. Mountain hares can become very conspicuous if still in their winter coats when the snow melts or if there is unseasonable snowfall. The current number of mountain hares in Scotland is unclear but the latest annual research published in 2013 by the BTO has indicated a disturbing decline of 43 per cent since 1995. Population densities are known to vary at least ten fold, reaching a peak approximately every ten years. The reasons for these fluctuations are unclear, but may possibly be related to parasite burdens. Mating begins at the end of January and pregnancy lasts about 50 days. Most leverets are born between March to August inclusive. Mountain hares are less fussy than brown hares regarding the quality of their forage and this is a major reason why mountain hares have the competitive edge at high altitudes. On Scottish moors they prefer short, young heather, but will resort to older woody plants if necessary. They will also feed on gorse, willow, birch, rowan and juniper. But in spite of their adaptable diet they prefer to eat grasses when available during the summer months. Reproduction Females typically have three litters per year between March and August. 1- 4 young (leverets) are born in each litter, fully furred and with their eyes open. The mother suckles them for about four weeks until they become independent. The most recent estimate suggests that there are approximately 350,000 hares across this range. As recent GWCT research shows, this is a relatively high density of hares compared to mountain hare populations anywhere else in Europe. As well as having affected the distribution of mountain hares through historical introductions, upland game management still affects their abundance as mountain hares seem to do best in areas managed for red grouse. Indeed it is probably the intensive fox control combined with rotational burning that benefits grouse and hares. However, where grouse suffer from tick and the tick-borne louping-ill virus, hares can sustain high levels of these parasites and help perpetuate the disease. As there is no alternative form of treatment, in these cases hare numbers may need to be temporarily reduced to suppress the disease. Mountain hare are also affected by a gut parasite, Trichostrongylosis retortaeformis, which causes similar cyclical effects on population numbers as strongyle worms in red grouse. On some grouse moors, hare shooting is a popular sport and provides additional income, supports keeper employment and moorland management. However, such sporting bags and other culls may be substantial and it is important to demonstrate that modern practices are sustainable and in line with good management. This should be a research and subsequently conservation objective as it is a requirement under the European Habitats Directive. There is increasing concern about the status of the mountain hare with reports of it being virtually extinct in some parts of Scotland where it was previously abundant. In some areas excessive grazing by deer, sheep and cattle have depleted the heather so that less food and cover is available for the hares. However, they have also declined on moorland devoid of deer and sheep, leading to the conclusion that human interference is responsible for the decline in hares. How are they protected? Both hare species are protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). This law makes it illegal to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or take either hare species during their close seasons or to poach these species (and rabbit) at any time. Also, the mountain hare is a species of Community interest listed on Annex V the Habitats Directive . The taking of these animals and their exploitation may be subject to management measures to ensure their conservation status is favorable. The mountain hare is listed in Annex 5 of the EC Habitats Directive (1992) as a species: "of community interest whose taking in the wild and exploitation may be subject to management measures." This means that certain methods of capture such as snaring are prohibited, except under license. Mountain hares have historically been considered as "small game" but shooting is becoming increasingly commercialized. In one case a refrigerated van had been brought over by a party of Italian guns who intended to shoot 1,000 mountain hares and sell them in Italy to pay for the shooting holiday. Local mountain hare population sizes can fluctuate widely. Both species of hare are quarry species and may be legally controlled. In the case of mountain hares, control usually takes place on managed grouse moors to reduce tick numbers, or to protect young trees, but the impact of culling on mountain hare populations is not well understood. Whilst reviewing the management of mountain hares we have agreed an interim position external site on this issue with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and Scottish Land & Estates. Research is also underway in partnership with GWCT and the James Hutton Institute to trial methods of assessing mountain hare numbers to provide population density estimates. With this knowledge we can then improve our understanding of the overall status of mountain hares and the sustainability of hare management measures. Offenses It is an offense to intentionally or recklessly: kill, injure or take a brown or mountain hare in its close season. kill, injure or take a brown or mountain hare without a legal right to do so. The close season for the mountain hare is 1st March to 31 July. It is also an offense to: possess or control, sell or offer for sale or transport for the purpose of sale any live or dead hare (or rabbit), or any derivative of such an animal, which has been killed without a legal right to do so. Licensing and hares Licenses are available to allow specified people to carry out actions that could otherwise constitute an offense. Licenses can only be issued for specific purposes that are set out in the legislation. If you are planning any activities that could affect hares, you should make sure that you stay within the law. While the mountain hare is persecuted directly for sport it is also snared and shot in large numbers because it allegedly carries a tick borne virus which kills grouse chicks and is therefore seen as a threat to the grouse shooting industry. The Habitats Directive requires member states to ensure exploitation of Annex 5 species is: "compatible with their being maintained at a favorable conservation status." Since there are no official records of the number of hares being killed it is difficult to see how this requirement can be met. But anecdotal evidence of culling levels strongly suggests that EC wildlife law is being broken in Scotland. Now with that, we have an article titled: Culling of Scotland's mountain hares should be banned, says charity Unregulated culling of Scotland’s mountain hares should be banned and the species protected, according to a report that says shooting the animals for sport is inhumane and uncontrolled. Landowners can shoot the hares without a license from August to February and claim culls are necessary to protect game, especially red grouse, from disease. Campaigners say death rates of hares, which are native to the Highlands and thrive on grouse moors, are not monitored. The charity OneKind, in a report published on Monday, said: “Population data is sparse but suggests mountain hares are in decline. Yet they are widely persecuted for sport and as part of organized culls.” At least 25 game estates were currently offering the opportunity to shoot mountain hares for sport, it said, with no guarantees this was not driving decline. It estimates about 40% of hares killed were for shot for sport, while about 50% died as part of organized culls. It was impossible to know how many were killed as mountain hare killing was secretive and carried out in remote locations, the charity said. One estimate was that 25,000 were killed in 2006-07 – a figure now 10 years old, OneKind said. The report highlights three culls that it claims took place on grouse moors, including two carried out last year on the Balmoral estate in Royal Deeside. The Scottish government has called for voluntary restraint on the issue. A spokesman said: “We have been very clear that we will not tolerate large-scale culls of mountain hares but we recognize that numbers need to be controlled in some specific circumstances.” It is setting up an independent review to examine the sustainability of grouse moor management, including hare-culling. Data on hare populations is widely disputed. The last estimate was made in 1995 when 350,000 mountain hares were thought to exist. OneKind states the population could be between 175,000 and 500,000 hares, fluctuating year-on-year, but said monitoring by the British Trust of Ornithology – albeit for a limited sample size – suggested an overall decline of 34% between 1996 and 2014. Harry Huyton, OneKind’s director, said: “Mountain hares are an iconic species in Scotland that should be protected. Our report shows that instead they are persecuted in enormous numbers for entertainment. The killing is unregulated, and there are no guarantees that it is not further driving the decline of these species or causing unacceptable suffering. “Today, the day before the open season begins, OneKind is calling on the Scottish government to take urgent action and introduce a moratorium on large-scale hunts and culls before the season gets into full swing.” Hares can be killed under license from Scottish National Heritage. But, in addition to organized culls there are driven and walked-up shooting of the hares offered as one of many “country sports” by Scottish estates, the charity said. Its research found 25 companies offering mountain hare hunting online, eight of which were promoted by the Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group, which listed SNH and Visit Scotland as partner organizations. The report states: “For almost half the year, from March to July inclusive, mountain hares are protected and any persecution without a license from SNH is illegal. But, for the remainder of the year, they can be killed freely with no permissions and no transparency, and as such are persecuted on a large scale.” Driven hunts involved flushing hares towards a line of waiting guns. But hares were “notoriously challenging to shoot” as they were small and fast and the risk of causing injury rather than clean kills was heightened, it added. OneKind calls for a ban on hare killing, except under license, and complete protection within national parks. Now news from this past winter: UK's white mountain hares at risk from predators due to worst snowfall in 10 years http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/02/uks-white-mountain-hares-risk-predators-due-worst-snowfall-10/ Britain's mountain hares are at greater risk from predators because of a lack of snow caused by the mild winter, conservationists have warned. White mountain hares are being made an easy target as they have nowhere to hide in the Scottish Highlands after the worst snowfall in 10 years. It means the creatures, which may have been here since the Ice Age, are now particularly vulnerable to predators such as golden eagles, foxes and stoats. Rob Raynor, Scottish Natural Heritage's mammal specialist, said: "This year we have less snow in Scotland than usual. "Every spring, while their fur is still mainly white, mountain hares have to deal with difficulties evading predators as the snow disappears and they're more visible against brown heather before they moult back to grey/brown. "You can sometimes even see them among the brown heather when snow is nearby. But with less snow this year, the risk to hares of predators could begin earlier and be higher than normal." First mountain hare reared by Scottish SPCA released 1 August 2017 The Scottish SPCA has released a mountain hare back into the wild after he was found at less than a week old. We were alerted after the hare was discovered by a member of the public in Balblair in Ross-shire on 23 May. The adorable little hare was rehabilitated at the charity’s National Wildlife Rescue Center in Fishcross, where he was named Nevis. Center Manager Colin Seddon said, “Nevis was the first mountain hare we’ve ever hand reared at our center in Fishcross so it was exciting. “He was hand reared by Nicola Turnbull, one of our wildlife assistants. “Their natural habitat is In the mountains and hills so they’re rarely picked up.” “Nevis was successfully released back into the wild at a carefully selected site. Sadly mountain hares are still heavily persecuted so we’ve ensured he’s in an area where there is no form of control or culling.” Anyone who discovers an injured or distressed wild animal should call the Scottish SPCA animal helpline on 03000 999 999. https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/species/mountain-hare/ http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/protected-species/which-and-how/mammals/hares/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/31/mountain-hares-scotland-culling-highlands-onekind http://www.hare-preservation-trust.co.uk/mountain.php https://www.gwct.org.uk/research/species/mammals/mountain-hare/ http://www.welcometoscotland.com/about-scotland/wildlife-around-scotland/scottish-mammals/mountain-hare http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/groups/ecological-sciences/landscape-and-spatial-ecology/mountain-hares https://ptes.org/get-informed/facts-figures/mountain-irish-hare/ https://www.scottishspca.org/newsroom/latest-news/first-mountain-hare-reared-by-scottish-spca-released/ https://stv.tv/news/features/1386680-snow-white-secrets-of-scotland-s-mountain-hare-whisperer/ Rabbit Wool Socks Now occasionally I like bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience, and I have researched enough to recommend. A few years ago I received rabbit wool socks for a Christmas. Out of the package I noticed how soft and fuzzy they were. They are a thick sock. You can call them plush, but they are not like plush material. They are very soft thick socks. My feet have been warm and comfortable wearing them. They are very fine outside, but they are a thick sock, so they may not fit into tight shoe. They can be too warm for wearing all day indoors in a shoe. They wash well and have not lost their shape. The elastic top was just right holding up the socks without being too tight. I have no complaint about the fit. My wife likes to wear them as slippers inside do to how warm they keep your feet. These are amazing socks, they are very soft and not itchy at all! We will have a link to the socks in the show notes. Word of the week: Risk The Rabbit Herd Europe http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0570.html#ashliman Once upon a time there was a king who had a daughter that would not laugh. His jugglers, clowns, and jesters performed their utmost for her, but she could not, or would not, even break a smile. Finally the king proclaimed that whatever man -- rich or poor, young or old, strong or frail -- could break his daughter's spell should take her to wife, and receive half the kingdom as well. Men and boys came from every direction to try their luck but no one was successful, until.... The news finally reached a remote corner of the kingdom where a poor peasant lived with his three sons. The youngest -- we'll call him Hans (although some say that his name was Jack, or Ivan, or Juan) -- decided that he too would try his luck at winning the hand of the princess. He was a droll sort -- some called him silly, others just plain stupid -- whose capers often brought the villagers to laughter. Yes, he would give it a try. And he set forth, pursued by the jeers of his older and wiser brothers, on the path that led to the king's palace. At midday he was looking for a shady spot where he could rest and eat the crust of bread he had brought, when suddenly he came upon an old man by the side of the road. "Would you share your bread with a weary traveler?" asked the stranger. "Half a dry crust is quite as good as a whole one," replied Hans, and broke off a piece for the old man. "Bless you, my son," responded the stranger. "I cannot reward you with gold, but this whistle will lead you to that, and more." So saying, he offered Hans a tiny silver flute. Hans put the flute to his lips, and it began to play, first a marching tune, then a cheerful air, and then a pensive hymn. Before he knew it, Hans had arrived at the palace, and the guards, charmed by his tuneful music, let him pass. His heart leapt for joy, and the flute broke into a lusty jig. The princess, hearing the tune, opened her window and looked out. She nodded her head to the beat, then gave a cautious grin, and then an open smile. She chuckled softly to herself, then broke into a happy laugh. The king, hearing her joyful laughter, was beside himself with glee, until -- that is -- until he saw the lad who was playing the flute. Hans, you see, did have the look of a peasant and of a simpleton, and the king, in spite of his promise, was hoping for a finer man. "That is all well and good," said the king to Hans, "but before you can receive the princess, there is yet another task that you must fulfill." He then had one hundred wild rabbits set loose in a nearby forest. "Keep these animals together in a herd," said the king, and in three days the princess and half the kingdom shall be yours. But if you lose a single rabbit, you shall forfeit everything. Even as they spoke the rabbits ran to the four winds, but Hans did not despair. He blew a few notes into the silver flute, and as if by magic, the hundred rabbits assembled at his feet. Reassured, he made himself comfortable in the shade of a large tree, and waited for the three days to pass. The king, seeing how easily Hans kept the herd together was filled with worry and anger. No other solution presented itself, so finally he sent his daughter into the woods, telling her to do whatever was necessary to get a rabbit away from the peasant herdsman. The princess presented herself to Hans, and asked him ever so politely if she might not purchase one of his rabbits. His answer made her blush. "You don't mean that I would have to ...," she said, and didn't know whether to pout or to smile. No, he would accept no other offer, said Hans. "Take it, or leave it." And so she took it. The princess left the woods carrying a rabbit in her basket. But well before she arrived home, Hans put the magic flute to his lips, and in an instant the rabbit jumped from her basket and raced back to the herd. The next day the king, ever more desperate, sent his own wife into the woods with instructions to bring home a rabbit, whatever the cost. When Hans named his price, the queen, like the princess before her, first pouted, then smiled, and then gave in. But she too lost her rabbit when Hans called it back with his magic flute. On the third day the king himself went into the woods to bargain for a rabbit. Hans, as before, was willing to trade, but this time the price -- no, I cannot bring myself to say more than that it involved a mare that was grazing in a nearby clearing. Red with shame, the king took his rabbit and started off for home, but again the flute called the rabbit back into the herd. The three days had passed, and the rabbit herd was still intact, but now the king found yet another task that Hans would have to fulfill before he could claim the princess and half the kingdom. "A trifle," explained the king. "Just sing three bags full." "I can manage that," said Hans. "Bring me three empty bags, and I'll sing them full to the top, but only in the presence of the finest lords and ladies of the kingdom. The king, believing that at last he would be rid of the peasant lad, assembled the lords and ladies in a great hall, then brought in Hans and three empty bags. Hans picked up a bag and started to sing: Our princess went into the woods; She thought she'd try her luck, ... "Stop!" called out the princess. That bag is full!" Hans obligingly stopped singing, tied a string around the mouth of the bag, picked up the next one, and started a new song: Our queen she went into the woods; She thought she'd try her luck, ... "Stop!" shouted the queen. That bag is full!" Hans stopped, tied this bag shut, picked up the last one, and commenced singing: Our king he went into the woods; He thought he'd try his luck, ... "Stop!" bellowed the king. The last bag is full!" With that, the king proclaimed that Hans had won the princess's hand in marriage and half the kingdom. The wedding was celebrated that same day. All the lords and ladies attended the great feast that followed. I too was invited, but I lost my way in the woods and arrived only as the last toast was being drunk. This tale, recorded with varying degrees of raciness, is found throughout Europe. Hello Listener! Thank you for listening. If you would like to support the podcast, and keep the lights on, you can support us whenever you use Amazon through the link below: It will not cost you anything extra, and I can not see who purchased what. Or you can become a Fluffle Supporter by donating through Patreon.com at the link below: Patreon/Hare of the Rabbit What's this Patreon? Patreon is an established online platform that allows fans to provide regular financial support to creators. Patreon was created by a musician who needed a easy way for fans to support his band. Please support Hare of the Rabbit Podcast financially by becoming a Patron. Patrons agree to a regular contribution, starting at $1 per episode. Patreon.com takes a token amount as a small processing fee, but most of your money will go directly towards supporting the Hare of the Rabbit Podcast. You can change or stop your payments at any time. You can also support by donating through PayPal.com at the link below: Hare of the Rabbit PayPal Thank you for your support, Jeff Hittinger. © Copyrighted

This is the first of four podcasts from the 2017 Symposium on Insect-Plant Interactions. In this podcast, Functional Ecology Associate Editor Alison Bennett from the James Hutton Institute talks to Noah Whiteman, Jean Christophe Simon and Ainhoa Martinez Medina about their research, current challenges and the future of plant-microbe-insect interactions.

This is the second of four podcasts from the 2017 Symposium on Insect-Plant Interactions. In this podcast, Functional Ecology Associate Editor Alison Bennett from the James Hutton Institute talks to Kay Moisan, David Giron, Enric Frago and Nicole Van Dam about their research, current challenges and the future of plant-microbe-insect interactions.

This is the fourth of four podcasts from the 2017 Symposium on Insect-Plant Interactions. In this podcast, Functional Ecology Associate Editor Alison Bennett from the James Hutton Institute talks to Lucille Chretien, Arjen Biere, Michael Thomas-Poulsen and Einat Zchori-fein about their research, current challenges and the future of plant-microbe-insect interactions.

We bring you this show from the hills and fields of the highlands, well almost, right on the highland fault anyway. Joined by Donald Barrie, manager of Glen Sauch research farm for the James Hutton Institute, we leave hunting behind a little to look at land management and agriculture. With a focus on how to efficiently we use our natural resources, we discuss sheep, deer, forestry, muirburn and efficient food production before going for a wonder around the farm to see first-hand the effects of their management principles. Of course we have a new competition, with listeners having a chance to win a Hornady reloading manual, and we announce the winners of the last show where we gave away Surefire ear defenders and Smith Optics shooting glasses. A big thanks to everyone who has donated, and at the end of the show we give you a shout out.   Visit www.thepacebrothers.com for more info   This show is brought to you by Scottish Association for Country Sports - SACS

A farmer's daughter from Angus, soil has been in Professor Lorna Dawson's family for generations. She just didn't expect her relationship with soil to lead her into a scientific career of solving crime. Now Principal Soil Scientist at the James Hutton Institute she has for over 25 years' researched soil and plant interactions. It was when she was an Edinburgh geology student that her mind was drawn towards forensics. One evening 2 teenage girls went missing from near her student halls, they turned up dead the next day. Little did Lorna know that one day she would become pivotal in the forensic case of The World's End murders. Her role as Head of the Soil Forensic Science Group has led her to work on over 70 criminal cases across the globe. It's the detailed analysis of the microbial DNA held within the soil that has led to her pioneering work becoming so effective at finding bodies, caches of drugs and overturning alibi's in courtrooms. There is however one case that she has been working on for several years which remains incomplete. In this episode of Brainwaves Pennie Latin joins Lorna Dawson on site as she starts a new search for the remains of the missing Scottish schoolgirl Moira Anderson.

Dr. Mike Blatt is the Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow and Adjuct Professor at Pennsylvania State University. He conducted his undergraduate studies at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver and at the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he received his BS with honors in Botany and Biochemistry. Next, Mike was awarded a PhD in Plant Biology from Stanford University while working in the Department of Plant Biology at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. During his graduate work, Mike received a Fullbright-Hays Graduate Fellowship to study at the University of Nürnberg. Afterwards, Mike traveled to Yale University Medical School to accept an NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship and then to the University of Cambridge to accept a NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship. He has served on the faculty at the University of London and Imperial College London prior to joining the faculty at the University of Glasgow. Mike has received many awards and honors throughout his career, including being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the James Hutton Institute, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is also Editor-in-Chief of the premier international journal Plant Physiology. Mike joins us to discuss his experiences in life and science.

This is Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. Here is the news.Chinese President Xi Jinping is calling for efforts to enhance virtue in Chinese families and make them "an important foundation" for national development, progress and social harmony.Xi made these remarks when he met the participants at a Beijing conference to honor model families across the country. He said people from all walks of life should work for a new trend toward socialist family values featuring love for the nation, family and one another. The conference was the first of its kind to honor model families selected nationwide. A total of 300 families won the honor in a selection that highlights patriotism, observation of law, and commitment to public welfare.Xi said though family education has many aspects, the most important was in character building, stressing that sound moral values should be passed down to children from an early age.This is Special English.It is estimated that China&`&s aging population will reach a peak of 400 million by 2055, with large numbers of elderly in rural areas and a prevalence of female senior citizens.A new report shows that the aging population is expected to climb to 280 million by 2030, and the number of people who are 65 years of age and older will account for 20 percent of the total population. The figure will become 400 million by 2055, with an accompanying percentage of 27 percent.The report, issued by Social Science Academic Press, pointed out that the disproportionate female population is a result of the longer average life expectancy of women compared to men.Population experts say that different from other countries, Chinas&`& aging problem is largely due to the decades long family planning policies, which had led to a low birth rate for many years. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. A documentary has been broadcast on TV in China, providing rare footage of the Tokyo Trials. The three-episode-documentary began broadcasting on Tuesday, December 13, which is China&`&s National Memorial Day for the Nanjing Massacre Victims.This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Tokyo Trials, when the Allied Forces brought to trial Japanese war criminals at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo after World War Two. The proceedings played an important part in shaping the postwar Asia-Pacific order.Some rare footage, including witnesses&`& testimony as well as war criminals defending themselves in court is broadcast for the first time in China.In 2014, China designated Dec. 13 as the National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims.This is Special English.China has vowed to strengthen the management of online streaming, prohibiting unlawful and obscene content.The country&`&s media watchdog says authorities will crack down on activities that use live streaming to break the law or undermine people&`&s interests. In 2016, the authority handled more than 100 cases suspected of violating laws and regulations. The cases included online dramas, films and other audio-visual products. A regulation on live streaming has been in effect since December 1. It requires presenters to register with their real names and service providers to censor content and blacklist users who break the rules, prohibiting them from registering again. It also bans the use of live streams to undermine national security, destabilizing society, or infringing upon others&`& rights or interests.Online streaming has grown rapidly in China in recent years, generating huge business opportunities while bringing challenges to regulators. By the end of June, the number of streaming service users reached 500 million, accounting for 70 percent of China&`&s Internet population. Reports show that watching video online has become the primary form of entertainment in China, followed by gaming and reading literature online.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. The South-to-North Water Diversion project has benefited 87 million people while easing the water crisis in Northern China. That&`&s according to a news conference held recently to mark the two year anniversary of the project&`&s launch.Among the beneficiaries is Li Wenlan, a senior citizen living in southwest Beijing&`&s Fengtai district. Li&`&s neighborhood now receives water from a nearby water plant, a facility built specifically for receiving water from the transfer project. Now, almost 70 percent of the water running in Beijing&`&s underground pipes comes from the diversion project. Statistics show that the hardness of pipe water, a metric showing the amount of potential water scale, has dropped to around 120 milligrams per liter, which is only one-third of what it used to be before the project. China began to build the project in 2002 after nearly 50 years of expert evaluations. The first stage of the eastern line of the project, which directs water from the Yangtze River in Jiangsu province to Shandong province, was launched in 2013. Initiated one year later, the middle line diverts water from a reservoir in central China to Beijing and Tianjin through Hebei province. The Water Diversion Office says the project eased water shortage in North China and improves the water security levels along the route.This is Special English.A photo exhibition has been held in Haikou, the capital of southern China&`&s Hainan Province, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of China&`&s recovery of the South China Sea Islands.Running from Monday to Sunday in Hainan Museum, the exhibition displayed 150 groups of photos showing the recovery, development and other historical events of the South China Sea Islands over the last 70 years. Some of the photos are on public display for the first time.In November and December 1946, China took over the Xisha and Nansha Islands in compliance with the Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Proclamation, which ended Japan&`&s illegal occupation of the islands. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to newsplusradio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That&`&s mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues.A survey has found that female employees in China are more loyal to their employers and have higher brand satisfaction than their male counterparts. The survey, entitled China Best Employers 2016, is based on feedback from more than 4 million respondents, around 53 percent of whom were women. The results were jointly published by Peking University&`&s Institute of Social Science Survey and Zhaopin.com, a Chinese human resources website.The report found that 38 percent of the female respondents have never changed their jobs, 11 percent higher than their male counterparts. Twenty percent of the females have been in their current job for more than five years, while for males, it was half that number, 10 percent. The survey also found that female employees care more about soft aspects of the workplace, including a positive and comfortable work environment, while at the same time, they desire equal pay for equal work. While female employees attach great importance to learning vocational skills as their career develops, the survey found that male employees care more about promotions. Women with work experience of less than one year are the most eager to improve their skills. The survey found that 56 percent of such women think improving their skills is the most important aspect of their career over the next three years. The report says recognition of personal capabilities and self-fulfillment are also a top concern for women, which "shows females are more worried about being replaced and more eager to win recognition".This is Special English.The southwestern Chinese city Chongqing will invest 15 billion yuan, roughly 2 billion U.S. dollars, to build a film and television industry park in a scenic mountainous area.The park will have a film shooting base, a tourist town, a theme park, as well as office buildings for film industry enterprises.The park is named after China&`&s Belt and Road Initiative, a cooperation scheme for countries along the ancient Silk Road.The park is located in the mountainous Wulong County. Construction will begin in early 2017. Cooperation partners from a dozen foreign countries have been invited to participate in the construction of some of the projects including the theme park and the tourist town.Local officials said the park will serve as a platform to promote exchanges and cooperation among film enterprises from China and other countries. It is expected that the park will integrate the art of film with online entertainment, gaming, and other new technology.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. Reindeer living on the Arctic island of Svalbard are getting smaller - and scientists say climate change may be the cause.Scientists from Britain and Norway have found that adult Svalbard reindeer born in 2010 weigh 12 percent less on average than those born in 1994.Ecologist Steve Albon of Scotland&`&s James Hutton Institute says rising temperatures in the Arctic mean Svalbard is getting more rain, which is creating a hard ice sheet that the island&`&s reindeer can&`&t easily break through to reach food.Reindeer populations are also increasing due to warmer summers, stoking the competition.Albon says researchers think there is a correlation between rising temperatures and reindeer weight. He says more research is needed to confirm the link.Their findings were presented recently at a meeting of the British Ecological Society.This is Special English.Almost 20,000 ancient trees on the renowned Mount Tai in Shandong province now have "digital ID cards" holding basic information on the trees. The system provides basic information about the trees to help rangers examine the trees&`& growing environment, and make it easier for disease control and prevention. There are 18,000 ancient trees on Mount Tai, and 1,800 of them have been classified as first-class ancient trees, meaning they are either more than 300 years old, or are particularly rare. One of several very popular trees is a pine tree named Yingkesong, or Guest-Welcoming Pine. As one of the most popular tourist attractions, the more than 500-year-old pine is one of the items on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage list. This is the end of this edition of Special English. To freshen up your memory, I&`&m going to read one of the news items again at normal speed. Please listen carefully.This is the end of today&`&s program. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing, and I hope you can join us every day, to learn English and learn about the world.

This week has seen the Society decamp to Liverpool for our Annual Conference 2016. It’s been a fantastic event with over 1,400 delegates in attendance and more than 300 scientific presentations and posters. For this month’s edition of Microbe Talk, Anand and I got to speak to a few researchers about the work they were presenting at the Conference. Up first is Dr Lucy Gilbert from the James Hutton Institute, who told Anand about her work investigating how climate change will affect tick distribution and disease risk. Next up is an excerpt from an on-stage interview I did with Professor Philippe Sansonetti, this year’s Prize Medal winner. Philippe has had a long and distinguished career, and has published hundreds of research papers. I asked him to describe a key experiment that stood out to him throughout his work. Finally in this month’s edition of the podcast, I spoke with Professor George Weinstock, one of the first researchers to use genomic sequencing to better understand microbial processes. We talked about the early days of modern DNA technology, and the direction that current microbiome research is taking.

Could the mud and soil a person walks through be used to identify where they've been? In part two of our forensic microbiology special, we look at the ways that soil from crime scenes can help pinpoint the whereabouts of people and objects in police investigations. We spoke to Professor Lorna Dawson from the James Hutton Institute about her work on criminal cases, and how microbiology is being used to enhance the field of soil forensics. Image credit: Alan Cleaver on Flickr under CC BY 2.0 Music: 'Submerging Blue-Black' by Podington Bear, under CC BY-NC 3.0 'I Am Running Down the Long Hallway of Viewmont Elementary' by Chris Zabriskie, under CC BY 4.0 'Trio for Piano Violin and Viola' by Kevin MacLeod, under CC BY 3.0 'Lips' by Plurabelle under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0   Sound Effects: From freesound.org. 'Walking1_gravel' by tec studios, under CC0 1.0 'CarStartAndDriveOff' by jmdh, under CC0 1.0 'BikeBellWhileRiding' byqubodup, under CC BY 3.0 'Woodland Birdsong June' by justkiddink, under CC BY 3.0  

Paula Duque Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras - PORTUGAL, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, Scotland - UK speaks on "The Arabidopsis SR45 splicing factor, a regulator of plant sugar responses, modulates stability of the energy-sensing SnRK1 protein kinase". ICGEB 3rd Post-EURASNET Symposium “RNA Alternative Splicing” This seminar has been recorded at Area Science Park Trieste by ICGEB Trieste