Physicist Helen Czerski and journalist Tom Heap discuss rewilding efforts and balancing human needs with nature's preservation. They explore bison reintroduction impacts, agricultural conservation in North Norfolk coast, and the harmonious relationship between humans and the environment.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Declining Mackerel
Tom Heap noticed a decline in mackerel populations while fishing in Scotland.
He used to catch them easily, but now they're scarce, indicating a potential environmental shift.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Less Bird Variety
Helen Czerski observes a decline in bird variety in her South Manchester garden.
She recalls a richer diversity of bird species in her childhood compared to the present day.
insights INSIGHT
Nature's Resilience
Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment, discusses how abandoned places recover.
She highlights the unexpected resilience of nature in post-industrial and post-human landscapes.
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Rare Earth is a new weekly podcast and radio show from BBC Radio Four which digs deeper into the biggest issues for our planet. Each week, environmental journalist Tom Heap and physicist Helen Czerski will tackle a major story about our environment and wildlife, work out how we got here and meet the brave and clever people with fresh ideas to help us- and nature- thrive.
Helen and Tom won’t shy away from the big stuff- temperatures rising while wildlife declines- but this won’t be a weekly dose of doom laden predictions and tortured hand-wringing. Rare Earth is here to celebrate the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderful.
In the first edition Tom and Helen ask how we can bring nature back from the brink. Should we simply abandon great swathes of countryside and let nature reclaim it on its own terms or must we balance the competing demands on our land and micro-manage species and habitats for the best outcomes? Tom meets the herd of bison helping to re-wild a woodland in Kent and visits the Holkham Estate in Norfolk where the government's Landscape Recovery pilot project is funding the transition of intensive farmland into wetlands and passageways for nature.
They're also joined by Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment and by Rebecca Wrigley, Chief Executive of Rewilding Britain.
Produced by Alasdair Cross for BBC Audio Bristol in conjunction with the Open University
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