In production now - Saving Species, a major series for Radio 4. The first series ended in February 2011 - the next series will begin in April 2011 and I will be producing 15 programmes.
Mud, Birds and Tides - The Severn Esturay Broadcast Sept 16th at 21.00 2009
Photograph by Robert King
The Severn Estuary has the second highest tidal range in the world - 15 m - and as the water rips over the mud and rocks the turbulence turns the water brown. It is also ear marked for a huge tidal barrage. But what lives there? How does life survive the racing tides? Should the barrage be built? Presented by Chris Sperring
Listener Comment: "Fascinating programme, I loved the image of the "jewels in the cave like pirates treasure". And 2000 species on Steepholm. Amazing!!! A lot covered and a lot to think about. Excellent programme. Thank you."
Living World - Chalk Grasslands. Broadcast August 6th 2009 at 06.35 on Radio 4
Living World - Great Bustards. Broadcast on August 30th 2009 at 06.35 on Radio 4
Seabirds - The Canaries on the Cliffs. Broadcast on June 3rd 2009 on Radio 4
Photograph by Chris Sperring
Britain is internationally important for its seabird colonies - but worrying trends in numbers returning to breed each year, and the numbers of chicks they are producing, is leading to searching questions about the state of our oceans. Presented by Chris Sperring.
The Future of the Amazon. Broadcast on May 5th 2009 on Radio 4
The Amazon Basin is vitally important as a home to 50% of the world's species but also as a carbon sink and regulator of climate, but it is always under threat from deforestation.. But how does the increasing loss of trees affect the wildlife that lives there? Presented by Paul Evans.
And here are 2 Natures I made last year:
Snails
A fun programme exploring the wild and whacky world of the snail - from the biggest to the smallest - and some are VERY small!
Caledonia
Caledonian pine forest once covered the whole of Scotland, now it remains in a few isolated forests.
But plans are afoot to see the majestic Scots Pine once again cover the mountains and plains of Scotland - but is everyone happy?
End 2008 - 3 programmes for World on the Move on BBC Radio 4 - CLICK HERE for more information on this fascinating series on animal migration worldwide.
It was wonderful to visit the reindeer in Northern Sweden and to spend some time with the Sami people who follow the reindeer migration.
The sign outside my hotel in Vilhelmina. It was very cold! -10 in the middle of the day.
Reindeer in the spruce forests of N Sweden in an area called Vilhelmina, they havemade their way here from the mountains in the west, towards Norway.
Karin Baer, the Sami reindeer herder and Camilla Sandstrom from Umea University who I interviewed on the World on the Move programme.
Karin giving supplementary feed to the reindeer. These particular animals are being kept in a pen and fed on manufactured food because they still have too much caesium in their bodies. Where does the caesium come from? From the Chernobyl disaster in 1986! The lichens the reindeer love to eat still have high levels in their tissues, which is passed onto the reindeer. A stark reminder of the long lasting effects of a nuclear disaster.
Some previous radio productions - all Radio 4 - at a glance: (Right click to open in separate window)
Gardens of Faith 5 x 15 (Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism); Monastic Gardens 5 x 15 (Benedictines, Jesuits,
Cistercians, Dominicans, Franciscans);
Rules of Life (Landmark Series) 8 x 30; Solitude 2 x 30 (Choosing, Isolation); Ritual 1 x 30; Hornet Juice 1 x 30;
New Sexual Nature 4 x 30; Goddess on Page 3 1 x 30;
Sex and the Scientist 1 x 30; Crude Facts 2 x 30; The Philosopher, the Fish and the Dove 5 x 15; Predators 4 x 30
(Big Cats, Birds, Land to Water, Oceans); Ice Age 2 x 30;
Birth of Europe 5 x 30; John of the Mountains 1 x 30; Frontier Family 1 x 30; One for the Pot 4 x 30
PLUS numerous strand programmes for Living World, Nature, Natural History Programme and Shared Earth.
Radio Awards
Garden Writers Guild Award ? www.gardenwriters.co.uk
(Winner Best Radio Programme 2007 for Gardens of Faith)
Judges comments: The standard of entries this year was very high, with two standing out
above the rest. Both Gardens of Faith and Five Gardens of Germany were tremendous programmes -
stimulating and thoughtful, elegantly presented, technically accomplished, and utterly compelling listening.
And after many days? debate, the top prize finally went to Gardens of Faith because we felt that its subject matter
was slightly more ambitious - addressing issues both topical and important. Gardens of Faith is just what radio ought
to be: demanding, challenging, thought-provoking, instructive. It was not easy listening, but richly rewarded our attention.
In these times of fear and distrust, there is a great need for programmes like this.
Pick of Pick of the Year for Hornet Juice in 2000 (most requested repeat)
Hornet Juice
This is the bizarre story of how Japanese scientists came to realise that the clear liquid produced out of the mouths of giant Japanese hornet grubs could make people run faster for longer!
Mary Colwell eating giant hornets for the Radio 4 programme 'Hornet Juice'. This was the most requested repeat in 2000
Hornet Juice
click here to download the mp3 file