Wild Tales | Nature Podcast

Afleveringen

1. Obsessed with Barn Owls

   29 oktober 2026 · 22 min

   Afspelen
   With silent flight and ghostly heart-shaped faces, barn owls are among Britain's most captivating birds. Join Ranger Ajay Tegala, as self-confessed barn-owl obsessive Jake Brass takes us into his wonderful world of barn owls. With expert insight from The Barn Owl Trust. Lees meer

   Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube:
   https://www.youtube.com/@nationaltrustcharity/podcasts

   Production
   Host: Ajay Tegala
   Producer: Claire Hickinbotham
   Sound: Jesus Gomez
   Contributors: Jake Brass, photographer, and Kate Jellyman, The Barn Owl Trust

   Jake walked on the Longshaw Estate in Derbyshire for this recording. Check out this map for walks on the estate -longshaw-map.pdf or head to the 'Top Trails' part of this page Longshaw, Burbage & the Eastern Moors | National Trust
   You can get to the start point of many of the walks from Grindleford train station, which has trains from Manchester and Sheffield.

   For other places to see Barn Owls at our sites, have a look at this page Our guide to barn owls | Wildlife | National Trust

   Or plan your own walk at dusk or dawn, just please remember that barn owls are a protected species and disturbing them while they are nesting is illegal. There's more information here Legal protection of wild Barn Owls - The Barn Owl Trust

   Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

   If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

2. The Metropolis in the Woods | Northern Hairy Wood Ants

   15 oktober 2026 · 19 min

   Afspelen
   Beneath the trees at Hardcastle Crags, millions of tiny workers are busy building a city of their own.
   Follow Rosie Holdsworth down to the forest floor, as she meets the northern hairy wood ants and discovers busy motorways, high-rise homes, and even an onsite food production line.
   Production
   Host: Rosie Holdsworth
   Producer: Nikki Ruck
   Sound Recordist : Jesus Gomez
   Sound Design : Nikki Ruck Lees meer

   Contributors :
   Anthony Arak
   Steve Blacksmith
   Alice James

   photo credit : ©National Trust Images/Robert Morris

   If you would like to visit Hardcastle Crags you can find out more here

   www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/hardcastle-crags

   Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube channel

   If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

   Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

3. Wild Voices | Trees for Tomorrow

   8 oktober 2026 · 35 min

   Afspelen
   Join National Trust ranger Ajay Tegala in conversation with Zoe Hill, the National Trust’s first-ever Tree Nursery Officer. Zoe offers a fascinating insight into what it takes to grow climate-resilient trees for future generations, from caring for 50,000 young saplings to helping them thrive in an increasingly challenging climate. She also shares practical tips for growing and caring for trees in your own garden. Lees meer

   Together, Zoe and Ajay look ahead to the British landscape of 50 years’ time, exploring how the trees we plant today could shape the future of our countryside, and the vital role they can play in tackling climate change.

   Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube: https://youtu.be/BrAcTeGQKJw

   Production
   Host: Ajay Tegala
   Producer: Pippa Tilbury-Harris
   Sound: Jesus Gomez
   Contributor: Zoe Hill

   Image copyright: ©National Trust Images/ Trevor Ray Hart

   Discover more:
   If you’d like to visit Holnicote, you can find out more here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/somerset/countryside-woodland/explore-holnicote-estate

   Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

   If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

4. Bats | The Dark Knights Rise Again

   1 oktober 2026 · 21 min

   Afspelen
   Bats are some of Britain’s most mysterious mammals. From caves and woodlands to parks and abandoned buildings, they’ve adapted to an astonishing range of habitats, and as night falls, you might spot them emerging from their roosts. Lees meer

   National Trust ranger Rosie Holdsworth joins bat conservationist Steve Roe on a series of surveys across the Peak District, tracking these elusive creatures through winter and spring. Part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme, the surveys are helping to build a vital picture of how bat populations are faring across the UK.

   Often feared and misunderstood, bats are far more fascinating than their reputation suggests. Join us on a journey into their hidden world to discover the remarkable lives of Britain’s bats, and why monitoring and protecting them matters.

   Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube:
   https://youtu.be/ZT4mlDD6j8U

   Production
   Host: Rosie Holdsworth
   Producer: Jack Glover, Michelle Douglass, Jesus Gomez, Pippa Tilbury-Harris
   Sound: Jesus Gomez
   Contributor: Steve Roe, Allan Roe, Jess Eades, Helen Ball

   Cover image copyright: Steve Roe

   Discover More:

   Want to know more about bats? Why not listen to BatChat, a podcast dedicated to these amazing creatures and hosted by Steve Roe, our main collaborator in this episode.

   If you’d like to learn more about The National Bat Monitoring Programme and the bat surveys, you can sign up here.

   To find your nearest bat group search this page.

   Follow Steve’s Instagram account @steveroebatman

   Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

   If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

5. Clever Corvids

   17 september 2026 · 16 min

   Afspelen
   Corvids, such as Crows, Rooks and Jackdaws are known for their high intelligence, problem solving abilities and complex social behaviour. But they’re also often associated with folklore, scary stories and horror movies. Lees meer

   Join us as we delve into the lives of the Clever Corvids, uncover the reasons behind their menacing image and find out that there’s more to these super brainy birds than a reputation for being frightening.

   Production
   Hosts: Rosie Holdsworth and Ajay Tagala
   Producer: Katy Kelly
   Sound design: Jesus Gomez
   Contributors: Professor Nicky Clayton and Dr. Jo Wimpenny

   Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

   Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nationaltrustcharity/podcasts

   If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

6. BONUS: Wild Voices | Can Social Media Save Birds?

   10 september 2026 · 31 min

   Afspelen
   Join National Trust ranger Ajay Tegala in another Wild Voices conversation with conservationist and content creator Emily Askew, and naturalist and wildlife advocate Ben Rumsby.
   Recorded live at the Global Bird Fair in Rutland, Emily and Ben explore how social media is reshaping the world of birding and inspiring a new generation to connect with nature. From balancing the demands of the algorithm with authentic storytelling to building welcoming online communities, they discuss the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities of sharing the natural world online. Lees meer

   Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube: https://youtu.be/1XeTSNw6dgs

   Production
   Host: Ajay Tegala
   Producer: Pippa Tilbury-Harris & Ajay Tegala
   Sound: Jesus Gomez
   Contributors: Emily Askew and Ben Rumsby

   Discover More
   You can follow Emily on Instagram here: @emilyinnature_

   And Ben here: @brnature1

   Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

   If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

7. A Whole World on a Cabbage

   3 september 2026 · 15 min

   Afspelen
   A two-hour ferry ride from the North Devon coast lies a tiny island often described as Britain's very own Galápagos. Lees meer

   It's home to all sorts of wildlife, including a plant that grows nowhere else on Earth. And hidden among its leaves is a tiny beetle that only lives there too.

   Join us as we head to Lundy to meet the people who spend their days counting cabbages, and discover why this little-known plant has become such an important conservation story.

   Production
   Narrator : Rosie Holdsworth
   Producer and sound design by Nikki Ruck

   Contributors

   Tara McEvoy-Wilding - Assistant Warden Lundy Island
   Laura Larkin – Buglife
   Karim Vahed - Buglife
   Joseph Pavitt – MS Oldenburg

   We recorded this episode at Lundy Island
   To find out more about the island and how to get there

   www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/devon/lundy

   www.landmarktrust.org.uk/lundyisland/

   To find out more about the Lundy Cabbage
   lundy-cabbage

   To find out more about the Lundy Flea Beetle
   www.buglife.org.uk

   Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

   Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube

   If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

8. The London Parakeet Mystery

   20 augustus 2026 · 19 min

   Afspelen
   Brightly coloured ring-necked parakeets might now be a familiar sight in the London sky, but that wasn't always the case. Lees meer

   Join Ranger Rosie Holdsworth and Johnathan Miller-McCall as we track down these acid-green birds and understand how they got here, and why they're thriving.

   Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube:
   https://www.youtube.com/@nationaltrustcharity/podcasts

   Production
   Hosts: Rosie Holdsworth with Johnathan Miller-McCall
   Producer: Claire Hickinbotham
   Sound: Nikki Ruck and Jesus Gomez

   If you fancy seeing the parakeets, we recorded this podcast at Morden Hall Park | London | National Trust.

   Or for some more ideas on where binoculars might come in handy
   Best birdwatching walks in the UK | National Trust

   Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

   If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

9. Wild Voices | Nature and Belonging

   6 augustus 2026 · 27 min

   Afspelen
   Join National Trust ranger Ajay Tegala in a Wild Voices conversation with veterinary surgeon, conservationist and founder of the Ealing Wildlife Group, Dr Sean McCormack. Recorded live at the Global Bird Fair in Rutland, Sean shares the remarkable story of bringing beavers back to London for the first time in 400 years and explains why community-led rewilding is transforming urban landscapes. Lees meer

   Together, Sean and Ajay explore what it means to reconnect people with nature, why access and belonging matter, and how local action could shape a wilder future for us all.

   Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nationaltrustcharity/podcasts

   Production
   Host: Ajay Tegala
   Producer: Pippa Tilbury-Harris & Ajay Tegala
   Sound: Jesus Gomez
   Contributor: Dr Sean McCormack

   You can find out more about the Ealing Beaver Project here: The Ealing Beaver Project – Bringing Beavers Back to London

   And you can discover more about Dr Sean McCormack here: https://www.instagram.com/thatvetsean/ https://linktr.ee/thatvetsean

   Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

   If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

10. The Great Cuckoo Con

    23 juli 2026 · 16 min

    Afspelen
    Every spring, the unmistakable call of the cuckoo echoes across Wicken Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire. But behind that familiar sound lies one of nature's most extraordinary deceptions. Join ranger and naturalist Ajay Tegala as he uncovers the astonishing lengths a cuckoo will go to raise its young. Lees meer

    Production

    Host : Ajay Tegala
    Narrator : Rosie Holdsworth
    Producer : Nikki Ruck
    Location Sound : Claire Hickinbotham
    Sound Design : Nikki Ruck

    If you would like to learn more about the habitat of Cuckoos and Reed Warbler
    we recorded this episode at
    Wicken Fen Nature reserve

    Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

    If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

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