Rivers form the backbone of the landscape, act as the world's arteries, and also support an incredible wealth of wildlife, which is what we are exploring this episode. So, grab a coffee and join us for a positive chat about the wonderful animals that rely on our rivers. Staying true to our name, Steve is highlighting some of the fantastic bird life that he sees and photographs when out and about around rivers whilst Matthew gives the invertebrates some love with a focus on the fascinating lives of freshwater pearl mussels. Our rivers are facing a variety of issues which we will certainly cover in a future episode. But this time, we just fancied having lighter, positive chat about our remarkable rivers and the nature they support. We also cover some general river facts and there's a quiz or two. Get in touch: As always, please do contact us with any questions, feedback, comments, or just to say hi! You can find us both on Instagram: Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens Timestamps 00:00:00 Very quick catch up 00:00:58 Introducing rivers 00:14:58 River appreciating birds 00:22:44 River-y invertebrates 00:43:44 River restoration 00:52:05 Wrap up Links Why rivers are important for everything from biodiversity to wellbeing | New Scientist Chalk streams, explained - Thames21 Riverfly Partnership — Freshwater Biological Association (fba.org.uk) State of our Rivers Report 2024 | The Rivers Trust Impact Report 2023/24 | The Rivers Trust Freshwater pearl mussel | NatureScot About us — The Riverfly Partnership (riverflies.org)
From silhouetted soaring buzzards to the powerful elegance of an osprey snatching a fish from a lake, birds of prey are incredible animals that have entranced us for centuries. Unfortunately, however, this has not prevented them from being persecuted. This episode we are tackling a slightly more serious and somber topic but one that we believe definitely needs talking about and is certainly close to our hearts. So, grab a coffee and join us as we look at how our magnificent birds of prey have been persecuted, both throughout history and its continued prevalence today. But it's not all doom and gloom, we also delve into the tricky world of defining exactly what a 'bird of prey' really is, our historical relationship with these birds, and we of course, highlight the fantastic organisations working tirelessly to protect and restore our bird of prey populations. Steve even throws a surprise quiz in there to test Matthew's knowledge of our UK species. This is a topic that we are both passionate about and despite the heavier nature of the research, we really enjoyed recording this episode. We hope you enjoy listening. Get in touch: As always, please do contact us with any questions, feedback, comments, or just to say hi! You can find us both on Instagram: Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens Timestamps 00:00:00 Catch up 00:0153 Introducing Birds of Prey 00:20:27 A history of persecution 00:24:06 How they are persecuted today 00:40:19 The positives: changing perceptions and brilliant organisations Links https://protectthewild.org.uk/our-campaigns/end-shooting/bird-shooting-faqs/what-raptor-persecution/ Why the illegal killings of birds of prey is surging in the UK | The Independent Birds of prey and the Law - Protect the Wild Goshawks back from the brink in southern England | Forestry England RSPB Hen Harrier LIFE Report - Skydancer - the UK's hen harriers - Skydancer - The RSPB Community Game Bird Shooting | The League About Wild Justice - Wild Justice
Elusive and secretive, the smooth snake is not often seen and therefore easily overlooked. However, this fascinating reptile is confronting increasing pressures that could make it even scarcer. Join us as we shine a light on the lifestyle of this mysterious serpent, uncover the threats they are facing, and of course, highlight the remarkable conservation efforts dedicated to preserving our rarest reptile and it's habitat. Get in touch: As always, please do contact us with any questions, feedback, comments, or just to say hi! You can find us both on Instagram: Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens Timestamps 00:00:00 Catch up 00:03:22 Introduction to the smooth snake 00:15:09 Threats to our rarest reptile 00:24:30 Smooth snake & habitat conservation efforts 00:36:45 Wrap up Links Smooth snake | Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (arc-trust.org) Snakes in the Heather: improving the prospects of smooth snakes and other heathland reptiles. | Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (arc-trust.org) The effect of the climate crisis on UK reptile populations (froglife.org) ARC celebrates smooth snake reintroduction anniversary with BBC Breakfast | Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (arc-trust.org) N526318PP.pdf (nerc.ac.uk)
Tasty fried mushrooms with your breakfast may be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word fungi, but did you know that they are essential to mitigating climate change? In fact, the fungi kingdom is far more diverse and vital than we could have imagined. From incredible carbon storage and ability to improve the health of forests to even providing sustainable packaging and breaking down plastics! Grab a coffee and join us for a chilled chat about the remarkable world of fungi. We couldn't dive too deeply into any one aspect, or we would probably still be recording the episode. But we wanted to provide an introduction to an easily overlooked group of organisms that are truly fascinating and absolutely essential to the health of our planet. We had a great time recording this episode and hope you enjoy listening. Get in touch: As always, please do feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions, feedback, comments, or just want to say hi! The easiest way to get in touch is to ping us a message on Instagram: Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens Timestamps 00:00:00 Catch up 00:03:00 Introduction to the world of fungi 00:18:09 Fungi and the environment 00:39:28 Innovative fungi technologies 00:48:31 Wrap up Links https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/whats-a-fungi https://microbiologysociety.org/why-microbiology-matters/what-is-microbiology/fungi.html https://microbiologysociety.org/blog/the-fungus-that-makes-zombie-ants-could-use-biological-clocks-to-control-their-minds.html https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/fungi-stores-third-carbon-fossil-fuel-emissions-and-could-be-essential-reaching-net-zero https://news.mongabay.com/2023/06/mycorrhizal-fungi-hold-co2-equivalent-to-a-third-of-global-fossil-fuel-emissions/ https://www.conservation.org/blog/study-fungi-could-be-vital-for-reaching-climate-goals https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2023/04/14/fungi-makes-meal-of-hard-to-recycle-plastic.html
Every time we discuss a struggling species or an environmental issue that needs overcoming, we try to finish the chat with some hope. Highlighting the incredible work of tirelessly dedicated people who are out there trying to make a difference. Hope is essential if we are to overcome the monumental challenges facing nature and our planet, a sentiment that is at the heart of Dr Jane Goodall's inspiring book of hope. So, join us for an uplifting episode as we delve into the four reasons that give her hope. From nature's remarkable resilience to the incredible power of young people, we showcase examples from around the world that embrace these four reasons and should give us all hope that we can prevail. We had a brilliant time recording this episode and really hope you enjoy it. The Book of Hope truly resonated with Steve, and we implore everyone to read it. Jane Goodall is a legendary primatologist and conservationist and is still fighting for nature, still lecturing and educating at the age of 90. Structured as a series of discussions between herself and co-author Douglas Abrams, Goodall's argument for hope in these troubling times is uplifting, inspiring, and definitely something we all need a lot more of. What stories give you hope? We would love to know! Get in touch: As always, please do feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions, feedback, comments, or just want to say hi! The easiest way to get in touch is to ping us a message on Instagram: Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro 00:08:22 The amazing human intellect 00:27:17 The resilience of nature 00:38:39 The power of young people 00:49:31 The indomitable human spirit 00:59:07 Wrap up Links: The Book of Hope - the Jane Goodall Institute UK the Jane Goodall Institute Homepage Educational and Environmental Charity | Roots and Shoots https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/10/innovations-protect-cities-climate-change/ https://www.boredpanda.com/nature-reclaiming-civilization/ https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190701-why-plants-survived-chernobyls-deadly-radiation https://earth.org/young-climate-activists-leading-the-way-on-global-climate-action/