143: Emergent with Miriam Kate McDonald

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1dFGDPogQaVxPMLt1BXxww?si=d2e3469535b84c7d In conversations about nature and wildlife, we often observe an ideological divide between two groups: farmers and rewilders. This divide can be seen in their different approaches to conservation and land management. Farmers tend to prioritise the production of food and other resources, while rewilders focus on restoring natural habitats and ecosystems, with a … Continue reading 143: Emergent with Miriam Kate McDonald →

135: Wilder Bison with Paul Whitfield

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7oQWO015OITyPVjoumq2tT?si=8e41a8e8a22748af The Wilder Bleen project is a cooperation between Wildwood Trust and Kent Wildlife Trust. It received an immense amount of coverage in the press worldwide, not only in nature magazines like National Geographic and Mongabay but also in the mainstream media. The goal of the project is to promote natural habitat recovery by restoring … Continue reading 135: Wilder Bison with Paul Whitfield →

Episode 119: Land and Deer Management in Scotland with Megan Rowland

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2i5v0bVI1gAMvnp70gI2QX?si=f7323d9ad0db4c59 For many of you, Megan Rowland needs no introduction. She is a Deer Management Officer for NatureScot, Scotland’s nature agency. Before that, she worked as a surveyor for RSPB Scotland where she surveyed the entire suite of Highland bird species. She has also been a volunteer for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, a local Raptor … Continue reading Episode 119: Land and Deer Management in Scotland with Megan Rowland →

Episode 115: Coexisting with Large Carnivores with John Linnell

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ZDufR9wqjnTW4lxZgCNIk?si=7065e1e340414628 Large terrestrial carnivores, like wolves, bears and lynx, are the poster children for conservation and rewilding efforts. Also, they are usually right in the epicentre of the human-wildlife conflict which always sparks emotions. That makes it easy to use them to politicize conservation. https://youtu.be/uZkolVlvu0k In many previous podcasts, our discussions about rewilding inevitably led … Continue reading Episode 115: Coexisting with Large Carnivores with John Linnell →

Episode 114: The Implausible Rewilding with Steve Cracknell

https://open.spotify.com/episode/17KE1Q8ctDRIdBAREzViTY?si=cc739ef7c41547ab It’s no exaggeration to say that this was the most anticipated book of the year for me. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since, as regular listeners know, I’m keenly interested in rewilding and the conflict surrounding it. Therefore, it was my pleasure to chat with the author, Steve Cracknell, about the book, how … Continue reading Episode 114: The Implausible Rewilding with Steve Cracknell →

The Implausible Rewilding of the Pyrenees by Steve Cracknell – A Book Review

I have followed Steve Cracknell’s work for some time and so, as soon as I learned that he was going to publish a new book, I began to wait for the release date. Without exaggeration, I can say that for me it was the most anticipated book of the year. And when I finally got … Continue reading The Implausible Rewilding of the Pyrenees by Steve Cracknell – A Book Review →

Episode 101: Beak, Tooth and Claw with Mary Colwell

https://open.spotify.com/episode/75AmzAo5GiHu4VZunRAe4i?si=GgA4ZcCLSre0MFKiorWU1A&dl_branch=1 Last month, I wrote a review of an excellent book titled “Beak, Tooth and Claw: Living with Predators in Britain” by Mary Colwell. At the end of that blog, I said that I would really love to have an opportunity to talk with Mary on my podcast. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait too … Continue reading Episode 101: Beak, Tooth and Claw with Mary Colwell →

Beak, Tooth and Claw by Mary Colwell – A Book Review

It’s not often that I write a book review. But every now and then I come across a book that I really wish everybody I know would read. In my podcast, the subject of our difficult coexistence with wildlife is featured in many episodes. By far the most complex and difficult issue is our coexistence … Continue reading Beak, Tooth and Claw by Mary Colwell – A Book Review →

Episode 92: Upland Ecology with Cathy Mayne

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6KCZ7BclxG4NjcXbw9J5id?si=EcD570X0Q860K2w36B5aeg&dl_branch=1 In recent episodes, I have presented a whole host of views and opinions regarding rewilding, land management, and the need to change the way we coexist with nature. In this episode, we continue on that path, but with a guest, Dr Cathy Mayne, who has a particularly interesting perspective. That perspective might not be … Continue reading Episode 92: Upland Ecology with Cathy Mayne →

Episode 91: Beaver Trust with Chris Jones

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1xumBC9reKruNiCkOsjsXc?si=3JJJZhg5T-efyxmpNro50Q&dl_branch=1 In this episode, once again, we are going to talk about ecological restoration and bringing back species that were extirpated from their native range. Our guest is Chris Jones who is the Restoration Director at Beaver Trust. https://youtu.be/CAt12lktJ6k During our conversation, we discuss the history of Beaver Trust, how it was found and why. … Continue reading Episode 91: Beaver Trust with Chris Jones →