Podcasts about Royal Botanic Gardens

Peregrine falcons have been in residence at the University of Glasgow's Gilbert Scott Tower for a number of years now, with a new clutch of chicks being born again this year. Rachel met with Clarke Elsby from the university and John Simpson, from the Scottish Ornithologists Club, to get a glimpse of these magnificent birds of prey. Solsgirth Home Farm near Dollar is home to a large variety of animals, from sheep, to pigs, to emu. Owned and run by veterinarian Jan Dixon, the farm is passionate about reconnecting people to the realities of farm life. Mark went along to find out more about the ethos behind the farm. Trees are a strong source of inspiration for many creative arts, and one such artist is harpist and singer Mary McMaster, who has been working on a new composition called For the Love of Trees. Helen Needham met with Mary in the Royal Botanic Gardens to find out how woodlands have shaped her work. The Moffat Spitfire has been a local landmark for several years now. The plane has long been located in the garden of retired local GP Dr Hamish MacLeod, and has raised money for several military charities. Now, it is being given new significance, as part of a memorial for Air Chief Marshall Hugh Dowding, who was instrumental in coordinating defensive measures during the Battle of Britain. Mark met with Hamish at his home in Moffat to hear more about Dowding, and the plane itself. Ospreys are back across Scotland, and people across the world are following along on live cameras hosted at sites such as RSPB Loch Garten. Mark and Rachel hear from the Visitor Experience Manager Clark Evans about what an exciting – and sometimes drama-filled - time of year it is on the reserve. The glasshouse and walled garden in the centre of Banff was once home to fruit trees and grapes, grown for the imposing Duff House. Now, it has been transformed into The Vinery - a local community employment hub, teaching classes on all manner of topics, including gardening. Mark met with the gardener, Michelle Walker, to hear more about the opportunities The Vinery is provides to the local community.

Dans cet épisode, nous vous emmenons à Sydney.Plus grande ville d'Australie, Sydney séduit par son cadre spectaculaire entre océan et gratte-ciels. Son emblématique Opéra et le Harbour Bridge dominent une baie majestueuse, symbole de modernité et d'élégance, faisant de Sydney une destination incontournable.Chinese Garden of Friendship jusqu'au Sydney Opera HouseSi vous décidez de [visiter Sydney en 5 jours: https://www.selectour.com/serp?type=circuit&s_c.TYP=circuit&s_c.DESTINATION=oceanie.australie.sydney], débutez par une balade du Chinese Garden of Friendship en passant par Darling Harbour jusqu'au Sydney Opera House. Avec son architecture en forme de voile blanche, il domine la baie.Harbour BridgeSeconde lieu à visiter à Sydney en 5 jours, il s'agit de Harbour Bridge. On peut le traverser à pied, à vélo ou même faire une ascension guidée au sommet de l'arche. Là-haut, la vue sur la baie est vraiment incroyable, surtout au lever ou au coucher de soleil.Bondi BeachNous continuons notre visite de Sydney en 5 jours avec les plages, notamment celle de Bondi Beach, la plage mythique. On y retrouve les surfers, les joggers, les familles. Si vous avez un peu de temps, nous vous conseillons de faire la Bondi to Coogee Walk, une magnifique balade côtière de 6 km avec des panoramas à couper le souffle.Royal Botanic GardensCette visite de Sydney en 5 jours se poursuit, puisque vous vous dirigerez vers le Royal Botanic Gardens, un très grand jardin luxuriant, un vrai moment de détente. On peut y pique-niquer avec une belle vue sur la baie, observer les cacatoès et les ibis et profiter d'un calme étonnant en plein cœur de la ville.DarlinghurstAutre étape de notre visite de Sydney en 5 jours, direction Darlinghurst, un quartier vibrant qui va mêler vie culturelle intense et charme architectural. Vous pourrez y découvrir des rues colorées bordées de maisons victoriennes et des bâtiments historiques qui ont été réhabilités en galerie ou en café.Blue MountainsDernier endroit à découvrir durant notre visite de Sydney en 5 jours, c'est une journée au Blue Mountains, un parc national classé au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO. Vous allez y retrouver des falaises vertigineuses, des forêts d'eucalyptus à perte de vue, cascades et panoramas spectaculaires comme celui des Three Sisters.Pourquoi voyager à Sydney ?Sydney est bien plus qu'une destination, c'est une rencontre, celle d'une culture cosmopolite vivante et vibrante qui vous accueille à bras ouverts sous un soleil éclatant, qui semble vraiment faire rayonner quiconque y pose les pieds. Une fois que vous l'aurez découverte, une seule envie persistera en vous, y revenir.Si vous souhaitez en savoir plus sur la destination et, pourquoi pas, préparer votre prochain [circuit à Sydney: https://www.selectour.com/serp?type=circuit&s_c.TYP=circuit&s_c.DESTINATION=oceanie.australie.sydney], n'hésitez pas à faire appel à nos [experts: https://www.selectour.com/agent/recherche?postalCode=&city=&favoriteDestination=AU&page=3] !À bientôt dans le cockpit !Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

In this episode I speak with Amy Downie, a horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne.I was excited to talk to Amy to learn about escarpment horticulture, which she's involved with, and it was as fascinating a chat as I had hoped!She recently presented at a Botanic Gardens Conference in Singapore about escarpment horticulture, and her passion for her job is infectious, so she was a joy to speak with.You can follow Amy on Instagram @amydownie_If you're wanting to sign up to be on the mailing list for The Landscaping School, you can find the link here.You can follow along with the projects we're currently working on via our Instagram page@instyle_gardens@thelandscapingpodcastYou can view each episode on our YouTube channel

1Long The Scottish Crannog Centre on the banks of Loch Tay is a bustling model Iron Age village, filled with various craftspeople to demonstrate ancient crafts and technologies. Mark went along to find out how the site has grown over the past few years, and how the construction of the crannog over the water is coming along.Jenny Graham follows the Postie's Path – a route once taken by “Big John MacKenzie”, a post runner in the early 19th century, which runs along Strathconon Glen in the West Highlands, finishing at Achnasheen. The route used to take several days for the postman to complete on foot, but Jenny has opted to trace the route – or what remains of it – on her bike.Helen Needham has been out and about in the early morning to catch the best of the spring dawn chorus. Joining her is Ian Broadbent, the North East of Scotland's specialist bird recorder from the British Trust for Ornithology.Passing through West Lothian, it is hard to miss the huge angular mounds dotted across the landscape. However, the history of these mounds, or bings – and the shale oil industry that created them – may be lesser known. Mark met up with Nicola Donaldson from the Shale Museum to find out more about the historic industry, and how it created these man made landmarks.The Torridon Mountain Rescue Team that has been operating in the West Highlands since 1972. Jenny Graham has herself been a member of the group for 10 years, and she met up with some of the other team members to find out about the history of the team, and how mountain rescue has changed in the past 50 years.The Inchindown Oil Tanks are a relic of WWII, located near Invergordon, and are the site of the world's longest echo. Phil Sime went along to the vast underground space, to experience this echo for himself.Mark has been along to the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, to have a look at their huge collection of pressed and preserved plants. The Herbarium is home to over three million species, and Mark meets up with Amy Porteous to find out how the collection is used.

In this edition of DIG IT, Peter Brown and Chris Day chat with Jonathon Jones OBE on all aspects of trees from the famous Tregothnan Estate in Cornwall. Jonathon discusses how a revolutionary new app – Tremap is changing the way we can record, map and share details of trees worldwide using GPS on our smart phones.Plants mentioned: Araucaria Araucana (monkey puzzle tree), Camellia sinensis (tea), Casuarina equisetifolia (She-oak or whistling tree), Grevillea robusta, Griselinia littoralis, Honeyberry (Lonicera caerulea), Magnolia campbelli (the flamingo of the flower world), Montrey Cupressus, Olea (Olive tree), Lagerstroemia indica (myrtle tree), Podocarpus, Poplars, Plymouth Pears, Salix (Willow), Sycamore gap tree, Tilia (lime), and Wollemi nobilis (Dinosaur tree).Products: RootGrow, mycorrhizal fungi.Places mentioned: Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, Exeter University, Cornwall Space Cluster, Heathrow Airport (mapping Black Poplar), The Nare Hotel, Strybing Arboretum and San Francisco Botanical Garden.People: David Noble (discovered the Wollemi in 1994 along with Michael Casteleyn and Tony Zimmerman), Richard Maxwell (Business development at Tremap), Humprey Repton (garden designer) and Robert Fortune (plant explorer).Desert Island tree: Custard fruit tree (Annona squamosa).The tallest Rhododendron in the UK is at Tregothnan, closely followed by a specimen at South Lodge in Horsham, Surrey – 2m difference in height.To find out more about the Tregothnan estate, the April charity weekend and Tea.You can download the Tremap app for Free on the two main app stores Android and Apple Store or go to www.tremap.com for more details. Some 16 million trees have already been mapped on the App.Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In India, many plants serve both as food and medicine. Shambhavi Naik discusses with Megha (@meghaphd), Varun from TDU, and Bob Allkin from the Royal Botanic Gardens about the use and regulation of medicinal plants.The PGP is a comprehensive 48-week hybrid programme tailored for those aiming to delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of public policy. This multidisciplinary course offers a broad and in-depth range of modules, ensuring students get a well-rounded learning experience. The curriculum is delivered online, punctuated with in-person workshops across India.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://school.takshashila.org.in/pgp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find out more on our research and other work here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://takshashila.org.in/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our public policy courses here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://school.takshashila.org.in⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Send us a textIn this episode, Joe sits down with Anthony Bashall from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney to explore the world of turf and landscape management in one of Australia's most iconic green spaces. Anthony shares insights into maintaining high-quality turf, the challenges of urban horticulture, and the innovative practices used to keep the gardens thriving year-round.www.lawnsolutionsaustralia.com.auwww.facebook.com/lawnsolutionsaustraliawww.youtube.com/@LawnSolutionsAustralia

The first episode of 2025 of A brush with… features a conversation with Linder, who discusses her influences—from writers to musicians and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped her life and work. Born Linda Mulvey in Liverpool in 1954, she is best known for her photomontages, made from images found in books and magazines across six decades. They bring together sex and sexual politics, glamour and grit, satire and seduction. Since emerging in the punk era of the late 1970s—a culture whose DIY approach and unflinching attitude to society her work embodies—Linder has reinvigorated a radical tradition of avant-garde art-making while developing a singular voice. She reflects on the particularities of her native Britain while also addressing global struggles and themes, including feminism and class politics. She discusses her use of the scalpel as a “magic wand” in cutting up print material, her journey to Delphi and recent use of ancient Greek and Roman imagery, her fascination with Ithell Colquhoun and other Surrealists, the impact of reading Germaine Greer and the Brontës, how she has used the Playboy magazines once owned by the Brutalist architects Alison and Peter Smithson in a new body of work, and how she connects the Indian musical instruments, the dilruba and taus, with Barbara Hepworth. Plus, she answers our usual questions, including the ultimate: “What is art for”?This episode contains descriptions of abuse and sexual violence.Linder: Danger Came Smiling, Hayward Gallery, London, 11 February-5 May; a version of the show, curated by Hayward Gallery Touring, will travel across the UK in 2025 and 2026: Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, 23 May-19 October; Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea, 7 November 2025-8 March 2026; Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool, 27 June-20 September 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a chilly January in the UK, the days are starting to lengthen and there's signs of life as bulbs are pushing through the soil. DIG IT's Peter Brown and Chris Day discuss news, events and gardening tasks for the gardening month ahead.What's onSaturday 1st February Buckingham Garden Centre's Grow & Grow Day, 10am-4pm. Saturday 1st February to Sunday 2nd March: Peruvian Orchid Spectacular at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London. The Plant Fair Roadshows are back in full swing with the first event of the year on Sunday 2nd February at Hole Park, Rolvenden, Kent, on Sunday 2nd February.Running until 13th April: Soil - The World at Our Feet Exhibition at the Embankment Galleries, South Wing, Somerset House in London.Saturday 15th February – Sunday 23rd February: Exhibited during Eco-Week at Hever Castle & Gardens, Earth Photo will be featuring work by some of the best photographers from around the world.Thursday 20th February: Monty Don in conversation with Sophie Raworth online or in person at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington, London, SW7 2AR. 7pm. 20th - 22nd February: Shepton Snowdrop Festival, Somerset. Free event.Discover snowdrops across the UK. NewsBritain's oldest RHS Garden is calling for compensation from the Government as it faces a ‘catastrophic' £11m loss - thanks to roadworks.Home to 100-year-old specimens, the 60-acre Coton Orchard, the largest traditional orchard in Cambridgeshire and 8th largest in the country is at risk of becoming a new bus lane. Two plant collections - Amelanchier and Witch hazel National collections have been accredited at National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.Monty Don's new British Gardens series airs on the BBC.Sarah Dyke MP's Horticultural Peat (Prohibition of Sale) Bill has been pushed back to a later date. Kew Gardens and partner scientists have identified more than 170 new species in 2024New Year's Honours for garden industry figures including Gill Hodgson founder of Flowers From the Farm and Alan Titchmarsh, CBEScotland consults on its peat-free future.Latest Thompson & Morgan survey suggests garden expenditure is set to increase in 2025.More crystal ball gazing from the RHS with its gardening predictions.Eden Project appoints 'horticultural showman' Peter Jones.Kew build two advanced glasshouses to help in major restoration projects.David Domoney becomes new brand ambassador for Keder Greenhouses.Guiness World Records searches for world's oldest glasshouse.Forest England biodiversity study reveals DNA secrets.Butterflies heading north says NatureScot.RSPB suspends sale of flat bird feeders.Suttons given the Royal Warrant of Approval.Plants mentioned: Broad bean The Sutton, New Fothergill's Oh Sow Simple range, Seed Potatoes, Pea Meteor, Sweet Peas, Carnivorous plants (Venus flytraps), Carrot Amsterdam Forcing, Asparagus crowns, root-wrapped roses, celebration roses, strawberry runners and raspberry canes can be established now, Lilies, Dahlias, Begonia corms and Hosta. Hardwood cuttings Buddleja, Dogwoods, Forsythia, Philadelphus (Mock Orange), Roses and Salix (Willows).Products mentioned: Westland New Horizon Compost, Melcourt SylvaGrow Composts, horticultural fleece, Haxnicks jackets, raised beds and water butts. Dig It Top 5: Our Top selling Fothergills flower seeds of last year. No5 ‘RHS Flowers for Insects Mix', No4 Sunflower ‘Giant Single', No3 Sweet Pea ‘Old Spice Mixed', 2nd place Poppy ‘Victoria Cross' and at No1 ‘RHS Flowers for Wildlife Bright Mix'.Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supply the music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel" Show with IFWTWA, travel writer Diane Dobry talks about her visit to Barnes, a charming village in London, England. From musician Marc Bolan's Memorial and the Olympic Sound Studios to upscale High Street and the Royal Botanic Gardens, read her story about her adventures, here: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/barnes-uk-the-little-village-with-big-distinction/  Learn more about the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) at https://www.ifwtwa.org/  Follow this podcast here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzIUCV2e7qm1chVylr9kzBMftUgBoLS-m 

On this encore episode, Missouri Botanical Garden scientist, Charlotte Taylor, names 500 new species of plants. That makes her the most prolific living female botanist — an accomplishment only revealed last year by researchers from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the University of Cambridge. The researchers found Taylor is the third most prolific female botanist in the field — ever. Taylor discusses her contributions to the field of botany and takes us inside the world of a world-class taxonomist.

Martin visits his first ever Australian garden centre as P&T goes on tour down under! Jill and Martin walk us through the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney Australia, a wonderful and beautiful free resource right in the heart of the city.Listeners to the P&T Podcast can get a discount simply by entering the code POTSANDTROWELS - T's & C's apply, see the PlantGrow website for details.#gardening #GardeningPodcast #Sydney #Australia #GYO #GardeningVideosVisit potsandtrowels.com for links to all the videos & podcast episodesEmail Questions to info@potsandtrowels.com Our weekly YouTube videos are here: Pots & Trowels YouTubeThe Pots & Trowels team:Martin FishJill FishSean RileyFind out more about Martin & Jill at martinfish.com Find out more about Sean at boardie.comPodcast produced by the team, edited by Sean, hosted by buzzsprout.com

Where have all the worms gone in my garden? How do I use a glasshouse? Can plants survive without being watered for a month?Kathy Clugston and a team of gardening experts explore the 70 acres of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, all while digging the GQT postbag to answer your gardening grievances.Joining Kathy on this extensive tour are ethnobotanist James Wong, garden designer Neil Porteous, and Head of Gardens at Balmoral Kirsty Wilson. They're led around the garden by Head of Collections, David Knott.Producer: Bethany Hocken Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Elon Musk has been fomenting a revolt over a bipartisan federal government funding bill opposed by incoming president Donald Trump, in a direct challenge to the authority of Republican house speaker Mike Johnson. Ghost palms and toothy toadstools are among new species that were named by Kew's Royal Botanic Gardens in 2024. We're joined by Kew mycologist and research leader Dr Anna Bazzicalupo.Also in this episode:US scientists say the moon may actually be older than previously thoughtStudy on employees suffering mental and physical strain linked to tech gadgets use. We spoke to lead author, ESRC PhD student Elizabeth Marsh, from the University of Nottingham's Schools of Psychology and Medicine.Discovery of a mastodon jaw in a New Yorker's back yard.And, OpenAI announces…a phone-line: 1-800-ChatGPT. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Working at the intersection of horticulture, art and architecture, David has applied his passion for plants to a growing list of innovative projects, building a broad variety of modern, human-centric spaces with abundant plant life at their heart. David is a pioneer in the field of vertical gardens. He holds a degree in Environmental Horticulture Sciences and Psychology from California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo. He credits his time spent apprenticing at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, with setting him on the path to living wall design. It was at Kew that he came to appreciate the beauty of epiphytic plants—those which have naturally evolved to grow vertically on trees. David sees his work as an integral part of a public shift in consciousness towards a renewed desire for closeness with nature and an appreciation of the restorative effect of plants, especially in urban environments. For David, designing living walls affords the chance not only to promote awareness of native and endangered plant species but also to have a direct impact on quality of life. You can link back to the habitat horticulture site: www.habitathorticulture.com

Trees are ever-present in our lives and have enabled us to connect to the natural world. But should we be concerned for our trees with our changing climate and what trees can we plant in our gardens for the future?Tony Kirkham, MBE, British botanist and former Head of Arboretum, Gardens and Horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, discusses how trees are adapting around the world to climate change and what we can expect to see as our future tree-lined horizon takes on a different shape. Do you have a gardening question you'd like Alan Titchmarsh's help with? Submit your question in the comments below or go to www.gardenersworld.com/podcast/questions/ Alan will answer a selection in the Ask Alan podcast series from BBC Gardeners' World Magazine in February and March. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Die größte Pflanzensammlung der Welt: In dieser Episode entdecken unsere Abenteurer Alexander-Klaus Stecher und Claus Beling die Royal Botanic Gardens in London. Ein Ort, so einzigartig, dass er von der UNESCO als Weltkulturerbe unter Schutz gestellt wurde. Gemeinsam erkunden sie die botanische Vielfalt, die sich aus Pflanzen aller Kontinente zusammensetzt – einige davon stammen noch aus der Kolonialzeit. Sie besuchen das Palmenhaus, entdecken die älteste Topfpflanze der Welt und geben erstaunliche Einblicke in die faszinierende Geschichte des Gartens, einschließlich der wichtigen Rolle von Naturforscher Charles Darwin. Die beiden berichten auch über die besondere Ausbildung der Gärtner und die historische Verbindung zur Meuterei auf der "Bounty". Mit kuriosen Anekdoten und den persönlichen Eindrücken von anderen Besuchern erwecken Alexander und Claus diesen einzigartigen Ort zum Leben - hier im Podcast: BRITPOD - England at its best! -- WhatsApp: Du kannst Alexander und Claus direkt auf ihre Handys Nachrichten schicken! Welche Ecke Englands sollten die beiden mal besuchen? Zu welchen Themen wünschst Du Dir mehr Folgen? Warst Du schon mal in Great Britain und magst ein paar Fotos mit Claus und Alexander teilen? Probiere es gleich aus: +49 8152 989770 - einfach diese Nummer einspeichern und schon kannst Du BRITPOD per WhatsApp erreichen. -- Ein ALL EARS ON YOU Original Podcast.

Join us at the RSA and discover groundbreaking insights on how direct interactions with nature - seeing, smelling, and touching - can dramatically improve physical health. Learn how cedar boosts your immune system, pine scent calms your heart rate, and even a simple spider plant can enhance your gut health.Professor Kathy Willis, a leading expert in biodiversity and former Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew, will guide you through these discoveries. Kathy's insights show us how to integrate nature into our daily lives for better health. Whether you live in the city or the countryside, you'll leave equipped with actionable strategies to harness nature's power to transform your health and well-being.Chair: Catherine Pineo is our Head of Regenerative Learning and Design at RSASpeaker: Kathy Willis is Professor of Biodiversity in the Department of Biology, Principal of St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, and author of Good Nature.#RSAnatureBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA Events on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRSAorg Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3XPiI1k Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU Join our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

Slugs are sometimes regarded as a garden pest, but they are more important than people might think. Rachel meets with retired teacher and slug expert Chris Du Feu after one of his workshops in Rosyth run by the Fife Nature Records Centre to ask whether he had noticed more slugs than usual this year.It's rare these days to see a mature elm tree be it in the countryside or in our towns and cities. That's because of Dutch Elm Disease which, over the past sixty years, has killed millions of trees throughout the UK. In this week's Scotland Outdoors episode, Helen Needham visits Max Coleman of the Royal Botanic Gardens who has been involved in a Scottish project to create resilient elms for the future.Montrose Basin have recently been welcoming annual visitors pink-footed geese, who migrate from Iceland every year. Mark hears more about these spectacular birds from Visitor Centre Manager Joanna Peaker and freshwater ecologist Rachel Mackay-Austin.The harbour in Stranraer is at the heart of much of the regeneration of the town. Rachel met with historian Elaine Barton at the West Pier overlooking Loch Ryan to discuss the major role the loch played in the local economy.The October holidays in Scotland are traditionally called tattie holidays, as this is the time when children would be taken out of school to help with the potato harvest. Potato expert and “Tattie Talks” organiser John Marshall joins Mark and Rachel live to tell us more about how tattie picking has changed over the years.When we think of surfing, we don't usually associate it with the cold waters of the north of Scotland. University of Edinburgh lecturer Dr Matthew McDowell has recently published a book looking at the history of surfing in the north of Scotland. Mark meets him at Dunbar beach, one of Scotland's best surfing beaches, to discuss his findings.Returning to Stranraer, Rachel visits Aldouran Wetland Garden, a garden managed by volunteers, which lies just a few miles out of town. The site sits on the edge of woodland and features a pond, raised flower beds and a bird hide, as well as a rather interesting hungry caterpillar. Gordon Weymss and Jane Sloan gave Rachel a guided tour.Now that we are further into the autumn months, we start to notice the leaves changing on the trees. Mark meets artist Jonathan Mitchell to discuss the many colours involved in autumn leaves, and how they inspire his paintings.Highlands and Islands Airports Limited staff have teamed up with conservation programme Species on the Edge to create safe nesting habitat for the rare Little Tern at Islay Airport. Rachel meets Project Officer Lucy Atkinson to learn more about the project and the birds.

Dutch Elm disease has killed millions of elms across the world over the past century. But there is still hope that this mighty tree can be saved. Helen hears from David Shreeve of the Conservation Foundation about his new book Great British Elms. And from Max Coleman of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh about a conservation project in Scotland to plant resilient elms.

If you've ever been even a little curious about the magic of trees, you won't want to miss this conversation with the ultimate tree expert, Tony Kirkham. We're diving into Tree: Exploring the Arboreal World—a seriously stunning collection of art, history, and culture, centred around the human-tree connection.  This book documents the historical significance of trees throughout human history, society and culture. This really is the coffee table book to end all coffee table books for anyone with even so much as a passing interest in trees. About Tree: Exploring the Arboreal World This exquisite survey presents a breathtaking sequence of full-page images – from landscape paintings and botanical drawings to ancient frescos, vintage book illustrations and contemporary photographs – revealing the tree as a source of inspiration throughout history. Spanning continents and cultures, Tree reflects the diversity of its subject, depicting giant sequoias, cherry blossoms, palms, poplars, ginkgoes and other species found across Earth's forest biomes, in a wide-ranging selection of visuals dating from Ancient Greece to the present day. More than 300 images include Roman stone mosaics, illustrated Norse myths, Edo-period woodblock prints and living tree installations, each lavishly reproduced. Curated by an international panel of botanists, naturalists, art historians and other experts, the images expand the definition of botanical art, together forming a vibrant, vital homage to the natural world. About Tony Kirkham Tony Kirkham is a renowned British arboriculturist and tree expert, best known for his lifelong dedication to the care, study, and preservation of trees. He served as the Head of Arboretum, Gardens, and Horticultural Services at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where he played a pivotal role in maintaining one of the world's most diverse tree collections. Over his distinguished career, Kirkham became an authoritative figure in tree health, conservation, and education, helping to shape public understanding of trees' importance to ecosystems and human culture. He has participated in several international expeditions, collecting seeds and studying trees in countries such as China, Japan, and Chile, to enhance Kew's collections and support global conservation efforts. In addition to his practical work, Tony Kirkham is a popular figure in the media and has authored several books, including Remarkable Trees and Essential Pruning Techniques. He has also been featured in television series like BBC's The Trees That Made Britain, where he shared his extensive knowledge of how trees are woven into the fabric of human history and culture. Throughout his career, he's received numerous accolades, including an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to arboriculture, in recognition of his contributions to tree preservation and education. His work continues to inspire tree enthusiasts and professionals alike, highlighting the deep connection between trees and humanity. Links Tree: Exploring the Arboreal World - Phaidon Authors, forward by Tony Kirkham Other episodes if you liked this one: If you liked this week's episode with Tony Kirkham, you might also enjoy this one from the archives:  The Language of Trees - My guest this episode is artist and activist Katie Holten. Katie has just released a book called The Language of Trees, a collection of literary and scientific works by people like Robin Wall Kimmerer, Ursula le Guin, and Ross Gay. Using her Alphabet of Trees, the book is underpinned by the Katie's art and asks us to examine our relationship with trees by pulling together wide-reaching strands and demonstrating in one place, just how connected we are to them. Inspiration from Nature - This week, my guest is watercolour artist Lisa Gardner. Lisa is inspired by the natural world, the connection between breath and brushwork and rare wild plant species on the edge of extinction – seemingly far flung interests that come together in a beautifully natural and synergistic way in Lisa's work.   Please support the podcast on Patreon

With many parts of Scotland finally getting harvest underway, and planting for 2025 harvest being undertaken, NFU Scotland is asking growers to now complete its 31st consecutive annual harvest survey. Mark meets with Scott Campbell, North East representative on the NFUS Crops Committee, to chat about how the harvest has been so far and what the implications are further down the line.Helen Needham meets Gretchen Daily of the Natural Capital Project at Stanford University.A special festival gets underway this weekend in the north east giving people the chance to go “behind the scenes” with a number of food and drink producers. One of the businesses taking part is the Tullynessle Deer Farm near Alford which is offering guided tours to visitors. Rachel speaks to Janet and Willie Keith say it's a challenging time for the farmed deer industry in Scotland which is why they want more people to at least consider giving venison a try.Mark meets with Harold Hastie at the harbour in Port Ellen to discuss the many shipwrecks around Islay's coastline.Over the past couple of years, Mark has been following the story of the Ash Rise project, a collaborative project between the Scottish Furniture Makers Association, Scottish Forestry and the Association of Scottish Hardwood Sawmillers to highlight the effect of ash dieback on Scotland. It has now reached the point where the diseased trees Mark witnessed being felled in 2022 have been turned into an array of exquisite objects as part of an exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. He went along to have a look and met up with Tom Addy, Furniture Maker and Director of Ash Rise who pointed out a rather wonderful creation.Recently, Rachel visited the Tarland Bee Group in Aberdeenshire to hear what the season has been like for them and to find out a bit more about how they entice younger people to take an interest. After getting kitted out in a bee suit, she joined Yvonne Davidson and her young helper Imogen as they prepared to smoke the bees prior to entering the hives.The new ImMerse festival takes place on the 22nd of September at Annan Harbour and in the surrounding merse (saltmarshes) and river. It will be a fun-filled chance to discover and celebrate the amazing saltmarshes – and the wider natural environment – across the south of Scotland focusing particularly on the Solway. Jan Hogarth from SCAMP (Solway Coastal and Marine Project) joins Mark and Rachel live to tell us more about the festival and how listeners can get involved.

How can I control alexander plants? How can I encourage my gage trees to flower? What tips do the panellists have for increasing biodiversity?Kathy Clugston and her team of green-fingered experts are by the Suffolk Coast to share their advice with an audience of garden enthusiasts.On the panel are head gardeners Ashley Edwards and Matthew Pottage, and pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood.Meanwhile, Matthew Pottage explores the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. He dons his hard hat to get up close with a particularly dangerous local pine and admires the wollemi pine, a living fossil thought to be extinct for two million years until a small population was discovered in the Blue Mountains of Australia in 1994.Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Senior Producer: Dominic Tyerman Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Summary: Rafflesia is a flower but not just any ole flower. Join Kiersten as she discusses this highly unusual plant.   For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean   Show Notes:  “Most of the world's largest flowers (genus Rafflesia) are now on the brink of extinction,” by Pastor Malabrigo Jr, Adriane B. Tobias, Joko Witono, Sofi Mursidawati, Agus Susatya, Mat Eunuch Siti-Munirah, Adhityo Wicaksono, Reza Raihandhany, Sarah Edwards, and Chris J. Thorogood. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10431 “Rafflesia arnoldii,” Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, https://www.kew.org Music written and performed by Katherine Camp   Transcript (Piano music plays) Kiersten - This is Ten Things I Like About…a ten minute, ten episode podcast about unknown or misunderstood wildlife. (Piano music stops)   Kiersten - Welcome to Ten Things I Like About… This is a podcast about misunderstood or unknown creatures in nature. Some we'll find right out side our doors and some are continents away but all are fascinating.  My name is Kiersten and I have a Master's Degree in Animal Behavior and did my thesis on the breeding behavior of the Tri-colored bat. I was a zookeeper for many years and have worked with all sorts of animals from Aba Aba fish to tigers to ravens to domesticated dogs and so many more in between. Many of those years were spent in education programs and the most important lesson I learned was that the more information someone has about a particular animal the less they fear them. The less they fear them the more they crave information about them and before you know it you've become an advocate for that misunderstood animal. This podcast will focus ten, ten minute episodes on different animals and their amazing characteristics. Please join me on this extraordinary journey, you won't regret it. This series will be a bit different from previous ones because we're going to talk about two unknown species. We'll delve into two amazing plants that have quite unusual life cycles.  This is the first episode of a series focused on unbelievable, unknown plants. The first plant I'm going to talk about is Rafflesia and the first thing I like about this plant is rafflesia itself. Rafflesia is actually the genus of 42 different species of plants. This genus includes the largest solitary flower in the world. Rafflesia arnoldii grows up to three feet in diameter and can weigh up to 15 lbs. That's one heck of a big flower!  This is also an amazingly beautiful flower. It has five large, rounded petals. The middle of the flower looks like a bit like a giant salad bowl, but that is just part of the outer petals. If you look at a side view of this flower the outer petals look like the letter Y. Beneath the inner lip of the flower sits the central column where the stamens are located. Almost every species of Rafflesia follows this basic anatomical pattern. Each one has it own distinct details but generally follows this pattern. All Rafflesia are a red color with white or yellow spots all over. They look like a cartoon version of a flower. Maybe something you see in a Super Mario Brothers video game. The red hue varies by species and one is such a pale pink it almost looks white. The spots also vary is shape from round dots like a polka-dot pattern to round edged rectangles to blotches that have no discernible shape. All Rafflesia that we currently know of are found in Southeast Asia. This is one of the most plant-rich areas on the planet and Rafflesia are found only here. As I stated before there are 42 species of this amazing plant and since the beginning of the 21 century the species count has doubled from the number described between 1821 and 1984. Thirteen species were described in 1997.  Now I'm not done with the amazing facts about Rafflesia. These flowers are invisible for most of its life cycle, because the main part of the plant lives hidden within another plant. Rafflesia are considered parasitic. The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines parasite as an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other's expense. Rafflesia are some of the most amazing parasites on Earth, as far as I'm concerned. We'll delve more into this topic in a future episode, but the Rafflesia chose vines in the genus Tetrastigma as their host plants. Island living is the life for Rafflesia. Most of them are found on small island throughout Southeast Asia. Some of them are found on only one island and no where else.  Taxonomy is still disputed about these flowers so classifying them can be a challenge. Beyond classification, we know little about these plants. Why they chose the hosts that they choose, which species are found where, when they will bloom, and some much more. Scientists are still studying these amazing flowers, but time is running out. Many of these flowers habitats are disappearing at a terrifying rate. There may be rafflesia disappearing before scientists even discover them. We will talk about all these topics in the first half of this series of Unbelievable unknown plants. I'm excited about this one listeners! I picked a great plant to start off with because my first favorite thing about rafflesia is rafflesia.    If you're enjoying this podcast please recommend me to friends and family and take a moment to give me a rating on whatever platform your listening. It will help me reach more listeners and give the animals I talk about an even better chance at change.    So join me next week for another episode about Rafflesia.       (Piano Music plays)  This has been an episode of Ten Things I like About with Kiersten and Company. Original music written and performed by Katherine Camp, piano extraordinaire.

Kathy Willis discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Katherine Willis CBE is Professor of Biodiversity in the department of Biology and the Principal of St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. She is also a Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords. Previous roles include Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and a member of the UK Government's Natural Capital Committee. In 2015, Kathy was awarded the Michael Faraday Medal for public communication of science from the Royal Society. Her new book is Good Nature: The New Science of How Nature Improves Our Health. Staring out of a window onto greenery instead of a brick wall or a general urban scene. Having a vase of yellow or roses or houseplant with green-white leaves on your desk. Even if you only have 20 minutes for your walk or run, always head for the park/urban green space. Why? Because experiments show that there is a much greater reduction in our stress hormones (salivary amylase, cortisol and adrenaline) if we exercise in green space rather than on the streets. Garden without your gloves. Why? Because experiments show when we do so the environmental microbiota (good bacteria) found in biodiverse environments, including organic soils, is transferred onto our skin and into our gut. Visit the Mediterranean garden at the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew. Why? Because this hidden gem at Kew has a whole host of health benefits associated with it due to the smells (volatile organic compounds) given off by the mediterranean herbs lavender, rosemary, and mint. Buy a diffuser and diffuse the scents of cypress trees in your home or office. Why? Because clinical experiments and field trials are showing that when we do so, not only are stress hormones reduced, but also it can trigger a significant increase of natural killer cells in our blood. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

As part of The Wheeler Centre's 2024 Spring Fling program and in partnership with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, listen to an exclusive podcast interview with celebrated writer Olivia Laing, interviewed by Sophie Cunningham.  Olivia discusses her new book, The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise, which moves between real and imagined gardens, exploring how new modes of living can and have been attempted amidst the flower beds. The result is a beautiful and exacting account of the abundant pleasures and possibilities of gardens: not as a place to hide from the world but as a site of encounter and discovery, bee-loud and pollen-laden. Listen as you take a walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens, and experience first-hand the joy of wandering in nature.  Presented in partnership with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.  This conversation was recorded on Monday 22 July 2024 at The Wheeler Centre. Featured music is 'Spacemoons' by Justnormal.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Summer school holidays are here, and this is the perfect time to explore the UK with your family without breaking the bank.  Watch YouTube video: https://youtu.be/IWMz3-7LuT0 Here are 20 free activities to enjoy together: Visit the British Museum in London. Explore the Natural History Museum. Take a stroll in Hyde Park. Discover the wonders of the National Gallery. Enjoy a day out at the beach. Hike in the Lake District. Wander through Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden. Explore the historic streets of York. Visit the Tate Modern in London. Have a picnic in Richmond Park. Explore the ruins of Fountains Abbey. Walk along Hadrian's Wall. Discover street art in Bristol. Visit the Scottish National Gallery. Enjoy a day at the V&A Museum. Explore the beautiful Kew Gardens. Walk through the scenic Peak District. Visit Liverpool's Walker Art Gallery. Explore the stunning landscapes of Snowdonia. Discover the history at the Imperial War Museum. Could you do more with your money and finances? Join my free webinar, "3 Steps to Money Management and Unlocking Financial Freedom," to learn how to get control of your money, invest wisely, and achieve financial freedom.  Join me online on Wednesday at 7:00 PM. Places are limited, so register now below to avoid disappointment. Register Here - https://bit.ly/3QPp8IH #FamilyFun #FreeActivities #UKSummer #MoneyManagement #FinancialFreedom #Investing #WealthCreation #Budgeting #FamilyAdventures

Lucinda Rouse and Andy Ricketts joined by Bekki Wilkins, special events manager at the Willow Foundation, and Sam Dimond, director of the event production company Spotlight Sound. Bekki recounts the challenges of organising events such as the Willow Ball and the London Football Awards in the face of inflated costs and lower corporate ticket sales. She suggests ways of reducing costs through contra deals with suppliers and moving to venues outside London.Sam sheds light on the types of charity approaches that are most appealing to suppliers, stressing the importance of forming long-term relationships and dedicating time to ensuring a supplier fully understands a charity's mission and event goals.Charity Changed My Life features the story of Jerry, whose participation in a community horticulture programme at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, has brought him comfort and inspiration after experiencing homelessness.Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we'd like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be featured on this podcast. Email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com for further information.Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.Read the transcript. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Glynn Percival is the Senior Arboricultural Researcher at the Bartlett Tree Research and Diagnostic Laboratory. Dr. Percival primarily focuses on how environmental stress (drought, heat, and waterlogging) influences tree growth and susceptibility to pest and disease attacks. He is the author of more than 100 scientific papers, magazine articles, and book chapters, and is an honorary lecturer at the University Reading and the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew in the UK.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plantatrilliontrees/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plantatrilliontrees/support

Garry officially applies for a job at the Royal Botanic Gardens! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim had a great day with his grandson yesterday, picked him up from kinder, had hot chips and did a puzzle together Garry wants to work at the Royal Botanic Gardens, mowing the lawns. How can he apply? Oleg Markov missed a game to go to a wedding  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join me as I explore Melbourne, Australia, in a day packed with local culture, cuisine, and companionship courtesy of my Couchsurfing host, Jon. Our journey starts off at the bustling Melbourne Skydeck, giving us panoramic views of the city. We then visit the iconic Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes before retreating to the serene Royal Botanic Gardens. Along the way, Jon shares his personal stories of friendship and connections made through Couchsurfing. This episode not only highlights the beauty and vibrancy of Melbourne but also delves into how travel can forge deep, personal connections. 

Join me as I explore Melbourne, Australia, in a day packed with local culture, cuisine, and companionship courtesy of my Couchsurfing host, Jon. Our journey starts off at the bustling Melbourne Skydeck, giving us panoramic views of the city. We then visit the iconic Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes before retreating to the serene Royal Botanic Gardens. Along the way, Jon shares his personal stories of friendship and connections made through Couchsurfing. This episode not only highlights the beauty and vibrancy of Melbourne but also delves into how travel can forge deep, personal connections. 

Dive into the heart of Sydney with The Radio Vagabond as we explore the city's top 7 must-see attractions. From the serene bayside charm of Watsons Bay to the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, this episode is your ultimate guide to experiencing the best of Sydney. Watsons Bay: Discover the tranquil beauty of Watsons Bay, known for its stunning harbor views and delicious seafood. More info here. Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: Wander through the lush landscapes of the Royal Botanic Garden, a green oasis in the city's heart. Visit Royal Botanic Garden for more details. The Queen Victoria Building: Step back in time at the QVB, a haven for history buffs and shopping enthusiasts alike. Find out more here. Blue Mountains National Park: Escape to the breathtaking Blue Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Learn more here. Bondi Beach: Experience the iconic Bondi Beach, a hotspot for surfers and beach lovers. More information here. Sydney Opera House: Marvel at the architectural brilliance of the Sydney Opera House. Visit Sydney Opera House for details. Sydney Harbour Bridge: Conquer the Sydney Harbour Bridge with an exhilarating Bridge Climb. Learn more here. Tune into The Radio Vagabond for an in-depth exploration of these iconic landmarks.

Dive into the heart of Sydney with The Radio Vagabond as we explore the city's top 7 must-see attractions. From the serene bayside charm of Watsons Bay to the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, this episode is your ultimate guide to experiencing the best of Sydney. Watsons Bay: Discover the tranquil beauty of Watsons Bay, known for its stunning harbor views and delicious seafood. More info here. Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: Wander through the lush landscapes of the Royal Botanic Garden, a green oasis in the city's heart. Visit Royal Botanic Garden for more details. The Queen Victoria Building: Step back in time at the QVB, a haven for history buffs and shopping enthusiasts alike. Find out more here. Blue Mountains National Park: Escape to the breathtaking Blue Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Learn more here. Bondi Beach: Experience the iconic Bondi Beach, a hotspot for surfers and beach lovers. More information here. Sydney Opera House: Marvel at the architectural brilliance of the Sydney Opera House. Visit Sydney Opera House for details. Sydney Harbour Bridge: Conquer the Sydney Harbour Bridge with an exhilarating Bridge Climb. Learn more here. Tune into The Radio Vagabond for an in-depth exploration of these iconic landmarks.

It's all about balance–and in this episode we speak with botanist and writer Erin Zimmerman about choices she made in her new book Unrooted: Botany, Motherhood and the Fight to Save an Old Science. We also talk about the choices she's made as she balances motherhood and work, being an introvert and finding a writing community, pursuing her passions and finding meaningful ways to recharge. Plus how she was inspired by Charles Darwin's parenting. Erin Zimmerman is an evolutionary biologist turned science writer and essayist. She studied at the University of Guelph and at the Université de Montréal before traveling to South America to collect plant specimens, and then working at the Royal Botanic Gardens in England. In addition to her academic writing, her essays have appeared in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Undark, and Narratively. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emergingform.substack.com/subscribe

This episode in being reaired in honour of Linda White who passed away at the end of February. To me Linda was a colleague and friend. I learned so much from her and I am certain you will as well. _____Today on the Take on Board podcast, I'm speaking with Linda White.Linda describes herself as having done heaps, she rarely says no, and she firmly believes you are never to old learn new things.She's on the National Executive for the Australian Labor Party, the executive of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the National Executive of the Australian Services Union. And she's also on the board of the Chifley Research Centre, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the MCG Trust, and the Portable Long Service Leave governing board.She was formerly on the board of Legal Super, the Royal Botanic Gardens, 200 Gertrude Street, Footscray Community Legal Service and the Australian Social Inclusion board.Being on high-profile boards means dealing with media scrutiny. Linda explains to Helga how this can help a board stay focused and how one of the best chairs she ever worked with made his impact on her.Boards Linda is on:National Executive for the Australian Labor Party Australian Council of Trade Unions Australian Services Union Chifley Research Center Australian Center for the Moving ImageMCG Trust Portable Long Service Leave Upcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityFollow along on TwitterWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programFind out more about meContact me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four people injured in a lightning strike while sheltering from intense storms in Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens on Monday are recovering well. - सिड्नीमा चट्याङमा परेका चार जनाको स्वास्थ्य अवस्था स्थिर, आदिवासी समूहहरूबिच हिंसा बढिरहेको समयमा अस्ट्रेलियाद्वारा पपुवा न्यु गिनीलाई सहायता प्रदान गर्ने प्रस्ताव र खेलकुदमा अस्ट्रेलियन इन्स्टिच्युट अफ स्पोर्ट आफ्नो राज्यमा सर्नु पर्ने क्वीन्सल्यान्डको भनाइ। यी लगायत गत एक हप्ता यताका प्रमुख घटनाहरू बारे एसबीएस नेपालीबाट समाचार सुन्नुहोस्।

Missouri Botanical Garden scientist Charlotte Taylor has named 500 new species of plants. That makes her the most prolific living female botanist — an accomplishment only revealed last year by researchers from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the University of Cambridge. The researchers found Taylor is the third most prolific female botanist in the field — ever. Taylor discusses her contributions to the field of botany and takes us inside the world of a world-class taxonomist.

On today's show, David Richardson discusses the work of the world's largest "gardening" organization, responsible for tending to all UK and Commonwealth war graves around the world. GUEST 1 OVERVIEW: Magnus Stenlund is a Nordic history author and a Geopolitics and Economics Analyst. GUEST 2 OVERVIEW: David Richardson has dedicated over 35 years of his career to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), serving in various global areas of operation. Currently, he leads initiatives focused on performance standards, reducing chemicals and water usage, and ensuring that cemeteries and memorials are resilient in the face of challenges like climate change and extreme weather events. David has a horticulture degree from Bath University and has worked and lived in various locations, including the Gallipoli Peninsula. He also managed the archaeological excavation and construction of the CWGC cemetery at Pheasant Wood, Fromelles, France. David is a Chartered Fellow and the current President of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners, and a Trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is  Kelly Molson, Founder of Rubber Cheese.Download the Rubber Cheese 2023 Visitor Attraction Website Report - the annual benchmark statistics for the attractions sector.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website rubbercheese.com/podcast.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcastCompetition ends on 29th March 2024. The winner will be contacted via Twitter. Show references: https://www.kew.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-willison-22347a10/ Julia Willison is Head of Learning and Participation for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.  She is passionate about engaging people – young and old and from all walks of life - in learning about the importance of plants and fungi and the need for sustainable development.  Julia is responsible for schools, communities and access, families and early years, outreach, youth and volunteers at Kew Gardens.  She previously worked with botanic gardens internationally to advocate for and establish education programmes for the benefit of local communities and the environment. Transcription:  Kelly Molson: Welcome to Skip the Queue, a podcast for people working in or working with visitor attractions. I'm your host, Kelly Molson. On today's episode I speak with Julia Willison, Head of Learning and Participation at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.We discuss Kew's inspiring manifesto - their 10 year strategy to end extinction crisis and protect nature. Julia shares with us the 5 key priorities, and we focus on Kew's desire to improve inclusivity and what initiatives have been formed to support the organisation in doing this.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue.Kelly Molson: Julia, it's really lovely to have you on the podcast today. Thank you for joining me. Julia Willison: My pleasure, Kelly. Thank you for inviting me. Kelly Molson: So we're recording this right at the beginning of January. It's the 9 January that we're recording it. So icebreakers have got a new year's resolution theme because I thought we should talk about this. I want to know, do you set them? If so, what have you set yourself for this year? Julia Willison: I do tend to set them in my own mind. I don't often share them, but I do set them. And this year I've set the resolution. I want to start learning to play the piano and I've actually had my first lesson. I'm really pleased with that. Kelly Molson: I love this. So we just had a little chat about this off air, because that was one of the other icebreaker questions I was going to ask you is, what's the one thing that you've always wanted to learn? And then we had this conversation and you're doing it already, and I was like, "Oh, this is great." So you've had your first lesson and how did it go? Julia Willison: Well, I found myself apologising to the teacher profusely because of my lack of ability to play the piano, but it went really well and he was absolutely delightful, very supportive, and I learned quite a lot in the first lesson, so I'm looking forward to the second lesson now. I've got a lot start playing and practising every day, which I'm enjoying doing. Kelly Molson: That's the thing about learning something new is that you've got to make it a habit, haven't you? So you need to kind of. This is the thing that I did about the gym, is that I had to diarize it, so I had to make sure that it was like in red in my diary, immovable. At the same time, on those days, that I could go so that you could do it. Are you going to do that with your lessons and your training? Julia Willison: Well, the lessons obviously will have to be in my calendar, but I have almost crossed the threshold where I made a decision to play the piano. I've got a long term goal that in maybe ten years time, I'll be able to play in a group or something like this. So I'm really committed to wanting to learn. So we'll see. You have to revisit this space. Maybe in five years time. See if I'm still doing it.Kelly Molson: Right. I'm popping you on the list for five years to make sure that I check in with you, that you've achieved your goals. Okay. What is the worst thing that you've ever eaten or drunk? Julia Willison: Well, eaten for me is mussels, because I'm allergic to them. Kelly Molson: Oh, wow. Julia Willison: I only learned that through, obviously, eating mussels and even just a small piece just made me incredibly sick. Drinking advocaat. How do you say it. Advocaat? Kelly Molson: Is that what goes into snowballs? Julia Willison: Yes. I can't think of anything worse actually.  Kelly Molson: I love snowballs. I had one over Christmas. Julia Willison: You can have mine. Kelly Molson: I'll have your mussels. And your advocaat. What a mixture. And probably not at the same time either. Julia Willison: No. Kelly Molson: Yeah. My friends did a Christmas party and we had a snowball and it was, "This is so retro." I can remember my grandparents drinking these when I was a child. I remember if you ever come to my house for a Christmas party that you are not to have snowballs.Julia Willison: I'll bring my own, Kelly. Kelly Molson: Okay. Right. What's your unpopular opinion, Julia? Julia Willison: What I do feel, I suppose, strongly about is that, and I arrived at this opinion after talking to my children, after I had done this. And it says, I don't think that people should post pictures of their children and friends on social media without their consent. Kelly Molson: Yes. Yeah. This is an interesting one, isn't? Oh, ok. And actually, at what point do you ask their consent? Because I post pictures of my daughter. She might not be comfortable with me, she might not be happy with me, her face being over my Twitter account or my Instagram account. So, yeah, I guess at some point we'll have that conversation. If she says no, that's it. No more pictures go up.   Julia Willison: Oh, sad. And the thing is, you can't take down the ones that you've already put up, can you? Kelly Molson: No. Well, I guess you can go back and delete them from an Instagram account or delete them from your Twitter account. So you could go back and delete, but then they're out there, so that doesn't mean that they're not elsewhere in the ether. Julia Willison: Interesting. Kelly Molson: It is interesting, yeah. But I think you're right, I think. Absolutely, for other people. I've definitely had this conversation with a friend of mine about. We've been out together with our children and we've both taken pictures and she's actually asked my permission if she can post the pictures on her social media, but her platforms are quite. Her Instagram is a private Instagram account, for example, so she's happy to post pictures of her daughter on that, but she's not happy for other people to post those pictures if they're not private account. It is a huge debate, isn't it? Well, it'll be interesting to see what people think. How do you feel about this? Kelly Molson: People on Twitter, which is where we do a lot of our talking about this podcast, how do you feel about posting pictures of your children or your friends and your family on social media without having their consent? Let us know. Could start a little Twitter debate there. Julia Willison: I'd be interested to read it. Kelly Molson: Right, Julia, tell us about your role at Kew and what a typical day looks like for you. Julia Willison: So, I'm Head of Learning and Participation at Kew Gardens and what I'm responsible for is providing leadership in this particular area at Kew and wanting to position Kew as a centre for excellence in plant and fungal science education. And under my remit comes formal learning. That's all the schools programmes and teacher training. So we've got about 90,000 school pupils that come on site each year and we engage with about 200,000 online. We have a youth programme which is growing. There's a lot of demand there for young people to get involved environmentally as well. Families, in early years, we run programmes for families, but up to seven year olds, specific sessions.  Julia Willison: We run community engagement, and that includes community horticulture. I'm responsible for the access programmes across the site as well. That's for people who may have sensory needs or different access needs. We have a national outreach learning programme and then slight anomaly is that the volunteers also sit with me. So we've got 800 volunteers across Kew Gardens and Wakehurst, and the central function of that sits with my remit. So looking at some of the strategies around what we're doing with volunteers and diversifying our volunteers, et cetera, that's my remit.Kelly Molson: They're quite a bit. Julia Willison: Yeah. No, it's fantastic. I'm very lucky. And there's no one typical day, but you can imagine. Well, I get going with a cup of coffee every day and sometimes I'll spend one day a week working from home. Julia Willison: But the rest of the time, I like to be on site. Kew has got to be one of the most beautiful locations to work. Kew has got to be one of the most beautiful locations to work. I am so lucky. I know that.Julia Willison: And I've probably got the best office in Kew. If you come and visit Kelly, you'll see that the office I have looks out over the Palm House of Kew, which is the most iconic glass house. It was a glass house that was built between 1844 and 48 and it houses the tropical plants, so it is just the most amazing place to work. I attend a lot of meetings, as you can imagine, with my teams and staff across the organisation about operations sometimes, and strategy and new and exciting projects that we're looking at what we can do. I sit on cross organisational steering groups and committees that focus on public programmes. Julia Willison: We have a strong focus on equality, diversity and inclusion across the organisation. And safeguarding. Well, I still am the designated safeguarding lead for Kew, so I'm involved in that still. And I also lead the steering group for Kew on the outreach strategy and the schools learning strategy. And then, as well, I often work on preparing project proposals, because funding is a major issue for our organisation, and so funding and reporting and then talking to potential donors. So that's my sort of typical day, really. Kelly Molson: I feel quite privileged that I get to speak to so many incredible women that have these hugely varied roles and do so much in a day. Very capable people that I get to speak to. It's quite humbling. We're going to talk quite a lot today about a manifesto that Kew implemented. I'm just going to take you back. So I think it was in March 2021, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew launched a ten year strategy to end extinction crisis and protect nature. And it's a really bold and incredibly inspiring manifesto. I'm just going to read out the ethos of it. Kelly Molson: So, the mission of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is to understand and protect plants and fungi for the well being of people and the future of all life on earth. Our aspiration is to end the extinction crisis and to help create a world where nature is protected, valued by all and managed sustainably. So this was back in 2021. How has the manifesto been implemented within the organisation? How did it get created in the first place, and how does that kind of get explained and put into practise? Julia Willison: Good question. We started in the pandemic, looking at the need to build a new strategy, because our older strategy was coming to the end, and over the years has been a building of staff in Kew, talking about wanting to see more urgency in the work that we do, or to describe it in a more urgent terms, what we're trying to do at Kew. And so the pandemic, while it was a terrible time, it was a time that Kew took to step back and look at the bigger picture and then come together around this urgency of climate change and biodiversity loss. And there was a lot of consultation, a lot of iterations of the strategy that went out to staff to feed into this. Julia Willison: It was a significant job, and there was a team, a small team of people that were working on it, taking the consultation back in centrally. And then what emerged through the consultation were five key priorities that we then agreed, or was agreed then for the next ten years. And that was agreed then by the executive board and signed off by the board of trustees. I'll mention the five priorities, and I can give a few bits of examples of some of the work we do around those. The first priority is deliver science based knowledge and solutions to protect biodiversity and use natural resources sustainably. Kew is primarily a scientific and horticultural organisation, and we struggle sometimes that many people see Kew Gardens as the gardens and don't see the science behind the gardens. Julia Willison: The gardens are essential and they contain precious plant collections. There is also science and research behind that. We've got over 400 scientists and about 150 horticulturalists. And so it's the bedrock accused contribution to ending biodiversity and maintaining sort of healthy ecosystems. So there are lots of examples that I could give. People probably don't know this. We have a resource centre in Madagascar, scientific resource centre, and scientists there are working with the rural Malagasy people on food security and particularly on conserving yams that are native to Madagascar. We work in over 120 countries, working with partners in Ethiopia to reduce biodiversity loss. The Ethiopian economy depends very much on coffee, and something like 25% of the population rely directly or indirectly on coffee for their livelihood. And so Kew is working with partners to maintain traditional forest based areas where coffee grows natively. Julia Willison: And that is proving vital for sustainability, for livelihoods and also for biodiversity. Close to home. We have scientists here at Kew working on the chemistry of nectar and pollen, because many bee species in the UK, there are around 240 different species of bees in the UK. So honey bees are just one species. There's lots of different bumblebees, lots of different native bee species, and they're under threat because of climate change from disease and parasites. So what scientists here are identifying plants that have compounds in the nectar and pollen that could help bees themselves manage their own diseases more sustainably. So that's an important area of research. Kew is also, as part of manifesto, we're digitising our collections. We've got a wrap quarter a way through digitising 8.25 million preserved plants and fungal specimens. So it's an enormous task. And 200,000 botanical illustrations. What else we're doing? Julia Willison: We have a sister site. I don't know if you know this, Kelly. We have a sister site at Wakehurst. It's our wild botanic garden in West Sussex and it's a site of excellence, really, in conservation and science. It's home to the Millennium Seed Bank, where we've banked something like 2.4 billion seeds from more than 40,000 plant species. And so there's the project being run at Wakehurst called Nature Unlocked, and that's using the landscape of Wakehurst, which is about two kilometres squared, as a living laboratory. And the idea is to collect high quality scientific evidence of the value of biodiversity in the soil as well as in the landscape. This evidence to inform land management policies and practises, so that can then key develop. Decision makers can then use this evidence to make informed decisions about what they do around the land. Kelly Molson: That's just one point. Julia Willison: I'll be quicker with the other. Kelly Molson: Please feel free to share. Don't hold back. But it's quite mind blowing, isn't it, how much that you do that people just aren't aware of? Julia Willison: Yeah, this is just a very small snapshot. I mean, I could have taken any one of hundreds of examples of what scientists here at Kew are doing. The second priority is inspire people to protect the natural world, and that really is threaded through all our public engagement work. And that's going from our festivals, our exhibitions, all the interpretive panels we do, the website, our social media, all the learning and participation programmes we do. So we use this as a lens to look through and to make sure that the work we're doing is all checking ourselves, that we are inspiring people to protect the natural world. I mentioned earlier we have a national outreach programme and this programme is inspiring communities to take action for biodiversity, specifically through transforming their local spaces with UK native plants. Julia Willison: So community groups we know will grow other plants, but we also encourage them to focus also on UK native plants as well. Another plan in the manifesto is to create a carbon garden, and that's to communicate stories around how carbon is captured in plants and soil, and how we use this to mitigate climate change, for example, through planting trees and also looking at different carbon related services, such as biofuels. And we have the plans for the garden. It's in planning permission. It's gone for planning permission at the moment and we're waiting to hear. And as soon as we hear, it'll probably take us about a year or so to build the garden, but we'll use it then very much for learning and communicating about the importance of carbon, so people know. So that's priority two. Julia Willison: Priority three is train the next generation of experts, new scientists and horticultural is critical to the future of life on earth. And so Kew has accelerated its work in this. And we offer three month PhD placements for anybody across the UK who's doing a PhD. Part of their PhD often includes a placement. So we offer those placements at Kew and we're very keen to attract PhD students. We also are working in partnership with a couple of universities, Queen Mary, University of London and the Royal Holloway, University of London, to run in partnership master's courses. MSc courses. And we've got three courses that we run. MSc in biodiversity and conservation, an MSc in plant and fungal taxonomy, diversity and conservation. And then the newest MSc is on global health, food security, sustainability and biodiversity. Kelly Molson: I can imagine that the world that we're in now, there's actually a lot more demand for those courses as well. I imagine that they're oversubscribed multiple times. Julia Willison: Yes. And they're open to international students, so we get quite a lot of international students coming. So that's really good. We had 60 students starting this year on the courses, but on a master's course, taking 20 students, it's quite an intense course. And I know that Kew has, like you say, there's a demand to study further in this area, and so there are still developing the possibility of new courses with universities. That's good. Julia Willison: But one of the things for my remit that I'm very keen about is that there's a pathway and that Kew considers its pathway from very early years, attracting kids to become very interested in nature, and then going through and providing school programmes that then encourage children to then take science as a possible career choice, or be informed about science, which is one of the reasons why we launched the Endeavour Online programme to make our resources that focus on educational resources that focus on Kew, science and horticulture, but make them available to schools across the UK. Kelly Molson: That's phenomenal. And that's a lot of the things that we're going to talk about today. What point are we at? We've done point 3. Julia Willison: Okay. So extend our reach. Kelly Molson: Extend reach. That's right. Point 4. Julia Willison: That's about cubing a go to place for anyone and everyone to explore the importance of plants and fungi and how they add value to our lives. And we're working hard to expand our digital resources to make sure that we can engage with as many people as possible. But we also recognise that there are large numbers of the population that would love to visit Kew or either have never heard about us or don't see Kew as a place for them. So we've set down a target to increase tenfold the number of visitors from underrepresented communities to the gardens. And one of the ways that we've done this straight away is to introduce a one pound ticket for people who were on universal credit or pension credit, and that's to remove the economic barrier to visiting. Julia Willison: To date, around 50 - 60,000 people have taken advantage of the initiative in 18 months. However, we have a very ambitious director and he feels that we should be able to dial this up to about 100,000 per year. So that requires us then to go out specifically targeting people who are on universal credit and pension credit and say, "Look, we want you to come to Kew." But on top of this, we also run a range of programmes specifically for people who face barriers to Kew. And that's not only economic, that could be social barriers, psychological or physical barriers. That's priority four, which I think we're going to go into more about some of that.  Kelly Molson: Three and four we're going to focus on. Julia Willison: Yeah. So the fifth one is influencing national and international opinion and policy. So in order to do that, we need to encourage debate and shape decision making. And Kew works with a lot of policymakers. Kew is a large institution.  Julia Willison: We've got about 1400 staff that work at Kew and 800 volunteers. We have lots of different teams and departments. We do have a department that focuses specifically on working with government and policy makers. And the idea is to support them, to provide the evidence that Kew brings to the table so that people can make well informed decisions. One example is about Tropical Important Plant Areas, those TIPA for short. Kew is working with six countries across the globe and the idea is to work with partners in the countries to help them identify important plant areas so that these areas will then be conserved. That involves an enormous amount of negotiation, discussion, and to date there's three TIPAs that have already been established, so that's really important for conservation of those areas. Julia Willison: And, of course, we work closely with Defra, that's our sponsoring department in the UK government, and they've recently asked you to take the leading role as a strategic science lead for a new institution, I suppose, that has been set up. It's not a physical institution. It's a consortium. It's been called the Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate. So what Kew will do is write the research strategy that will define the key themes for funding calls that will be given money, and then the projects that will then provide the evidence to feed into policies that will then help make decisions about the impact of biodiversity on climate and people's livelihoods. So that's a really significant thing that Kew's done. Kelly Molson: This is such an eye opener for myself, having been a visitor to Kew, appreciated the beautiful gardens and the plants that you have there, but actually really having no idea about all of the things that happen in the background. So this is just like you say, the attraction is just one very small part of this huge organisation. There's so much that you do. I hope this is eye opening for people that are listening to this as well, because there's a lot going on here. The points from the manifesto, the key priorities for manifesto are, I mean, each one of them you could take and break down into a different podcast episode. What we're going to talk about is points three and four. We're going to focus on those today. Kelly Molson: So point 3 was to train the next generation of experts, and point 4 was to extend our reach. We're going to focus on them because there's a huge desire at  Kew to improve inclusivity, and so we're going to kind of break down what is happening within those points to actually help support do that. So you said that one of the key changes that Kew has committed to achieving by 2030, I think this is to increase tenfold the number of visitors from the presently underrepresented communities to the gardens. And obviously the gardens facilitate the start of that learning journey. Right. That it's exposing people to, I guess, a world that they might not be familiar with, plants that they definitely won't be familiar with, or even just certain job roles that they might not have thought was for them. Kelly Molson: How do you begin to change the kind of views and attitudes from the general public who don't think that Kew is for them, a place for them in the first place? Julia Willison: Well, our aim is to break down that perception. So I think one of the things that has happened to be able to start on this journey is an organisational commitment to include everyone and bringing everybody on board, that we are really intent, we really want to do this. So that's involved training our visitor facing staff and our volunteers so that they provide a warm welcome to anyone, regardless of their background. We've trained our staff in accessibility and safeguarding and then diversity and inclusion. And this year we will roll out more diversity and inclusion training to staff across all areas of the organisation. So when people come here, it's making sure that they feel safe and they feel represented in the gardens. But just providing a welcome is not going to be sufficient. Julia Willison: We do need to reach out and connect with different communities to tell them that Kew exists. We have people visiting Kew from our local boroughs that have never heard of us, which is extraordinary, really. So we really try and encourage them to visit. So we have teams of staff who, in different teams, will visit the different groups and they'll run workshops with the groups at their venues so that groups can find out about Kew before they visit. They realise that the people that come to visit them are really quite friendly and really excited about them coming to Kew. And also, people have said that Kew is a very large place when you come here. I mean, people come and visit Kew, they come for a day, but you never see everything at Kew for a day. Julia Willison: So people feel that it can be a bit intimidating, especially if they've not visited before. So when we bring people on site for the first time, when we've made connections with community groups or other teams, what we do is we'll offer a programme or a tour, so that when they come to visit us, that they make them feel comfortable about returning on their own. Kelly Molson: Sure. So it gives them that level of familiarity by doing the tour that they can then come back and explore. They can do that again, or they could go and explore the different areas that were particularly appealing to them. Julia Willison: Yeah. So we have all sorts of different programmes and we have a community access scheme as well as the one pound ticket. We have community access scheme. So any groups that provide services to people who face barriers from visiting Kew, which I said earlier, sensory, psychological, social barriers, they can join our community access scheme and they can get 60 tickets for 36 pounds. So that works out about 60 pence a ticket and they can always top up as they go along. And then as part of the scheme, they all receive a newsletter and that informs them about the community activities that we run. So that's another way of connecting groups to feel that Kew is a place for them to come and visit. Kelly Molson: That's lovely. I was going to ask about the community access scheme and what initiatives have been formed to kind of support the organisations to do that, because I guess it's one thing the welcome is great, right. But that means that people have to come and get the welcome. So there's so much outreach that has to be done to bring the people to you in the first place. So the community access scheme, what kind of organisations would that be relevant for? Julia Willison: All sorts. We have about 350 members on our access scheme. When I first started at Kew, most of those groups, there were fewer number of groups, but most of those groups were, I would say, for third age people, different groups, but mainly servicing older people. Now we've got all sorts of groups, so we've got LGBT+ groups, we have deaf groups, asian women's groups. We have a whole different range of groups that see Kew as a place that they could join and come and bring with their members. And one of the things that we do run is continuing professional development training for group leaders, specifically for those leaders, so that they then feel confident to come to Kew with their groups on their own and will provide resources for them to use in the landscapes and enjoy with Kew. Kelly Molson: And that adds to that, I guess, like what you were saying earlier about, you want this to be the start of the journey. You need it to be the start of the journey for those groups as well, don't. You don't want to encourage them to come along once and that's like a box that they've ticked. They've done Kew. You want them to come back and keep reengaging with the environment there. So that's brilliant to then be able to train those leaders to take that bit on themselves. Julia Willison: I was just to say, a few years ago, we started a community open week, which is a free week for community groups, any community groups across London. In fact, some groups come from further afield, but we put on a range of workshops and tours during that week for groups to come and just experience Kew and the idea is, if we can, is to try and encourage them to sign up to the access scheme and continue, as you say, the journey and come back and find out more. Kelly Molson: I guess that's the community access scheme. And obviously you've got kind of partnerships going ongoing with kind of local community. What about national community groups? So how do you kind of expand your remit into the wider audience of people that aren't located near Kew?Julia Willison: Yeah. That's a good question because that costs money, doesn't it, for them to come to Kew. So we have had people come from Birmingham and people can join. We've initially contained it within the M25, so a lot of people coming within the M25, but we've just removed that barrier now, I mean, it didn't need to be there. And we have seen some people, some groups coming from outside. We don't have bursaries to be able to provide, sadly, to groups to come to Kew. They are, of course, very welcome. I think one of the things is that we've just brought somebody on board this year who is doing some more community outreach to going out and trying to connect with new groups to visit Kew and part of that will involve producing some marketing materials that can then travel further than just our confines. Julia Willison: So we'll see. We may then receive other groups in from much further afield, which would be great. And also Wakehurst, our sister site, has set up a community access scheme as well, so they will hopefully then encourage those organisations and groups in further south of London.Kelly Molson: Amazing. How is Kew helping to remove barriers and improve access to nature for children and families, both kind of on site and off site? Julia Willison: We've been running an early years programme since about 2018. Before that, we had a family programme and we've made connections with children's centres in our local boroughs. Every borough, every county in the UK will have a children's centre or multiple children's centres. And the aim of the children's centres is to try and help those families that may slip through the net to be able to ensure that they don't. And so what we have done is we have a recent project which is to work with children's centres in London and we're working in five boroughs with different about ten children's centres. And the team is going to the children's centres running nature based play sessions in the children's centres. And then over the summer, we invite the families to come to Kew. We give them funding to do that. Julia Willison: We refund their travel, we run activities on site and then later in the year, we've been running training sessions specifically for the children's centre leaders so that they can then take this work forward when Kew has to step back from going to the children's centres. And we've got this project running for about three or four years now, which is great. But on top of this, we also run on site sessions for early years and half of them are paid for sessions for those families that can afford to pay for earlier sessions. And then the money that we use from that, we then subsidise those families from children's centres, community groups that can't afford to pay. So we try and get a balance, because we don't ourselves have an endless pot of money and we're constantly looking for funding to try and support this work. Kelly Molson: It's really hard, isn't it, to get that balance right. There is a commercial aspect here, right. You have to make money to be able to do all of these incredible projects and initiatives that you have, but you also need the funding to be able to support the incredible initiatives that you're running, to be able to allow everybody access to it. So it's like a vicious circle. What about schools outreach? How are you kind of broadening your reach to engage all schools? And how does that become more inclusive against the manifesto? Julia Willison: So we've been very intent on saying that we want to extend our reach to embrace all schools, sort of all schools in different areas, but also, at the moment, we have about 60, 70. Well, it's now changed to 60% of pupils that come on site are from primary schools. We want to increase the number of secondary school pupils that we engage with. Children make career decisions around their GCSEs and their A levels, and many children from certain schools from more deprived areas will go for general science rather than triple science. And all the research shows that if children choose triple science, they're more likely to do science at a levels. So looking to try and influence those children in their career choices is important for us. And that means that we want to increase the number of secondary schools that we engage with. Julia Willison: And we also have an intent on increasing the number of schools that have higher pupil premium, because in London, pupil premium is, you probably know, is that those children who are generally on those children, on free school meals, the school will receive a bursary from the government to try and reduce the attainment gap between those children on free school meals and those children on not. Julia Willison: So we have had bursaries, we don't have any at the moment, but we have had bursaries then to attract specifically those schools on much higher pupil premium, and we've shifted the dial on this and we have higher numbers of schools with higher pupil premium students and those schools, then we try to influence and think about science as a possible aspect that they can consider further in their careers. So, in planning permission at the moment, we're looking at building a new learning centre at Kew, which would be really exciting. And we're going through ecology reports at the moment before we can get the planning permission through. Julia Willison: But part of the learning centre will include four science laboratories, and so pupils can come on site to Kew will be able to come on site to queue and do science experiments in the heart of a scientific organisation. And all pupils doing GCSE and A levels have to do practical science experiments. We know from all the research that teachers don't necessarily feel confident in teaching about plants. So this is something that Kew really can uniquely offer schools to come to Kew and bring their pupils and get hands on with plant and fungal science experiments. Kelly Molson: Oh my goodness. That would be incredible. Julia Willison: Yes. And also it will provide us with the facilities to be able to do CPD online as well. So that's something that we're really keen to do. Kelly Molson: That's a really interesting side of this, is because I know that one of your goals is to engage with all schools. Now, all schools aren't local to Kew. My school definitely wasn't local to Kew. So how do you do that? How do you make that jump from engaging with local schools that can actually access the site? What can you do digitally that can engage with more schools and more people, regardless of location? Julia Willison: And one of the reasons that we are committed to engaging with all schools is because Kew is a national institution and we are funded partly. About 28% of our funding comes from the government, so it's paid for by taxes by people all over the country. So our commitment is to make our resources as available as widely as possible. And so we have an online programme called Endeavour, and that's a bank of resources specifically for teachers on all sorts of different. It's strongly linked to the national curriculum, but all sorts of different activities that teachers can use then to teach about plant science and fungi. But it straddles the natural curriculum not only in science, but for the primary ages. Julia Willison: It will also look at history, it will look at geography, et cetera, so that we can try and make our resources as relevant as possible to teachers. Kelly Molson: Yeah, that is a phenomenal resource that maybe more teachers need to hear about that. I think I would have been really excited. I did do Science at school. I can remember. I'd have been really excited about doing something that was connected to Kew Gardens. There's quite a big buzz about that, you know what I mean? I don't know why there's a connection to that organisation that I think would have been really exciting to know that you were working on something that had been created by Kew.Julia Willison: That's nice to hear that. We have a youth programme, which I'm very proud of. I think that the youth team is phenomenal, as are all the teams, but we run a youth explainer programme and that's on site, and young people come for a training programme every Saturday for six months and they go behind the scenes. They meet the horticulturist scientists and they learn communication skills. And what they do is we bring a game designer on site and they learn how to design their own game to play with the public about endangered plants or habitats. And the young people have to work together in groups and they produce this game. And then six months after, once they've finished their training, they then become explainers in the glass houses. Julia Willison: And the public, actually, they love interacting with young people and they bring a real buzz about it. So that's been a very successful programme. And on the back of this, we've developed a young environmental leader award. And the idea is that young people will develop their project and they will evidence different dimensions of leadership through their project. So they'll keep a portfolio and they have to evidence how they've developed their leadership skills during this journey. And then we award them with a young environmental leader award, and that's something that we do in house. But then the possibility is then to scale that, to make that available to young people outside Kew as well. Kelly Molson: That would be incredible, wouldn't it? Yeah, that would be a really special thing to be involved in. Okay, so we said earlier we're recording this. It's January 2024. Wow. How is Kew delivering against the manifesto after its first full two years? Julia Willison: Well, Kew is nothing if not ambitious. There is a real strong commitment to ending the extinction crisis. I mean, we can't do this alone and we have to do it in partnership. But I would say that we're firmly on the way to achieving many of the deliverables in the manifesto. And there's a real. People have really bought into. The staff have really bought into the manifesto, and you see that through. We run a staff survey every year and ask for feedback about whether what people think about the manifesto, do they feel their work is contributing to delivering it? And we get very high scores on that consistently we have since the manifesto was published. One of the deliverables in there is to revision the Palm House that I sit opposite in my office. Julia Willison: And we want that to become net zero and engage new generations with science and conservation work and make our data available to everyone. So we are moving towards that. And we've got some seed funding to be able to do this. I'd say that the bricks are in place and the foundations have been laid, and much of the work requires external funding and partnerships. But we have a vision, and I think people and organisations recognise what Kew's work is as vital. And I don't think that's overstating it, but that helps to open doors for support. So I think we're moving forwards, and I think there's a very positive feel about the work that we're doing. We're very fortunate. Kelly Molson: Yeah, it sounds very positive. And like we said earlier, there's so much to cover in this, Julia, and thank you for coming on and just talking about a very small element of all of the incredible things that are actually happening at Kew. So we always end our podcast by asking our guests to recommend a book that you love, something that you love personally or something that's helped shaped your career in some way. What have you chosen for us today? Julia Willison: Well, I chose a book that is a phenomenal book and by a woman who is phenomenal, and it is related to my work. But I chose the book because I think it is so inspirational. It's a book called Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard. And we awarded her the 16th Kew International Medal for her work and her devotion to championing biodiversity in forests. She's worked in British Columbia all her life in Canada, and she was the pioneer of the theory that plants communicate with each other through a huge subterranean fungal network. And the book reveals how trees connect and cooperate with each other, and that each forest contains hub trees. So mother trees. And that these trees in the forest play a critical role in the flow of information and resources. Julia Willison: So I feel that the book will change the way people look at forests. They're not simply a source for timber or pulp, but they are really part of a complex, interdependent circle of life. And I think it's a magnificent book. Well, if one reader reads it and enjoys it, I think that will be brilliant. Kelly Molson: Do you know what? I have to read this book. So this is the second podcast, interestingly, where. Oh, not the book. The book has never been recommended before. No, this is a completely new one. So David Green, Head of Innovation at Blenheim, was on the podcast a couple of episodes ago, and he talked about how trees communicate with each other, and that was a new thing for me. I had no idea that trees talk to each other, and the way that he described it was really interesting. And now this has come up in this as well. And I feel like someone is sending me a message that I need to read this book. So that's going to go top of my list, right.Kelly Molson: Erveryboday, listeners, you know what to do if you want to win a copy of Julia's book, then head over to our Twitter account and retweet this episode announcement with the words, I want Julia's book and you could potentially be learning about how trees communicate with each other and are a vital part of an ecosystem. Thank you. That's fascinating. Everything that you've talked about today is so exciting, and I know that there's so much work still to be done. Thank you for coming on and sharing about all of the things that you do there and all of the things that you're hoping to achieve. I have no doubt that you will do them. It's been an absolute pleasure. Julia Willison: Yeah, it's a real privilege. Thank you very much, Kelly. Thank you. Kelly Molson:  Thanks for listening to Skip The Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned. Skip the queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcriptions from this episode and more over on our website, rubbercheese.com/podcast. The 2023 Visitor Attraction Website Report is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsDownload the report now for invaluable insights and actionable recommendations!

This week, we are exploring the underground and invisible networks of Colombia – along with some of its strangest and least-understood creatures: fungi. We'll be talking about zombie fungi, shamanic fungi and magic mushrooms, the Wood Wide Web, sunscreen spores, makeup fungi, and eco-warrior fungi – plus why this fascinating mega-science has been so neglected, and why it's more urgent than ever that mycology gets the awareness, resources, and respect that it deserves. Emily Hart interviews two of Colombia's top scientists and leaders in their fields: mycologist Aida Vasco is Assistant professor at the School of Microbiology at the University of Antioquia and Co-Chair of the Colombian Association of Mycology; botanist Mauricio Diazgranados is Chief Science Officer and Dean of the International Plant Science Center at the New York Botanical Garden. Mauricio led the Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia project, including the development of the Colfungi portal and the Catalogue of Fungi of Colombia, on which Aida also worked. There are an estimated 300,000 species of fungi in Colombia, the huge majority of which are unstudied. In fact, fungi in general remains one of science's great mysteries: it is known as a ‘neglected mega-science'. They change animal behaviour, connect the forests, feed humans and animals, and may even be a key weapon in the fight against climate change. Battling this vast gap in knowledge is the Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia project - an initiative led by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in collaboration with the Humboldt Institute. The projects aim to increase, consolidate, and make accessible the knowledge of the country's useful plants and fungi for the benefit of local communities. Fungi have played a vital role in shaping the Earth's biosphere, and have directly impacted human society and its cultural evolution for the past 300,000 years - used as food, for ritualistic purposes, or as medicinal products. In Colombia, fungi - in the form of wild edible mushrooms - are primarily used as a nutritional source, having long played a role in the food security of indigenous people and local communities: representations are found in the iconography of several pre-Hispanic cultures throughout the country, showing knowledge and a close cultural relationship with fungi. Shamanic and spiritual uses are also common in the country. Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, overuse of pesticides and fungicides, and of course climate change affect fungi as well as fauna and flora, but fungi are not explicitly included in biodiversity legislation, biodiversity action plans, and conservation policies in Colombia. The Colombian government only recognises three components of biological diversity: Fauna, Flora, and microorganisms. But there is cause for hope – we are only just starting to understand fungi but the field is gaining momentum, and experiments show their potential is even grander than we have imagined – they are not only a sustainable food source to fight hunger and the industrial food which accelerates climate change: mushrooms can also decompose waste – including nappies and cigarette butts, and can be used in ‘myco-fabrication' - manufacture of e.g. architecture and furniture. They are incredibly adaptive, and provide ways for plants and animals to survive even in extreme and degraded environments.

#philippines #folktale Today we are back in the book of Philippine folklore written down by Mary Cooke Cole. In the first story, the son is tired of doing his chores and has a bird brain idea. Luckily, he finds someone to chew betel nut with. And in the second story birds aren't always what they seem. So if they ask to help you harvest rice, you had better let them. Source: Philippine Folk Tales by Mabel Cook Cole Narrator: Dustin Steichmann Music: Bahay Kubo Philippine Madrigal Singers 2022 Sound Effects: Morning Surf at Boracay, Philippines.wav by nervousneal Podcast Shoutout: Afriwetu is a great podcast. If you want to know precolonial history in Africa, this is the show to listen to. Hosted by Mona, this show has history and folktales. She brings a love of the continent and the people. And if you like her show as much as I do, like, subscribe, and leave her a 5 star rating. Listener Shoutout: to Sydney which accounts for  18% of my Aussie listeners. Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australia's largest cities, is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby. Sydney Tower's outdoor platform, the Skywalk, offers 360-degree views of the city and suburbs. And so I say to the listeners in Sydney Thank you and goodnight  Video by Headliner Photo: An Itneg shaman renewing an offering to the spirit shield (1922, Philippines) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sandman-stories/message

Helen Needham visits the Physic Garden at the RBGE with Catherine Conway-Payne

L'interprète Nick Cameron de l'Australian Shakespeare Company nous parle du spectacle The Wind in the Willows au Royal Botanic Garden de Sydney ( 5 au 28 janvier 2024 )

Arit Anderson, garden designer, presenter on BBC Gardeners' World, host of the Growing Greener podcast, and passionate environmentalist, really loves trees. So much so, she's co-authored a book about them with botanist Dr Henrik Sjöman. The Essential Tree Selection Guide, in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is a brilliant, comprehensive, jargon-free look at how which tree we choose to plant where really matters, as well as a tree bible when it comes to their climate resilience, carbon storage and other ecosystem benefits.Our Mick also really loves trees, so was delighted to get Arit on the Zoom to chat about our arboreal friends, how we can save them, how they can save us, gardening opportunities, starting again in your forties, and how we can all do our bit when it comes to sustainability. Photograph of Arit by Diana MonkhurstSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's podcast, Chris hops across the border to visit the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to learn more about its conservation work. He chats to Kirsty Wilson, herbaceous supervisor at the botanic gardens, to discover more about its 350-year-old living collection of plants and its research projects. Kirsty, a presenter on BBC Scotland's Beechgrove Garden, explains the steps the garden is taking to help fight climate change, including preserving struggling plants, using green and clean technology and biocontrols for pests.  “We're doing a lot of work conserving Scottish native flora, as well as plants that are dying out in the rest of the world,” says Kirsty. “It's important to understand biodiversity and plant life – and the species that are struggling - so we can protect them…and raise awareness with governments.” Also in this episode… Chris and Fiona discuss the benefits of not being too tidy in the garden, and planting whips for hedging. From the postbag, we offer advice on what to do after tomato blight, ways to tackle invasive weeds and allium leaf miner.

With the world's biodiversity being lost at an alarming rate, Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, has made it his life's mission to protect it. He is a bio-geographer revealing how changes to the Earth's landscape, such as the formation of mountain ranges and rainforests, leads to the evolution of new species and causes plants, fungi and animals to move around the world. His work is a masterclass in joined-up thinking, bringing together different fields of research by starting conversations between scientists who would rarely talk to one another. Together, they paint a more holistic picture of how our planet's biodiversity has developed in the hope of informing how we can protect it in the future. Alex tells presenter Jim Al-Khalili about a life spent in the wild, beginning with his earliest memories of growing up in Brazil cataloguing life in the Atlantic Rainforest. That passion is still with him today. We've only scratched the surface of understanding what lives here on Earth, he says, more than 4,000 new species are found every year. Alex is passionate that we need to speed up the rate at which we document the richness of life, arguing if we don't identify what there is we can't protect it.

With the world's biodiversity being lost at an alarming rate, Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, has made it his life's mission to protect it. He is a bio-geographer revealing how changes to the Earth's landscape, such as the formation of mountain ranges and rainforests, leads to the evolution of new species and causes plants, fungi and animals to move around the world. His work is a masterclass in joined-up thinking, bringing together different fields of research by starting conversations between scientists who would rarely talk to one another. Together, they paint a more holistic picture of how our planet's biodiversity has developed in the hope of informing how we can protect it in the future. Alex tells presenter Jim Al-Khalili about a life spent in the wild, beginning with his earliest memories of growing up in Brazil cataloguing life in the Atlantic Rainforest. That passion is still with him today. We've only scratched the surface of understanding what lives here on Earth, he says, more than 4,000 new species are found every year. Alex is passionate that we need to speed up the rate at which we document the richness of life, arguing if we don't identify what there is we can't protect it. Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Tom Bonnett

Is it worse to over water or under water hanging baskets? Does rhubarb have a life expectancy? Are south facing gardens worthy of the hype?   Kathy Clugston and the GQT team are in Worsley, at the stunning gardens of RHS Bridgewater to answer more horticultural queries. Joining her this week are garden designer Bunny Guinness, proud plantsman Neil Porteous and Marcus Chilton-Jones, curator of RHS Bridgewater.   Peter Gibbs visits Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where Head of Garden Design, Richard Wilford gives him a sneak preview of the brand new design of their famous herbaceous border. Producer: Dan Cocker Assistant Producer: Dulcie Whadcock Executive Producer: Hannah Newton A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4