Unlocking Landscapes
13 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 months ago -The aim of the pod is to promote conversations about human relationships with the landscape. Those relationships include people who work and volunteer in/on the landscape, photographers, artists, writers, scientists, community organisers and more.
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Episodes
Walking to Lough Conn with Seán Lysaght
October 08, 2023 21:17 - 56 minutes - 77.5 MBIn September 2022 I had the privilege of walking through the woods of Enniscoe House in Co. Mayo, Ireland, to the shore of Lough Conn with Seán Lysaght. Seán is a poet and author who has taught me a great deal (through his books and poems) about the nature, landscape and heritage of County Mayo. We cover a lot of ground and experience all the weathers, with Seán reading one of his poems at the close of the episode. It ends in dramatic fashion, with the rain sweeping in off Lough Conn and ma...
Walking with ravens in the Ox Mountains, County Mayo 🇮🇪
January 09, 2023 11:31 - 22 minutes - 31.5 MBIt's January 2023 and my podcast, Unlocking Landscapes, is 2 years old! Thanks to everyone who has contributed and supported so far. I do this podcast at my own costs so if you want to support it (it costs a basic £100 annually to host my Podbean account) you can 'buy me a coffee/camomile' here: https://ko-fi.com/djgwild I haven't posted for a while, mainly for professional and technical reasons. The biggest issue is that I needed to upgrade my ailing desktop PC, which I have now done. I...
Woodland inspiration with Zoe Gilbert in the Weald of Kent
October 03, 2022 10:14 - 1 hour - 85.7 MBUnlocking Landscapes is back! In May 2022 I met with author Zoe Gilbert in Ham Street Woods National Nature Reserve on the Kent/Sussex border. Zoe is an award winning writer and she sounds very much at home in the woods. It was a real pleasure to spend the day with her and I'm very grateful for her time. In March 2022 Zoe published her latest book, Mischief Acts (you can buy it here). The book is inspired by an historic wooded landscape in south London known as the Great North Wood. It's be...
Looking for cuckoos in the Sussex Weald | birdsong walk
January 19, 2022 17:24 - 39 minutes - 54.1 MBIn May 2021 I walked 8 miles into the Sussex Weald to see if I could hear a cuckoo. The weather was fine and there were loads of birds out, many of them in full song. This is an episode best listened to through headphones so you can hear the birdsong, the wind through the trees and the buzzing of bees in the woodland landscape of the High Weald. It's an immersive episode with a guided walk feel, focusing on listening to the surrounding landscape. Birds identified here include: Goldcrest C...
Being a Bee Doctor with Dr. Beth Nicholls
September 28, 2021 12:08 - 37 minutes - 51.9 MBAfter a month off this summer, Unlocking Landscapes is back and this time it's outside, with a guest! In August I met up with Dr. Beth Nicholls at Bedelands Local Nature Reserve in West Sussex. Beth is a researcher on the subject of pollinating insects, with a key focus on bees. She works at the University of Sussex. We talk about: what inspired Beth to become a "bee doctor" the hairiness of bees (but not wasps) educating people about the importance of all pollinators issues around ho...
The Great Hungarian Plain with Eddie Chapman
July 05, 2021 06:00 - 1 hour - 91.3 MBHUNGARY AND ROMANIA BY TRAIN: PART ONE In this episode I’m joined by someone you’ve never heard of, my good friend Eddie Chapman. Eddie is a devoted rambler and part-time rapper who lives in Glasgow, Scotland. Eddie grew up in the Derbyshire town of Chesterfield and developed a love for the landscape through hiking in the nearby Peak District. He now spends his walking time bagging munros in the Scottish Highlands. This is part one of two episodes covering a trip Eddie and I undertook...
South London's ancient woodlands with Chantelle Lindsay & Sam Bentley-Toon
June 04, 2021 13:02 - 1 hour - 85.4 MBIn this episode, I am delighted to welcome Chantelle Lindsay and Sam Bentley-Toon. Chantelle and Sam are environmental professionals who worked together on London Wildlife Trust’s Great North Wood project. Chantelle and Sam share their experiences of protecting and managing south London’s ancient woodlands. They talk about their passion for volunteering and some of the challenges that woodland conservation in London involves. We also discuss rewilding in a London context and whether beaver...
Irreplaceable: 'brownfields' and the nature of connection with Julian Hoffman
April 23, 2021 11:41 - 48 minutes - 66.3 MBThis is the second part of two episodes with author Julian Hoffman. The first episode was about living with pelicans and bears in northern Greece, where Julian lives. Julian has published two books of non-fiction with a strong focus on landscapes, wildlife and heritage. In 2012 Julian’s debut book The Small Heart of Things was published, and in 2019 it was followed by Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places. We pick up right where we left off in episode one, with a question to ...
Living with pelicans and bears in northern Greece with Julian Hoffman
April 05, 2021 06:00 - 43 minutes - 98.9 MBThis is part one of two episodes with author Julian Hoffman. This episode focuses on Julian's life in northern Greece where he encounters European brown bears in his day to day life. We also discuss the local accents of wrens(!), particularly Liverpudlian wrens. Julian has published two books. In 2012 The Small Heart of Things was published and in 2019 it was followed by Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places. I’m a big fan of both of these books. Julian does that rare thing for...
The Sussex Weald: the octopus beech tree
March 19, 2021 06:01 - 25 minutes - 58.6 MBIn this shorter episode I recorded a circular walk from home, checking up on an old beech tree in an area of woodland known as the Sussex Weald. This is the first outdoor pod for Unlocking Landscapes, with lots of natural soundscapes to enjoy: mud, ice, streams, bog and birdsong. The areas of interest here are: Woodland streams, known in this area as 'gills' Heathlands and plantations Wood ants Sphagnum moss bogs Ancient and veteran trees, especially beech (Fagus sylvatica) I'd love ...
Photographing India and Sri Lanka with Raki Nikahetiya
March 02, 2021 19:23 - 1 hour - 147 MBIn this episode of Unlocking Landscapes I speak to photographer Raki Nikahetiya. Raki lives in New Delhi and practices what he terms 'interdisciplinary photography'. His photographic work focuses on documentary, landscape, wildlife and other digital art forms. He is currently working on a project with the University of Barcelona on the subject of... cave paintings and petri dishes! Raki talks about life in India where agrarian protests are raging and people are coming to terms with the Covi...
London's historic Great North Wood with Chris Schüler
February 03, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 183 MBIn January 2021, at what we hope is the height of the UK’s Covid crisis I spoke to author Chris Schüler over Zoom about his upcoming book on London’s historic Great North Wood. Chris has been a regular volunteer at Sydenham Hill Wood Local Nature Reserve in south-east London since 2011. His most recent book, Along the Amber Route: St Petersburg to Venice, published in February 2020, has been shortlisted for the Bookmark Book of the Year 2020 and the longlisted for the Jewish Quarterly-Winga...
Unlocking Landscapes podcast - introductory episode
February 02, 2021 19:13 - 2 minutes - 5.01 MBThis is the introduction to the Unlocking Landscapes podcast. This short recording introduces your host for the pod and outlines some of the themes and ideas you should be expect to hear about with the podcast going forward. Thanks for listening!