Into The Wild

Nature & Mental Health with Lucy McRobert

Our last few shows have been focused on local wildlife & different ways to attract it & maintain it in order to help nature, however, on this episode, we discuss with author of 365 Days Wild & Campaigner, Lucy McRobert, how nature can help us & the importance of its role in regards to mental health.

When talking about how her love for wildlife began, Lucy explained how her passion for nature & wildlife was 'toned down' in her teens due to social pressures of fitting in, something that she also explained still very much exists today in some areas. However this bulb was switched back on when getting into twitching, something I had never heard of but now, I've made Lucy promise to take me!

It's been scientifically proven that nature & access to green space improves someone's mental health. Lucy explained how it's more than just going for a walk. Using the senses from touch, smell, sound & even taste (safety first though) can make the experience so much greater & connect you more to the area you're in. We both agreed that being around wildlife & nature, is essentially, a kind of therapy.

 If you'd like to keep up to date with the projects & shows that Lucy is working on, you can do so on Twitter (@LucyMcRobert1) & Instagram, (@WildlyLucy).

Lucy's book, 365 Days Wild is also available from her website, www.365dayswild.com or at all major book stores/online.

Don't forget to subscribe to us on iTunes, Spotify & Podbean . You can also get in touch on social media, @intothewildpod.

 

Attracting Nature with Wildlife Kate

 

On this week's show we speak to wildlife presenter Kate MaCrae, better known as Wildlife Kate, about accessible, cheap & easy ways to attract wildlife into your garden!

Kate's passion & enthusiasm for wildlife has led her to discover such creative ways to provide for nature in your garden some by simply reusing items. Not only saving on waste but then also making interaction with wildlife accessible for anyone, these projects have been hugely popular, especially during the current lockdown.

Kate is a great educator & from talking to her, it's easy to see why. We spoke about the importance of getting the youth involved in outdoors learning & what positive affects this can have on them (& nature) later in life. However, it's not just schools that Kate has worked in, she has taken her knowledge to TV. Appearing on BBC's Springwatch, Autumnwatch & Countryfile, Kate shows what kind of wildlife is turning up in her garden using the secret camera traps.

If you'd like to keep in touch with Kate's future projects or shows you can do so by following her on Twitter & Instagram (@katemacrae). To find out more about Kate's lockdown wildlife challenges, visit https://www.wildlifekate-alfrescowild.co.uk/

Garden Wildlife with Dan Rouse

 

People attracting wildlife into their gardens has never been more important & on this weeks show we spoke with presenter & ornithologist Dan Rouse to discuss not only how to cater for wildlife at home, but also why it is so important.

Dan's interest in wildlife started as a child, at home in the garden with her father. Building the first nest box, erecting that first bird bath & creating the first feeding station. Skip forward 20 years & the same garden is now a heaven for wildlife. With 15 feeding stations & numerous nesting boxes, there is a huge variety of native nature only 15 ft from Dan's house.

This episode is packed full of tips on how we can do the same yet Dan also explains it's not always about quantity. Every small addition can help nature & usually, animals will figure it out on their own.

If you'd like to keep up to date with what projects & shows Dan is working on, you can follow her on Twitter & Instagram (@DanERouse).

Thanks so much for tuning in & enjoy the show.

Museums & Platypuses with Jack Ashby

 

On this week's show i spoke author & manager of The Museum of Zoology at Cambridge University, Jack Ashby.

Jack knows his museums well & it was a pleasure to chat with him about what kind of things we can learn from visiting these rooms of education. It's not just what you read on the signs that can tell you about the animals. From conservation status, air pollution & even about the taxidermist themselves, there's a huge list of what these animals can tell us.

We also touched on a passion of Jack's, and that's Australian mammals, in particularly the platypus & the wombat & spoke about the recent fires in Australia & what impact this is going to have on these animals.

Thanks again for tuning in to Into the wild. If you'd like to keep up to date with the projects & shows that Jack is working on, you can do so on Twitter, @JackDAshby.

Don't forget to subscribe to us on iTunes and twitter & leave a review. You can also get in touch on social media, @intothewildpod. Until next time, keep well, stay safe & live the good life.

Camera Traps with Billy Heaney

 

Trying to find wildlife can often be a grueling task. Hours spent outside searching, waiting & often relying on luck to see anything, let alone catch it on camera. For wildlife filmmaker & presenter Billy Heaney (@BillyHeaney), the difficulties have almost been removed.

Specialising in camera traps, Billy knows how to get that wild & in the moment shot, without having to sit out & wait or disturbing the scene. In this episode he recounts the moment of a near miss with a Black Bear & his off the cuff trip to Jura in Scotland where he managed to see Grouse, Otters & even a Golden Eagle.

Billy is also an ambassador for a marine charity organisation, Marine Life UK (MARINElife_UK). An organisation dedicated to preserving & conserving the UK's rich & delicate ocean life. From fish, sharks & inverts to whales, seals & birds, Billy tells us all about the diversity of marine life around the UK.

Thanks for tuning in & don't forget to subscribe on iTunes & leave a review of the show. You can also get in touch on social media @intothewildpod.

Social Insects with Prof Adam Hart

 What makes an insect social? Find out from a man who has spent A LOT of time studying such creatures.

On this week's show I spoke with biologist, broadcaster & author, Professor Adam Hart. Adam's career has taken him around the world studying all kinds of animals, however, we promised each other a chat about bugs. From being in the field himself to setting up an active data study, The Big Wasp Survey (@bigwaspsurvey), Adam has dedicated a large chunk of his career in researching the creepy crawlies that many out there would not like to be around.

If you're a fan of Ants, Wasps & Bees, this show is for you!

If you'd like to keep up to date with Adam's projects & shows, you can do so by following him on Twitter & Instagram, @AdamHartScience.

Thanks for tuning in & enjoy the show!

Wildlife Film Making & Wet Markets with Daniel O'Neill

Welcome to another lockdown episode of Into The Wild! This week I spoke to with wildlife film maker, explorer & field biologist Daniel O'Neill. Daniel has already had an amazing career which has taken him to some of the most remote but stunning environments on the planet. In this episode he recounts the tale of when he saw his first Jaguar in the wild, what he has learnt about the effects wet markets & wildlife trade have on wildlife conservation & local people & his past & current work finding out more about the Philippine Eagle.

Don't forget to subscribe to us on iTunes or Podbean & leave us a review. 

You can follow more of Daniel's projects online @DanONeill_Wild on Twitter & @dansoneill on Instagram.

Thanks for tuning in & enjoy the show. 

Flies with Dr Erica McAlister

They're in the kitchen. They're in the garden. They zoom into your room when the window is open. They can seem annoying BUT they're important. Flies.

On today's show I spoke with senior curator of Diptera (Flies) at London's Natural History Museum & author of The Secret Life of Flies, Dr Erica McAlister. From her favourite species of fly, to why they're important & to what actually makes a species, Erica covers it all (whilst out on her daily government authorised walk). It was wonderful to chat to someone with such knowledge & passion about this world of insects.

If you'd like to keep up to date with projects & shows that Erica is working on, you can do so by following her on Instagram & Twitter @flygirlNHM

 

Adventures with Steve Backshall

As someone who loves the outdoors, I've often dreamed about different adventures around the world. From kayaking down to Amazon, to trekking through the African rainforest, I always wondered what these kind of experiences were like.

On this week's show I had the pleasure of chatting with BBC Wildlife Presenter, explorer & naturalist Steve Backshall. It was a privilege to ask Steve talk about his love for nature & where this began. How it shaped his upbringing & how having the access to the outdoors nurtured that interest.

We also discussed his experience with completing the Marathon del Sables, one of the toughest marathons on the planet. Steve recounted the race & the people he got to know very well.

We ended by touching on his pride in today's generation in fighting to save the planet & how the young activists of today will go down in history alongside those of other great civil rights movements.

I am so thrilled to share this episode with you all & I hope you enjoy it then show.

 

Wetlands with Marc Boardman

First of let me start by wishing you all well during the horrible events from COVID-19. I hope you are safe & unaffected.

We have had to change the structure of our episodes due to the rightful limitations of social distancing & isolation. For the foreseeable future, we will be presenting Extra Wild shows. These will be telephone interviews with animal & wildlife charities, organisations, presenters & experts.

On this show, I spoke with the Head of Living Collections for the Wildfowl & Wetland Trust, Marc Boardman.

We spoke about the importance of managing & conserving wetland centers & reserves, what kind of wildlife you can find at these sites & how WWT are managing during the current global pandemic.