Wild Tales | Nature Podcast

As winter turns to spring , toads, frogs and newts across Britain begin their annual journey, making their way back to the ponds where they breed.
For many, that journey means crossing busy roads and not all of them make it to the other side.
In this episode of Wild Tales, we spend the night with the Charlcombe Lane Toad Patrol, discovering the dedication and determination it takes to give these remarkable animals a fighting chance.
 
 [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure. Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.   Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor.  https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/  
Production: 
Narrator: Rosie Holdsworth 
Producer and sound designer: Nikki Ruck 
photo courtesy :  Charlcombe Toad Rescue Group 
 
With thanks to Mike Collins, Sheila Gundry, Lance, Lucy and Angela from the Charlcombe Lane Toad Group
 
Discover more:
https://www.froglife.org/what-we-do/toads-on-roads/how-to-become-a-toad-patroller/

The Bewick’s or ‘Tundra’ swan has eluded ranger Ajay Tegala for years. 

It's hardly surprising: the swan’s epic migration is under pressure, and their numbers are dwindling. Can Ajay find them at their winter retreat of WWT Welney? 
Ajay speaks to fellow swan lover, artist and zoologist Dafila Scott and site manager Lizzie Bruce to aid his search for these hardworking swans. 
[Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure. Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.   Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor.  https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/  
Production:  Host and Co-producer: Ajay Tegala
Producer: Marnie Woodmeade
Sound Designer: Jesus Gomez
Music: Swan Song by Charlotte Eve
 
With thanks to: Dafila Scott, Lizzie Bruce and the staff and volunteers at WWT Welney 
Discover more:
Visit WWT Welney: https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/welney 
Visit Wicken Fen: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cambridgeshire/wicken-fen-national-nature-reserve 
Learn more about wetland swans: https://www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/wetland-wildlife/meet-the-family/swans-found-in-uk-wetlands

This week we’re sharing another of our podcasts we think you’ll enjoy. Nature Fix takes you on adventures with people whose lives have been shaped by the outdoors.

In this episode, wrap up warm and turn your eyes to the skies for a stargazing tour from the middle of Manchester.
Nature Fix Host Claire Hickinbotham joins astronomer and adventure enthusiast Nazanin Jahanshahi, to discover how there’s lots to see in the night sky wherever you live.
On this awe-inspiring city celestial voyage, you'll be wowed by a rare planetary parade, learn how to start navigating the stars, and hear top tips for hunting the northern lights.
Production
Producer: Michelle Douglass
Sound Designer: Nikki Ruck
Contributor: Nazanin Jahanshahi
Get your Nature Fix
Follow Nature Fix on your favourite podcast app: https://podfollow.com/nature-fix
 
Discover the best National Trust spots for stargazing: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/outdoor-activities/top-spots-for-stargazing

Learn about night sky locations and activities:
https://gostargazing.co.uk/

Orford Ness is well practiced at keeping secrets; in the 1940s it was classified military research, but now it is a brand new colony of grey seals. 
Countryside Manager Matt Wilson guides us around the bomb craters to try and find the newest and blubbery-est residences. We find out how they came to be on this moon-like beach and how they’re faring on this remote site. 
[Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure. Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.   Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor.  
https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/
Production:  
Producer: Marnie Woodmeade
Hosts: Rosie Holdsworth 
Sound Designer: Jesus Gomez
With thanks to: Matt Wilson and the staff at Orford Ness

Image © National Trust Images/Rob Coleman
Discover more:  
Visit Orford Ness, looked after by the National Trust https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/suffolk/orford-ness-national-nature-reserve
Find out more about the seals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6ti7BaNKpU&t=523s

Pine martens were once common in Britain but now, they're one of our rarest carnivores. 

These slinky, tree-dwelling predators had virtually disappeared in England and Wales by the turn of the 20th Century.
But pine martens are making a comeback.
We follow Ranger Dan Iceton at Wallington estate in Northumberland, as he tries to encourage pine martens to make these woodlands their forever home.
And we discover conservation success in other parts of Britain where the animals have returned.
Follow the story and secret lives of the mysterious mammal making a comeback in our forests.
[Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure. Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.   Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor.  https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/
Production:  Producer: Michelle Douglass
Hosts: Rosie Holdsworth and Dan Iceton
Sound Editor: Jesus Gomez
With thanks to: Dr Stephanie Johnstone and Vincent Wildlife Trust
 
Image © Caroline Legg  

Discover more:  Visit Wallington, looked after by the National Trust https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/wallington
Find out more about pine martens with Vincent Wildlife Trust: https://www.vwt.org.uk/species/pine-marten-2
Read about Martens on the Move: https://pinemartens.uk/
Report your sighting and help citizen science: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a8c5d8e084dc4ecb9b92c57c42769d1f