I absolutely love listening to podcasts and find shows hosted by wildlife experts informative, relaxing, fascinating and inspiring. I generally listen while I’m packing your bird food orders, or at home while I’m cooking or working in the garden and I always keep a notebook close because you never know when inspiration will strike.

The more we understand about the natural world around us, the more we will feel inspired to spend time outdoors - and the more we will take steps to conserve the wildlife we now understand more about.

With so much going on in the world it is always good to seek out positive and inspiring shows to listen to and I find nature podcasts are really great way to connect with something other than the negativity in the news.

I thought it might be nice to share my top podcasts and I would love to hear about the podcasts you enjoy listening to as well - please share your suggestions in the comments. I hope my suggestions bring you the same comfort, inspiration and feeling of empowerment that they always bring me.

Nature’s a Hoot with the Hawk Conservancy Trust
The Hawk Conservancy Trust are passionate about birds of prey, but the podcast hosts are also interested in all things wildlife and biodiversity. There are episodes on bird migration, bats and owls, as well as features on well-being. I loved the interview with self-confessed ‘nature nerd’ Lucy Lapwing who talks about making nature more accessible, advocating for green prescriptions, encouraging children to get more involved in nature and conservation and her fantastic birdsong tutorials (as featured on YouTube). Nature’s a Hoot is a really interesting podcast and also very easy to listen to, especially considering the depth of knowledge featured.
https://www.hawk-conservancy.org/podcast/

 

For What It’s Earth with Emma Brisdion and Lloyd Hopkins
I really look forward to this podcast (although they’re on a break at the time of writing there are plenty of archive episodes to enjoy. The focus is on the environment, conservation and climate change but Emma and Lloyd have a knack for breaking huge and important topics down to feel manageable and easier to understand. I particularly enjoyed the interview with amazing author and conservationist Sophie Pavelle, who talks about her amazing book Forget Me Not and her journey around Britain to learn more about ten species impacted by climate change.
https://forwhatitsearth.podbean.com/

Wander Woman with Phoebe Smith
Broadcaster, author, travel writer and photographer Phoebe Smith explores ways to become a more sustainable traveller and takes us off the beaten track, looking behind the scenes at destinations around the world. Her interviews are fascinating - she speaks to celebrity guests including Bill Bryson and Ed Byrne as well as local experts, and she meets unsung heroes who have undertaken incredible conservation endeavours. Phoebe finds wild and unexplored spaces in unlikely mass market holiday destinations and reviews travel preductions too. The podcast is magazine style and hugely accessible and interesting to listen to.
http://www.phoebe-smith.com/wander-woman-podcast/

Into the Wild with Ryan Dalton
This podcast is dedicated to wildlife and nature packed with current news, interviews, conservation topics and facts on individual species. I particularly love the positive nature news segment and always look forward to my weekly listen. Ryan has spoken to everyone, from urban birder David Lindo to Beccy Speight (CEO of the RSPB) and isn’t afraid to challenge his guests with complex questions and topics.
https://intothewild.podbean.com/

Sustainable(ish) with Jen Gale
If you want to male the move to living a more sustainable lifestyle, Jen Gale is the lady to look up. Her podcast (and blog) suggestions are relaxed, non-judgemental and empowering and I absolutely love the way she offers us small, practical solutions to make sustainability accessible for all. Without taking sustainable living to the extreme, Jen tackles the big discussions and encourages us all to make small tweaks to our family life that will add up to a more positive and environmentally friendly future for us all.
https://www.asustainablelife.co.uk/

Living Beeing
This is one of the most fascinating podcasts I’ve found. Learn about our beneficial pollinators with entomologists, botanists, conservationists, scientists, beekeepers, honey experts, historians and artists and take inspiration from their passion for bees. You’ll come away with fascinating bee-related facts and a better understanding of bee behaviours (and may even feel inspired to adapt your garden planting scheme to ensure bees are well catered for in your garden all year round).
http://www.livingbeeing.com/

Woodland Walks | The Woodland Trust Podcast with David Shaw
This podcast follows such a simple concept and makes for soothing and interesting listening. Host David Shaw explores our British Woodlands, speaking to site managers and volunteers on the way. We have been inspired to visit the woodland featured in one of the episodes and it was great to explore with the stories and information I had learned from the podcast on our minds.
https://woodlandtrust.libsyn.com/

The Countryside Hour with Chris Skinner
This podcast is led by farmer and nature lover Chris Skinner and features different animals and habitats in each episode. It’s a calming listen and his passion for wildlife really does come across. Chris speaks from his own farm and local wildlife reserves.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02tfhrt

Get Birding with Dr Mya-Rose Craig
Dr Mya-Rose Craig is one of our most famous and influential birders and her podcast is one to listen to. Dr Mya-Rose targets a diverse audience and focuses on making birdwatching accessible to all. She interviews ecologists, conservationists, writers and birders and teaches us more about bird species and the ways we can connect with our local wildlife.
https://shows.acast.com/get-birding

The Casual Birder with Suzy Buttress
Birder Suzy Buttress helps us all learn more about wild bird identification and speaks from her garden and on walks. It’s such a relaxing listen and I always feel like I’ve absorbed information without having to focus too hard. Suzy has such a passion for birds and her ethos is that we can all learn more about biras and connect with them without needing fancy equipment or huge levels of expertise. A must-listen for any beginner birder.
https://casualbirder.com/

Trees a Crowd with David Oakes
This fascinating podcast is truly a celebration of the natural world. It feels very informal and features conversations with artists, scientists, creatives and environmentalists all keen to share the impact the natural world has had on their lives. I found David Oakes’ chat with super talented printmaker, illustrator, scientist and explorer Beatrice von Preussen really inspiring. Bea has such curiosity about the natural world and travelled from pole to pole, drawing the wildlife she saw on her journey.
https://www.treesacrowd.fm/

I really do hope that there suggestions are useful for you. With so much going on in the world, I do think it’s so worthwhile to have something to focus on which is calming and doesn’t leave you feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Nature and wildlife podcasts are a great way to learn more about the wildlife around us and the ways we can connect with the natural world and even make a difference from a sustainability perspective. I would love to know which podcasts you enjoy listening to - please share your suggestions in the comments!