
Show Notes
What emotions have you felt when you’re in the natural world? We hear a lot about how nature calms us, gives us joy and hope, but what about other feelings, such as grief, anger or shame?
In this episode, we talk with self-confessed nature nerd Lucy Lapwing, who explores these complex emotional responses to nature in her new book, Love Is A Toad (Blink Publishing, March 2026).
Our conversation explored many subjects, including how nature writing helped Lucy fight cancer in her early 20s, and how gazing into the eyes of a slug made her head swim.
You can follow Lucy’s adventures on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/lucy_lapwing/
Photo: Lucy Lapwing
And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: https://www.discoverwildlife.com/
BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
More from Wild Lives
One of Britain’s most-loved writers, Simon Barnes has been obsessed by flight for as long as he can remember.
Dr Rosa Vásquez Espinoza’s work with stingless bees in the Peruvian Amazon led to them becoming the first insect anywhere in the world to be protected by legal rights.
Wild Lives, the podcast from the team at BBC Wildlife Magazine is back for Season 2! Hosted by BBC Wildlife editor Paul McGuinness, Wild Lives returns with more incredible stories from the people who work and live on the frontlines of the natural world.
Wildlife cameraman and presenter Hamza Yassin became a household name in the UK when he won Strictly Come Dancing in 2022.
What are crabs – and what are they for? What can they teach us about ecosystems? And what exactly have they got to do with the 1926 general strike?