Learn more about the wildlife and wild places in Kent and beyond.
In the last fifty years, both nightingales and turtle doves have suffered a population decline of over 90%. The usual threats of habitat degradation and climate change are partly to blame, but these two species are also at risk from a few more specific challenges.
Rob Smith heads to Moat Farm Kent to visit a farmer who's lucky enough to live in a stronghold of a rare and elusive bird species - the nightingale. Find out the facts about Nightingales, listen to their beautiful song and learn how Michael Bax makes sure they have the right habitat to keep coming back year after year.
Welcome to a special episode of Talk on the Wild Side dedicated to just one subject, or rather just one place: the Knepp Estate in Sussex...
On 19th May one hundred years ago, the first outdoors broadcast by the BBC was of professional cellist Beatrice Harrison playing to and with nightingales in the garden of her Surrey home. Around a million listeners tuned in to the midnight broadcast, and she performed for similar outdoor broadcasts over the next twelve years.
The writer H E Bates moved from Northamptonshire to Little Chart Forstal in 1931. His deep knowledge of the countryside coloured all his writing. In ‘Through the Woods’ (1936), with fine wood engravings by Agnes Miller Parker, he wrote in loving detail about the plant and animal life in Coldham Wood, which lies due west of the Extension section of Hothfield Heathland.
In episode 8 of Talk on the Wild Side, Rob Smith interviews George Cooper - a Thanet local with a passion for wildlife, who has been heavily involved in bird recording and ringing at Minster Marshes for many years. They talk about why Minster Marshes is so important for bird-life, the damage National Grid's Sea Link project will do to the area, and why he started the Save Minster Marshes campaign.
Join Gareth Fulton, Estate Manager at Elmley Nature Reserve to discover the incredible journey of farm to wildlife haven this private estate has taken. This interview looks at their journey and the importance of using eco-tourism to pay for conservation.
Whether you’ve been recently introduced to the idea of birdwatching through something like the Big Garden Birdwatch, or you already know your robin from your nuthatch, it’s a great hobby to pick up in the winter months.
