In this preliminary episode, we tell you a bit about who we are, what we care about, what a wilder person is, and what's coming next for the show. There's also lots of talk about bumblebees, beavers, and bizarrely, Jane Austen makes an appearance. Thanks for listening.

Mark and Harry speak with custard cream enthusiast and Rewilding Ranger, Dan Hill, about Heal Rewilding, the Somerset Levels, approaches to hedgerow management, definitions of rewilding, beavers, his dream wildlife re-introductions, and much more!

Heal Rewilding: https://www.healrewilding.org.uk

Harry and Mark speak with wilder person David Lindo aka The Urban Birder. See below for his links and many accolades and accomplishments.

The Urban Birder
www.theurbanbirderworld.com

◾ Vice-President of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Voted 7th most influential person in Wildlife by BBC Wildlife Magazine. 

◾ Proud Ambassador for Kowa Sporting Optics, OM System, Páramo Directional Clothing, Hidden Hearing, London Wildlife Trust, Lundy Island,  Colombia Bird Fair, Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society, Conservation Without Borders, Birding For All, British Hedgehog Preservation Society, Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory & Peak Design

◾ Member of the British Guild of Travel Writers and a Fellow of the International League of Conservation Writers.

◾ Founder of Vote for Britain's National Bird Campaign.

◾ Awards: HH Bloomer Award 2021 - Linnean Society of London / shortlisted for 2020 PPA Columnist of the Year / shortlisted for the 2024 Wainwright Prize for Childrens Writing

◾ Stage play - City Birder - about The Urban Birder's life performed at Wroclaw Contemporary Theatre, Poland 

Join The Urban Birder World Membership here

Follow on Twitter: @urbanbirder
Instagram: theurbanbirder

And FaceBook: TheUrbanBirder

Harry and Mark chat with wilder person and ecologist Paul Carter about how he came to be interested in biodiversity, what a private sector ecologist does, how parasitic worms in ponds can act as flashbulb moments, why interventions need to come with a buffet, Biodiversity Net Gain as a concept, rating and assessing habitats, native vs. invasive species, Paul's shocking contention that humans might be a problem, controlling populations and anti-natalism, changing hearts and minds, and much much more.

Ask us a question or request a guest: thewilderpeoplepod@gmail.com

Follow us on Bluesky: wilderpeoplepod.bsky.social

Harry and Mark try our damndest to keep this episode under an hour as we chat about SOME of our favourite books on rewilding, environmentalism and wildlife.

Harry and Mark are joined by local legends Aaron and Ady to talk all things swifts, martins and swallows.

To get in touch with Aaron for some details on supply and installation of house Martin nest cups, please email housemartincups@outlook.com

If you're a wilder person and would like to be a guest on our show, please contact thewilderpeoplepod@gmail.com.

In today's episode Harry and Mark speak with Jack Durant, co-director of Youngwilders, an NGO dedicated to youth-led nature recovery. We yammer about all sorts of topics including setting up an NGO, slowworm bites, fighting with giant hogweed, the holy texts of rewilding, and much much more.

You can support Youngwilders here - https://www.youngwilders.org

And you can support Wilder People here - https://tinyurl.com/3v38fsh7

In this episode Harry and Mark talk with doctor of bees, the mighty 'Bee Babette' herself, all about trees. Bees, I mean, bees!

We discuss the differences between eusocial and solitary bees, European honeybees vs native bees, what the buzz a bee is anyway, why Latin names are the schiz, and, perhaps most importantly of all, how we can save bees. By the end, we're all very much... covered in bees!

You can support Kit here - https://www.patreon.com/TheBeeBabette

You can support Wilder People here -https://patreon.com/WilderPeople

Harry and Mark speak with Butterfly Conservation Youth Panel member Casper Rocher all about butterflies and moths, what a ranger does, why we trap moths, whether illegal reintroductions are a good or a bad thing, the importance of insect genitalia, ticking off all the butterflies, local extinctions, why moths like light, and much more besides.

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You can sign up to the BC Youth Panel zine 'Chattypillar' here: https://butterfly-conservation.org/youth-panel

Casper's Instagram is: @/caspersbutterflies

You can register a wild space here: https://wild-spaces.co.uk/

As an ambassador for The Tree Council, Harry is running an event: The Waterfront Forest. In this bonus episode, Harry tells Mark all about it and invites all wilder people listening to come along...

Where: Portsmouth Guildhall Square

When: Sunday June 29th 11-4pm

Read more and support: https://treecouncil.org.uk

Nikki Oliver works for Sussex Kelp Recovery Project, and in this episode we ask her all about that wonderful project. We also discuss the magic of experiencing life underwater, how we can help kelp, why rewilding isn't just a landlubber thing, what species rely on kelp, what kelp is anyway, and why things that are out of sight shouldn't be ignored.

Head here to support ocean life: https://sussexkelp.org.uk

Harry and Mark are joined by James Harding-Morris to discuss the endemic species of the UK (yes, there actually are some...). Terms are defined, Douglas Adams is saluted, the vole snacks of neolithic folk are hypothesised, but most importantly the wonderful endemic life of the UK is brought to the fore like never before.

To buy a copy of James' book: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/author/james-hardingmorris/

To support Wilder People: patreon.com/wilderpeople

Hiatus over.

Harry and Mark introduce their return, explain their absence, tease what's coming next, describe some wild encounters, and Harry throws some Latin around like a professional nerd.

[Photo of red-billed chough by Imran Shah]

Harry has been to see the film and Mark asks him all about it...

This episode was originally published on our Patreon account on the 14th June 2025 as a bonus episode for patrons.

***Harry is moving to start a Masters and so we're on hiatus whilst he manages all of those life transitions. We'll be back with our regular material soon***

This episode was originally published on 14th June 2025 as bonus content for our patrons on Patreon.com/WilderPeople. We will periodically be adding content to there as bonus material and occasionally doing the same here too. We hope you enjoy them.

In this episode Mark finds out why Harry is keeping moss in Tupperware containers in his bedroom...

In this episode Harry and Mark chat with inspirational wilder people Martin and Helen Keys from the Oliver's Battery Countryside Group about creating their very own community wildlife area.

Plus, they have an event coming up. They can’t sit still. Event details:

Wildlife and Countryside Fayre: Saturday 27th September 2025

Venue: St Marks Church, 94A Olivers Battery Road South, Olivers Battery, Winchester S022 4EZ

Open 11:00 am  Finish time 16:00

Support Wilder People: patreon.com/wilderpeople

In today's episode Harry and Mark speak with wilder person Jolene about what doing a PhD is really like, how to flush a jack snipe, the challenges of bird identification, Britain's education system, research techniques, the magic of Sparsholt College, and much more besides.

Follow Jolene on Instagram: @jolene.orlow.jacksnipe

Follow Jolene and crew on X: @jacksnipestudy

Support Wilder People: Patreon.com/wilderpeople

Harry and Mark speak with botanist, ecologist, plant wizard, bog guru, all about plants: why they're often left out of the conversation, plant STDs, plants without chlorophyll, the hidden depths of dandelions, why Josh started his own ecology firm, and more planty goodness. If you like plants, this one's for you. If you don't like plants, be prepared to.

Hire/support Josh:

https://stylesecology.co.uk

https://nwrpi.weebly.com

Support Wilder People: patreon.com/wilderpeople

Today we get to chat all about bats! We speak with the amazing Joe about his life as a wilder person, and we dive into some of the myths about bats, how bats navigate the world, conservation challenges, bats in the UK vs abroad, their roosting habits, bat mysteries, and loads more!

Support bats here - https://www.bats.org.uk

Support Wilder People here - patreon.com/wilderpeople