The Wild Cornwall Podcast

In Cornwall, you’re never more than 20 miles from the sea – and beneath the waters are habitats which capture and store carbon, known ‘blue carbon’.

A new series of reports – The Blue Carbon Mapping Project – estimate that 244 million tonnes of organic carbon are stored in just the top 10cm of the UK’s seabed sediments.

Dan Barrios-O’Neill, Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s new Head of Marine, explains more about these findings and the importance of protecting marine habitats.

Find out more about blue carbon here.

Support Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s work at sea here.

Learn more about Tor to Shore.

Water is absolutely essential for all life on earth, but in Cornwall only 24% of rivers and 15% of lakes are classified as having good ecological status.

In this episode we hear from Jade Neville, Catchment Partnership Officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, and Simon Jeffery, Senior Advisor for Cornwall for Flood and Coastal Risk Management at the Environment Agency. We explore a range of issues, including pollution, flooding and climate resilience.

Explore the topics further and take action:

• Rivers Trust’s ‘Is my river fit to play in?’ map  
• List of actions you can take to support your local rivers
• March for Clean Water London, 3rd November
• River-related data online: Environment Agency’s Catchment Data Explorer, South West Water’s Water Fit Live
• River Citizen Science Schemes: Westcountry CSI,  Riverfly, Big River Watch
• Report an environmental incident  to the Environment Agency
• Yellow Fish Campaign

Craig Bennett has been Chief Executive Officer of The Wildlife Trusts since 2020. On a visit to Cornwall, he shared with us some of the exciting things he sees in his national role. We talked about what gives him hope, what he sees as the most urgent priorities for nature, and about what we can do to make a difference.

Find out more about The Wildlife Trusts.

Discover Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Tor to Shore project.

The Japanese practice of 'Shinrin Yoku' or 'forest bathing' has been shown to bring you calm, boosting physical and mental health. It’s all about walking slowly through woods, without hurry, and soaking up the atmosphere. 

In today’s episode we’ll find out about forest bathing by speaking to a practitioner, Paul Simmons, based in Cornwall. From Devichoys Woods nature reserve, Paul tells us how forest bathing reduces stress and blood pressure, whilst boosting immunity, improving mood, and increasing sleep.

To find out more about Paul's work, visit the Forest Bathing Cornwall website. 

Read more about forest bathing - including ideas about which woodland nature reserves you can visit - on our blog. 

If you’d like to make a difference to woodland cover in Cornwall, you can donate to help restore and protect woodlands.

Is climate change a serious threat to nature in Cornwall? How is it already impacting our terrestrial and marine wildlife? What role does nature (and nature recovery) play in tackling the challenge at hand? And, most importantly, what can be done?

Join Cornwall Wildlife Trust and leading experts in this area with this recording from a panel discussion on Wednesday 8th May. 

Speakers include:

• Prof. Martin Siegert FRSE – Glaciologist and Vice President and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Cornwall), University of Exeter
• Claire Wallerstein - Producer, Cornwall Climate Care
• Dr Dan Barrios-O’Neill - Data and Insights Manager, The Wildlife Trusts
• Cheryl Marriott – Director of Nature and People, Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Each speaker brings their own unique experiences and expertise in relation to the question.

At this event, Cornwall Wildlife Trust launched the Temperate Rainforest Appeal. Find out more and donate here. 

With farmland taking up three-quarters of all land in Cornwall, it will be impossible to halt the decline of wildlife, restore healthy ecosystems and achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions without supporting farmers to play their part. There are numerous examples of local farmers reducing pesticide and artificial fertiliser use, restoring soil health and making space for wildlife.

In this episode we explore the importance of nature-friendly farming and hear from a Cornwall Wildlife Trust farm advisor and a farmer she works with.

Find out more about our farm advice work.

Learn about the Upstream Thinking Project.

Sign the open letter for nature.

The next general election is on the horizon. It’s going to be one of the most important moments for nature in a lifetime. The next government will be in power for much of the time between now and 2030, the date by which we want to see 30% of land and sea under good conservation management.
 
With our supporters, Cornwall Wildlife Trust would like to make a difference to the narrative of this general election. We want to raise the profile of environmental issues with parliamentary candidates, showing how much so many people in Cornwall care about nature and the climate crisis.

Cheryl Marriott, Director of Nature and People, talks to The Wild Cornwall Podcast about why this is so important and our plans. 

Sign the open letter here.

Find a husting near you.

Get involved in campaigning.

Read about our election asks in more detail. 

This episode discusses the incredible humpback whales which - if you’re lucky - you can spot off the coast of Cornwall between November and March.

These amazing mammals are about the size of a bus and undertake some of the longest migrations of any mammal. Humpback whales can be found in all of the oceans of the world, but in the last few years have been increasingly spotted in Cornwall.

Tom speaks with two Cornwall Wildlife Trust volunteers who are absolutely passionate about humpback whales. We find out all about these amazing animals, what it’s like to catch a glimpse of one, and where you might go to have the best chance of a sighting.

To find out more about humpback whales, how to spot them in Cornwall, and the ID project, check out our humpback blog.

Discover more about Seaquest Southwest.

Laura Snell, Conservation Officer, talks about her love of hazel dormice – and what we’re doing to monitor and protect them.

Since we recorded this episode, the State of Britain's Dormice 2023 report has been published, showing the population has actually fallen by 70% - you can read the full report here.

Find out more about the Rewilding Helman Tor Appeal.

Visit Helman Tor.

Download the Wilderness Trail leaflet.

Volunteer with one of our teams.

Become a member of Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

Matt Walpole, Chief Executive of Cornwall Wildlife Trust, reflects on his first year in post - and shares his excitement about our plans for the future.

Find out more about the plans for Helman Tor here.

Learn about our farm advice work here. 

Find out more about the seagrass beds in St. Austell Bay here.

Matt Slater, Marine Conservation officer, returns to The Wild Cornwall Podcast to discuss recent news about rising sea temperatures and their impact on Cornwall. 

Find out more about Cornwall Wildlife Trust's marine conservation work. 

Discover the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide. 

Join Cornwall Wildlife Trust today.

We speak to our mid-Cornwall Reserves Manager, Andy Collins, about the plans for our largest nature reserve, Helman Tor. Andy tells us about  how ponies and cattle grazing, beavers building dams, and pigs rootling around will help nature make a comeback.

Find out more about the Rewilding Helman Tor Appeal.

Visit Helman Tor.

Download the Wilderness Trail leaflet.

Volunteer with one of our teams.

Become a member of Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s panel discussion event, which took place on Wednesday 26th April 2023 at Heartlands, Pool to discuss "Rewilding. Our last hope or a current craze?"

The speakers on the panel were as follows:

• Cheryl Marriott - Head of Conservation, Cornwall Wildlife Trust

• Benedict Macdonald – Television Producer, Nature Writer and Conservationist

• Chris Jones - Organic Livestock Farmer, Woodland Valley Farm

• Dr Sarah Crowley – Senior Lecturer in Human and Animal Geography, University of Exeter.

Each speaker brings their own unique experiences and expertise in relation to the question.

The event was chaired by BBC Springwatch presenter and Wildlife Trust Vice President Gillian Burke.

To watch the Rewilding Helman Tor Appeal film click here.

To find out more about the appeal, visit the appeal page. 

With huge thanks to SourceFM for the recording!

Today’s episode focuses on the Marine Strandings Network, which is celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year. For centuries, people around our coastline have recorded washed-up organisms on our beaches. While although they’re very sad, these events offer an extraordinary opportunity for marine biologists to glimpse into the lives of animals that live in the sea and are usually incredibly hard to study. We speak with Abby Crosby, Marine Conservation Officer, followed by Sharon, a marine strandings volunteer.

Find out more about the Marine Strandings Network.

Download the 2021 Report.

Learn about the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme.

MSN on Instagram and Facebook.

Find out all about the incredible habitat at Penhale Dunes from ranger, Jon Cripps. Jon tells us all about wild ponies and explains why their grazing activities are so good for wildlife.

Find out more about Penhale Dunes.

Learn all about the Dynamic Dunescapes project. 

Tom meets Laura Fox on cold and crisp January day, speaking about what wildlife we can spot in the winter. Laura talks about enjoying spotting Queen bumblebees, lesser celendine, and frogspawn.

Find out more about bumblebees and lesser celandine.

Discover ERCCIS or submit a sighting.

Become a member!

Tom heads over to Cabilla and Redrice Woods, speaking with Stuart Mathieson, East Cornwall Reserves Officer, about the wildlife and history of the woods.

Find out more about Cabilla and Redrice Woods on our website. 

Donate to our Christmas Badger Appeal.

Directions to Cabilla and Redrice Woods:

From the A30, take the A38 eastbound towards Liskeard. After approximately 2.5 miles, turn left at a crossroad (the right turning has a railway bridge going over it). Cross the bridge over the River Fowey, and access is via the first track on the right. Park in the car park adjacent to the reserve entrance.

The 'What 3 Words' location is: https://w3w.co/jokes.decorator.roadways

A map can be found on our website.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust's Conservation Apprentice, Ella Lazic, talks to Tom all about hedgehogs and explains why we should be concerned about their decline.

Find out more about hedgehogs.  

Fill in our 2022 survey.

Find out how to build a hedgehog home. 

Check your bonfire before lighting it!

Cornwall Wildlife Trust's Conservation Manager, Tom Shelley, talks to Tom all about what fantastic creatures badgers are and explains why we're vaccinating them in Cornwall. 

Meet Matt Walpole, Cornwall Wildlife Trust's new Chief Executive. Matt shares his love of Cornwall, his career in conservation and his hopes for the future. Tom also interviews Dee Reeves, a retiring trustee of Cornwall Wildlife Trust who encourages people to leave something lasting behind for future generations. 

Matt Slater tells Tom about the joys and sorrows of marine conservation, and looks forward to National Marine Week. Tom and Lucy reflect on the work of the Your Shore Project, engaging young people with wildlife and marine activities. 

Find out about National Marine Week. 

Discover a local Your Shore Marine Group. 

Become a member.

Tom interviews Tom Shelley, Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Conservation Manager, about beavers, the amazing ‘eco-engineers’.

Find out more about beaver walks at Woodland Valley Farm:

Donate to our urgent land appeal.

Become a member.

Callum Deveney, Head of Nature Reserves, tells Tom all about rewilding, rare species and why Cornwall Wildlife Trust are so excited about a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy more land at Helman Tor. 

In this episode Lucy and Tom also reflect on the wonderful things to look out for as the summer arrives with June. They discuss 30 Days Wild and the exciting prospect of seeing beavers.

Donate to our urgent land appeal.

Sign up to 30 Days Wild nature challenge.

Go on a beaver walk.

Become a member.

Episode blog.

May is the month in which the dawn chorus really reaches a crescendo! It's also a time during which many of us think about our own and others' wellbeing, especially during Mental Health Awareness Week. In this episode, we consider how spending time outdoors can boost our mental wellbeing and Tom talks to Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Nature Wellbeing Coordinator, Eve Tucker, all about foraging. We’ll also be discussing how you can discover the joys of nature and its wellbeing benefits – everything from exercising outdoors to walking barefoot on the grass.

Sign up to 30 Days Wild nature challenge: https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/events/30-days-wild

On 26 April we brought together five speakers at Heartlands in Pool, Redruth to discuss the important question: ‘Restoring 30% of Cornwall’s land and sea for nature by 2030: is it really possible?’

From Cornish valley marshes to bogs on Bodmin Moor, our peatlands are havens for wildlife and key in the fight against climate change. We speak to Upstream Thinking Ecologist Liz about these precious places and how you can go ‘peat free’ at home. Tom and Lucy also head to Pendarves Wood near Camborne to discuss what you might expect to see in nature, both on land and at sea, during April.

Learn more about Cornwall’s peatlands and pledge to go peat free: www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/peat

Take a trip to the Trust’s first nature reserve, Hawkes Wood, in the first episode of a brand new series to mark our 60^th anniversary. At this enchanting old oak woodland, Tom speaks to volunteer warden Brian Wright to ask the question – what makes Hawkes Wood such a special place? We also uncover the wonderful wildlife to look out for in March as spring bounds into action!