Read more about Nature’s a Hoot, and access resources, photos and insights from our first episode, ‘Inspired by the Wild’. In this first episode we feature what inspires us about nature, how COVID-19 might have impacted wildlife across the world and our first top tip for helping nature to thrive where you live.
Listen to Tom’s earliest wildlife memories, Hannah’s story of BFE the elephant, and their shared fascination with mini-beasts in this first episode of Nature’s a Hoot. It promises insights into why Tom and Hannah are so passionate about conservation, what led them to their positions at the Hawk Conservancy Trust, and what species are on their ultimate bucket lists!
Listen now to the Nature’s a Hoot first episode Inspired by the Wild. Don’t forget to subscribe!
Our Big Story this week focused on the importance of urban wildlife, and led into a discussion about how COVID-19 might have affected wildlife. With reports of Sika Deer in the metro stations of Japan, and Wild Goats on the streets of Barcelona, we talk about how wildlife adapted to their ‘new normal’, and both the positive and negative impacts of COVID-19 on wild animals. If you would like to read more about this, here are some interesting articles we’ve found:
Nature needs cities, and cities need nature
The wild animals at risk in lockdown
How the Covid-19 pandemic is threatening Africa’s wildlife
Coronavirus: China bans citizens from eating wild animals
Covid-19 – a blessing for pangolins?
Biodiversity loss and the rise of zoonotic pathogens
This episode’s top tip is to Just Add Water! To give wildlife a helping hand, adding a water source to your garden is one of the best ways to attract new wildlife. You just need a water-tight container, whatever size works for you, perhaps re-use or recycle a container you would usually throw away. Pop your container somewhere shaded, and fill with water, rainwater is best. If you are building a pond, leave to settle for a few days before adding native pond plant species, and use stones, rocks and logs to create extra habitat around the edges. Remember to create a sloping beach, or add a log or rock pile in the container or pond to allow critters to escape if they fall in!
More information about providing water in your garden:
Discover Wildlife: How to make a wildlife pond
Froglife: How to build a wildlife pond
To find out more about our podcast, and listen to Inspired by the Wild and other episodes, visit our website.
