Episode 17: 2025 End of Year Round-Up

Gathering tree seed this autumn for our new nurseries across Cumbria to grow on is not as simple as it might seem. Hear from Rowan Sharpe, Community Tree Grower and Gardener, about seed genetics, mast years, and working with volunteers to get the right seed and how we grow it. Joe Murphy, Head of Nature Reserves, talks to Rowan about how we're learning to get this complex task right to grow the 600,000 trees needed to create a new temperate rainforest at Skiddaw Forest.

This month we're talking about wildlife gardening, with interviews from our community nature reserve at Cold Springs and with Emma and Craig at the beautiful wildlife garden at Hylands House, Kendal.

The limestone pavement at Hutton Roof Crags Nature Reserve is some of the best in Britain. It's home to a number of specialist rare ferns and flowering plants, and the very thin limestone soil is ideal for dark-red helleborine and juniper to thrive. Host and Head of Nature Reserves, Joe Murphy, meets Scott Petrek, Southern Reserves Officer, to take a tour of this very special place.

The population of rare white-faced darter dragonfly has expanded across Cumbria thanks to David Clarke of the British Dragonfly Society. Previously only found in one location in Cumbria, this dragonfly has been introduced at two of Cumbria Wildlife Trust's peatland nature reserves and are thriving. Our host and Head of Nature Reserves, Joe Murphy, speaks to David and Northern Reserves Officer, Jack Dryden.

Our host and Head of Nature Reserves, Joe Murphy, talks to reserves officer Andrew Walter and geologist Sylvia Woodhead about the flora that can be found at this unique reserve and how the geology has a direct influence on the species found.