The Wild Cornwall Podcast

Faye and Milly are back with a new episode of The Wild Cornwall Podcast, joined by Cornwall Wildlife Trust's beaver team to discuss how wild beavers can help to stop nature's decline and bring wildlife back from the brink.  Find out more about our Wild Beaver Appeal here. 

Multi-award winning author, Wyl Menmuir, talks to The Wild Cornwall Podcast. Wyl’s latest book The Heart of the Woods explores how our lives are interconnected with trees and woodlands. Find out more about Wyl’s books here. Learn about Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s work to restore temperate rainforest in Cornwall here.

In Cornwall, you’re never more than 20 miles from the sea – and beneath the waters are habitats which capture and store carbon, known ‘blue carbon’. A new series of reports – The Blue Carbon Mapping Project – estimate that 244 million tonnes of organic carbon are stored in just the top 10cm of the UK’s seabed sediments. Dan Barrios-O’Neill, Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s new Head of Marine, explains more about these findings and the importance of protecting marine habitats. Find out more about blue carbon here. Support Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s work at sea here. Learn more about Tor to Shore.

Water is absolutely essential for all life on earth, but in Cornwall only 24% of rivers and 15% of lakes are classified as having good ecological status. In this episode we hear from Jade Neville, Catchment Partnership Officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, and Simon Jeffery, Senior Advisor for Cornwall for Flood and Coastal Risk Management at the Environment Agency. We explore a range of issues, including pollution, flooding and climate resilience. Explore the topics further and take action: Rivers Trust’s ‘Is my river fit to play in?’ map   List of actions you can take to support your local rivers March for Clean Water London, Saturday 26th October River-related data online: Environment Agency’s Catchment Data Explorer, South West Water’s Water Fit Live River Citizen Science Schemes: Westcountry CSI,  Riverfly, Big River Watch Report an environmental incident  to the Environment Agency Yellow Fish Campaign  

Craig Bennett has been Chief Executive Officer of The Wildlife Trusts since 2020. On a visit to Cornwall, he shared with us some of the exciting things he sees in his national role. We talked about what gives him hope, what he sees as the most urgent priorities for nature, and about what we can do to make a difference. Find out more about The Wildlife Trusts. Discover Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Tor to Shore project.

The Japanese practice of 'Shinrin Yoku' or 'forest bathing' has been shown to bring you calm, boosting physical and mental health. It’s all about walking slowly through woods, without hurry, and soaking up the atmosphere.  In today’s episode we’ll find out about forest bathing by speaking to a practitioner, Paul Simmons, based in Cornwall. From Devichoys Woods nature reserve, Paul tells us how forest bathing reduces stress and blood pressure, whilst boosting immunity, improving mood, and increasing sleep. To find out more about Paul's work, visit the Forest Bathing Cornwall website.  Read more about forest bathing - including ideas about which woodland nature reserves you can visit - on our blog.  If you’d like to make a difference to woodland cover in Cornwall, you can donate to help restore and protect woodlands.

Is climate change a serious threat to nature in Cornwall? How is it already impacting our terrestrial and marine wildlife? What role does nature (and nature recovery) play in tackling the challenge at hand? And, most importantly, what can be done? Join Cornwall Wildlife Trust and leading experts in this area with this recording from a panel discussion on Wednesday 8th May.  Speakers include: Prof. Martin Siegert FRSE – Glaciologist and Vice President and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Cornwall), University of Exeter Claire Wallerstein - Producer, Cornwall Climate Care Dr Dan Barrios-O’Neill - Data and Insights Manager, The Wildlife Trusts Cheryl Marriott – Director of Nature and People, Cornwall Wildlife Trust Each speaker brings their own unique experiences and expertise in relation to the question. At this event, Cornwall Wildlife Trust launched the Temperate Rainforest Appeal. Find out more and donate here.   

Nature-friendly farming in Cornwall With farmland taking up three-quarters of all land in Cornwall, it will be impossible to halt the decline of wildlife, restore healthy ecosystems and achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions without supporting farmers to play their part. There are numerous examples of local farmers reducing pesticide and artificial fertiliser use, restoring soil health and making space for wildlife. In this episode we explore the importance of nature-friendly farming and hear from a Cornwall Wildlife Trust farm advisor and a farmer she works with. Find out more about our farm advice work. Learn about the Upstream Thinking Project. Sign the open letter for nature.

The next general election is on the horizon. It’s going to be one of the most important moments for nature in a lifetime. The next government will be in power for much of the time between now and 2030, the date by which we want to see 30% of land and sea under good conservation management.   With our supporters, Cornwall Wildlife Trust would like to make a difference to the narrative of this general election. We want to raise the profile of environmental issues with parliamentary candidates, showing how much so many people in Cornwall care about nature and the climate crisis. Cheryl Marriott, Director of Nature and People, talks to The Wild Cornwall Podcast about why this is so important and our plans.  Sign the open letter here. Find a husting near you. Get involved in campaigning. Read about our election asks in more detail. 

This episode discusses the incredible humpback whales which - if you’re lucky - you can spot off the coast of Cornwall between November and March. These amazing mammals are about the size of a bus and undertake some of the longest migrations of any mammal. Humpback whales can be found in all of the oceans of the world, but in the last few years have been increasingly spotted in Cornwall. Tom speaks with two Cornwall Wildlife Trust volunteers who are absolutely passionate about humpback whales. We find out all about these amazing animals, what it’s like to catch a glimpse of one, and where you might go to have the best chance of a sighting. To find out more about humpback whales, how to spot them in Cornwall, and the ID project, check out our humpback blog.  Discover more about Seaquest Southwest.