Podcasts about Wildlife trust

In the fifth episode of Season 10 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe interviews Simon Owen,founder of Standby Productions and the first-ever ambassador for the Wildlife Trust of Lancashire, Greater Manchester, and North Merseyside.Simon shares his passion for supporting the environment and his journey from birdwatching with his dad to making award-winning wildlife films. He discusses the importance of peatlands, the challenges of conservation funding, and his unique partnership with the Wildlife Trust. Simon also highlights community projects and the positive impact of connecting people with nature. Tune in for an inspiring discussion on turning passion into purpose and making a meaningful social impact.#Conservation #Environment #Peatlands#community #GM #manchester #SocialImpact #NonProfit #podcast Did you know:  ·     Peatlands are vital ecosystems that store carbon, provide clean water, and support biodiversity. ·      They also help prevent flooding. ·   They support rare plants, insects and wading birds, Key resources:Standby ProductionsLancashire Wildlife Trust Time stamps of key moments in the podcast episode &transcript:(00:55) Simon Owen on Environmental Support(03:58) Partnership with Wildlife Trust(07:37) Challenges and Community Impact(18:42) Finding Your Passion and Making an Impact(20:42) Unique Partnerships and Creative Funding(22:02) Harnessing Business for Environmental Good(22:53) Signature Questions: Manchester's Unique Social Impact(28:53) Heartwarming Stories and Final Thoughts Listen to the episode and read the transcript on www.meetthemancunian.co.uk

In this Episode of The Think Wildlife Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Laurie Marker, the founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF). Founded in Namibia in 1990, CCF has become the leading authority in cheetah conservation globally, with projects across Somaliland, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa and Botswana. Beyond Africa, CCF also has supported the conservation of the last remaining Asiatic cheetahs in Iran. Meanwhile, the CCF has assisted the Indian government and the Wildlife Trust of India with the reintroduction of cheetahs into Kuno National Park. Listed as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List, the cheetah faces a plethora of threats, ranging from human-wildlife conflict, the illegal wildlife trade, habitat loss and a lack of genetic diversity. Dr. Marker and I discuss the measures CCF has taken to tackle these threats, which include cheetah rescue and rehabilitation, cheetah genetics research, alternative livelihood programs and livestock protection projects. Dr. Marker also elaborates in detail about CCF's role in the reintroduction of cheetahs to India. Tune in to a highly informative episode!Meet the HostAnish Banerjee: https://x.com/anishwildlifeThink Wildlife Foundation: https://thinkwildlifefoundation.com/Meet the GuestsDr. Laurie Marker: https://cheetah.org/about/who-we-are/dr-laurie-marker/Recommended Wildlife Conservation BooksWildlife Conservation in India by HS Pabla: https://amzn.to/3Ypx9ZhIndian Mammals: A Field Guide by Vivek Menon: https://amzn.to/4fhMiCLAt the Feet of Living Things by Aparajita Datta: https://amzn.to/3BZmtsN Get full access to The Think Wildlife Podcast at anishbanerjee.substack.com/subscribe

A creative child who was also interested in science, Helen Walsh was encouraged by her teacher parents to explore all her interests, something that stood her in good stead for her future career.Helen was fascinated by sharks as a child – though growing up in Stoke she was about as far away from the sea as it is possible to be in the UK. An animal lover and budding conservationist, even then, Helen was also a keen fan of The Really Wild Show, a BBC children's programme. Back then it was presented by Michaela Strachan, Terry Nutkins and conservation campaigner Chris Packham, someone she later met through her work.Helen gained a first-class BSc in Zoology at the University of Nottingham, then an unexpected phone call led to her enrolling in a Masters in biological photography and imaging, something that resulted in the career she still does.From the time she left university and stepped into the world of communication and public engagement, Helen has been encouraging people to learn about wildlife conservation, the countryside and their natural surroundings. From starting work for the West Midlands Biodiversity Partnership. She went on to work in media and communications for Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust, (fondly known as BBOWT to local supporters), before setting up as a freelance.Today, Helen splits her time between her own business, Lonely Cottage Productions, and a publications business, Nature Bureau, designing, photographing and writing for scientific, environmental and wildlife-themed projects. In that time she has supported many projects and campaigns and helped organisations raise their profile with the public.Now a parent, Helen starts and ends her day with walking her children to school, who help her retain her optimism for the world's future too, since they often come home with information and suggestions about better ways to live.Links mentioned in the podcastLonely Cottage ProductionsNature BureauUniversity of Nottingham MSc in biological photography and imaging.You might also like to listen to:Jake Fiennes, National nature reserve director and general manager, conservation, Holkham Estate S1 E8Sarah Kessell CEO of The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales S1 E5About ProGRESS:Host Sandra Kessell invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially Responsible jobs, courses or activities and asks for real-world insights into the pathways and careers that led to them.Content © Sandra Kessell Original music © Lyze KessellEmail: Hello@myPro-GRESS.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining Kit for a chat about birds today is 11 year old Henry Day, aka Naturetastic Henry. He is absolutely crazy about wildlife and conservation and loves nothing more than exploring the natural world around his home in East Anglia and beyond, and sharing his adventures on his blog, socials and YouTube channel. He is a junior wildlife ambassador for the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire… Source

Earlier this year, Amazon Prime released the thrilling crime drama “Poacher” which revolved around the elephant poaching crisis and ivory trade in 2015. Based in Kerala, the series explores how the Forest Department, with support from NGOs and conservationists, risked their lives to investigate and tackle the lucrative illegal ivory trade. One of the protagonists of the webseries, Alan Joseph, is based on one of India's most prominent conservationists, Jose Louies.Jose was recently appointed as the CEO of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), one of the largest and oldest conservation groups in the country. In this episode, Jose elaborates upon various initiatives undertaken by WTI to counter wildlife trafficking and aid law enforcement across India. Jose also talks about his love for beekeeping and snakes. We briefly talk about the highly pressing issue of snakebites and one of Jose's key projects - IndiaSnakes. The Think Wildlife Podcast is also available on iTunes, Spotify and YouTube. Please do consider upgrading to an optional paid subscription on Substack. 30% of the revenue from this episode will be donated to Wildlife Trust of India!Meet the HostAnish Banerjee: https://x.com/anishwildlifeThink Wildlife Foundation: https://thinkwildlifefoundation.com/Meet the GuestsJose Louies: https://x.com/josethanniRecommended Wildlife Conservation BooksWildlife Conservation in India by HS Pabla: https://amzn.to/3Ypx9ZhIndian Mammals: A Field Guide by Vivek Menon: https://amzn.to/4fhMiCLAt the Feet of Living Things by Aparajita Datta: https://amzn.to/3BZmtsN Get full access to The Think Wildlife Podcast at anishbanerjee.substack.com/subscribe

Peter and Chris celebrate the start of the New Year in the garden with events, latest news stories and a look at those topical gardening tasks to get you out and about in the garden this January.What's OnSaturday 18th January: National Tulip Day, Meseumplein, Amsterdam, Netherlands. 1-5pm. Free entry.Sunday 19th January: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 2 – 3:30pm Discover the Botanic Gardens in British Sign Language (BSL) Tours are led by John Hope Gaterway. Ticket only. Wednesday 22nd January: 11am - 12:30pm: Talk on RHS Hyde Hall through the Years with Garden Manager, Ian Bull - who has been involved in Hyde Hall's development across the last 20 years!Thursday 23rd January: Winter Lecture Professor Simon Hiscock and The Oxford Ragwort Story. Oxford Ragwort is unique among Britian's flora.24-26th January: Time to take part in this year's RSPB Big Garden BirdwatchNewsDetection dogs sniff out the deadly tree pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum.Buckingham Garden Centre's charity of the year 2025 is Buckinghamshire Mind.The National Centre for Music in Edinburgh is to get a major garden makeover by the nationally recognised garden designer Tom Stuart-Smith.Scientists at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh aim to sequence the genomes of all 72,000 plants, animals, fungi across the UK and Ireland.Applications for the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation Scholarships for budding horticulturists closes at the end of January.New UK RHS Partner Gardens are announced for 2025 allowing RHS members to access 230 across the UK and further afield.The National Trust announce the 49 recipients of Tree of Hope, aka Sycamore Gap Tree, including one of the saplings to be planted in Milton Keynes.A £5 million national project – Nextdoor Nature and The Wildlife Trust – delivers a raft of results supporting wildlife on 1,600 community-inspired projects.2024 proved to be another landmark year for the National Garden Scheme with the charity donating a record £3,501,227 to nursing and health beneficiaries from last year's garden opening season.George Plumptre, after 15 years at the helm, is set to retire as Chief Executive of the National Garden Scheme later this summer.Top horticultural supplier Mr Fothergill's have rebranded to reflect their growth, values and customer commitment.The Sun's gardening editor, Veronica Lorraine, found herself falling foul of LinkedIn's rules when she tried to promote Perennials latest naked gardeners' calendar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danielle Neal is a procurement officer for Norwich City Council. They gained a first class honours degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of East Anglia, (UEA), studying a course that included a year in industry.Initially, and because of their strong background in business studies, Dani thought their future would be lie in accounting and finance, but because of their interest in conservation and a desire to do something about climate change they switched courses.Since graduating in 2018, Dani has been working in local government, and dovetailing environmental and conservation with hobbies that include biological recording, crafting and knitting, cinema and occasional travel.When Dani attended university open days, they were drawn to the campus and community at UEA, as well as the strong reputation of both its business and environmental departments. And while there, they found lots of benefits to joining societies and volunteering, all of which helped them build connections and gain experience while also boosting wellbeing.Dani talks of their view of Gens Y and Z, how they see their working life and purpose, how they find optimism through their faith in humans building community and the continued advancements in science and technology.Top green, ethical, sustainable and socially responsible advice from Dani:• Use your free time while studying to volunteer, engage with work shadowing and find what you enjoy. Ask questions – the people in the field you want to work in are the best to advise you.• Do something that inspires you. We can all do something positive in EVERY role. • Read up on your employers' environmental policy. Check for volunteering opportunities at work and see what you can do in your everyday life.Mentioned in this podcast University of East Anglia Environmental SciencesRSPB volunteeringNorfolk Wildlife Trust volunteeringShop LocalYou might also like:Sarah Kessell CEO, the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales S1 Ep5Stuart Mabbutt, AKA The Wildman S3 Ep3 and Ep4Rachel Warren, climate change scientist S1 Ep 7About ProGRESSHost Sandra Kessell invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible jobs, courses or activities and asks for real-world insights into the pathways and careers that led to them.Instagram @theProGRESS_podcastOriginal content © Sandra Kessell Original music © Lyze KessellEmail: hello@my-progress.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A big chat about land management, particularly in the uplands. And what changes to the way we support farmers could mean for the hills.

Part 2If you've heard of Stuart Mabbut, it's likely to be through his podcast or Wildman Environmental Learning.His sensory nature workshops enable people to connect with the natural world, sometimes an unlikely beginning leads to a life revelation. And when he's not doing that, Stuart is a wildlife sound recordist and producer, an author, public speaker, radio host and a wildlife gardening consultant.In Part 2 of our interview Stuart discusses the first time he was discriminated against because of his disabilities and what he learned from that experience. He also talks about how he networks, how he chooses his interns, and what makes a CV stand out, and his very surprising hobby.He also talks about his campaign, The Genuine Disabled Countryside Access Task Force, which highlights the issues encountered by people with different disabilities. These include how to get a wheelchair through a kissing gate, how to read a map with vision impairments and many other barriers. His YouTube videos are enlightening and revelatory, as he invites a film crew to join him trying to access the countryside in his wheelchair.Mentioned in this podcast:Wildman Environmental WorkshopsThe People's Countryside Podcast:YouTube @WildmanEnvironmentalLearningSee also:AccessAble accessibility guideOther episodes:Stuart Mabbutt aka The Wildman Part 1 S3 Ep3Sanjukta Jitendhar​​​​, architect, Mikhail Riches S1 Ep 9Sarah Kessell CEO of The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales S1 Ep 5Rae Wilkinson, award-winning sustainable garden designer S1 Ep 1About ProGRESSHost Sandra Kessell invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible jobs, courses or activities and asks for real-world insights into the pathways and careers that led to them.Instagram: theprogress_podcastOriginal content © Sandra KessellOriginal music © Lyze KessellEmail: hello@mypro-gress.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 1Stuart Mabbutt can recall the first time he engaged with the natural world and wanted to know more. He was in primary school, came across a dead magpie, and wondered why someone had ringed it. His teacher, meanwhile, was trying to persuade Stuart to leave it alone.And so began a lifelong involvement, not only in nature, but in being something of a contrarian.If you've heard of Stuart, it's likely to be through his podcast or Wildman Environmental Learning.His sensory nature workshops enable people to connect with the natural world, sometimes an unlikely beginning leads to a life revelation.And when he's not doing that, Stuart is a wildlife sound recordist and producer, an author, public speaker, radio host and a wildlife gardening consultant.After years helping other people find themselves through the great outdoors, a decline in Stuart's health and a need to use a wheelchair prompted him to lead the Oxfordshire campaign The Genuine Disabled Countryside Access Task Force. His YouTube videos are eye-opening, highlighting the issues encountered by people with different disabilities. These include how to get a wheelchair through a kissing gate, how to read a map with vision impairments and many other barriers.Mentioned in this podcast:Wildman Environmental WorkshopsThe People's Countryside Podcast:YouTube @WildmanEnvironmentalLearningSee also:AccessAble accessibility guideOther episodes:Stuart Mabbutt AKA The Wildman Part 2 S3 Ep 4Sanjukta Jitendhar​​​​, architect, Mikhail Riches S1 Ep 9Sarah Kessell CEO of The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales S1 Ep 5Rae Wilkinson, award-winning sustainable garden designer S1 Ep 1About ProGRESSHost Sandra Kessell invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible jobs, courses or activities and asks for real-world insights into the pathways and careers that led to them.Instagram: theprogress_podcastOriginal content © Sandra KessellOriginal music © Lyze KessellEmail: hello@mypro-gress.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Got questions, thoughts, or curious bat queries? Text us—we'd love to hear from you!Step into the nocturnal world of the Knapp and Papermill Reserve with the Worcestershire Bat Group! In this immersive field recording, join us for a unique bat walk through the varied habitats of this Worcestershire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve.This episode captures a real-time adventure as we explore the reserve at night, listening in on bat detectors and identifying an impressive array of bat species, including common and soprano pipistrelles, Daubenton's, noctule, barbastelle, serotine, and a lesser horseshoe bat roost hidden within the old papermill building.Along the way, we chat with dedicated members of the Worcestershire Bat Group, uncovering their stories on how they got involved with bat conservation and learning about the essential work they do to protect these fascinating creatures. Through their insights, you'll get a glimpse into the group's efforts, from habitat preservation to public engagement.Tune in to experience the thrill of bat detection firsthand and discover the diversity of life that comes alive at night in one of Worcestershire's most treasured reserves!The Knapp and Papermill Nature ReserveWorcestershire Bat GroupDiscover more about bat detectorsGot questions, thoughts, or curious bat queries? Text us—we'd love to hear from you!Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

Richard Salsbury and Helen are co-founders of the Hampshire-based literary environmental group Pens of the Earth and co-editors of the book Wild Seas, Wilder Cities - published on 21st October 2024, available from One Tree Books, Petersfield (and other independent book sellers).  All proceeds from the sales of Wild Seas, Wilder Cities go to Hampshire and Wildlife Trust's vitally important Solent Seagrass Restoration Project. Everyone involved with the book has donated their time and expertise.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Step into the heart of an ancient woodland as we explore Ashenbank Wood, a Site of Special Scientific Interest rich in history and teeming with wildlife. Woodland has stood here for centuries, but this haven is under threat. A proposed tunnel project, the Lower Thames Crossing, could harm the irreplaceable ecosystem and ancient trees here. Jack, leader of our woods under threat team, explains what's at stake and the challenges and strategies involved in trying to maintain a delicate balance between development and nature. A decision on whether the project goes ahead is due from Government in May 2025. We also meet estate manager Clive, who delves into Ashenbank Wood's history, tells us more about why ancient woodland is so important and shows us the unusual approach of strapping deadwood to trees. Don't forget to rate us and subscribe! Learn more about the Woodland Trust at woodlandtrust.org.uk Transcript You are listening to Woodland Walks, a podcast for the Woodland Trust presented by Adam Shaw. We protect and plant trees for people to enjoy, to fight climate change and to help wildlife thrive.  Adam: Today I am at a site of Special Scientific Interest in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is teeming with extraordinary wildlife, and I'm told you can stand in the shadows of gnarled veteran trees and even spot some shy dormice, rare bats, and woodland wildflowers if you're there at the right time of year. But it is also a site under threat. National Highways propose to build a new tunnel linking Essex and Kent under the River Thames, and many feel that that will create a threat to the trees and wildlife here. So I've come not just for a walk, but to chat to experts and the first is the man responsible for coordinating the Woodland Trust response to big infrastructure projects and to chat to him about how infrastructure and nature can live hand in hand.  Jack: So I'm Jack Taylor, I'm the programme lead for the woods under threat team at the Woodland Trust.  Adam: Brilliant. And we're at Ashenbank Woods?  Jack: We are indeed.  Adam: Good, OK, sorry, yeah *laughs* I know I should sound more sure, we are at Ashenbank Woods.  Jack: I think its full title might be Ashenbank Woods SSSI, site of special scientific interest.  Adam: Oh right yes, yes. And we're going to see a bit later a colleague of yours, Clive, who will tell us more about the details of this woodland. But the reason why I wanted to talk to you first as we walk through, what is a lovely, actually dappled, dappled bit of woodland here is about your role in protecting places like this from development because, so what, what is your job?  Jack: Yeah, it's beautiful. That's a good question *laughs* what is my job? I I suppose the the base of it, the basis of it, the foundation really is about trying to protect ancient woods and ancient and veteran trees from forms of development, but also from other threats outside of that as well. So non-development threats like air pollution, pests and diseases, deer overbrowsing. Most of my work does focus on working within the development sector and trying to protect against those development threats.  Adam: Right, and you're the project lead.   Jack: Yeah.  Adam: When I first saw that, I thought you meant you're the project lead for this woodland, but you are not. You are the project lead for all development threatening woodlands throughout the UK. This is an extraordinary, I mean that's quite a job.  Jack: Yeah, it's it's a lot. There are a lot of threats to have to deal with across the UK because we're always building always sort of growing as a nation. We always need sort of new forms of infrastructure and new sort of housing. We recognise that. But all of that does come with the added impact of having threats on our ancient woods and ancient and veteran trees, so we have a team of myself and my my wonderful team of four as well.  Adam: Alright. Yeah, it's not big.  Jack: No, it's not big, but they they are enthusiastic and they're great at what they do.  Adam: So this is quite a political area because we've got a new government which has promised to improve lots of things, get the country working, build lots of homes. I think, I think the Prime Minister only recently talked about, you know, we're going to get spades in the ground, we're going to be doing stuff. Well, is it your job to stop all of that, I mean, or how do you balance what needs to be done for the country and what needs to be done to protect woodlands?  Jack: Yeah. So it's so none of this is really about stopping development from from happening and we we have to be sort of quite clear that that's not what we're set out to do as an organisation. It's about trying to ensure that where development is happening. It's not going to impact on our most important and our most valuable woods and trees and that's why we do have a focus specifically on ancient woodland, but and then also on ancient and veteran trees as well, because we know that for the most part, there are lots of really valuable woods and wooded and wooded habitats and trees that are plenty sort of valuable and important. But we know that ancient words and ancient and veteran trees are likely to be our most important sites. We have to focus on protecting those. So we do have to object to some developments where we think the harm is gonna be too great, but we're never really looking to stop them from happening, unless the harm is too great.  Adam: OK. Which way?  Jack: Umm, I think right.   Adam: OK. So one of the things I've noticed before, I mean, when I was following the HS2 debate, was politicians were going ‘it's fine, it's fine, it's fine. We'll cut this down, we're going to replace them. I tell you what, we'll do you a deal, we'll plant two for every one we cut down.' On the face of it that sounds reasonable?  Jack: OK. Yeah, not to us.   Adam: Why not?   Jack: Well, I think if you're, if you're looking at ancient woodlands and ancient and veteran trees, you're looking at something that is an irreplaceable habitat. There is no sort of recreating that habitat in in one space again, once it's been lost and the reason for that is these things take centuries to evolve and develop to create those sort of vital links between animals, plants, fungi, the soils as well. So ancient woodlands are especially important for their soils. So you can't really just take those soils and put them elsewhere because once that happens you completely disturb the relationships that have built up over centuries within them. And ancient and veteran trees, so you're talking about trees that for the most part are going to be centuries years old. How do you how do you replace centuries of development creating these wonderful sort of niche habitats for different parts of our ecosystems?   Adam: And is it, you said quite clearly that it's not your job or the Trust's job just to stop development, just to sort of blanket go, ‘hey, stop building' so is it about going, ‘don't build here' or is it about saying, ‘if you're gonna build here, this is how to do it with the least amount of impact'? What's the sort of your approach?  Jack: Yeah. In some cases it is about saying not, not building here. It depends what we're dealing with, I suppose so it's different if you're dealing with, say, housing developments or leisure facilities as opposed to something like rail infrastructure or road infrastructure, which is quite linear in nature, so they can only really go in one place to deliver its purpose, whereas housing is not as locationally dependent.  Adam: I see. So you feel you've got a better argument if it's a housing project, cause you can go, ‘put it somewhere else', but the train journey from A to B has to sort of go through this area. You're you're on a loser there are you?  Jack: Well, sometimes, but there are there are ways of of getting around sort of kind of impact. I mean it doesn't have to go absolutely sort of A to B in one way. You can think very carefully about the design to try and minimise impact on ancient woods. You can also look at alternative solutions, engineering solutions like tunnelling for example, so HS2 is a good example of that. The Phase One section which is going ahead between London and Birmingham, they actually put in a tunnel under the Chilterns, which saved about 14 hectares of woodland saved these three really good prime areas of ancient wood. And of course the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty came into that in a way, and they were trying to protect that also. But that was one solution to stop wildlife and nature being harmed.  Adam: Right. So that's, was this, were you involved with that?   Jack: Yeah, yeah.   Adam: Amazing. So how difficult was that to get that that project through and try to avoid the destruction of all that woodland?  Jack: Well, a lot a lot of destruction still is happening from High Speed 2. So about 20 hectares of ancient woodland has been destroyed at this stage now. A lot of the sort of preparation works for the Phase One section, that London to Birmingham bit, are now complete. So it it was difficult, but it it the way in which we were involved is we really brought ancient woodland to the table and put it at the forefront of considerations and and gave it a voice I suppose. It's not that it wasn't being looked at at all, but not nearly to the degree that we thought it needed to be looked at. And so we sort of kind of introduced that idea of well look, there's ancient woodland here, you need to be thinking carefully about the design and, you know, you think you're talking about halving the impacts on ancient woodlands from from our sort of kind of involvement and involvement of other conservation organisations in there as well.  Adam: So a lot of it is trying to say, to make the argument, but also to raise the profile of that argument,   Jack: Sure.  Adam: To bring, population and say this is actually a loss. You know, cutting it down is is a loss. So how much harder or easier has it got for you to make that argument?   Jack: Well, do you know, interestingly, I I would probably say that projects like High Speed 2, where there is such a big argument around the ancient woodland has raised the profile of ancient woodland itself. That's one of the sort of silver linings of that project for us, it's put sort of ancient woodland on the map in terms of habitat that needs to and is worthy of protection. So I think a lot of people now understand ancient woodland a bit better and what it is. There's still lots of awareness to do, you know, people just think of ancient woodlands as bluebells, big large oaks and it's not quite there. I mean, they're all so kind of varied in their nature and geographically across the country, but it's got people thinking about them.  Adam: So that was something of a success, although I know more complicated than just ‘yes, we won that'.   Jack: Sure, yeah.   Adam: Any areas you feel you really lost that, you know, keep you up at night, you go, that was that was a failure and you know, we've lost that woodland?  Jack: Yeah. I mean, there've been, there've been some over the years. Back in 2012 a a large quarry was built on an area of woodland called Oaken Wood in Kent, probably taking about out about 30 to 35 hectares of ancient woodland which is massive, massive amounts, I mean, you're talking about in the region it's like 40 to 50 football fields and and and we're actually dealing with another threat to that woodland from an expansion of that same quarry. So yeah, you know that that one is one that gnaws gnaws at us, is that, you know, we don't want to see that happening anymore.  Adam: Are you getting more optimistic that you know the public are more on your side that this is at least something that plays in policymakers' decisions now?  Jack: I I actually think the public have always really been on our side. I think if you ask the the general public, they would probably say to you, we do not want to see ancient woodlands subject to any loss or deterioration, whatever the cause.  Adam: Yeah, I think you're right. But they also say, yeah, but we like cheaper housing and want better transport links so.  Jack: Yeah. Well, I mean the Lower Thames Crossing, which is going to be affecting this site that we're in now, Ashenbank Wood is sort of a prime example of that the the intention of that project is to relieve traffic congestion on the existing Dartford Crossing.  Adam: Which I think actually I can hear in my headphones this, although we are, I mean it looks beautiful, there's quite a lot of background traffic noise. So we can't be that far away actually from from transport, from big roads. So explain to me you say this this particular site, Ashenbank Woods which is a site of Special Scientific Interest, so it's not just any old woods, this is a really special place, is under threat. What is the threat here?   Jack: So the threat here is partially there will be some loss to the wider SSSI ancient woodland in the area when you're losing sort of kind of, Ashenbank Wood itself is not going to be subject to much loss, although there is a cycle route diversion going through the woods that might impact on some of its special features.  Adam: Oh one second just, we've we've just turned off the path, we're just, oops crawling under some trees. I don't quite know why we've come, we we seem to have chosen the most difficult route. Well, it is beautiful because we've come off the path right into a magic dell.   Jack: There we go.  Adam: Oh, look, there's obviously some, I think, probably some kids have built a sort of camp, tent out of fallen branches. OK, so sorry so I understand that this is under threat from development, the the development plan though is what? What are they trying to do here?  Jack: So so what they're doing is they're building a new crossing further to the east of Dartford Crossing, but that's going to involve connecting...  Adam: A river crossing, a tunnel?  Jack: Yes a river crossing.   Adam: But it's a tunnel.   Jack: Yeah, it's a tunnel.  Adam: Why would that? That's that's great, surely?  Jack: Well, the tunnel goes under the Thames. But in order to connect the A2/M2 to the to the sort of tunnel portal, they're going to be going through a lot of ancient woodlands as a result. So just down the way Clay Lane Wood is one that's going to be heavily impacted by by the proposals, you know several hectares of ancient woodland loss there, but in terms of our wood itself, you're you're gonna have impacts on some of the veteran trees from some of the works that are required in here. But you're also sort of increasing the traffic around the area on A2/M2. And as you can hear, there's already quite loud background noise from the traffic. If that becomes louder, it further reduces the suitability of this habitat for a lot of species.  Adam: Right. So what are your, what are you doing?  Jack: Well we're campaigning against it for one thing. So we've been campaigning against it since 2016, trying to bring those bring those sort of impacts down as far as possible. At this point in time, I would probably say that it's unfeasible, that it could go ahead without causing loss or damage to ancient woodland and veteran trees, and that's something that we have to oppose as an organisation. So we're working with other environmental NGOs, conservation orgs like RSPB, Buglife, Wildlife Trust, CPRE to to oppose this scheme.  Adam: So, and if people want to keep an eye on the sort of campaigns you're running, and the sort of live issues around the country, where can they get that information?  Jack: They can go along to woodlandtrust.org.uk/campaigns and they'll be able to find out about what we're doing in terms of campaigning for protection of ancient woods and veteran trees. We've got a really great campaign at the moment, all about protecting ancient and veteran trees and we're stood in in front of one of these at the moment, we call them Living Legends.   Adam: Right OK, what a lovely link, because I I was gonna say you've brought me to a stand. It looks like a sculpture this, so what, so let me just briefly describe this. I mean, it's a hollowed out tree. There's, it almost looks like there's 3 or 4 bits of different trees supporting each other, and you can go hide in the middle. I mean, there's, I'd, I couldn't spread my arms in the middle, but I mean almost, you know, there's probably, I don't know, 4 or 5 foot wide in the middle. It's most extraordinary. What is this? What's going on here?  Jack: So I would probably say this is an ancient ash tree. As trees sort of grow older, they they have to sort of kind of allow their heartwood to to rot away because that's what keeps them sort of stable and secure and in doing so that creates really important habitat for wildlife. And so this is what has happened to this ash tree effectively, its heartwood has sort of rotted away, it's still got this kind of all important surrounding ripewood to be able to support the rest of the tree.  Adam: That's extraordinary. So the the, the, the wood at the centre of the tree, the heartwood has gone?  Jack: Yes, yeah, yeah, cause it it's not it's not really useful for for trees at that sort of point. It's it's no longer the part of the wood that's carrying the sort of the water and nutrients up the tree. That's what the sort of outer ripewood does. So the heartwood decays away as they as they grow older.  Adam: And that's just ash trees is it?  Jack: No, that's that's pretty much all. Yeah.  Adam: How ignorant am I? OK, fine. OK. I didn't realise that that happens to all trees. And it looks like that would cause an instability problem, but this looks actually fairly fairly stable, it's fine.  Jack: It it's it's actually it's actually the other way they do it because it allows them to remain as stable as possible. And I I mean this one it doesn't, it doesn't look in the best sort of structural condition does it, but they need to do that for their sort of physiological condition because if they have if they're trying to support too much sort of heartwood then it affects the trees energy balances. And I mean that there's actual sort of scientific things here between the kinetic and the potential energy in a tree and why why they do this but all old trees do it and in turn it creates this amazing habitat, so you can see all these little holes in the in the sort of kind of inside wood and the decaying wood as well, where insects have sort of burrowed into it, where birds would be, woodpeckers, you know would be would be accessing that as well.   Adam: Yeah. Amazing   Jack: Amazing structures, aren't they?  Adam: And so I'm going to meet now, one of the people responsible for actually managing woods such as Ashenbank, and he's waiting for me a bit further into the woods.  Clive: OK, I'm Clive, Clive Steward, I'm one of the estate managers for the Woodland Trust working in the South East.  Adam: So what is important about this site? What makes this wood special?  Clive: What makes this site special is that it's ancient woodland or partly ancient woodland, but it's also managed as a wood pasture or has been managed as a wood pasture in the past, and because of that habitat it has lots and lots of old trees and old trees is very important in terms of what they support in terms of dead and decaying habitats.  Adam: Right, so well we're standing by this extraordinary ash tree, I mean, it's extraordinary that there's an ash tree at all, given ash dieback, but it's extraordinary for all sorts of other reasons. But is ash a big part of this woodland?  Clive: In terms of its name, Ashenbank, you you think it should be but but it's it is a component of the site but it's not, the majority species is not ash.   Adam: What is this site then?  Clive: So mostly sycamore and we're in the northern part of Ashenbank where we've got a lot of sycamore and we've got some really big old sweet chestnuts, but there are lovely old oak trees and hornbeam trees.  Adam: Right. And so when we talk about ancient woodland, it's always worth, I suppose, explaining a bit about what we mean because clearly will go, well, that's old. But old for trees can be a whole different sort of thing. So how, what, what, what do you mean when you're talking about ancient woodlands?  Clive: Well, when we say ancient woodland ancient woodland is defined as areas which have been permanently wooded since 1600AD. That's the sort of the the the date.  Adam: Oh right, I didn't realise it was that precise.  Clive: Well, it well, yes, it's roughly when big old estates used to produce maps, so they discovered paper and started drawing maps of what they owned but prior so before this this, the assumption is that if it's wooded then it would have been wooded ever since the Ice Age retreated but managed by mankind for for thousands of years.  Adam: So we're, we're assuming actually that ancient woodland is all it's probably been here since the Ice Age?  Clive: Yes. Yeah.  Adam: So that's why I mean that's it's worth I think pausing on that because it's why when we're talking about ‘oh, we'll have to destroy a bit of woodland for a tree, for a road' sorry, we're talking about taking away a bit of the landscape, which has been there since the Ice Age probably. So that's quite a big deal to have done that.  Clive: Yeah, yeah. It is. It is. Yeah. The the other part of Ashenbank, which is the bit we're in is a more recently wooded area, probably about 200 years old. I have a a map here which is not good for a podcast, but I can show you a map.  Adam: Go on go on, we can describe this. Hold on. I'll hold the microphone and you can describe what we're seeing. So go on, yes.  Clive: So we have a a map here of Ashenbank Wood dating from 1797, which shows the woodland it used to be. I have another map showing the wood as it is today. So here's a map from a couple of years ago, but we're we're actually up here, which in the 1797 map shows fields. And now, now, now it's woods. So so basically, what's happened this Ashenbank used to be owned by Cobham Hall, which is a big estate to the east of Halfpence Lane, so this used to be partly of Cobham Hall Estate and in 1790, as many of these big old estates houses used to do, they used used they they employed a landscape architect to make their their grounds nicer as it were. So it wasn't Capability Brown, but it was a chap called Humphrey Repton who worked on this site from 1790 to about 1880, when he died 1818 when he died. And he landscaped the estate and the view from the house over to here looking west to what is now Ashenbank Wood was obviously important to him. So they actually planted a lot of these big old chestnuts which we walked past, which date from 200 years ago.  Adam: Which is very nice and we often hear about cutting trees down and looking at old maps going ‘oh, we've lost all that wood', here's an example of the reverse to actually that's a good nature story.  Clive: Yeah, yeah, definitely it is. Yes. As you get older, as they get older, these trees there are microhabitats which develop rot pockets, branches fall off, they they rot, big holes develop and that that's these microhabitats which are home to what's called saproxylic species.   Adam: OK, that's a new word, saproxylic?  Clive: Saproxylic. So saproxylics are are basically insects and beetles and flies which only exist in dead and decaying wood. So if these big old trees weren't around, they've got nowhere to live.  Adam: Right, which is why it's useful to have deadwood on the ground. It's not so, it looks untidy, but actually that's often the richest place.  Clive: Indeed. Yeah, yes, but often, but often these insects and beetles are actually in the living tree, not in the in the horizontal, dead and dying stuff. And it's the living trees, which are are why this habitat is so important.  Adam: But I thought you said you said they're living in the living trees, but but saproxylic means they're living in the dead trees?  Clive: But within these big old trees, there are these rot holes and pockets and little microhabitats within the tree...  Adam: Yes, which are dead and that's where they live?   Clive: Where they live yeah that's right.  Adam: Right OK. Yeah, very interesting. OK, very interesting. Now, there's also, I knew I was told, but I'm completely confused by, an idea that I'm told that goes on here of strapping deadwood to live trees. Did I did I misunderstand that?  Clive: No, no, you you didn't misunderstand it. No.   Adam: OK and you're going to show me where this is ?  Clive: Yep. Shall we shall we go, we'll we'll walk there, have a look.  Adam: Alright. Brilliant. So you've taken me to this tree, a very substantial tree, but next to it, this is the a bit of, what, you better explain, because this is really odd and I don't really understand what I'm looking at.  Clive: Right. Well, going back to 1999 when High Speed One was being built, they took out three hectares of Ashenbank Wood along with lots of other woodland in the area. And fortunately, somebody had the idea of of suggesting that we could save some of those big trees they felled and reerecting them against living trees to help them degrade and and become part of the habitat.  Adam: So I mean to describe this, we've got a very big tree. What sort of tree is this?  Clive: So you've got a big, big oak tree.  Adam: That's a big oak, and next to it is 6, 12, I don't know, 30 foot, 40 foot high dead tree, bit of bark. But it's it's not like a small, it's a 40 foot bit of bark which you have propped onto the living tree. Why is it better to have done that than just to leave it on the ground?  Clive: Well, it's about these microhabitats. So I mean, it's not just propped up it's actually strapped to it, so it's actually quite secure.  Adam: It is secure, that's y your health and safety hat on.  Clive: We had to make sure it was strapped up, but vertical dead or decaying wood is equally as important as horizontal, dead and decaying wood.  Adam: OK. Is it different? What, does it do different things?  Clive: The wood doesn't but it attracts different insects and species so that that that's why so. But in most in most woodlands you'll see deadwood as being felled trees which are lying or windblown. You don't often see dead vertical trees.  Adam: I've never seen that.  Clive: Well, they're often well, they're often felled and taken out for firewood or something but they are important as as a sort of microhabitat for these saproxylics. That that's purely why.  Adam: So the saproxylics which are insects which live on deadwood prefer, some prefer the high rise living of the vertical tree rather than the low level bungalow type living. But what what sort of, do you do, don't worry if you don't know, but do you know which insects prefer living vertically?   Clive: I I don't know that.  Adam: You don't. Somebody will, somebody will.  Clive: Yeah somebody will. But if you look at that tree, you'll see that it's a there's a there's a U-shaped crook 2/3 way up and in that there's there's a there's a hole which has probably got water in it. So water gathers from rain and that's that that little microhabitat will be, something will live in it. And if that was horizontal, it wouldn't be there.  Adam: Right, yes, yes. Well that I think this must be, I mean, we've been doing this for a few years. I've never seen that. So that is amazing. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. So I know that the history of this site goes back quite a long way, not just the natural history, but the human history as well, and am I right in saying there's quite quite a lot of sort of Bronze Age heritage here?  Clive: Well, we've got a Scheduled Ancient Monument which has been dated to between 2000 and 1500 BC, which is a big burial mount and it is scheduled and it's, you know, English Heritage monitor it and we have to make sure it's free of trees and it's there to see.  Adam: Right. Wow. And it's interesting you talk about it's there to see because we came and parked in the Woodland Trust car park. Free parking, as is normal in Woodland Trust places, first time though a full car park. We are here midweek during the day. I was surprised to see it's full so talking about visitors, this is clearly a, I mean have I just come at a weird time, have they all come to see the Woodland Trust podcast being made, it's right, it's a popular site. That always feels like contention to me because I know you want to encourage people to come, on the other hand, coming in a sort of, destroys a bit of what we see. How much of a problem are the level of visitors?  Clive: Well, we basically have a path network through Ashenbank Wood which we maintain, we mow, we make sure it's open and safe. So most people walk on those those paths which steers people around the the wood, as it were, so and we we don't stop people from walking off the path but most people don't cause it's, you know, nettles or brambles or whatever. It's difficult to do.  Adam: Right, yes. And keeping dogs on the lead and everything. You've been with the Trust for a long time, haven't you, really. What sort of change have you seen in the the the debate around the natural world in your time here?  Clive: That's a big question.  Adam: Have you, I mean, sort of, it assumes you have seen a change, you might not have seen a change. I mean I the reason I ask it is because it feels to me it's gone up the political agenda, that it's not just, you know, people dismissively talking about crazy tree huggers and let them onto their own thing. It's become more mainstream. Do you think that that's it's become more optimistic, do you think it's become more pessimistic, do you think, you you know, it's become more informed, I suppose?  Clive: Well, I think there's a growing recognition that ancient woodland is a special habitat, but it hasn't quite gone far enough to get total protection. But I think there's a growing realisation that ancient woodland is special and we need to look after it. And I think the politicians probably do understand it, but maybe can't quite make that move to legislate against total protection.  Adam: Yeah. And I think that's part of the Living Legend campaign that the Woodland Trust is organising, isn't it?  Clive: Definitely is. Yeah. Yeah, very much so.  Adam: Well, there were two websites we talked about today. So if you want to get involved in a local campaign, search for ‘Woodland Trust campaigns' and you can find out more about the attempts to get better legal protection for ancient and veteran trees by searching for the Living Legends campaign and of course I hope you get a chance to visit Ashenbank Woods yourself. So until next time, happy wandering.  Thank you for listening to the Woodland Trust Woodland Walks. Join us next month when Adam will be taking another walk in the company of Woodland Trust staff, partners and volunteers. And don't forget to subscribe to the series on iTunes or wherever you are listening. And do give us a review and a rating. If you want to find out more about our woods and those that are close to you, check out the Woodland Trust website. Just head to the visiting woods pages. Thank you. 

There is a vision in Cornwall, one of large scale nature recovery from land to sea. In this episode we hear the story and the vision of ‘Tor to Shore', eloquently described by Matt Walpole, CEO of Cornwall Wildlife Trust. We discuss unexpected challenges (looking at you beavers), the importance of joined up landscapes and the power of community engagement. Your Hosts:Tom Constable: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-constable/Chloe Constable: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-constable-24155821b/Grange Project Contact & Social Media:Email: hello@grangeproject.co.ukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/grange.project/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/grangeprojectYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GrangeProjectLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-constable/Our Guest:As an ecologist by training, Matt spent ten years conducting conservation research in Africa and Asia at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) at the University of Kent. He then moved to Cambridge and the conservation charity sector, where he has been for the last 18 years.Matt has worked in leadership roles for international charities such as the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and Fauna & Flora International. He is a longstanding member of the judging panel of the World Responsible Travel Awards and has acted as a trustee for various conservation organisations, including the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire where he is currently Chair of the Conservation, Education and Communities Committee. He also directed a ground-breaking UK-wide assessment of the value of nature to society for Defra and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwalpole71/?originalSubdomain=ukWebsite: https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/Resources:https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/tor-to-shoreListen out for:[00:00:00] Tom and Chloe update on the project, including a few rewilding facts and the value of pig ‘micro-habitats'.[00:08:35] Our guest for today, Matt Walpole, introduces himself and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.[00:13:01] We discuss what ‘rewilding' means to the Trust and how they are applying these principles.[00:18:10] Tom and Chloe question Matt about the role of animals on the landscape. [00:20:51] Matt gives us an overview of the Tor to Shore project, including the opportunity to increase carbon sequestration through...

After Chris' report this week, Will and Ben are joined by Nuffield scholar Ruth Grice, who works on her family's dairy farm in Leicestershire as well as being the Farm Liaison and Sustainability Manager for Long Clawson Dairy, along with Rachael Madeley-Davies, Head of Environment Technical at AHDB to discuss how dairy farmers & environmental organisations can work together to achieve sustainable food security & combat climate change. With her Nuffield Scholarship and previous role within the Wildlife Trust, Ruth offers a unique perspective on the topic including how their environmental priorities on farm sit with what she has learned during her Scholarship from both farmers & environmental organisations in other countries. Ruth & Rachael discuss the role that Levy Boards play in connecting all the different elements, right through to the consumer. With the fundamental outcome being that of collaboration & creation of positive messaging between farmers, land managers, conservationists and the general public to ultimately achieve the same goal.Please note: The information provided during this podcast has been prepared for general informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. The information must not be relied upon for any purpose and no representation or warranty is given as to its accuracy, completeness or otherwise. Any reference to other organisations, businesses or products during the podcast are not endorsements or recommendations of Dairy Consulting Ltd or its affiliated companies. The views of the presenter are personal and may not be the views of Dairy Consulting Ltd. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of Dairy Consulting Ltd.

Alex Critchley and Sarah Johnson of The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside describe the growing movement in Britain to ban the sale of peat and peat-based gardening projects, and their organization's efforts to preserve and restore peatlands, a key piece in the battle against global climate change

Butterfly numbers in the UK appear to be at the lowest on record after a wet spring and summer dampened their chances of mating. This comes on top of a long and worrying trend of decline. To find out what's going on and what we can all do to help butterflies cope with extreme weather patterns, Phoebe Weston speaks to Dr Richard Fox, the head of science for the charity Butterfly Conservation, and to Matthew Hayes, who is part of the Banking on Butterflies project, a collaboration between the Insect Ecology Group at the zoology department in Cambridge University and the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

A young man from Essex who didn't really know what stand-up comedy was until his twenties, Russell Kane has gone on to become one of the UK's best comedians since taking the chance to step on stage.  How did Russell catch the comedy bug? Can he identify a musty flannel? Who will he put in the virtual graveyard? In this episode we learn all about leeches. A huge thank you to Craig Macadam from Buglife and Rachel Davies formerly of The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside for telling us all about them! You can pre-order Russell's new book Pet-Selector here Harry is on tour in 2025! Get your tickets at harryhill.co.uk Get in touch: harry@arewethereyetpod.co.uk Website: www.harryhill.co.uk Instagram: @mrharryhill YouTube: @harryhillshow Producer Neil Fearn A 'Keep it Light Media' production All enquiries: HELLO@KEEPITLIGHTMEDIA.COM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this compelling episode of The Camera Cafe Show, host Tom Jacob sits down with renowned wildlife photographer and nature conservationist Brian Matthews. With over two decades of experience in capturing the beauty and fragility of our planet's wildlife, Brian shares his unique journey from working in the nuclear industry to becoming a passionate advocate for nature conservation. He discusses the critical role of photography in raising awareness about climate change and biodiversity loss, and how his images tell powerful stories of the natural world. Brian Matthews has dedicated his career to capturing the delicate balance of ecosystems and the impact of human activities on wildlife, whose work has been showcased at prestigious events like the UN's Climate Change Conference (COP21). He discusses his latest project, "Genesis," which will be a book for all the schools in the UK about climate change and the beauty and fragility of our planet. His work not only documents the challenges faced by endangered species but also inspires action towards a more sustainable future. We will gain insight into Brian's approach to documenting wildlife amid the escalating threats of climate change in a journey going from puffins to polar bears. As a multiple award winner and being frequently selected in big photography competitions like Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Brian will give us some valuable information on how to up your chances and how to enter these competitions. This episode is full packed with information and is a must-listen for anyone interested in nature photography, underwater photography, gear, travel, conservation, and the urgent need to protect our planet's biodiversity. Enjoy!   **The Transcription of this Episode is Available on our Website**   Key Takeaways: **Journey**: Brian Matthews shares his journey from a career in the nuclear industry to becoming a leading wildlife photographer and conservationist, highlighting the pivotal moments that sparked his passion for nature. **Impact of Climate Change on Wildlife**: Learn how Brian uses his photography to document and communicate the effects of climate change on various species and their habitats, emphasizing the urgent need for conservation efforts. **Storytelling Through Photography**: Discover Brian's techniques for capturing compelling images that tell powerful stories about wildlife and the environment, and how he balances aesthetics with scientific messaging. **Conservation Projects and Initiatives**: Brian discusses some of his key conservation projects, including his work with endangered species and efforts to protect critical habitats through collaboration with environmental organizations and a book project for schools in the UK. **Advice for Aspiring Photographers**: Brian offers practical tips for aspiring wildlife photographers, including the importance of perseverance, and gives us 3 valuable tips on how to enter big photography competitions like Wildlife Photographer of the Year. **Future Vision for Conservation**: Gain insight into Brian's vision for the future of conservation photography and how he hopes to inspire the next generation of photographers and conservationists to make a positive impact on the planet.   Enjoyed our show? Support us with a $2 coffee to Move our Podcast Forwards!

Martha Kearney is in Cambridge to explore wildlife at night. She takes an evening trip on a punt to see and hear the creatures which come out after the tourists have gone to home bed. She learns about the bats which at this time of year are just emerging from hibernation - hungry and on the hunt for insects. They swoop low over the waters of the Cam, their echo-location picked up and relayed for human ears by the clicking of a bat detector. A bat enthusiast from the Wildlife Trust tells Martha about bats' habits and identifies the species flitting through the trees around them.Punts have not always been used in this benign way around wildlife. At the Museum of Cambridge, Martha is shown a punt gun - a huge weapon which was widely used in the 19th and early 20th century. It would have been mounted on a punt, with the huntsman paddling into a flock of wildfowl in order to shoot them in large numbers for food.Martha also visits Cambridge University Botanic Garden, where a long-running moth research project is in progress. She watches as a moth trap is set out in the evening, and then returns early the next morning as a team of volunteers checks which moths have turned up in the trap, before releasing them back into the wild. She learns about the importance of these nocturnal species, and asks why night-time creatures like bats and moths always seem to get such a bad press.Produced by Emma Campbell

Connecting rural communities and cutting carbon emissions - a network of car clubs across rural Wales. Caroline Evans visits Llandrindod Wells to hear more.We explore Gwydyr Forest in the Conwy Valley where long-gone lead mines mean the area is now home to around 90 per cent of the world's lead Moss. The Dolphin Diet Detectives project - a new initiative of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales - receives funding to find out what species the bottlenose dolphins of Cardigan Bay are consuming. It involves the collection of dolphin faecal samples - not an easy task - but researchers hope the study will increase our understanding of dolphin and marine conservation in the futureAnd on International Dawn Chorus day, we hear about a new study of nest box-breeding birds by Aberystwyth University, to understand the impact of climate change on competition between birds.

Chris Baines is one of the UK's leading independent environmentalists and an award-winning writer and broadcaster.A trained horticulturist and landscape architect, he spent some years practising and teaching landscape design but has spent most of his career a professional adviser to Government and other bodies including the National Trust, National Grid and energy regulator Ofgem.Fornerly a presenter of BBC Countryfile, his 1986 film Blue Tits and Bumblebees is often credited with starting the trend towards gardening with nature.Back in 1979 Baines bucked the trend in a chemical-driven gardening decade and created a "rich habitat garden" for Gardeners World. "At that stage, I just remember vividly...Peter [Seabrook] looking at me and saying..'you really think Britain's gardeners are going to be interested in that?' It was a supreme put down, really. And then they were absolutely avalanched with requests for the leaflet that I'd produced about how to create a rich habitat garden."With his best-selling book How to Make a Wildlife Garden continuously in print for almost 40 years, a new expanded edition was published in 2023 as an RHS classic, he reflects on where nature gardening and rewilding is today.His new book RHS Companion to Wildlife Gardening updated edition is out now.With Biodiversity Net Gain now in legislation, Baines shares his concerns: "If the outcome of the new legislation is that more creative partnership with the Wildlife Trust and others managing the investment that's required from the developers, that would be brilliant...If it finishes up with just little patches of trees planted on, in many cases, landscape, which is rather more valuable without its trees for wildlife than it will be with trees on it, then that will be a wasted opportunity. But I'm eternally optimistic."He discusses the pros and cons of bird feeding and the prospects for and importance of local parks in this election year."It's wonderful to have national parks out in the countryside, but actually most people most of the time need access to green space right where they live and work. And we need to take that much more seriously because neglect and lack of safety in those spaces puts people off going there." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Markhor is one of Central and South Asia's most charismatic mountain ungulates. The species is scattered across the Karakoram Range, Afghanistan, and the western Himalayas. The Markhor, often called the “Screw-horned Goat” is the national animal of Pakistan.  In Persian and Pahto languages, the word “mārkhor” translates as "snake-eater" highlighting the ancient belief that the markhor would actively kill and consume snakes.The Markhor is currently listed as “Near Threatened” by the IUCN Red List. Across its range, hunting is the primary threat to the Markhor.  In Pakistan, the Markhor falls victim to the lucrative trophy hunting business. Meanwhile, the hunting of markhor for bushmeat and traditional beliefs is still prevalent in Afghanistan and India, despite such practices being banned. In India, habitat loss and fragmentation due to climate change and livestock overgazing remain a major threat. LIke most mountain ungulates in the Himalayas, the markhor is not spared from the free-ranging dog menace in India.In this episode of the Think Wildlife Podcast, Tanushree Srivastava and I discuss Markhor conservation in Kashmir. Tanushree, who is one of the leading scientists researching Himalaya's ungulates, also spearheads Wildlife Trust of India's  “ Kashmir Markhor Recovery Project”. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anishbanerjee.substack.com

Have you ever dreamt of sporting an elephant's trunk for a day, or perhaps fluttering around with butterfly wings? Our playful musings on such animal appendages kick off a journey into the heart of elephant conservation with Dr. Vivek Menon. The founder and executive director of the Wildlife Trust of India and chair of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group joins us, Dr. Monni Böhm and Justin Birkhoff, to share his origin story—from birdwatcher to elephant defender—and the formation of an organization that has blossomed into a global conservation powerhouse.From a small spare bedroom operation to a force of 250 staff and 22 field stations, Dr. Menon unveils the extraordinary growth of the Wildlife Trust of India and its crusade against species decline. The man behind the mission also reveals how the shutter of a camera lens offers him solace and the unexpected ways social media has bridged his message with the next generation. 

The world's oldest fossilised forest was uncovered in Somerset last week. We head to palaeobotanist, Dr Christopher Berry's, lab at Cardiff University to learn about these cladoxylopsids. They lived 390 million years ago and although they are not the ancestors of today's trees, they reveal some extraordinary evolutionary secrets. Also, Marnie speaks to Dr Chris Thorogood of the University of Oxford Botanic Gardens about his new book Pathless Forest: The Quest to Save the World's Largest Flowers. Called “Rafflesia” plants and found in the remotest parts of South East Asia, their flowers burst from the rain forest floor the size of pumpkins and are critically endangered. Chris talks of his world of extreme fieldwork and hair-raising expeditions, braving leeches, lizards and lethal forest swamps, to discover the rarest of rare blooms. Plus, the Wildlife Trust's Making Friends with Molluscs campaign starts today, and I'm sure many gardeners will declare this an impossible task! We visit some allotments in Bristol to find out how people are managing slug and snail populations. And chat to Brian Eversham from the Trust of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, who explains why these garden creatures should be considered our friends, not foes. And finally, Dr Stewart Husband from last week's programme returns to answer more of your burning questions about your tap water.

Today Jack is joined by Emma Hodson – co-host of 'Zoology Ramblings' and 'the Biome Project'! She is here to talk about how we can all act for the nature that surrounds us! This includes taking action in our gardens, learning more about local nature, and using apps like iNaturalist and Merlin Bird ID to form greater connections to nature! While the conversation revolves around the UK context, the advice is really transferable. So, no matter where you are, get ready to listen, take notes, and fall in love with local wildlife!  Jack and Emma also discuss her love of cetaceans (whales and dolphins), the Biomes Project's recent rewilding film and her favourite under-appreciated species! Useful Links Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We are @PangolinPodcast

The UK is the first major economy to achieve it's 50% reduction target for Greenhouse Gas Emissions (between 1990 and 2022). However, we've still got a lot of work to do to reach our 2023 target of a 68% reduction. Many businesses are already making great strides to reduce their Impact, and while you can reduce, achieving true carbon neutrality will involve offsetting a certain amount of emissions. One of the biggest challenges for businesses in terms of completing their offsetting is finding a credible carbon offsetting scheme. Mel is joined by Luke Baldwin, Co-founder and CEO of Nature Broking, to discuss credible nature-based solutions for carbon offsetting. You'll learn ·      Who are Nature Broking? ·      What is Natural Capital? ·      How can we restore nature at scale? ·      Financing transition regenerative agriculture through the sale of natural capital ·      How have Nature Broking worked with clients to complete their carbon offsetting? ·      How can you demonstrate a credible carbon offsetting scheme? ·      What projects are Nature Broking currently working on?   Resources ·      Nature Broking ·      Isologyhub In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo. [02:05] Episode summary: Today Mel is joined by guest Luke Baldwin, Co-founder and CEO of Nature Broking, to discuss credible nature based solutions for carbon offsetting and explore some of the wonderful projects Nature Broking have been involved with. [04:10] What is natural capital?  – Natural capital is the idea of creating value from nature. What natural capital does is, it encompasses all the things that we get from nature that we rely on. That could be the shelter in your house all the way through to carbon offsets. [04:55] Who are Nature Broking? – Nature Broking's story starts off on a somber note. Sadly, Luke lost one of his friends in a mountaineering accident, and in his memory, Luke and another friend rewilded one acre of Scottish Borders Woodlands. This is something they make a point to visit every year, to pay tribute and to keep their living, breathing monument of his friends memory alive and well. The experience was an eye opening one. For as lovely as the process was, it was incredibly expensive, and not very easy to do. Luke then realised that philanthropy alone wasn't going to be able to cover the costs of what we required to restore nature. Looking into the matter further he found that 50% of the world's GDP is moderately or highly dependent on nature and that the UK, whilst green and beautiful, sits in the bottom 10%. And so, an idea was sparked. Together his friend and Co-founder Andy started down the nature restoration path and created Nature Broking. [06:20] What is Nature Broking's mission?: Nature Broking have 2 major missions: #1: Help restore nature at scale #2: Help finance a transition to regenerative agriculture [06:34] How can we restore nature at scale?  – The UK Government has set targets of halting nature decline by 2030, with a view to increase nature by 2045. The Green Finance Institute has calculated that there is a funding gap of about 56 billion in order for us to achieve our legally binding environmental targets. That's a hefty sum to put on public money and philanthropy, which is where private markets and business can make a big impact. Frameworks like PAS 2060 (ISO 14068) help businesses invest in nature, and with the creation of carbon credits, carbon has been commodified to make it more accessible for businesses to contribute to carbon offsetting. [08:20] How can we help finance transition regenerative agriculture through the sale of natural capital? – Regenerative agriculture is about restoring the soils, restoring nature back to its original level. Modern farming techniques, while fruitful, use tools such as fertilisers and mechanised farming that have damaged the soils biome. That's going to take time and a concerted effort to fix. Now obviously, we can't just stop farming, we need food, so not all land can go back to nature. Currently, 70% of the UK is farmed, so the agricultural sector will play a big part in being more regenerative. However, the current incentives aren't great, so there's a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of financing the mechanisms behind it, i.e. funding and subsidies ect. One way we could do this is by ulitilising the carbon markets, as regenerative agriculture can lead to significant carbon sequestration. [12:20] How do Nature Broking work with clients? – They make sure to work within the bounds of the business itself, as every business is different.. They don't do off the shelf solutions, preferring to work closely with their clients and help them to really spend time in nature at the place where their carbon credits are being implemented. It's ultimately about education on the different solutions available, including asking important questions like: ·      What impact do you want to have? ·      What are the challenges with each solution? ·      What do you need to watch out for? Each solution is tailored to your business. So, if you'd prefer to work in woodland restoration over regenerative agriculture, then Nature Broking would be happy to work with you to achieve that. Carbon credits include their own set of challenges, one of the main ones being that science changes, so the solutions offered through carbon credits will also change. It may be a case of purchasing credits that tackle different solutions over a large area rather than pooling them all into planting trees for example. Nature Broking are here to help advise and facilitate this. [15:30] Join the isologyhub – Don't miss out on a suite of over 200+ ISO tools, templates and training, sign-up to become a member of the isologyhub [17:45] How can Nature Broking demonstrate credible carbon offsetting? – Nature Broking are at their heart transparent with how they operate. By taking clients to see the actual physical results of their carbon credits, they can educate and help others form a genuine connection to nature. They want clients to truly understand the full impact of their efforts.  The second element is due diligence, which can be displayed by utilising one of the many carbon related frameworks now available, such as B Corp and Sylvera. Though these don't always work within a UK setting, so Nature Broking are working towards creating frameworks that do fit within the overall market view. Lastly, they ensure that the standard they're using is of high integrity, using frameworks such as the Integrity Council for the voluntary market, which analyses different standards. The 2nd is understanding the quality of the project developer, so looking at their technical expertise, looking at their financial ratings, and then evaluating the individual project itself in terms of potential risks. [21:50] What are some of the projects that Nature Broking are currently working on? – A broad view of what's available in terms of schemes include: ·      The Woodland Carbon Code ·      The Peatland Carbon Code – This is run by the IUCN, which is the International Council for the Conservation of Nature. They are both defined and funded by DEFRA. These are some of the first carbon codes to move into the UK, however there is a lack of available carbon credits, which should change in future. Other's include: ·      Wilder Carbon – A carbon code focused on rewilding, run by The Wildlife Trust. ·      Carbon Code of Conduct - A regenerative agriculture code, so it focuses on analysing the full sequestration and full emissions potential of a whole landholding. [25:00] Carbon Credits in practice – There's a current project called Bank Farm in Kent, which is being used as a test site for regenerative agriculture. This includes the likes of agroforestry, which is where you integrate trees into fields which provide shade for animals and store carbon. So, you're not removing those fields from production, simply adapting them to be more sustainable. They're also practicing mob grazing, which is all about using herbivores to maxmise the amount of carbon stored in the soil. You can do this by moving, say cows for example, around a field to graze quickly on small areas before moving them on. [27:05] Mel's conclusion – There's a huge opportunity in the management of agriculture that can be utilised within carbon credit schemes. In addition to helping our economy by creating new jobs within this new approach to tackling emissions and storing carbon. Hopefully we'll see larger corporations investing in these sorts of schemes both here in the UK and abroad. If You'd like to learn more about Nature Broking and their solutions, check out their website. If you'd like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we'd be happy to give you a tour. We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

Carlton Klein's first and most dramatic great adventure involved secretly dropping out of college, riding a bicycle to Mexico and taking every form of transportation but planes down to Bogota, Colombia. He writes, “I came away with some wild experiences like working on the Panama Canal, and trying to avoid drug mules in Mexico. That trip also did a lot for me in terms of reviving my zest for life and polishing out my social skills, but didn't sort out the larger issues.” It did, however, plant the seed for an idea that would become a business after another big transition.Originally from Chevy Chase, Maryland, Carlton worked in Washington, D.C. and, once he headed back to school, earned a master's degree in international development at the University of Maryland. He spent years spent living and working in developing countries including India, Burma (Myanmar) and Colombia.He had just completed his field work in India, working with the Wildlife Trust of India, and returned to the U.S. Covid-19 hit not long after, and he wound up running logistics for two Covid field hospitals.We discuss Carlton's transition from backpacking wanderlust to entrepreneur with an import business, how he found his way out of his own personal nadir, how he got the idea for Lost Canyon Imports and how he envisions his future.We talk about his concern over the growing homogeneity of the world, the fine line of exploitation and saving the arts of faraway cultures, and the sense of loss he feels as he witnesses cultures and traditions disappearing. One of the most tangible pieces of a culture, he believes, is the crafts they make. Carlton went back to Colombia, met with traditional artisans, filmed their process and the culture behind the pieces and started a company to sell their works in the U.S., contributing to a steady stream of income for them.You can reach Carlton Klein here: lostcanyonimports@gmail.comInstagram: @lostcanyonimportsYouTube: https://youtube.com/@LostCanyonImportsWebsite: https://www.lostcanyonimports.com/Places mentioned in this episode:Chevy Chase, MarylandMcDaniel CollegeUniversity of MarylandWashington, D.C.Austin, TexasEl Paso, TexasMexicoPanama CanalBogata, ColombiaNevado del Tolima, ColombiaBurmaMyanmarBolviaIndiaSibundoy Valley, ColombiaMagdalena River, Colombia CREDITSHost and creator: Christi CassidyContact: christi@movingalongpodcast.comArtwork by Phyllis BusellMusic by Eve's Blue. Show notes written with assistance from Podium.page. LINKS:More information and to listen to past episodes: https://movingalongpodcast.comPast episodes are here too: https://moving-along.simplecast.com/Tag and like Moving Along episodes on Facebook and Instagram!

GRAB YOUR THERMALS NERDS, IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT WINTER!! If we ask ourselves honestly, winter is the season that can feel like it holds the most barriers up when it comes to us getting out & connecting with nature but is it really that hard? Can we still see wildlife in the cold frosty months? On this bonus episode Ryan & Nadia speak with the London Wildlife Trust to explore just how much there is to see in this often dreaded season & what it can do to support our health, both mentally & physically. Guest appearances from Chantelle Lindsay, Pete Salter & Beth Collier. To learn more about what The London Wildlife Trust are doing in the next year ahead, click here & if you'd like to read more about Wild in the City, click here. If you'd like to say "cheers" to the Into The Wild team & help support the show, then you can do so on www.ko-fi.com/intothewildpod To follow the hosts of the show, Ryan & Nadia, follow them at @mrryanjdalton & @buteblackbird 

Ecosystems around India are becoming increasingly fragmented. This is particularly concerning for megafauna species, such as tigers and elephants. Landscape connectivity is a vital component of megafauna conservation in India. This is because the dispersal of megafauna outside of existing reserves is critical to maintaining the genetic diversity of the larger population. The immense fragmentation between tiger populations has resulted in the increased prevalence of melanism, a phenomenon associated with inbreeding depression. Moreover, preserving wildlife corridors between protected areas is crucial in preserving biodiversity while also minimizing human-wildlife conflict.One of the leading projects aimed at promoting landscape connectivity in India is the “Rights of Passage” program established by the Wildlife Trust of India, in partnership with the Government of India. It aims to secure connectivity and safe passage for large mammals like elephants and tigers across their identified corridors. In this episode, I interviewed Upasana Ganguly, the Manager of “The Rights of Passage” project. We talk in detail about the importance of wildlife corridors, the threats, and the conservation of these corridors. You can also listen to The Think Wildlife Podcast on other platforms, such as YouTube, Spotify and iTunes. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anishbanerjee.substack.com

If you've spent time in the UK and visited a local nature reserve, then chances are you've been to a site managed by one of the 46 individual Wildlife Trusts that collectively represent 2,000 staff, 35,000 volunteers and nearly 1 million members.   Helping to coordinate this huge force for nature is the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts of which today's guest is their Deputy Chief Executive.  Patience Thody left the commercial banking sector and switched her career towards wildlife conservation and the charity sector.  She's using her twenty years of HR and Operations Management experience to build, lead and motivate multi-disciplinary teams to deliver nature conservation across the UK.  In this episode, we explore the Wildlife Trust network, its conservation activities and workforce of volunteers and staff.  We also uncover what it means to be a Deputy Chief Executive, the skills Patience uses and values in her role, and what she enjoys and finds challenging in her job.  She also shares her career journey and advice for people like yourself, who might be seeking to follow in her footsteps.  It's a Wildlife-trusting, career-switching, pod-chat.  Enjoy.

Join host Amy in the second instalment of the Remembering Wildlife Podcast Series as she delves into the world of conservation with Nick Murray from Bushlife Conservancy in Zimbabwe and El Comley from Lilongwe Wildlife Trust in Malawi. Discover how their relentless efforts to protect elephants have been supported by the proceeds from the Remembering Wildlife books, a captivating collection featuring the lives of eight key species through the lenses of over 250 extraordinary wildlife photographers.In the first part of this episode, Amy and Nick explore the frontlines of Bushlife's anti-poaching operations. Gain unique insights into the personalities of elephants, including the legendary Fred Astaire, as they roam the iconic Mana Pools. In the second part, turn your attention to El Comley, as she unveils the critical role of collaring elephants in gaining vital insights into their movements, crucial for preventing human-elephant conflict. Hear firsthand how Lilongwe Wildlife Trust's work with the Government of Malawi has led to significant impacts on ivory trafficking conviction rates and a reduction in ivory trafficking.Looking to grab a copy of any Remembering Wildlife books? Head to https://rememberingwildlife.com to show your support for over 60 conservation initiatives!

Join host Amy in the seventh episode of the Remembering Wildlife Podcast Series, where she delves into the untamed world of African wild dog conservation with two extraordinary guests—Cole Du Plessis from the Endangered Wildlife Trust and Nadia Le Roux from the Kalahari African Wild Dog Conservation Project in Namibia. Uncover the stories of how the proceeds from Remembering Wildlife books, a collection of books that depicts the lives of eight captivating species through the lenses of over 250 extraordinary wildlife photographers, have supported these exceptional organisations. In the first part of this episode, Cole Du Plessis unfolds the unbelievable tale of an African wild dog translocation amid civil unrest. In the second part, Amy talks with Nadia Le Roux about the trials and tribulations of collaring a very unique population of African wild dogs in Namibia, including the unexpected challenges that left her stranded for days, relying on a GPS collar to be found!Don't miss this episode that takes you into the highs and lows of African wild dog conservation.Looking to grab a copy of any Remembering Wildlife books? Head to https://rememberingwildlife.com to show your support for over 60 conservation initiatives!

Building new homes often comes at the expense of living space for wildlife. But from 2024, a new law in England means developers will have to make sure their projects deliver 10% more nature. It's called biodiversity net gain. Conservation groups are "cautiously optimistic", but do local authorities have the resources to maintain, measure and police the uptick in nature? On ClimateCast, Tom Heap visits a housing development with nature embedded into its foundations as well as a field of barley a few miles from Milton Keynes that's been selected to enjoy natural regeneration as a payback for damage elsewhere.Plus he speaks to Prue Addison, from Wildlife Trust, about the realities of the new law and the potential impact it could have.Podcast producer: Emma Rae WoodhouseField producer: Mickey CarrollEditor: Paul Stanworth

Carolyn Quinn has family links to Felixstowe, a place she's visited frequently over the years, enjoying walks along the Edwardian seafront, soaking up its old world charm. For Open Country she returns to take a closer look at this Suffolk town, including how it's been shaped by the enormous presence of Felixstowe Port, the largest container port in the UK. She begins her journey with David Gledhill at Felixstowe Museum who gives a quick overview of the richly historic area. From there she walks round the corner to Landguard Nature Reserve, overlooked by the port's enormous cranes. Ranger, Leonie Washington, shows her the reserve's internationally important habitat of vegetated shingle. It supports species like the incredibly rare Stinking Goosefoot and provides habitat for ground-nesting birds like the ringed plover. Next, Carolyn pops on a hard-hat and enters the Port itself, where Paul Davey shares some facts and figures about this bewilderingly huge place. Then it's onto the Wildlife Trust's Trimley Marshes reserve. It was created to replace habitat destroyed when the Port expanded around 30 years ago. Carolyn asks Andrew Excell whether this wetland habitat makes up for the lost mudflats. And finally, the seaside holiday scene: Billy Butlin opened an amusement park here in 1931 and later sub-let it to showman and entrepreneur, Charlie Manning, who renamed it Manning's Amusements. Charlie's grandsons, Charlie Jr and Jonny, still run it but have also established Beach Street, where traders operate out of - what else - repurposed shipping containers. Carolyn meets Jonny and his mother, Sarah, who shares memories of the early days. Note: The parody of the shipping forecast was written by Les Barker and included on the album ‘Guide Cats for the Blind' created by Clive Lever. Producer: Karen Gregor

This week the UK government announced that around 100 new oil and gas licences for the North Sea will be issued. At the same time the Prime Minister said the government would back two new carbon capture and storage plants, one in Aberdeenshire and one in the Humber. Victoria Gill speaks to Angela Knight, former chief executive of Energy UK, about what this decision means for the UK's aim of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050. She then discovers more about the capabilities of carbon capture and storage from Paul Fennell, a professor of clean energy at Imperial College London. Next Victoria travels to the sunnier shores of Spain where orcas have been ramming fishing boats. She speaks to one of the sailors who witnessed an attack. To find out more about the orcas' behaviour, she interviews Dr Luke Rendell, a whale and dolphin expert from the University of St Andrews. We then move to Skomer, off the coast of West Wales. This important seabird colony has recently recorded an avian flu outbreak. Reporter Roland Pease speaks to Lisa Morgan from the Wildlife Trust for South and West Wales. To finish the show Dr Stuart Farrimond is back with the final instalment of his science of gardening series. Presenter: Victoria Gill Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Hannah Robins Research: Patrick Hughes Editor: Richard Collings

Thousands of years ago, large parts of Britain were covered with temperate rainforest - also known as "Atlantic woodland" or "Celtic rainforest". It's a habitat which needs high rainfall and low annual variation in temperature, so the western fringes of the British Isles provide perfect conditions. But temperate rainforest has been largely destroyed over the centuries and there are now only fragments of it left. One of the few surviving areas is in the Isle of Man, where work now is underway to expand and restore this unique habitat, thanks to a £38 million grant. At Creg y Cowin over 70 acres will be planted with native tree species, with around 20 acres left to regenerate naturally. Helen Mark visits the island to learn about this project and meets the Wildlife Trust volunteers involved in the early stages of getting the work underway. She also finds out about "tholtans" - abandoned agricultural dwellings which are a feature of the landscape of the Isle of Man. She meets a couple who are trying to document as many of these ruined buildings as possible, and finds out about links between the landscape and the Manx language. Produced by Emma Campbell for BBC Audio Bristol

Welcome to this week's royal podcast episode 127...   In the Royal news section this week we are chatting all things:    Was Princess Charlotte bored whilst watching the Wimbledon men's final?    Prince George and Princess Charlotte attend Wimbledon with their parents, The Prince and Princess of Wales. The watched the Wimbledon men's final 2023. With this, Princess Charlotte's first ever debut at Wimbledon, we chat about all about her first outing and answer the question:   Should you visit the new Coronation Exhibition at Buckingham Palace?    Royal Community, keep listening as we give you our review of the brand new Coronation Exhibition that opened this week at Buckingham Palace.  We visited on a very busy Saturday and give you the details of what we saw.    In the Royal Round-up:  The Princess Royal celebrates 50 years with the duff froze Wildlife Trust new line the King and the queen are in Cornwall The Duke of Kent makes the socials The Queen celebrator 76th birthday Princess Beatrice and edo celebrate the third wedding anniversary  And The Wales' family attend The Royal International Air tattoo show in the pouring down rain. Did Louis like it? Keep listening to find out.  All this, plus so much more in today's Royal episode.   

Ofcom: TikTok is the favoured single news source among 12-15 year olds. How ‘green prescribing' could save the NHS millions. Warning: your pet rabbit could be suffering from ear disease. How Pokemon Go is gamifying sleep. In this episode: Dom Higgins from The Wildlife Trust explains ‘green prescribing' Tech-savvy UK businesses to invest in AI to replace staff and cut costsDate set for European Space Agency satellite to fall to EarthWhatsApp finally comes to smartwatchesFifth of pet rabbits in UK have painful or debilitating ear diseaseMicrosoft Teams is adding Maybelline's AI-powered ‘makeup' filtersHow to track sleep in Pokémon GoFollow us on Twitter or on Threads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachael Harrop talks about agriculture in Isle of Man, the Manx Wildlife Trust, rare British sheep and more. Get to know the Isle of Man, a Crown Dependency island in the Irish Sea, which is the only UNESCO Biosphere Nation in the world (but is more famous for its TT motorcycle road races). Hear about how Rachael started raising rare British Teeswater sheep, which she grazes in a community orchard in Patrick and keeps for their wool. Learn about her breeding program, how to select sheep for their fiber, and the challenges of maintaining a flock on a small island. Rachael also talks about her family's fiber arts, Willing Heart Wool, their wood processing and natural dying. Hear about the Manx Wildlife Trust and its partnership with the Isle of Man government to manage the Agri-Environment Scheme, enabling farmers to work better with wildlife. After just two years, 69 percent of farmland on the island is enrolled in the program—which is 49 percent of all land on the island! Forty-three initiatives put forth by the program, plus those suggested by farmers for their own land, offer farmers payments for farm-management projects that benefit conservation on the island. Rachael talks about some of the farm-management projects and some of the wildlife—including fungi!—being protected through the Agri-Environment Scheme. Listen to the end to hear about Rachael's hopes for the future of farming in Isle of Man and her favorite all-Manx—meaning from the Isle of Man—meal. LINKS Manx Wildlife Trust website Manx Wildlife Trust on Facebook Manx Wildlife Trust on Instagram Manx Wildlife Trust on Twitter Willing Heart Wool on Facebook

Guest: head of conservation at the Endangered Wildlife Trust – Dr Ian Little.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A farmer was jailed last week for what the Environment Agency and Natural England describe as the ‘worst case of riverside damage' they'd ever seen. John Price admitted seven charges of damaging a stretch of the River Lugg in Herefordshire. He was sentenced to a year in prison and has to pick up the £600,000 bill for restoring the river. What are the implications of this when it comes to protecting our waterways in future? We speak to Natural England and the Wildlife Trust who raised the alarm. All week we're going to be looking at one of the fundamentals of farming: seeds - from seed banks to seed breeding and the work being done agricultural seed companies. We start off with a seed expert and professor of crop production from the University of Reading. Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

What is the actual state of elephants in India? How many of them are currently in captivity, and what are the reasons for that? And what challenges do conservationists face in trying to help them? After the recent Oscar win of The Elephant Whisperers, Vivek Menon and Alok Hisarwala Gupta join Sandip Roy to answer these questions, and talk about the extent to which a documentary like this helps the conservation cause.Vivek Menon is the Founder Trustee & Executive Director, Wildlife Trust of India. Alok Hisarwala Gupta is a lawyer and founder of the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and Mixed by Suresh Pawar

Everyone will live within 15 minutes' walk of a green space or water under new government plans to restore nature. The "blueprint" sets out how ministers intend to clean up air and water, boost nature and reduce waste over the next five years in England. Today's Martha Kearney spoke to Joan Edwards, director of policy at the Wildlife Trust, and Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England, about how it'll work and what more could be done. (Image: Hedgehog, Credit: Ola Jennersten /WWF-Sweden/ PA)

While we're all distracted by those in power doing the leadership hokey cokey and making the UK a political laughing stock, damaging policy is being pushed through. And it's outrageous. In September, the Government launched what's basically an attack on nature, proposing policy that's a huge threat to the UK's already rapidly depleting wildlife and explicitly breaking promises it made in its 2019 manifesto.So Mick got on the Zoom with Laura Taylor, conservation manager for Bedfordshire at The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, who outlined exactly what the Government is doing and why it's catastrophically harmful to nature, wildlife, us and the economy.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Midway through the Isle of Man's Manx TT motor-racing festival lies a day (terrifyingly aptly) branded as “Mad Sunday”. David Oakes chose this bacchanalian festival, one filled with inebriated petrol-heads and super-charged exhaust eruptions, to talk with the Manx Wildlife Trust's CEO, Leigh Morris. Recorded in perhaps the only two quiet enclaves the island possessed that Mad Sunday, Leigh expands upon a journey that took him from horticultural nurseryman to the head of a Wildlife Trust that oversees the planet's sole Unesco whole nation biosphere. Leigh's journey - starting simply enough in Yorkshire, then Wales and Scotland - quickly expands into a life of volunteering and vocational placements in India and Nepal, Ethiopia and Oman, the Galapagos and St Helena… the list goes on. Whether upon an island paradise or beneath the waves, there is seemingly no habitat that hasn't drawn Leigh's attention. In his own words: “The more you know, the more you know you don't know…” Armed with an insatiable curiosity, Leigh hopes to turn the Isle of Man, all 35 by 10 miles of it, into “what good looks like”. In this episode we discusses the sex-appeal of carrots, the rivakry of a petrol vs. electic (or even hydrogen) powereded TT, community conservation movements such as SeaSearch, and the hot potato of viewing agriculture as a very necessary part of our species' ongoing environmental ambitions. Filter in a menagerie of rare Loaghtan sheep, Penguins, Sea Iguanas and the Isle of Man's escaped feral Wallaby population, and you have a gloriously ambitious discussion about the state of the world, and where to take it next. Oh - and October's episode is not sponsored by the Visit Isle of Man board… we promise!For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/leigh-morris/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alison White's intense psychological thriller set over twenty four hours on a remote island wildlife reserve. The island reserve, home to hundreds of thousands of breeding Manx shearwater birds that are hunted at night-time by predatory black-backed gulls, is managed by warden Wilf who lives there with his partner Ruth and young daughter Lily. Ruth arrived on the island three years previously, escaping from traumatic events in her past. But Ruth holds a secret and unbeknown to her, someone is coming, someone who has the power to rip her new life apart. As the threat and danger intensifies, distressing memories surface and Ruth is forced to take drastic action to protect herself and the people she loves. The drama features field recordings made on Skomer Island, including the night-time arrival of Manx shearwaters, and uses 3D binaural audio; please listen on headphones for a more immersive experience. RUTH.....Rosalie Craig WILF.....William Ash SETH.....Rupert Hill LILY.....Lily Mitic Written by Alison White Sound design by Steve Brooke Directed by Nadia Molinari A BBC Audio Drama North Production With special thanks to the wardens of Skomer Island and the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. BBC Action Line Support: Domestic abuse: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3FQFSnx6SZWsQn3TJYYlFNy/information-and-support-domestic-abuse Sexual violence: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/22VVM5LPrf3pjYdKqctmMXn/information-and-support-sexual-abuse-and-violence Stalking: www.stalkinghelpline.org Bereavement: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4MmhHDSbdDmTpVJhBs2v4Py/information-and-support-bereavement

In celebration of the Welsh countryside and conservation - fishing, clay shooting, gun dogs, falconry and cookery are just some of the country pursuits on offer at the first ever Game Fair, run by the Game and Conservation and Wildlife Trust in Wales. Held at the Faenol Estate, near Bangor in Gwynedd, the event brought together representatives from conservation, farming, field sports and fishing bodies to promote their activities. Caroline Evans visits the fair and hears about the efforts to foster greater communication and cooperation between the various sectors and promote the benefits of country pursuits and conservation to a wider audience.

Last month saw a first in the UK: Bison were released into a woodland in Kent. An animal of this size and nature hasn't be known to be on UK soil for milennia, but now conservationists hope they can act as ecosystem engineers and help protect our woodlands. We explore how the European bison is able to exert such dramatic effects on its environment as well as dive into past reintroduction sucess stories, including the flight of the red kite and the nesting of the dormouse. Plus, we address the potential costs off adding a species into a new space, how learning to live alongside predators may... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Government has given legal protection to beavers in England, which means it will be illegal to harm or move them without a licence. They have had protection in Scotland since 2019. We hear from a farmer in Scotland who says they do cause problems there, and from the Wildlife Trust which welcomes the protection, but urges the government to provide more details of management practices. A campaign against a controversial rabbit meat and fur farm in Nottinghamshire is being stepped up. Opponents are staging weekly protests outside the site at East Bridgford. But the owners say it complies with all regulations and standards. Last month 12 rabbits were taken from the farm in a late night raid that's now being investigated by police. All week we're going to be exploring the pressure on food systems around the world and hear why they are under stress. The reasons are multiple and complex – rather like the global food system itself. A deal has been signed to release millions of tonnes of grain from Ukraine – but it will take time for global wheat supplies to get back to normal. There are also high input prices, and the cost of fuel. Longer term, the pressure of climate change on food production and who needs food, keeps building. The presenter is Anna Hill.