What if you just leave it? Rewilding unwrapped – Détails, épisodes et analyse

This is the second of two epidodes with Rewilding Chile, on a trip I made to the country in Jan 2024. This episode is with Carolyn McCarthy, Global Comms lead for Tomkins Conservation (strategic partners of Rewilding Chile), and Guillermo Sapaj, Director of Strategy for Rewilding Chile. This episode, recorded at the HQ in Puerto Varas, talks about the history, approach and strategy of the organisation, and of the huge role of Doug and Kris Tomkins in nature conservation in Chile. Search 'Rewilding Chile' to find out more about the organisation, and you can see my photos from the trip online at ⁠whatifyoujustleaveit.info⁠ very soon.

This is the first of two epidodes with staff from Rewilding Chile, on a trip I made there in Jan 2024. This episode is with operational staff - Cristian first, and then Alejandra - and was made mainly in the field where I went to look at projects involving the critically endangered huemul deer and the iconic anean carrion bird, the condor. I caught up with Cristian again later to talk more leisurely about the organisation and the projects. There are major similarities of approaches between here and the UK, the differences being in the way the country looks after its protected areas, and the scale of land that they have available. Search 'Rewilding Chile' to find out more, and you can see my photos from the trip online at whatifyoujustleaveit.info very soon.

This is the second half of my interview with Professor Alastair Driver, environmental powerhouse and Director at Rewilding Britain.  If you haven't heard Part 1 yet then I recommend it, and in Part 2 Ali carries on from where he left off, looking at the importance and benefits of Rewilding.  I end with some more up to date detail about the national progress about rewilding, and you can see more details about this on the webpage https://www.whatifyoujustleaveit.info/rewilding-pioneer/ali-driver  I hope you enjoy it, and, as ever, any comments and reviews very welcome.

Thank you for listening.

In this episode I talk to Professor Alastair Driver, environmental powerhouse and Director at Rewilding Britain.  The interview was so long that I had to split it into two parts, so Part 1 covers the basics of rewilding and a lot more besides.  Ali is a very engaging and passionate speaker, so this podcast and Part 2 are a must for anyone interested in the subject.  I held the interview at Ali's Pond Local Nature Reserve in Sonning, near Reading.  This tiny LNR is named after the man himself for the work he put into making it, and it is an oasis of peace, calm and nature.  You can see the photos and read more at https://www.whatifyoujustleaveit.info/rewilding-pioneer/ali-driver but this and the next episodes are less about the photos and more about the man. 

Any comments and reviews very welcome, and thank you for listening.

In this episode I visit Black Down, primarily a heathland restoration project in the heart of the Dorset AONB.  You can see the photos and read more at whatifyoujustleaveit.info and this podcast is an interview with Tom Munro, who heads up the AONB Team.  Tom covers a wide range of subjects related to rewilding, including carbon storage in the soils, 'natural beauty' as a holistic concept that is not just based on aesthetics, ecological engineering with cattle and habitat mosaics being so important for allowing and encouraging nature to take a hold.

Any comments and reviews very welcome, and thank you for listening.

In this episode I talk to Sir Ferrers Vyvyan, landowner, agronomist and environmentalist.  Ferrers' family has been on the Lizard for more than 600 years and they are now looking at major changes to how they manage the land in their care.  He has been undertaking a small scale wilding project in a part of the estate, and you can see a range of photos showing this, and more details, at www.whatifyoujustleaveit.info  It is a fascinating conversation covering a wide range of themes - enjoy!

Any comments and reviews very welcome, and thank you for listening.

This episode is the first of my conservations with James Fuller, a businessman / farmer who is looking to farm much more sensitively with nature that those he bought the farm off.   It is very much a starting point and I will be back to see James as his project progresses.  I have developed a full blog entry with photos from the visit at www.whatifyoujustleaveit.info so please do have a look and let me know what you think.

Any comments and reviews very welcome, and thank you for listening.

This was the first interview I did about my rewilding project.  As you will hear, I spoke to Tim first as he is a friend, and someone who could inspire me with ideas and put me in touch with people - which he did admirably.  It is fascinating to hear Tim talk about, and around the subject, and I hope you enjoy it.  You can see the rushed photographs I took of him just after the interview at www.whatifyoujustleaveit.info  

Any comments and reviews very welcome, and thank you for listening.

This episode combines audio from November 2021 and January 2023, made in the Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve in Dorset. Back in 2021 I interviewed David Brown and Mark Singleton about the natural process-led solutions that the National Trust and partners were adopting on the vast area of protected Heathland. The area is very important for biodiversity, but it has been a very highly 'managed' landscape for a long time. Drawing on principles from rewilding, the Trust are now adopting more natural process-led solutions for nature restoration at a landscape scale, including large herbivores and even thinking about Bison. The episode ends with an update from David in 2023, and it gives hope that it is possible to make these changes at scale, even in our busy and overpopulated land. Please do check out my website - whatifyoujustleaveit.info, and I do these podcasts for the love of it, so if you want to 'but me a coffee', please go to buymeacoffee.com/samrose Thanks for listening :)

This episode was recorded on a very wet day at Ben Goldsmith's estate near Frome in Somerset. A financier by profession, Ben has been involved in rewilding for some time, and this interview goes some way towards explaining why this is and what has driven his passion for nature. He talks very fondly about his home and area, and about bringing nature back - including the appearance of wild beavers on his land. Ben has had personal tragedy, and the solace of nature, talked about in terms of biophilia, is very important to him - as it is for many people. He is very engaging and welcoming, and I think you will find it a very enjoyable conversation - even if you can clearly hear that I am tying to keep the microphone up with his fast stride as we head around the estate. Finally, I do these podcasts for the love of it so if you feel like treating me to say thanks, please buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/samrose. Thanks for listening :)