Into The Wild

On Location with Heath Hands (Hampstead Heath)

I can not tell you how good it was to finally get out my house & record an episode ON LOCATION & even better, it was at a green space I know very well, as it's 10 minutes from my house & where I walk my daycare dogs a& that's Hampstead Heath.

I met with Jo & Rory from Heath Hands, a conservation & Community organisation that assist heath ecologists & rangers along with a team of volunteers to manage an area like Hampstead Heath. From litter picking to wildlife surveys, this team really do it all.

If you'd like to keep up to date with the projects & work Heath Hands is working on, you can do so on Instagram @Heath_Hands & Twitter @HeathHands.

Don't forget You can get in touch with me at intothewildpod@gmail.com or on social media @intothewildpod on Twitter @intothewildpodcast on Instagram. Whether it's just to say hello, share some thoughts on an episode or even to let me know you'd like to hear about next.

 

 

Farming with Nature with Dave Barker

I think it's well know that us humans are using a hell of a lot of land for food, much more than is needed. On today's show I spoke to ecologist & woodsman (best job title ever) Dave Barker about regenerative farming & how we can once again work with the land & nature to create high standard, environmentally friendly & affordable food.

From going into details of how Dave's farm works to the real errors & issues of industrial farming, Dave strips it all back to clearly show how easy it really is to re-wild some areas & use the land more skillfully.

If you'd like to keep up to date with the projects & work Dave is working on, you can do so on Twitter & Instagram @WoodlandDave.

Don't forget You can get in touch with me at intothewildpod@gmail.com or on social media @intothewildpod on Twitter @intothewildpodcast on Instagram. Whether it's just to say hello, share some thoughts on an episode or even to let me know you'd like to hear about next! 

UK Bird Crime with Indy Greene

On a previous episode with Lucy Lapwing, we discussed how NOT BORING UK wildlife is, and today we prove that point even more by discussing raptors that call this nation, their home.

My guest, Indy Greene, a young naturalist, birder & campaigner, joins me to discuss the different types of raptors we can see, where they like to live & why they are important. Not only that, but Indy is very talented when it comes to bird calls, which of course, I made him demonstrate on the show.

We briefly discussed a topic that has been in the media a lot in the last few weeks & that's raptor persecution. From what it is & what it can mean for raptors, to details of the recent RSPB 2019 incident report, Indy clearly & passionately tells us more on this topic.

If you'd like to keep up to date with the projects & work Indy is working on, you can do so on Twitter & Instagram @Greeneindy. The link to the RSPB Raptor Incident Report can be found below:

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/wildlife-and-the-law/wild-bird-crime/birdcrime-report-2019/

Don't forget You can get in touch with me at intothewildpod@gmail.com or on social media @intothewildpod on Twitter & @intothewildpodcast on Instagram. Whether it's just to say hello, share some thoughts on an episode or even to let me know you'd like to hear about next! 

Waste, Sustainability & Oatly with Laura Young

It's doesn't matter which animal or environment we discuss here on Into The Wild, what always comes up is the damage that deforestation & pollution has on nature, so this week I decided to dive a bit deeper into this topic with climate activist & sustainability writer Laura Young aka Less Waste Laura.

From what materials are the worst, how to avoid them & to does recycling work & what we can do in our own homes, Laura covers so much great detail in this short chat.

We also spoke about the recent Blackstone investments with the alternative milk company Oatly. Who are Blackstone? Why is they problematic & why is this bad? Again, it's covered here by Laura who spoke with Oatly themselves. 

If you'd like to keep up to date with the projects & work Laura is working on, you can do so on Twitter & Instagram @Lesswastelaura & you can check out here website www.lesswastelaura.com. Don't forget You can get in touch with me at intothewildpod@gmail.com or on social media @intothewildpod on Twitter & @intothewildpodcast on Instagram. Whether it's just to say hello, share some thoughts on an episode or even to let me know you'd like to hear about next! 

Trophy Hunting Recap with Amy Dickman & Prof Adam Hart

A few weeks ago we released an episode all about Trophy Hunting with 3 Namibian people who know first hand about this topic. After seeing the "mostly good" reaction to the show, I decided I wanted to record a follow up episode with 2 more experts on African conservation, Amy Dickman & Pro Adam Hart.

We discussed not only the reaction to Into The Wild's episode but the reaction to the topic all together. From the common patterns to some quite problematic stances. I also got the chance to ask Amy & Adam about what they think of charities here in the UK who are campaigning to ban trophy hunting.

And finally, the Q&A, where YOU GUYS sent in your questions. Many were quite similar so I condensed these down into a handful of questions.

If you'd like to keep up to date with the projects & work Amy & Adam are working on, you can do so on Twitter @AdamHartScience & @AmyDickman4. Don't forget You can get in touch with me at intothewildpod@gmail.com or on social media @intothewildpod on Twitter & @intothewildpodcast on Instagram. Whether it's just to say hello, share some thoughts on an episode or even to let me know you'd like to hear about next! 

Got Wood? with James Wallace from the Beaver Trust.

Beavers. In England, they've come, then gone, then come & gone & now they are coming back again & we want them to stay.

For years many organisations have worked hard to get beavers back in the English ecosystems & with recent news of the UK government giving the right to remain to some family groups of beavers on the river otter in Devon, this work has had so much rightful attention in the media.

This week I speak with James Wallace, director of the Beaver Trust, to discuss how & why beavers are so important & what they do to change an ecosystem. We also discuss the importance of collaboration of organisations & different industries in order to work together to strive for success.

If you'd like to keep up to date with the projects & work the Beaver Trust are doing, you can do so on Twitter & Instagram @BeaverTrust. You can also follow James on Twitter @jaowallace. Don't forget You can get in touch with me at intothewildpod@gmail.com. on social media, @intothewildpod on Twitter & @intothewildpodcast on Instagram. Whether it's just to say hello, share some thoughts on an episode or even to let me know you'd like to hear about next! 

Diversity in Nature with Dawood Qureshi, Dr Anjana Khatwa & Karen Larbi

This week is our second panel show & this time we, or more, my guests, are discussing the importance of diversity in nature & the barriers black & Asian people face, when working their way through this challenging industry.

On the show we have Karen Larbi. Karen is a trainer, facilitator & consultant. She is the founder of POC in Nature, an online platform dedicated to helping people of colour explore the healing power of nature, environmental justice & land honouring ancestral traditions.

We also have Dawood Qureshi. Currently studying marine biology & runs a wildlife blog, Heart of Wild.

Last but not least, Dr Anjana Khatwa. An earth scientist, presenter & consultant specialising in learning & engagement, content development & embedding diversity & inclusion into business practice.

Aside from asking the questions, you won't hear me much on this show, which is a good thing because my microphone on my laptop is AWFUL, but also, this chat was not about me. This episode is about the experiences of Karen, Dawood & Anjana. Experiences shared by many other black & Asian people around the world in the nature & science industry.

If you'd like to keep up to date with Karen, Dawood & Anjanna's upcoming projects & work you can do so on Twitter & Instagram.

Dawood: T @GoWildForBees I @dawood_dq

Anjana: T & I @jurassicg1rl 

Karen: T & I @whythedarkness 

You can also get in touch with me at intothewildpod@gmail.com & on social media @intothewildpod on Twitter & @intothewildpodcast on Instagram. Whether it's just to say hello, share some thoughts on an episode or even to let me know you'd like to hear about next! 

UK Butterflies & Moths with Richard Fox

We love a butterfly here in England, although some of us are not so keen on moths for some reason, but what is the difference? Well this episode will answer that question. From Butterfly Conservation, Richard Fox joins me to discuss the beautiful world of butterflies & moths.

I ask those life long questions of "why do moths love light?" "how old do butterflies live for?" & "do moths really eat our clothes?"

We dive right into the world of Lepidoptera & I know you will come away with not only more knowledge, but a new heightened love for butterflies & moths.

If you'd like to keep up to date with Richards upcoming projects & work you can do so on Twitter @RichardFoxBC & you can follow the Butterfly Conservation on Instagram & Twitter @SaveTheButterflies. You can also get in touch with me at intothewildpod@gmail.com or you can get in touch on social media, @intothewildpod on Twitter & @intothewildpodcast on Instagram. Whether it's just to say hello, share some thoughts on an episode or even to let me know you'd like to hear about next! 

Spiders with Sebastian Echeverri

"Ahhh there's one in the bath!"

"Errrr get the glass & paper!"

These are two sentences many of us shout from time to time when we see one in our house BUT fear is not what our guest this week has when they are faced with spiders. Scientist & nature communicator Sebastian Echeverri joins me to discuss, Spiders!

From what makes a spider to what doesn't make a spider, to answering the questions of are they all venomous, how many are there & where can we find them. Sebastian leaves no spider loving stone unturned.

If you'd like to keep up to date with Sebastian's upcoming projects & work you can do so on Twitter @spiderdaynight & Instagram @spiderdaynightlive. You can also get in touch with me at intothewildpod@gmail.com or say hello on social media, @intothewildpod. Whether it's just to share some thoughts on an episode or even to let me know you'd like to hear about next!

Trophy Hunting with Maxi Louis, Lorna Dax & John Mwilima

This week's show is very exciting & important for so many reasons. So let's explain. This is a first for Into The Wild. This is our first ever panel show recorded with 3 guests over zoom. Not only a first for us though, it's a first for the UK & likely, many other western countries. As we are discussing the topic of trophy hunting...."But that's been done Ryan?" Yeah, I know, but to my knowledge, never has this chat taken place while purely chatting to the people it directly affects. 3 local, key wildlife & community workers of Namibia. These people are, Maxi Louis, who has over 22 years of experience working with communities in conservation. John Mwilima, a member & advisor of the Banumu conservancy. And finally, Lorna Dax manager of the Khaodi & Haos conservancy.

You may already have your opinions & views on trophy hunting, I did before I started the chat, however, I ask you to leave them here. This show is about talking to local people, whose lives & livelihoods depend on trophy hunting (or, since this interview, I now call, conservation hunting.) Maxi, Lorna & John don't just look at records or stats & bits of paper, they see the impacts of conservation hunting. From the benefit to the people & local communities, the animals & their survival & the habitat & environment.

It's easy for us in England, or America, or France, or Australia etc to criticise a method such as conservation hunting, however, we do not live in this country. We should be listening to the people that live in these areas & learn more about methods like this. As highlighted in this show, African people have harvested animals for hundreds of years, this isn't new. Also as pointed out, it is heavily regulated.

But, I don't want to give anything away. I also don't want you to think you have to leave here being pro conservation hunting. You don't. That's up to you. All you have to do is listen to these 3 voices that are too often, ignored when talking about this topic. For me, I've learnt so much more & understand it far greater. Could I hunt? No way. Do I understand why Americans or Britain's pay all this money to hunt? Not really. Do I think it's wrong, damaging & needs to stop? Not anymore.

If you'd like to get in touch regarding the topic of conservation hunting from today's show then I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at intothewildpod@gmail.com. I'll be recording another, short episode on this topic with Prof Adam Hart. So any questions you have. Chuck them over.

Don't forget to subscribe to us on iTunes, Podbean & Spotify . You can also get in touch on social media @intothewildpod on Twitter & @intothewildpodcast on Instagram. Whether it's just to say hello, share some thoughts on an episode or even to let me know you'd like to hear about next!