Show Notes
Mark and Rachel explore the flora and fauna of the capital and are joined by live guests as they broadcast from the balcony of Broadcasting House in London. Mark visits Mudchute Farm, one of the largest city farms in Europe. It comprises 32 acres of countryside, located a stone's throw away from the hustle and bustle of Canary Wharf. He hears about how the site was developed from derelict land in the 1970s to the busy farm and park that it is today. Right in the heart of the city centre at Kings Cross, Coal Drops Yard is another location which has seen many uses over the years. It’s now home to a vibrant shopping and dining district, which also includes a number of parks and outdoor spaces. Rachel goes for a wander to find out how the outdoors has been incorporated into the site. One of the most famous ships in the world, Cutty Sark has made her home at Greenwich since 1954. However, she was designed and built in Dumbarton in 1869 before sailing across the world transporting tea and other goods, at one point faster than any other ship. Mark goes aboard to hear about her incredible past. And sticking with boats, Rachel heads out on a London Water Bus canal trip. Skipper Ange tells her about all the different wildlife that pops up along the canal and operations director Rory tells her about the history of the canal. This week is London Rivers Week, and joining Mark and Rachel live to chat about it is Chris Coode from environmental charity Thames21. The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘know your local river’ and Chris tells them about the hundreds of miles of other rivers in London alongside the Thames. Lara Maiklem is an author and a mudlarker- a person who scavenges the banks and foreshores of tidal rivers to find historical artifacts, lost objects, and debris. She meets Mark to chat about what drew her to mudlarking and show him some of the finds she’s had over the years. Joining Mark and Rachel live on the balcony of Broadcasting House is Charlotte Benham from the Tree Council. Charlotte chats to them about the treescape of the city and why trees are so important for somewhere like London. Rachel hears about the flocks of ring-necked parakeets which have made the city their home. The non-native population has thrived at locations across London and Rachel hears how they ended up there and why they like it so much.
More from Scotland Outdoors
Mark Stephen visits Stobs Military Camp near Hawick to discover the importance of this site from a training camp in the early 1900s to a resettlement camp after the second world war. Andrew Jepson of Archaeology Scotland is his guide
The Arbroath Signal Tower Museum is set to benefit from more than £300,000 of funding to develop its outdoor space. Mark went for a visit to hear about their plans to transform the garden into an accessible, multi-functional public space for education, community activities and events. Rachel Bell and her family try their hand at orienteering in Hazlehead Park in Aberdeen. They see if they can follow the map to complete the course and have fun at the same time. Ardestie Earth House is a souterrain, an ancient underground structure, near Monifieth. Mark goes along to explore and try to solve the puzzle of what it might have been used for. When Mark was in Glasgow a few weeks ago, something interesting caught his eye. The Cameron Fountain in Charing Cross is rather unique, as it sits on something of a lean. Glasgow sculpture historian Gary Nisbet tells Mark about this intriguing piece of Glasgow’s past. And they also visit the Doulton Fountain outside the People’s Palace and discover that it hasn’t always been in the same place in the city. Rachel Bell takes some time to slow down and immerse herself in the outdoors at a forest therapy session led by Sarah Stevens. Sarah guides her through the forest at Birsemore near Aboyne and tells her about the different ways we can connect with nature. We hear live from Finland, where Hiljaa Fest, the world's first nature listening festival, is happening right now. Hiljaa Fest, which translates as ‘Quietly Fest’, is happening in Valkmusa National Park and showcases things like black grouse, the wind and the bog moss as performers. In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Rachel Stewart meets poet and storyteller Tony Bonning. Tony, known as the Man with the Horse, undertakes treks across the country with his horse Chief to collect folklore and tales along the way. He tells Rachel a bit about his life and a wee tale or two as well. And Rachel Bell meets Shetland fiddler and Fetlar resident Maurice Henderson, who tells her about his love of traditional straw crafting and how it ties into the island’s local folklore.
Rachel Stewart meets poet and story teller, Tony Bonning. Tony, known as the Man with the Horse, undertakes treks across the country with his horse Chief to collect folklore and tales along the way
It’s the time of year when we celebrate leaves as Autumn unfolds. Mark meets up with leaf expert Professor Jonathan Silvertown who’s written a book about them called Nature’s Magicians. Did you know that way back when there were no leaves on trees at all? Rachel’s been to the Carse of Gowrie to find out about the ancient pear orchards of the area, and the attempt to bring back Scottish pear varieties that have largely been forgotten. Neil Clapperton of Buglife is her guide Mark meets some of those taking part in a recent international translocation conference on a field day in the Cairngorms. He hears from delegates from Australia, Kenya and UK about translocating everything from mosses to rhinos Mark visits the St Cyrus National Nature Reserve near Montrose where he finds out about their brand new bird hide. Corncrakes were once common in Western Europe. Now their populations are mostly confined to the Western Isles and Skye. Shelagh Parlane of the RSPB describes how they've been advising crofters on how to adapt their land management techniques to encourage these rare birds to nest. Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone visit a youth club with a difference. In Alness, the club sits in the middle of two acre field. Jannette Douglas is the club coordinator And most people who have livestock will have their own unique way of calling them in. In Finland it is an art known as kuhning. Rachel finds out more from Finnish storyteller and Highland cow breeder Riika Palonen ahead of the Scottish Storytelling Festival.
Mark Stephen meets Professor Jonathan Silvertown whose book Nature Magicians is all about leaves and why they matter