In mid-July 2025 I went for a short walk around part of the Sussex Weald, an area of ancient woodland in south-east England to see if any mushrooms had popped up. We've experienced one of the driest springs on record and the warmest June for England, as well as three heatwaves already! Me and mushrooms don't need three heatwaves, thanks.
Mushrooms need rain, warmth and moisture to thrive, and after a downpour earlier in the day I thought it might be worth having a look. Here's what happened:
At the beginning you can hear my water bottle in my bag and a great spotted woodpecker 'kicking'
I began in the presence of Bambi, or a fallow deer
It was one of the driest springs on record in the UK
Fungi need water to allow the mycelium to produce the fruiting body (mushroom)
The first fungus I found was a very dry community of turkeytail
Summer is a time to look for boletes and russulas
The main fungus I found was a Ganoderma bracket
Here's the video of the spore cloud I filmed nearby
You can see more of my fungi blogs on Fungi Friday
Support my work here if you like :)
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10:04
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10:04
Is ivy good or bad for trees?
On Good Friday 2025 I went for an evening walk in the Weald of West Sussex, an area of ancient woodland 30 miles to the south of London.
Is ivy (Hedera helix) bad for trees? Is it a parasite? Does it suck the blood of trees? Does ivy get framed for tree murder?
I worked in woodland management for 10 years and I learned a thing or two in that time.
It's complicated, but there's a lot of misinformation. Info covered here:
What ivy looks like
The ecology of ivy
Managing ivy on trees
Myths and misinformation about ivy
When people commit crimes against ivy(!)
Wildlife supported by ivy
This episode was recorded experimentally on my phone to see how that works - sorry for the odd bip and bop of the microphone peaking.
Further reading: I posted this blog about ivy back in 2013 - Why do people hate ivy?
You can support this podcast by buying me a camomile tea via my Ko-fi page.
Thanks for listening.
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10:18
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10:18
Unlocking Landscapes returns in 2025
Hi everyone, it's spring 2025 and I'm bringing my podcast Unlocking Landscapes back!
This is an informal episode where I talk about some of the recordings I'm hoping to do this year.
Thanks for listening!
Links:
Support me via Ko-fi
My blog
Past episodes
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11:48
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11:48
Walking to Lough Conn with Seán Lysaght
In September 2022 I had the privilege of walking through the woods of Enniscoe House in Co. Mayo, Ireland, to the shore of Lough Conn with Seán Lysaght. Seán is a poet and author who has taught me a great deal (through his books and poems) about the nature, landscape and heritage of County Mayo.
We cover a lot of ground and experience all the weathers, with Seán reading one of his poems at the close of the episode. It ends in dramatic fashion, with the rain sweeping in off Lough Conn and making further recording impossible.
You can see more of Seán's work here and see the outline of the episode below. I hope you enjoy!
Recorded on 7th September 2022 at Enniscoe House and Lough Conn
Woodpeckers arriving in Ireland
Identify wych elm’s bristly leaves
Elm trees in Mayo
2022 a good year for beech mast
How vital ivy can be in woodlands
Ivy is not a parasite
Beech trees in Ireland, a planted tree of demesnes
‘The Big House’ landscape and differences with England
Definitions of rainforest
Tutsan and hypericums
Personal memories of chiffchaff in Kerry, other warblers
Moving from eradication to control with rhododendron
Coniferous plantations in Mayo
The appearance of ‘bog scrub’
Wild Nephin - Seán’s 2020 book about National Park formerly known as Ballycroy
New Leaf - Sean’s latest poetry book
Wild Nephin
Ballina bookshop: Pangur BánÂ
Lough Conn and views of Nephin
Flowers found on the shores of Lough Conn
Bog myrtle’s use as bath oil and its folklore in Ireland
How wildlife is faring in Nephin’s conifer plantation
Future management of lodgepole pine and sitka spruce
Mayo’s dry summer of 2022
Irish views of natural landscapes
The role of bogs in preventing climate breakdown
Bogs as ‘wastelands’
Cutting turf in peatlands - sustainable practices versus mechanised extraction
Herons crossing Lough Conn
Seán’s hopes of seeing a newly-introduced sea eagle on Lough Conn
Reintroduction of sea eagles, progress in Kerry, West Cork and Co. Clare, and the Shannon
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Links:
Seán's author profile: https://gallerypress.com/authors/g-to-l/sean-lysaght/Â
Buying Seán's books in the UK: https://www.waterstones.com/books/search/term/sean+lysaght
Wild Nephin: https://www.mayobooks.ie/Wild-Nephin-Lysaght
Enniscoe House: https://www.northmayogenealogy.com/enniscoe-house
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56:26
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56:26
Walking with ravens in the Ox Mountains, County Mayo 🇮🇪
It's January 2023 and my podcast, Unlocking Landscapes, is 2 years old! Thanks to everyone who has contributed and supported so far.
I do this podcast at my own costs so if you want to support it (it costs a basic £100 annually to host my Podbean account) you can 'buy me a coffee/camomile' here: https://ko-fi.com/djgwild
I haven't posted for a while, mainly for professional and technical reasons. The biggest issue is that I needed to upgrade my ailing desktop PC, which I have now done. It's in much better shape now, so no more IT excuses but hopefully more podcasts.
In September I spent a week in Mayo in Ireland and recorded two podcasts. One is an early evening walk in the Ox Mountains, encountering rickety gates and performing ravens. The second one (still to come) is a walk with Seán Lysaght, which I can't wait to share with you. I've been a big fan of Seán's writing for over a decade, so it was a massive honour to spend an afternoon walking with him. More on that one soon!
In the Ox Mountains I go for a walk, describing the surrounding landscape, capturing two ravens (acoustically) as they fly close by from where the breed in the hills. I also talk a bit about issues with cottages which aren't connected to mains water, amongst many other things.
Here are the reference points:
The Ox Mountains
Mayo Dark Skies Park
The Irish famine
Irish History Podcast
American mink
Fires in Mayo
Ravens
Nephin
Ash dieback disease
Sphagnum moss
Croagh Patrick
Thanks for listening!
Hosted by writer and photographer Daniel Greenwood, Unlocking Landscapes is a non-profit podcast that launched in 2021. UL focuses on our complex connections with nature and history through the landscape. Expect guided walks, species identification, open conversations, birdsong and more.