Category: Books

223: Waters of Life with Tom Bowser

A beaver swimming through calm, dark green water, with only its wet head visible above the surface. The animal faces the camera directly, its coarse, golden-brown fur slicked down with water droplets glistening on it. Its dark, rounded nose, small black eyes, and rounded ears are clearly visible. The background shows soft ripples spreading outward from the animal's movement. Photo by Lynn Bowser courtesy of Tom Bowser.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5iom3kOKxO9GNTkx56oJrq What happens when a farming family decides to become the first private landowner in Britain to legally relocate beavers onto their farm? How do you navigate the bureaucracy, the opposition from farming neighbours and the politics of wildlife management? And can beavers actually help a farm deal with the effects of climate change? To … Continue reading 223: Waters of Life with Tom Bowser →

217: Canopy of Titans – Greenwashing and the Great North American Temperate Rainforest with Paul Koberstein

This image shows the Great North American Temperate Rainforest with its characteristic massive old-growth trees covered in vibrant green moss and lichen. The forest floor is carpeted with ferns and fallen logs in various stages of decomposition, whilst thick moss drapes the deeply furrowed bark of towering conifers. Filtered light penetrates through the dense canopy, creating a misty, ethereal atmosphere typical of this rare coastal ecosystem. The abundant moisture is evident in the lush vegetation coating nearly every surface, from standing trunks to fallen branches, demonstrating the remarkable biodiversity and ecological richness of this ancient temperate rainforest habitat.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MRkeeGgobbUiiyeW5C23y?si=Ohb6gma9S924KTAN2UUKOA What if the world's most powerful climate solution is being logged away while politicians and industry groups feed us misinformation? How can an ecosystem store three times more carbon per acre than the Amazon rainforest? Why has the international science community remained largely silent about the destruction of temperate rainforests? Our conversation with Paul … Continue reading 217: Canopy of Titans – Greenwashing and the Great North American Temperate Rainforest with Paul Koberstein →

215: Just Earth with Tony Juniper

Book cover for 'Just Earth: How a Fairer World Will Save the Planet' by Tony Juniper, published by Bloomsbury. The cover features a cream-coloured background with the title in large serif typeface. Above the title is an illustration of brass balance scales, with a green tree on one side and golden coins on the other, symbolising the balance between environmental and economic concerns.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4EqpJ3litKRJYtGlA0qBBe?si=A8Pki3aLQIKSSxrT__RAVg Why are we failing to make progress on climate change and biodiversity loss despite fifty years of environmental campaigning? What changed in recent years that made it so difficult to rally support for nature? Could social inequality be the root cause undermining all our conservation efforts? These are the questions Tony Juniper addresses in … Continue reading 215: Just Earth with Tony Juniper →

214: Bringing Back the Wild with Mike Arnold – A Hunter’s View of Global Conservation

A hunter in camouflage clothing and glasses kneels beside a harvested nyala antelope in a grassy field. The hunter holds a rifle and poses with the animal, which displays distinctive white vertical stripes on its dark brown coat and long spiral horns. Dense vegetation is visible in the background.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2pc7FMa9DZhL5wKzFlcaQt?si=4UTk4PlfTQWE8wqSRAmq8A Can hunting truly support conservation? Does fortress conservation offer a sustainable solution for protecting wildlife in the long term? And how do we balance the needs of impoverished communities with the preservation of fragile ecosystems? Our guest today is Mike Arnold, a Distinguished Research Professor and Head of the Department of Genetics at the … Continue reading 214: Bringing Back the Wild with Mike Arnold – A Hunter’s View of Global Conservation →

208: Encounters with Corvids – Fionn ร“ Marcaigh

This image shows the cover of a book titled "Encounters with Corvids" by Fionn ร“ Marcaigh, illustrated by Aga Grandowicz. The cover features a striking black corvid (likely a crow or raven) in flight against a white background, with its wings spread wide and red-orange colouring visible on parts of its head and beak. The bird is captured mid-flight, creating a dramatic and dynamic composition. The title text is arranged vertically along the right side in large, bold black lettering, with the author's name at the top and illustrator's credit at the bottom. A small publisher's logo for "World Publishing" appears in the bottom left corner. The overall design is clean and minimalist, allowing the beautiful illustration of the corvid to be the focal point of the cover.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Pht7RD2TdqzZEnx0n8EYz Are corvids overabundant pests or are they simply survivors in landscapes we've shaped? Why do these birds seem to look at us as intently as we look at them? What can ravens teach us about intelligence that might humble our sophisticated intelligence tests? This episode explores the world of corvids, from the familiar rooks … Continue reading 208: Encounters with Corvids – Fionn ร“ Marcaigh →

202: Uncommon Ground with Patrick Galbraith

The image shows a book cover for "Uncommon Ground" by Patrick Galbraith. The cover features an orange torn paper effect against a pastoral English countryside background with green fields, trees, and a small river or pond. A cow grazes in the foreground, and there's a wooden fence visible. The subtitle reads "Rethinking our relationship with the countryside" and includes a quote at the bottom from Richard Smyth describing it as "Intelligent and provocative, a raking survey of England."

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ME1jr6gLkgEAYzqvATDKZ Are we being locked out of the countryside, or is the narrative around land access more complex than it seems? How can we navigate the competing demands of farmers, conservationists, and recreational users? In Patrick's new book "Uncommon Ground: Rethinking Our Relationship with the Countryside", he tackles the contentious topic of land access in … Continue reading 202: Uncommon Ground with Patrick Galbraith →

198: Living with Wolves – The Complete Guide to Coexistence

The image shows a book cover titled "LIVING WITH WOLVES" by Thorsten Gieser. The cover features a close-up photograph of a grey wolf with amber eyes looking directly at the camera against a blurred natural background. The subtitle reads "Affects, Feelings and Sentiments in Human-Wolf-Coexistence" and the book appears to be published by Transcript in their Human-Animal Studies series.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/02cT5I7h7A5Q8uNWCPL3LX I feel like this episode is the ultimate guide to understanding coexistence with wolves. Once again I talk with ecological anthropologist Thorsten Gieser, this time about his excellent book โ€œLiving with Wolves: Affects, Feelings and Sentiments in Human-Wolf Coexistenceโ€. In the episode, Thorsten recounts a tense atmosphere during the visit to a wolf kill … Continue reading 198: Living with Wolves – The Complete Guide to Coexistence →

197: Living with Lynx – Conversation with Jonny Hanson

This image shows a book cover titled "LIVING WITH LYNX" by Jonny Hanson. The cover features a close-up photograph of a lynx's face, showcasing its distinctive tufted ears, facial markings, and amber eyes. Below the main title is the subtitle "Sharing Landscapes with Big Cats, Wolves and Bears". The background appears to be a blurred winter or snowy landscape, emphasising the natural habitat of these animals. The cover uses a clean, modern typography with the author's name at the top and the title prominently displayed in large black letters across the middle of the image.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5eSwvZrhlgfkjNX9bIm5Ds Is it possible for humans and large carnivores to share landscapes without conflict? What happens when predators like wolves, bears, and lynx return to areas where they've been absent for centuries? How do we balance the ecological benefits of apex predators with the real concerns of rural communities and farmers? Weโ€™re trying to answer … Continue reading 197: Living with Lynx – Conversation with Jonny Hanson →

191: Rewilding Myths and Misconceptions with Ian Parsons

Book cover of 'Great Misconceptions: Rewilding Myths and Misunderstandings' edited by Ian Parsons. The cover features a nature photograph of golden grass or wheat stalks backlit by sunlight, creating a warm, ethereal atmosphere. The text is overlaid on a dark navy blue panel at the bottom of the image.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3EJuOQQZYq7IDewk89lFrQ?si=2e974059d8234521 What exactly is rewilding? Does it simply mean bringing back wolves, lynx and bears, or is there more to it? Can we balance food production and rural community needs with land left to natural processes and wildlife conservation? To answer these questions, I talk with Ian Parsons, editor of "Great Misconceptions: Rewilding Myths and … Continue reading 191: Rewilding Myths and Misconceptions with Ian Parsons →

189: Climate Anxiety and Presence Activism with Lynne Sedgmore

https://open.spotify.com/episode/31zMPFPcPwU8M7xEonLpHm Do you feel climate anxiety? Is it overwhelming you? How do we find peace while being bombarded with dire environmental predictions? In an attempt to answer these questions, I talk with Lynne Sedgmore, a well-known educator, leadership coach, activist and the author of the book "Presence Activism: A Profound Antidote to Climate Anxiety". https://youtu.be/FAKnYJU0ziQ … Continue reading 189: Climate Anxiety and Presence Activism with Lynne Sedgmore →