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Waterlands — Nature
Waterlands

Immerse yourself in the sounds of the riverbank, crashing tides, wild marshes filled with birds and the underwater sounds of the humble pond as we bring to life our incredible wetlands – and reveal their power to shape our future for the better. Join zoologist and wildlife presenter Megan McCubbin as she explores the wonders of our watery worlds and how wetlands have fed, inspired and transported us from countryside to city, source to sea.
Our wetlands bring us together across species and continents. They’re the source of life as we know it. Yet wetlands only cover about 6% of our planet, and they’re disappearing fast, despite the fact that people and 40% of all wildlife are reliant on them.
This is a podcast all about the wonderful, sometimes surprising and often underappreciated watery places around us, and how they can help us with some of the biggest issues facing life on this planet.
You’ll never look at a marsh or pond the same way again.
Finalist – Best Climate Podcast, British Podcast Awards 2023

Copyright: © Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, 2023

Latest Episodes:

Ripple effects: people and ponds Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

Water has a way of calming us “it just does something to us” says Nadeem Perera...but it can also bring us together.

In this episode Megan McCubbin explores the abundant pond life of Cody Dock in East London, which not only attracts the likes of Reed Warblers and Sticklebacks but members of the local community who have all helped transform and shape the area into a rich haven. We also join co-founder and nature activist Nadeem Perera next to one of his favourite slices of nature, right in the heart of Bristol. He tells us how an encounter with a crow near a pond in the heart of his community sparked an interest in birds that would help shape his future and his whole outlook on nature.

To face and help solve the climate crisis we need to work together, and community conservation is one of the most important things we can do. Ponds and mini-wetlands, however small and wherever we may live, need to be looked after because the ripple effects can be huge.

Featuring: Gino Brignoli and volunteers at Cody Dock and Nadeem Perera of Flock Together. Presented by Megan McCubbin.

If listening to this podcast inspires you to take action for wetlands and find out more then visit wwt.org.uk

Waterlands is a series brought to you by the WWT. It’s an 18Sixty production, the producer is Melvin Rickarby and original music is by Noah Bloom.

Ponds and potatoes Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

In years gone by a walk through farmland wouldn’t be complete without passing a pond or two. But sadly they’re increasingly rare on farms, but why?

In this episode we head down to the farm to find out more about why rather than filling them in, farmers are now understanding the benefits that ponds can have in creating biodiversity. Riverford in Devon is one of the UK’s most well known organic farms and they’re bringing new life to the land, such as helping to provide homes for hungry toads, who are keeping the slugs off your lettuces. Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson tells us all about it and how his perceptions of ponds have changed throughout his life. We also head to Ealing Wildlife Group in London to meet vet and conservationist Sean McCormack who’s work there is helping to preserve the Great Crested Newt in ponds which were once farmland ponds.

Megan also learns about insect chimneys and ghost ponds from WWT’s Principal Research Officer, Dr Sarah Davies.

Featuring: Guy Singh-Watson and Anna David from Riverford, Dr Sarah Davies (Principal Research Officer, WWT) and Dr Sean McCormack. Presented by Megan McCubbin.

If listening to this podcast inspires you to take action for wetlands and find out more then visit wwt.org.uk

Waterlands is a series brought to you by the WWT. It’s an 18Sixty production, the producer is Melvin Rickarby and original music is by Noah Bloom.

The remarkable garden pond Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

When you think of ponds, do you think of the dizzying array of creatures that live within them? More than tadpoles and dragonflies, the humble pond is vital to entire ecosystems, and a small garden pond often supports more biodiversity than even a lake or river. And the best thing is – we’re never far from one.

Whether it’s a bucket on an urban balcony or a mighty farm pond filled with amphibians and insects, these mini-wetlands can offer huge benefits to wildlife as well as our own wellbeing. In this episode we travel to Henry Slator’s garden pond in Devon to learn how it’s tranquillity and creatures helped Henry recover during his cancer treatment, and was the inspiration for his book Conversations at the Pond. We also take a peek inside the world of the dragonfly at London Wetland Centre.

Featuring: Henry Slator, Dr Sarah Davies (Principal Research Officer, WWT) and dragonfly expert Dave Smallshire of the British Dragonfly Society. Presented by Megan McCubbin.

If listening to this podcast inspires you to take action for wetlands and find out more then visit wwt.org.uk

Waterlands is a series brought to you by the WWT. It’s an 18Sixty production, the producer is Melvin Rickarby and original music is by Noah Bloom.

Series 2 'Pondlife' with Megan McCubbin ...Coming soon! Aug 11, 2023

Show notes

Join zoologist and wildlife presenter Megan McCubbin for a brand new series of Waterlands as she explores the wonders of the seemingly humble pond, home to a dizzying array of species. Whether it’s a bucket on an urban balcony or a mighty farm pond filled with amphibians and insects, this series of the podcast dives in to show us how these mini-wetlands sustain wildlife as well as our own wellbeing. You'll never look at a pond in the same way again!

A watery future Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

For our final episode, we’re peering into the depths of some mysterious local ponds with a hydrophone, discovering how the ghosts of wetlands past can lead us towards a more hopeful trajectory for living with water.

With nearly all of our wetlands gone since the Roman times, we hear the story of how they disappeared so drastically, reaching back to a time when Britain was a wild, wet landscape and King Alfred hid from Vikings in the Somerset marshes. Holding onto the little that remains, we ask, what is the radical potential of wetlands today?

Featuring: Jack Greenhalgh (Bristol University PhD), John Chamberlayne (of Hill Farm Longley) and Geoff Hilton (Chief Scientist and Head of Research, WWT). Presented by Roxy Furman.

If listening to this podcast inspires you to take action for wetlands then please do join our campaign! Search 'Wetlands Can' to find out more and sign our pledge here.

Waterlands is a series brought to you by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. It’s an 18Sixty production, and the producer is Eliza Lomas.

Fighting water with water (Flooding) Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

The ebb and flow of the waters that cover our lands is one of nature's well-known phenomenons, defining our yearly cycles and driving life on earth. But these cycles are being thrown out of balance, with devastating effects.

On this episode, we explore the history of flooding in Britain — is what we’re experiencing now unique, or has it all happened before?

We go to a special place in Somerset where water has been allowed to take over the landscape, as it did in the past. And we meet someone whose home was flooded, and hear how that experience led her to some profound truths about climate change.

Featuring: Daisy Hildyard (author, The Second Body), Hannah Cloke OBE (Professor of Hydrology at the University of Reading), Tim McGrath (Head of Project Development, WWT). Presented by Roxy Furman.

If listening to this podcast inspires you to take action for wetlands then please do join our campaign! Search 'Wetlands Can' to find out more and sign our pledge here.

Waterlands is a series brought to you by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. It’s an 18Sixty production, and the producer is Eliza Lomas.

Mangroves, Marshes and the Climate Emergency Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

Around the world, we're witnessing the increasingly extreme impacts of climate change and global warming. Floods, landslides, tsunamis, storms, heatwaves and droughts are all becoming more frequent and more intense. When disaster strikes, it usually manifests itself through water.

But can water also be part of the solution to solving the climate crisis? To find out, we’re spending time in the lush swamps of Madagascar's mangroves and the wild beauty of our British Estuaries. Along the way, we’ll ask how a mere trillion dollars could help the cause.

Featuring: Leah Glass (Blue Ventures, Madagascar), Rowan Hooper (Editor, New Scientist magazine), Alys Laver (Site Manager, Steart Marshes WWT). Presented by Roxy Furman.

If listening to this podcast inspires you to take action for wetlands then please do join our campaign! Search 'Wetlands Can' to find out more and sign our pledge here.

Waterlands is a series brought to you by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. It’s an 18Sixty production, and the producer is Eliza Lomas.

The Mermaid and the quest for cleaner water Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

We meet ‘the mermaid swimmer’, Lindsey Cole, at Conham River Park in Bristol. While travelling the River Avon to raise awareness of plastic pollution, she ran afoul – literally – of another issue, when she suddenly fell very ill, poisoned by sewage. We learn more about why, exactly, our waterways are such a mess and head to Gloucestershire to look at an ingenious human-made wetland on the banks of the Severn. We discover how special places like these can protect us from some of the nastiest bugs that make their way into our water, all through the power of nature.

Featuring: Lindsey Cole, Dan Roberts (Project Manager, WWT), Hugo Tagholm (Founder, Surfers Against Sewage). Presented by Roxy Furman.

If listening to this podcast inspires you to take action for wetlands then please do join our campaign! Search 'Wetlands Can' to find out more and sign our pledge here.

Waterlands is a series brought to you by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. It’s an 18Sixty production, and the producer is Eliza Lomas.

Feeling Blue Oct 06, 2022

Show notes

Why is it that being close to water makes us feel so much better? We travel to the water’s edge to understand more, meeting people whose lives have been profoundly changed by its effects. We hear from experts in nature prescribing who offer practical tips for improving our wellbeing, and we learn about the emerging science that reveals just how essential water is for our minds as well as our bodies.

Featuring: Fashion designer Savannah Miller and Sarah Guise (The Rewild Swim Club), Dr. Lewis Elliott and Dr Jo Garrett (European Centre for the Environment and Human Health), Will Freeman (Health and Wellbeing Officer, WWT) and Ceri-Louise (Psychotherapist and Mindfulness Practitioner, WWT). Presented by Roxy Furman.

If listening to this podcast inspires you to take action for wetlands then please do join our campaign! Search 'Wetlands Can' to find out more and sign our pledge here.

Waterlands is a series brought to you by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. It’s an 18Sixty production, and the producer is Eliza Lomas.

Water on Our Doorstep Sep 22, 2022

Show notes

Humans are now officially an urban species, with over half of us living in cities. But how are urban centres and wetlands intertwined? And why should we continue to strive for a closer connection with the water on our doorstep? We travel to London Wetland Centre, in the shadow of Heathrow Airport, to find out what impact these small but vital pockets of wetland have on our collective health.

Featuring Kwesia (City Girl in Nature), Beth Collier (psychotherapist, Wild in The City), Nick Oliver (Engagement Manager, WWT) and Tom Ash (Policy and Advocacy Officer, WWT). Presented by Roxy Furman.

If listening to this podcast inspires you to take action for wetlands then please do join our campaign! Search 'Wetlands Can' to find out more and sign our pledge here.

Waterlands is a series brought to you by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. It’s an 18Sixty production, and the producer is Eliza Lomas.

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