Kent Wildlife Trust have teamed up with Rob Smith, previously co-anchor on the BBC South East Today news programme, to bring you an audio feast. This podcast will lift you out of your eco-anxiety and give you a tour of the heroes and heroines bringing nature back from the brink. Rob will visit farms, nature reserves, councils, labs, gardens, schools and businesses who are making a difference in their communities. Join us today, to take a Talk on the Wild Side.
Subscribe now
Update
Since recording the National Grid Sea Link episode the proposed mitigation site has been revised.
On this update, National Grid states: “Following ongoing discussions with stakeholders including local authorities and Natural England, we have removed the wetland from our proposals. Instead, we have identified an area of existing arable farmland, approximately 10ha in size. In this new location, it is proposed to adapt existing arable farming practices in a way that is beneficial to important bird species such as golden plover. This will include measure such as maximising the amount of time that bare ground is maintained over winter, so that the foraging environmental is enhanced. We are also proposing skylark plots in these areas, which are unsown areas within arable crops, providing skylarks with access to nesting habitats throughout their breeding season.”
Kent Wildlife Trust remains concerned about the suitability of this mitigation, saying: "The new site is situated near a busy A-road, with considerable noise and light pollution from the bustling Discovery Park. Furthermore, it lies outside the flight range of the Golden Plover, a species that thrives in large numbers at Minster Marshes. As a result, the Trust remains doubtful about its suitability as a refuge for wildlife."
Individual Interviews
Rewilding a churchyard in Sandwich
A run down and overgrown medieval churchyard in Sandwich has been restored to a beautiful wildlife haven by a group of local volunteers who live locally and are part of the congregation at the church. In this amazing story, you'll hear from the people who…
Farming through natural systems with Iain Tolhurst MBE of Tolhurst Organics
Iain Tolhurst NBE is a pioneering organic farmer and owner of Tolhurst Organic Farms. This farm has made quite a name for itself because it is able to feed 350 families on 14 acres of what is classified as poor quality agricultural land up to now, without…
A community's plan to restore turtle doves in Kent
Join your Talk on the Wild Side host, Rob Smith, for a journey through Marden's farms and gardens - where farmers, scientists, and keen birders are working together to make space for the rare turtle fove.
Why Bugs Matter & what you can do to help
This is Talk on the Wild Side. I'm Rob Smith, and in this episode, bugs matter. And bugs really do matter. Don't just take my word for it. As Sir David Attenborough no less puts it, if we and the rest of the backboned animals were to disappear overnight,…
The not-so-common nightingale at Moat Farm, Kent
Rob Smith heads to Moat Farm Kent to visit a farmer who's lucky enough to live in a stronghold of a rare and elusive bird species - the nightingale. Find out the facts about Nightingales, listen to their beautiful song and learn how Michael Bax makes sure…
Rewilding at the Knepp Estate
Welcome to a special episode of Talk on the Wild Side dedicated to just one subject, or rather just one place: the Knepp Estate in Sussex...