About this episode

The episode explores urban wildlife, geology, and the intersection of art and conservation through interviews with various guests.

Right in the heart of London is one of the city’s most popular attractions, The Natural History Museum. Last week, Rachel met up with John Tweedie, head of the Centre for UK Nature and UK Nature Recovery, who explained why the museum’s ponds have become a hotspot for all kinds of insects, including the striking willow emerald damselfly. To celebrate the tercentenary of James Hutton's birth, a new Deep Time Trail at Siccar Point has been launched. It features a redeveloped 1.3km pathway, new seating, cycle racks, an arrival pillar and spectacular stone viewpoints to help visitors explore the birthplace of modern geology. Mark and geologist Dr Angus Miller visit the site on the Berwickshire Coastal Path. Only a tiny number of people have completed all 282 of Scotland’s Munros in a single winter. In 2024, Anna Wells became the first woman and only the fourth person on record to achieve the feat. She’s written a book about the challenge and spoke to Helen Needham about the experience. You can listen to the full podcast at Scotland Outdoors Street artist Mark Anthony, also known as ATM, has created murals across the country highlighting endangered bird species and the threat of…

People in this episode

Host: Rachel

Guests: John Tweedie, Dr Angus Miller, Anna Wells, Mark Anthony

Topics covered

• geology
• nature conservation
• urban wildlife
• mountaineering
• art and environment

Keywords

• Natural History Museum
• willow emerald damselfly
• Deep Time Trail
• Munros
• endangered bird species

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Natural History Museum, BBC Radio Scotland

Books & works: book

Places: London, Scotland, Berwickshire Coastal Path, Lochardil

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• Kites, Rivers and Maps · May 16, 2026 · 1h 23m
• Foraging and Fermenting with Janice Clyne · May 13, 2026 · 21 min
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