Mya-Rose Craig is extraordinary. Known to many as Birdgirl, she travelled far and wide on a quest to see half the world's bird species before her 18th birthday. She's also an environmentalist, diversity activist, writer, speaker and broadcaster - and has an honorary doctorate in science from the University of Bristol. As well as her birding achievements, we chat about her passion for the natural world and encouraging young people and under-represented communities to connect with it. She also talks us through some of her amazing work, including founding the Black2Nature charity and her new book, We have a dream.

Woodland Walks - The Woodland Trust Podcast

2. Mya-Rose Craig aka Birdgirl

We begin our second series by celebrating the benefits and beauty of urban trees with journalist and presenter Adrian Chiles. In a West London park, he describes how green city spaces and the countryside give him relief from the overstimulation of the capital. We chat too about Adrian's career, and reminisce a little about our good times working together at the BBC in the nineties. At times both funny and frank, he also touches on his experiences of depression and anxiety, as well as attempting to master tree ID and finally conquering the lofty chestnut tree he feared climbing as a child.

1. Urban parks with Adrian Chiles

Author and illustrator of How to Train Your Dragon and The Wizards of Once, Cressida Cowell is also the current Waterstones Children’s Laureate. As we get lost in London's Kensington Gardens, she tells us of her passion for trees and nature, reminisces about the wild childhood trips that inspire her stories and praises the power of hope and imagination. She also shares the E.B. White quote she lives her life by and sings an anthem from one of her books! And don't miss the closing clip of a woodland walk sent in by young India and her dad.

20. Kensington Gardens with Cressida Cowell

 Our guest for this episode, Alastair Campbell, has long recognised the positive impact of the natural world on his mind, body and spirit. While walking on London's Hampstead Heath, the communicator, writer and strategist opens up about his mental health struggles and how green space helps get him through. It's a tough listen at times, but an important topic that many will relate to.   Hear all about his popular 'tree of the day' posts and his sense of nature being a healer, especially since his breakdown in the 1980s. Alastair also shows us the special tree that marked a turning point for his mental health - and the birth of his first son. 

19. Hampstead Heath with Alastair Campbell

The idea of glimpsing lions and tigers while walking among trees in the local park may sound fantastical - but that's exactly what lucky Paddy O'Connell does every day. For this episode, the TV and radio presenter takes us along on this exclusive experience, accompanied by Bob the dog. Paddy enjoys a regular dose of nature thanks to nearby Regent's Park. Home to London Zoo and 'the most special sound in London', the park also has a lake, gardens and about 6,000 trees. We also discover how Paddy started in broadcasting, his special connection with D-Day veterans and his thoughts on presenting 'Should I be afraid of sausages?'!

18. Regent's Park with Paddy O'Connell

Do you know the difference between a rainforest and a normal forest? Or which moth looks like a fragment of 1970s carpet? Find out in our latest episode as we call on more staff from around the Trust to share their fascinating stories and favourite woods. We chat to Laura Shewring, Colin Riley, Paul Mosley and volunteer David Mason about Wales' rainforests and a special ancient wood in Lancashire. There's much praise for magical Hackfall in North Yorkshire, and we talk about how lockdown and climate change are drawing more attention to the power of woods and trees.

17. More Woodland Trust staff stories

 We meet Clare Nasir, the face of Channel 5 weather and a best-selling author. She shares her views on climate change, weather and being wild about the countryside. She also treats us to a tour of Lindow Common near her home in Cheshire.   It's a special place for Clare. Featuring woods, heathland, peatland and a lake, she admires the small differences in nature every day - something many of us have noticed more during lockdown - as well as the site's important role in capturing carbon and fighting climate change. For Clare, the area is a welcome escape: a place to slow down and relish every moment. 

16. Lindow Common, Cheshire with Clare Nasir

With lockdown upon us once more, we've chatted to more famous faces - and voices - to help bring you a taste of the great outdoors. In this episode, we meet Kathy Clugston: newsreader, continuity announcer and host of Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time. She takes us on a foggy winter walk through Belfast's Ormeau Park, where meandering paths lead through hundreds of trees. Having visited for 50 years and grateful to now live nearby, it's a place she finds heartening and bolstering. We also talk about her love of the great outdoors, her broadcasting career and playing the ukelele!

15. Ormeau Park, Belfast with Kathy Clugston

Amidst new lockdowns around the UK, we've taken an alternative approach to the latest podcast. Co-hosted by regular guest Ruth Hyde (and puppy Coco), we chat to staff from the Trust to find out more about their fascinating roles and some of their woodland experiences. Meet Natalie Buttriss, Jane Craven, Justin Milward and Joe Middleton to hear about wacky games in the Forest of Dean, how to develop a new love of nature, an eerie winter woodland walk, writing music inspired by the woods and re-enacting Kevin Costner's Robin Hood Prince of Thieves film!

14. Woodland Trust staff stories

Join Adam and TV historian Dan Snow in the New Forest, one of Dan’s favourite woods and a wonderful place for history. But while history is a huge part of his life, it’s not his only passion. He’s also a self-confessed tree hugger. His love for the New Forest is clear on our walk. While growing up in London, his family regularly visited the area and he now lives nearby, describing it as a special and nurturing landscape. Of course, Dan sees many things with a historian’s eyes, but trees are a tonic too. Like many of us – especially in 2020 - he has found woods important for wellness, a place of extraordinary healing.

13. The New Forest with Dan Snow

The Northern Forest is an ambitious and exciting plan to plant 50 million trees across the North of England. It will transform life for people and wildlife. During a walk around Smithills near Bolton, City of Trees’ Jess Thompson and Gemma Wren of the National Trust tell us all about it. As we explore the amazing landscape, they explain how they’re involved, what the project means for the North  and why our relationship with trees is so important. We also catch up with Trust CEO Darren Moorcroft, who gives us insight into the Trust’s bold vision, the Northern Forest’s significance and why he’s so optimistic for the future.

12. Northern Forest - transforming the landscape of Northern England

In another special lockdown episode, Clive Anderson gives us an audio tour of his North London garden. President of the Woodland Trust since 2004, Clive is an award-winning broadcaster and comedy writer and currently hosts Radio 4’s Loose Ends. We gain insight into his passion for nature as he describes the trees from around the world at home in his garden, and the wildlife species that like to visit. Clive mulls over what has happened to London's sparrows, reveals his natural approach to gardening and reflects on how valuable green space has been during lockdown.

11. A tour of Clive Anderson's garden

With normal podcast recording hampered by lockdown, we visit the trees of Hampstead Heath with Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl With a Pearl Earring and other bestsellers. In this episode, Tracy describes how trees bring her comfort, considers how lockdown has changed our attitudes to nature, introduces us to two trees that are special to her and even climbs up into an old oak to show us a different perspective.

10. Trees of Hampstead Heath with Tracy Chevalier

Lockdown has hampered our usual woodland walks, so instead we’re chatting to some well-known personalities about the natural world - their favourite places, memories, hopes for the future and more. First up is journalist and presenter, Steph McGovern, who talks to us about the Avenue of Trees that brought her clarity and solace as a youngster, how attitudes to nature have changed during lockdown, helping her new daughter to appreciate the environment – and fat pigeons!

9. An Interview with Steph McGovern

Join Adam Shaw at one of Mead's tree planting days to find out how young people are leading the transformation of 400 acres of ex coalmining land by planting 250,000 trees.

8. Mead - our first Young People's Forest

Welcome to the debut season of the Woodland Trust podcast, 'Woodland Walks'. We'll be exploring some of the greatest woods, forests and sites in the Woodland Trust estate. Join our host, Adam Shaw, as we discover the stories and characters that make each of our woods so very special. We’ll explore awe-inspiring ancient woodland and get lost together in the rich habitats that support our native wildlife. We'll meet the site managers and the magnificent volunteers who protect woods and plant trees. For wildlife. For people.

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Woodland Walks - The Woodland Trust Podcast

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