Our humble hedgerows. They may seem ordinary and easy to overlook as they border our gardens and fields and crisscross our landscape, but they are in fact one of our most vital habitats. Yet sadly, our hedges have seen a decline in both abundance and health.

In this episode, we uncover the incredible benefits of healthy hedgerows—from providing shelter to countless species to boosting farm productivity and even combating climate change.

So, grab a drink, get comfortable, and join us as we delve into the fascinating world of hedgerows. We explore their importance, cultural significance, how we have lost so many of them, and what can be done to restore our hedges to the benefit of our communities and nature.

Get in touch!

Don't forget to follow The Birdy Bug Pod over on Instagram. And please do feel free to contact us with any questions, feedback, comments, or just to say hi!

Follow us @thebirdybugpod

Links:

https://www.cpre.org.uk/discover/hedgerow-wildlife-to-hear-and-see/

https://ptes.org/hedgerow/hedgerow-wildlife/

https://www.gwct.org.uk/blogs/news/2024/may/new-hedgerow-regulations-what-you-need-to-know/

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/habitats/hedgerows/

https://hedgelink.org.uk/

How to manage a hedgerow for wildlife | The Wildlife Trusts

https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/hedgerow-protections-reinstated-in-england

https://hedgerowsurvey.ptes.org/the-great-british-hedgerow-survey

Inspired by the phenomenal performances of Olympic athletes, we turned our attention to the incredible athletic abilities found in the animal kingdom. Join us in this special episode as we assemble our ultimate Olympic Team GB—featuring some of the UK's most impressive wildlife!

In classic Birdy Bug Pod style, Steve brings his A-game with a lineup of formidable birds, while Matthew’s picks might be small, but they pack a mighty punch with his team of impressive bugs. And of course, we've added a few wildcards into the mix to keep things interesting.

Our contenders are ready to compete in a range of Olympic events: from diving and swimming to wrestling, boxing, and even the rowing. As we build our team, we delve into the mind-blowing abilities of UK wildlife—like a tiny insect that overcomes more G-force than an astronaut and diving birds that could give Tom Daley a run for his money.

We had a great time recording this relaxed and slightly different episode, and we hope you enjoy it just as much!

Who would make the cut for your Olympic wildlife team?

Help us fill the gaps in our Team GB—what medal-contending species did we miss? Or go a step further and build your own national Olympic wildlife team with the animals native to your country. We'd love to see what you come up with! Head over to our Instagram (@thebirdybugpod) and leave a comment on the episode post or ping us a message.

Get in touch!

Speaking of Instagram, the podcast now has its very own account! The perfect place to contact us with any feedback, comments, questions, or just to say hi. And of course, to let us know all about your wildlife Olympic team!

Follow us @thebirdybugpod

Get all the latest episode news, behind the scenes content, opportunities to engage with the podcast and much more.

Links:

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/highest-jump-by-an-insect/

https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/news/faster-speed-sight

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240108125719.htm

Rivers form the backbone of the landscape, act as the world's arteries, and also support an incredible wealth of wildlife, which is what we are exploring this episode. So, grab a coffee and join us for a positive chat about the wonderful animals that rely on our rivers.

Staying true to our name, Steve is highlighting some of the fantastic bird life that he sees and photographs when out and about around rivers whilst Matthew gives the invertebrates some love with a focus on the fascinating lives of freshwater pearl mussels.

Our rivers are facing a variety of issues which we will certainly cover in a future episode. But this time, we just fancied having lighter, positive chat about our remarkable rivers and the nature they support. We also cover some general river facts and there's a quiz or two.

Get in touch:

As always, please do contact us with any questions, feedback, comments, or just to say hi! You can find us both on Instagram:

Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens

Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens

Timestamps

00:00:00 Very quick catch up

00:00:58 Introducing rivers

00:14:58 River appreciating birds

00:22:44 River-y invertebrates

00:43:44 River restoration

00:52:05 Wrap up

Links

Why rivers are important for everything from biodiversity to wellbeing | New Scientist

Chalk streams, explained - Thames21

Riverfly Partnership — Freshwater Biological Association (fba.org.uk)

State of our Rivers Report 2024 | The Rivers Trust

Impact Report 2023/24 | The Rivers Trust

Freshwater pearl mussel | NatureScot

About us — The Riverfly Partnership (riverflies.org)

From silhouetted soaring buzzards to the powerful elegance of an osprey snatching a fish from a lake, birds of prey are incredible animals that have entranced us for centuries. Unfortunately, however, this has not prevented them from being persecuted.

This episode we are tackling a slightly more serious and somber topic but one that we believe definitely needs talking about and is certainly close to our hearts. So, grab a coffee and join us as we look at how our magnificent birds of prey have been persecuted, both throughout history and its continued prevalence today.

But it's not all doom and gloom, we also delve into the tricky world of defining exactly what a 'bird of prey' really is, our historical relationship with these birds, and we of course, highlight the fantastic organisations working tirelessly to protect and restore our bird of prey populations. Steve even throws a surprise quiz in there to test Matthew's knowledge of our UK species.

This is a topic that we are both passionate about and despite the heavier nature of the research, we really enjoyed recording this episode. We hope you enjoy listening.

Get in touch:

As always, please do contact us with any questions, feedback, comments, or just to say hi! You can find us both on Instagram:

Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens

Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens

Timestamps

00:00:00 Catch up

00:0153 Introducing Birds of Prey

00:20:27 A history of persecution

00:24:06 How they are persecuted today

00:40:19 The positives: changing perceptions and brilliant organisations

Links

https://protectthewild.org.uk/our-campaigns/end-shooting/bird-shooting-faqs/what-raptor-persecution/

Why the illegal killings of birds of prey is surging in the UK | The Independent

Birds of prey and the Law - Protect the Wild

Goshawks back from the brink in southern England | Forestry England

RSPB Hen Harrier LIFE Report - Skydancer - the UK's hen harriers - Skydancer - The RSPB Community

Game Bird Shooting | The League

About Wild Justice - Wild Justice

Elusive and secretive, the smooth snake is not often seen and therefore easily overlooked. However, this fascinating reptile is confronting increasing pressures that could make it even scarcer.

Join us as we shine a light on the lifestyle of this mysterious serpent, uncover the threats they are facing, and of course, highlight the remarkable conservation efforts dedicated to preserving our rarest reptile and it's habitat.

Get in touch:

As always, please do contact us with any questions, feedback, comments, or just to say hi! You can find us both on Instagram:

Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens

Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens

Timestamps

00:00:00 Catch up

00:03:22 Introduction to the smooth snake

00:15:09 Threats to our rarest reptile

00:24:30 Smooth snake & habitat conservation efforts

00:36:45 Wrap up

Links

Smooth snake | Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (arc-trust.org)

Snakes in the Heather: improving the prospects of smooth snakes and other heathland reptiles. | Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (arc-trust.org)

The effect of the climate crisis on UK reptile populations (froglife.org)

ARC celebrates smooth snake reintroduction anniversary with BBC Breakfast | Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (arc-trust.org)

N526318PP.pdf (nerc.ac.uk)

Tasty fried mushrooms with your breakfast may be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word fungi, but did you know that they are essential to mitigating climate change?

In fact, the fungi kingdom is far more diverse and vital than we could have imagined. From incredible carbon storage and ability to improve the health of forests to even providing sustainable packaging and breaking down plastics!

Grab a coffee and join us for a chilled chat about the remarkable world of fungi. We couldn't dive too deeply into any one aspect, or we would probably still be recording the episode. But we wanted to provide an introduction to an easily overlooked group of organisms that are truly fascinating and absolutely essential to the health of our planet.

We had a great time recording this episode and hope you enjoy listening.

Get in touch:

As always, please do feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions, feedback, comments, or just want to say hi! The easiest way to get in touch is to ping us a message on Instagram:

Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens

Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens

Timestamps

00:00:00 Catch up

00:03:00 Introduction to the world of fungi

00:18:09 Fungi and the environment

00:39:28 Innovative fungi technologies

00:48:31 Wrap up

Links

https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/whats-a-fungi

https://microbiologysociety.org/why-microbiology-matters/what-is-microbiology/fungi.html

https://microbiologysociety.org/blog/the-fungus-that-makes-zombie-ants-could-use-biological-clocks-to-control-their-minds.html

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/fungi-stores-third-carbon-fossil-fuel-emissions-and-could-be-essential-reaching-net-zero

https://news.mongabay.com/2023/06/mycorrhizal-fungi-hold-co2-equivalent-to-a-third-of-global-fossil-fuel-emissions/

https://www.conservation.org/blog/study-fungi-could-be-vital-for-reaching-climate-goals

https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2023/04/14/fungi-makes-meal-of-hard-to-recycle-plastic.html

Every time we discuss a struggling species or an environmental issue that needs overcoming, we try to finish the chat with some hope. Highlighting the incredible work of tirelessly dedicated people who are out there trying to make a difference.

Hope is essential if we are to overcome the monumental challenges facing nature and our planet, a sentiment that is at the heart of Dr Jane Goodall's inspiring book of hope.

So, join us for an uplifting episode as we delve into the four reasons that give her hope. From nature's remarkable resilience to the incredible power of young people, we showcase examples from around the world that embrace these four reasons and should give us all hope that we can prevail.

We had a brilliant time recording this episode and really hope you enjoy it. The Book of Hope truly resonated with Steve, and we implore everyone to read it.

Jane Goodall is a legendary primatologist and conservationist and is still fighting for nature, still lecturing and educating at the age of 90. Structured as a series of discussions between herself and co-author Douglas Abrams, Goodall's argument for hope in these troubling times is uplifting, inspiring, and definitely something we all need a lot more of.

What stories give you hope? We would love to know!

Get in touch:

As always, please do feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions, feedback, comments, or just want to say hi! The easiest way to get in touch is to ping us a message on Instagram:

Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens

Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Intro

00:08:22 The amazing human intellect

00:27:17 The resilience of nature

00:38:39 The power of young people

00:49:31 The indomitable human spirit

00:59:07 Wrap up

Links:

The Book of Hope - the Jane Goodall Institute UK

the Jane Goodall Institute Homepage

Educational and Environmental Charity | Roots and Shoots

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/10/innovations-protect-cities-climate-change/

https://www.boredpanda.com/nature-reclaiming-civilization/

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190701-why-plants-survived-chernobyls-deadly-radiation

https://earth.org/young-climate-activists-leading-the-way-on-global-climate-action/

They mitigate the impacts of climate change, support a plethora of species (including the largest animals on earth), and are often called the linchpin of the Antarctic. Krill may be small, but they are massively important.

Grab a coffee and join us as we dive into the frosty waters of the Antarctic and explore just how and why these small crustaceans are so vital and the worrying challenges they are facing.

We were blown away during our research by what we learnt about krill and of course concerned about the future of their populations.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Intro & catchup

00:03:08 The world of krill

00:16:35 Threats & challenges facing krill

00:34:18 Possible solutions & positives

00:48:07 Wrap up

As always, please do feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions, feedback, comments, or just want to say hi! The easiest way to get in touch is to ping us a message on Instagram:

Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens

Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens

Links:

https://www.bas.ac.uk/about/antarctica/wildlife/krill/

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/insects-invertebrates/facts-about-krill

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/krill

https://www.seashepherdglobal.org/latest-news/antarctic-krill/

https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/climate-change-and-overfishing-threaten-once-endless-antarctic-krill/

Study warns sharp decline in Antarctic krill by 2100 | Patagonia´s Magazine: Patagon Journal

https://earthsky.org/earth/the-sad-fate-of-krill-in-the-southern-ocean/

https://www.seashepherdglobal.org/latest-news/ccamlr-decision/