Go wild
Your guide to getting closer to nature this month
Catch up on the BBC Earth website, or on other podcast platforms
PODCAST HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH
Fascinating and fun animal stories
BBC Earth Podcast bbcearth.com/podcast
THE BBC EARTH PODCAST IS BACK with a bang. Now hosted by elephant scientist Rutendo Shackleton and spider scientist Sebastian Echeverri, the show recently relaunched and it’s a delight to listen to. The two hosts are full of enthusisam and there is a natural chemistry between them that invites listeners into this audio appreciation of the natural world.
Each episode focuses on a different topic, kicking off with safaris in episode one – which features a spider safari in central Bristol, plus a guest host slot for naturalist Lucy Hodson who explores the Isle of Bute. (We interviewed Lucy about her role as a junior researcher and propmaker for Autumnwatch in our November 2022 issue.)
Whilst the focus is on wildlife and the environment, the series also covers comic books, spirituality and music. And as well as interviewees from the world of science, including entomologists, pathologists and ecologists, there are also some less expected interviewees. For example, in episode one, Sebastian speaks to Eric Stonestreet, an Emmy award-winning actor probably best known for his role as Cameron Tucker in the American television sitcom Modern Family. But he is also an animal lover and shares one of his favourite wildlife encounters, and why he loves visiting natural landscapes.
MEET THE PRESENTERS
Sebastian Echeverri & Rutendo Shackleton
The new BBC Earth Podcast hosts talk childhood dreams, nerding out, and their favourite scientists
Why did you get involved?
Rutendo: It’s been an absolute dream come true to be part of the BBC Earth Podcast – 11-year-old me would be pinching herself if she knew that this is what she gets to do! It’s an opportunity to bring the love of the natural world to a wider audience.
Sebastian: I grew up absolutely hooked on nature shows, and all I wanted was to be on one of those shows. I can’t remember any with hosts that looked like me or had a similar background. So, I’d joke about wanting to be a nature show presenter, but it felt like it wasn’t a real option for me.
What have been your favourite parts of recording this podcast?
Sebastian: Early in production, BBC Earth brought me and Rutendo to their headquarters in Bristol, and we got to really dig into figuring out how to make this podcast special. We recorded several segments with local wildlife and experts in Bristol. You can hear one of these in episode two on superpowers, where we go to a nearby park in search of a mysterious spider.
And of course, there are those special moments where Rutendo and I get to pull out all the stops and fully nerd out on air! Rutendo: I have really enjoyed the entire process of creating each episode. I loved the initial brainstorming sessions we had, where we got the creative juices flowing around different themes. From our first Zoom meeting, Sebastian and I have just clicked! Once you get us talking, it’s hard to stop us. Recording each episode is so easy because it is truly just talking to a friend about cool nature stories you love.
If you could invite any wildlife scientist from history onto the podcast, who would you love to interview?
Sebastian: Dr Charles Henry Turner, who lived from 1867 to 1923. He made huge discoveries about animal communication and learning, but also did so as a black man in the USA. Despite his accomplishments, his story is rarely told.
Rutendo: It would have to be Kenyan ecologist and activist Professor Wangari Maathai, who lived from 1940 to 2011. She was the founder of the Green Belt Movement and the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. She understood the nuances and complexities of trying to build sustainable environmental conservation practices whilst also ensuring social and political stability.
RADIO HIGHLIGHT
Wild Bond
Catch up on BBC Sounds
This October marked the 60th anniversary of the world premiere of the first James Bond film, Dr No. Whilst there have been many celebrations to mark this cultural event, a slightly unusual one is a five-part series on BBC Radio 4 hosted by Emily Knight (who also hosted the recent Flight of the Ospreys Radio 4 series, featuring Sacha Dench’s latest aerial adventures). Wild Bond reimagines the typical Bond cast with members of the animal kingdom. Which species would make a great spy, villain, henchman or femme fatale? It’s a silly concept, but an enjoyable listen.
CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE MONTH
Luminous
WHAT IF YOUR BODY COULD MAKE its own light? Following in the footsteps of a girl and her mother as they explore the world after dark, we are introduced to a wide range of creatures that do just that. Jellyfish, fireflies, forest fungi and more jump out from the dark pages of this visually striking book, offering a tantalising glimpse of a world that is so often hidden from us by our own light pollution.
There’s a lyrical quality to author-illustrator Julia Kuo’s writing, but she’s generous with the biological details too, whether it’s explaining how dragonfish shine a red light that enables them to find their prey in the dark ocean, or how piddock clams light up the hands and mouths of those who eat them.
This charming book’s tone is one of wonder at the extraordinary abilities of animals all around us, but it doesn’t shy away from the difficult subject of how humans negatively impact the environment. As Kuo puts it, “If we used less light, what could we see?”
BOOKS ROUND UP
A Flower A Day
By Miranda Janatka, Batsford, £20
An inspiring collection of 366 flowers, one for every day of the year, ranging from British wildflowers to the blooms of the Philippine rainforest. Beautiful full-colour illustrated entries include everything from botanical, horticultural and medicinal details to folklore and historical and literary anecdotes.
Nightwalking
By John Lewis-Stempel, Transworld, £9.99
This book takes us beyond the night-time world we think we know into a wild environment ruled by bats, badgers, foxes and tawny owls. On walks through each of the four seasons, John Lewis-Stempel reveals animal behaviours and natural phenomena (moonbows, for example) normally out of reach of our daylit urban lives.
Robin
By Helen F Wilson, Reaktion Books, £13.95
Everyone’s favourite garden bird is celebrated and explored in this wide-ranging, superbly illustrated volume. Taking in both natural and cultural histories, Robin addresses questions including why the bird’s name has travelled around the world and why it has a reputation for melancholy.
The Climate Book
By Greta Thunberg, Allen Lane, £25
The world’s leading climate activist brings together over 100 experts – from geophysicists to historians – to help us understand the threat we all face in the climate crisis, and what must be done to overcome it. Thunberg also shares her own stories of demonstrating for change.
ID GUIDE
Little lichens everywhere
Lichens are often ignored in favour of larger and more showy species, but the world of lichenology is a fascinating one and suitable for year-round exploration. For more ID guides, visit our website: discoverwildlife.com/identify-wildlife
DEVIL’S MATCHSTICK
Looking like small matchsticks, this lichen has stalks covered with green flakes and a smooth red top.
USNEA SUBFLORIDANA
One of the beard lichens, this bushy, tufted species is pale grey-green and has lots of fine branches.
COMMON ORANGE LICHEN
A widespread and leafy lichen found on rocks, walls or tree bark. Most commonly found near the shore.
BOOK OF THE MONTH
Into the Red
Curated by Kit Jewitt and Mike Toms, BTOBooks, £25
FOLLOWING ON FROM THE SUCCESS OF THE Red Sixty Seven book, which has raised nearly £40,000 for bird conservation work, Kit Jewitt (aka YOLO Birder) has teamed up once again with the BTO to create an anthology of writing and artwork dedicated to UK bird species. Whilst the first book featured 67 species, including some now non-breeding birds such as the wryneck, the new Into the Red collection covers 70 birds – reflecting the increase in the number of red-listed bird species on the Birds of Conservation Concern list.
It’s another remarkable book, featuring a range of writers and artists, including the author and recently appointed RSPB president Dr Amir Khan, presenter Megan McCubbin, comedian and musician Alex Horne, actor and writer Mackenzie Crook, sculptor Harriet Mead, and even one of the BBC Wildlife team!
Profits from this book will be donated to the BTO and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel, and the funds will be used on conservation work aiming to reverse the declines of these most at-risk birds.
MEET THE VOLUNTEER
“Grey seals are very close to my heart”
Hanne Siebers spent her career as a nurse caring for patients, but these days she’s devoted to nature
HANNE SIEBERS HAS ENJOYED SPENDING TIME outdoors in nature since her childhood growing up in Norway. A retired nurse, she helps her local wildlife in Norfolk by volunteering with the National Trust (NT).
What does your volunteering involve?
I volunteer on Blakeney Point in Norfolk, helping during the grey seal pupping season from the end of October until mid-January, and during the breeding season of all the different tern species that we get here – little terns, sandwich terns, common terns and Arctic terns – which runs from May until mid-July.
As a property photographer, I volunteer all year-round. I’m always looking for a good story to document the conservation work we do, as well as taking photos for the NT’s various social media accounts.
I have to think ahead and my present project is the iconic Lifeboat House on Blakeney Point, which will celebrate 100 years within the NT in 2023. It was originally built in 1898 to house lifeboats for daring sea rescues. It only functioned for a few years before the build up of shingle made it impossible to launch the boats. In 1923, Bob Pinchen – the first man employed to look after Blakeney Point – moved in and ever since it has been home to NT rangers.
Why do you volunteer?
My whole working life I worked in institutions caring for patients and co-workers. Today, I care for nature. I love being outside and volunteering offers a unique experience to learn more and help with wildlife and habitat conservation on my doorstep.
Grey seals are very close to my heart. Blakeney Point is home to England’s largest breeding grey seal colony, with over 4,000 pups born every year between the end of October and January, and this is clearly the highlight of the year for me. The reserve is the perfect breeding site for grey seals, not least because of the absence of predators and the relative remoteness, which keeps disturbance to a minimum.
What has been your proudest moment as a volunteer?
When my photo of a grey seal cow with a pup was featured as the wildlife photo of the week in The Guardian.
5 THINGS WE LOVE
1 Peter Rabbit music box advent calendar, £29.95, notonthehighstreet.com
2 Light-up glass robin bauble, £12, shopping.rspb.org.uk
3 Suet Christmas snowman, £4.99, birdfood.co.uk
4 Badger in the snow Christmas cards, £3.99 for a pack of 8, shop. woodlandtrust.org.uk
5 Glencoe reindeer crew neck jumper, £49.50, fatface.com
