Can Nature Be a Killer and a Saviour? | Carla Valentine | Different by Nature

What if the natural world is making music we've never really heard? This week on Different by Nature, we're joined by musician, sound artist and audio producer Alice Boyd, who finds inspiration in the extraordinary sounds hiding all around us. From recording sounds beyond human hearing to turning plants into musical inspiration, Alice takes us into a world where nature has its own soundtrack. We put our listening skills to the test with a hilarious game of Guess That Sound (with some spectacularly questionable guesses!), explore how Alice transforms field recordings into music, and discover how the sounds of our landscapes are changing. We also explore why a woodland can look just as beautiful as it did 50 years ago, but sound completely different. It's an episode full of strange noises, unexpected discoveries and a reminder that sometimes we need to stop looking and start listening. 🎧 Pop your headphones on. You might never hear nature the same way again. Find Alice's music and projects: https://aliceboyd.info Follow @differentbynaturepod on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Different by Nature — Real life, outside.

What happens when you follow your curiosity instead of the expected path? In this episode of Different by Nature, Hannah speaks to Author of 'On Belonging - Reflections of a Renegade Guide' and Living London Founder Saira Niazi, whose love of wandering started with bunking off school to explore markets, cemeteries and random stops on the London Underground. That curiosity eventually became Living London — a project uncovering hidden places, overlooked communities and the stories that often sit just beneath the surface of the city. Saira talks about walking hundreds of miles across the World and the UK, discovering the power of being different, helping people feel that outdoor spaces belong to them, and why nature and place can connect us back to culture, memory and identity. They also explore untold histories, inclusive walking, neurodivergence, taking unconventional career paths and why sometimes the best thing you can do is simply follow your feet. Plus, Saira shares three of her favourite hidden places in London. Different by Nature — real life, outside.

What happens when humans look at the world through non human eyes? In this episode of Different by Nature, I’m joined by Phil Tovey, whose career has taken him from the Royal Marines and DEFRA to researching new ways of understanding risk and our relationship with nature. We talk about Risks Beyond Human Eyes, an experimental project that asked people to experience their local landscape from the perspective of species including earthworms, otters, kestrels, red deer and Atlantic salmon. How do you actually “become” an earthworm? What can an otter notice about a landscape that we don’t? And could stepping into another species’ world help us spot risks — and make better decisions — before it’s too late? We also explore Phil’s military background, learning to read landscapes, the importance of play and imagination, and what happens when nature is given a voice in the way we think about risk. Support the podcast and subscribe!

What if one of your GCSEs meant actually going outside? In this back-to-school episode of Different by Nature, I’m joined by Ruth Carter from Cambridge OCR to talk about the proposed Natural History GCSE — and why it could change the way young people learn about the world around them. We talk about why nature often seems to disappear from education once children reach secondary school, whether young people are really as disconnected from nature as we think, and why learning about wildlife doesn’t need to mean travelling to the countryside. The proposed GCSE includes at least 20 hours of fieldwork, with students encouraged to investigate the nature on their own doorstep — whether that’s trees, moths, bats, lichen on a wall or wildlife living in the middle of a city. Ruth also shares the story behind the GCSE, the importance of young people having a voice in shaping it, and why the subject is already inspiring some people to consider going into — or even returning to — teaching. We also ask a bigger question: if the next generation is going to care for the natural world, shouldn’t understanding it be part of their education? The Natural History GCSE public consultation is currently open and closes on 4 September 2026. https://consult.education.gov.uk/gcse-and-a-level-policy-team/gcse-natural-history-proposed-subject-content/consultation/subpage.2024-02-29.8700504549/ Different by Nature — uncovering the interesting and unusual stories hidden in the outdoor spaces around us. Real Life, Outside.

Meet Jonathan Miller McCall — educator, presenter, content creator and proud nature nerd.