Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Podcast

This month we're talking about wildlife gardening, with interviews from our community nature reserve at Cold Springs and with Emma and Craig at the beautiful wildlife garden at Hylands House, Kendal.

The limestone pavement at Hutton Roof Crags Nature Reserve is some of the best in Britain. It's home to a number of specialist rare ferns and flowering plants, and the very thin limestone soil is ideal for dark-red helleborine and juniper to thrive. Host and Head of Nature Reserves, Joe Murphy, meets Scott Petrek, Southern Reserves Officer, to take a tour of this very special place.

The population of rare white-faced darter dragonfly has expanded across Cumbria thanks to David Clarke of the British Dragonfly Society. Previously only found in one location in Cumbria, this dragonfly has been introduced at two of Cumbria Wildlife Trust's peatland nature reserves and are thriving. Our host and Head of Nature Reserves, Joe Murphy, speaks to David and Northern Reserves Officer, Jack Dryden.

Our host and Head of Nature Reserves, Joe Murphy, talks to reserves officer Andrew Walter and geologist Sylvia Woodhead about the flora that can be found at this unique reserve and how the geology has a direct influence on the species found.

This month Joe talks to conservationists and volunteers about their efforts to bring back the pine marten to Cumbria. Hear about the challenges and rewards of their work, and find out how reintroduction projects like these are helping this rare and enigmatic species to make a comeback.

Staff and volunteers work really hard to keep habitat at South Walney Nature Reserve's the ideal place for wildlife to rest, nest or to pass through on migration. Our host and Head of Reserves, Joe Murphy, talks to reserve volunteer, Sue Hannan, South Walney Warden, Paul Waterhouse, and Walney Bird Observatory volunteer Colin Raven.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust is taking a new approach to working with people and we're calling it Wilder Cumbria. It's about individuals, communities and organisations taking action to help nature in their area, with support from our team. Marian Jones, Head of Community joins our host, Joe Murphy, Head of Nature Reserves and they chat about the changes we're making and how this approach has worked at one of our newest nature reserves Cold Springs. We also hear from Joe Harper, Allonby Bay Community Engagement Officer, about how he's talking to people about the benefits of the Allonby Bay Highly Protected Marine Area.

What an amazing year we've had at Cumbria Wildlife Trust! In this episode we re-visit some of the staff we've talked to over the last year and hear how their nature conservation projects and community work is progressing. Hosted by Head of Nature Reserves, Joe Murphy, with guest host and CEO, Stephen Trotter.

It's been a year since Cumbria Wildlife Trust purchased Skiddaw Forest and created England's highest nature reserve. Joe, our host and Head of Nature Reserves, talks to the key people involved in the landscape scale transformation of this Lake District fell into a haven for wildlife. Listen and you'll learn about what we've discovered so far and how our 100-year vision is progressing.

This year we're celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Cumbria Wildlife Trust's ownership of Eycott Hill Nature Reserve. In this episode Joe Murphy, host and Head of Nature Reserves is joined by Kevin Scott, Northern Reserves Officer, and they chat about Eycott Hill's transformation over this time into a much wilder farmed landscape.

This month Joe is in conversation with butterfly expert Martin Wain. Now North of England Conservation Manager with Butterfly Conservation, Martin explains how butterflies are great indicators of the state of habitats. Scott Petrek, our Southern Reserves Officer introduces you to the variety of invertebrates found at Lowick Common near Ulverston, including one very special resident (clue: it’s found in Leech Tarn …)

Despite covering much of Cumbria's uplands and areas around Morecambe Bay and the Solway, many people aren't aware of this special habitat. Close-up, peatlands are full of small but beautifully formed plants including insect-eating sundews. They're also our county's most important carbon-storing habitat. Listen to two of our peatland team, Mel and Grace, explain the work they do to restore damaged peatlands and learn more about these special places from our host and Head of Nature Reserves, Joe Murphy and his guest host and Acting Peatland Team Manager, Susie Webb.

Learn more about our beautiful grasslands, species-rich grasslands and pollinators with the help of Tanya St Pierre, from our Grasslands and Pollinators team. Recorded at our Bowber Head Farm Nature Reserve, home to one of the rarest and most threatened wildlife habitats in Cumbria: northern upland hay meadows.

We are so lucky to have such a huge variety of wildlife on our coastline. In this episode, you’ll find out more about some of birds you are likely to see. We joined Steph Leow from the RSPB, who is working on monitoring and protecting ringed plover nests, Christian at Foulney Island Nature Reserve who talks all things terns, and Joe and Bekka at South Walney Nature Reserve as they discuss more of the bird species on our coasts.

Experience the dawn chorus at Smardale Nature Reserve with Reserves Officer Scott Petrek. He guides us through the bird song we're likely to hear in spring and why it's worth getting up early for the experience! Our host and Head of Nature Reserves, Joe Murphy, welcomes guest host Head of Marine, Georgia de Jong Cleyndert. Amber Gould takes producer Liz out to Walney Channel to explain the process of restoring seagrass by planting seeds in the sediment around the island.

Have you ever thought about how nature lifts your spirits if you take time to stop, look and listen? Staff at Cumbria Wildlife Trust have been working with people with dementia and people suffering from loneliness and isolation to improve their health by spending time in nature. Our producer, Liz, gets chatting and finds out how people are benefiting. Our host, Head of Nature Reserves, Joe Murphy talks to Foulshaw Moss osprey expert and volunteer Alasdair McKee about enjoying the arrival of spring, all there is to see at this time of year and how we can all live happier lives by noticing the seasons' cycles.

Our host Joe Murphy, Head of Nature Reserves, talks to guest host Adam McGinley, Cumbria Wildlife Trust's Gosling Sike Manager & Horticulture Manager. In this episode hear about what goes on at Gosling Sike, our award-winning north Cumbrian base, from hedgehog-minding and volunteering in the wildflower nursery, to learning practical skills at our Men’s Shed and discovering how to increase biodiversity in your own garden.

It's the start of a new year and in this episode you'll hear about how Cumbria Wildlife Trust helps young people make a start in a career in nature conservation. We hear from apprentices, and previous apprentices about their experiences getting their first role with us and their plans for their future. We also hear from students in Carlisle about what inspires them to make time to improve nature in their school grounds. Our host Joe Murphy, Head of Nature Reserves, talks to guest host Danny Poland a previous young Trustee of Cumbria Wildlife Trust.

In episode 6, our host Joe Murphy, Head of Nature Reserves, welcomes CEO Stephen Trotter, and Head of Fundraising, Hazel Jones, to talk about the ups and downs of the 2024 year for Cumbria Wildife Trust - with significantly more ups! Hazel gives us insight into the raising the money to purchase Skiddaw Forest, the major event to mark our year. The conversation reflects on bog restoration, birds including osprey, hobby and bittern, beavers and red squirrels, welcoming people at Gosling Sike and growing rare plants.

Mammals are amoungst our most-loved wildlife. They are usually cute and we'll go to quite a lot of effort to see them as they give so much joy. In this podcast we talk to Elizabeth Ogilvie, Ecologist for the Lowther Farming Partnership, about the enclosed beaver trial on their estate, and with Joshua Adams, Cumbria Wildlife Trust's Red Squirrel Ranger. You'll learn about these secretive animals' behaviour and what's being done to help these species thrive in Cumbria into the future.