Shows
Nature ConnectsThe Power of TreesForest for Cornwall & National Tree Week
In this episode of Nature Connects, we celebrate National Tree Week (22nd to 30th Nov) with a spotlight on the Forest for Cornwall, a visionary project aiming to transform Cornwall’s landscape through trees.
We explore the vital role trees play in supporting climate resilience, restoring biodiversity, and reconnecting fragmented habitats. Our special guest, Ben Norwood shares insights into tree planting and establishment, the importance of trees outside woodland, agroforestry, and landscape connectivity, and how trees are being used to heal and regenerate the natural environment.
We als...
2025-11-2539 minNature ConnectsFood From the Valley
In this episode of Nature Connects, host Ginnette Sutherland takes us deep into the heart of the Tamar Valley to celebrate and reflect on British Food Fortnight.
Join us as we meet the passionate team behind Tamar Grow Local and visit Wheal Farm, where pasture-raised chickens and fresh vegetables are part of a powerful movement to reconnect people with nature, community, and the food on their plates.
Discover how local food systems are not only nourishing bodies but also restoring biodiversity, building resilience, and sparking joy. From community cook-ups to hedgehog-friendly gardens, this episode is...
2025-11-0743 minNature ConnectsWhere Nature Meets History: Biodiversity at Devon Great ConsolsIn this episode of Nature Connects, host Ginnette Sutherland is joined by Lesley Strong from Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage to explore Devon Great Consols, a former mining landscape in the Tamar Valley that has become a powerful symbol of regeneration, biodiversity, and cultural memory.
Together, they discuss how this historic site now supports rare species like the Greater Horseshoe Bat and the Nightjar, and how managing such places involves balancing the needs of heritage conservation with ecological restoration.
But beyond conservation, this episode also explores the opportunity for nature connectedness, how p...
2025-10-0226 minNature ConnectsBeaver and Butterflies: Summer Special Ep 6, part 2 - ButterfliesIn the second part of the two-part summer episode, we head to Greenscombe Woods, a Duchy of Cornwall site near Luckett, where we meet Jenny Plackett from Butterfly Conservation. This beautiful woodland is home to the Heath Fritillary, one of the UK’s rarest butterflies and a flagship species in the Tamar Valley National Landscape’s Nature Recovery Plan. Jenny shares the conservation story of this delicate species, the habitat work that supports it, and how citizen science through the Big Butterfly Count is helping monitor and protect butterfly populations. We also explore how butterflies can spark a deeper conn...
2025-07-1836 minNature ConnectsBeavers and Butterflies: Summer Special Ep 6, Part 1 - BeaversIn this special two-part summer episode, we journey into the heart of West Devon and then travel back to East Cornwall exploring two remarkable species that are helping to shape our landscapes and inspire nature recovery efforts across the region.
In part 1 we visit a Devon Wildlife Trust beaver trial site, where we’re joined by Matt Holden, the Trust’s Beaver Project Lead, and Mark Elliott, an ecological consultant with decades of experience in beaver reintroduction and management. Together, we explore what it means to be “beaver ready” as wild populations begin to return to our river ca...
2025-07-1841 minNature ConnectsWhere Rivers Meet the Sea: Tamar's Migratory StoryIn celebration of World Fish Migration Day (WFMD), this episode of Nature Connects explores the lives of two remarkable migratory fish species found in the River Tamar: the Atlantic Salmon and the Allis Shad. These species are not only vital to the river’s ecosystem but also represent the resilience and interconnectedness of nature. WFMD is a global biannual event; however, awareness and engagement around fish migration are promoted annually to keep the spotlight on these critical ecological journeys.
Our guests are Angela Gall, Marine Senior Officer at Natural England and author of the children’s book Alli...
2025-06-021h 06
Nature ConnectsThe Beauty of Blossom and the Benefits of HedgerowsA special extended episode of Nature Connects podcast has just been released from Tamar Valley National Landscape, this month focussing on blossom in a Tamar Valley cherry orchard and the great benefits of hedgerows.
In advance of The Tree Council’s National Hedgerow Week (5-11 May), hedge specialist and author, Rob Wolton, reveals the many benefits of hedges during a stroll around South Hooe Cottage Farmland Nature Trail on the Bere peninsula. Discover the secrets of these wildlife corridors and habitats in their own right, find out how they contribute to wider ecosystem services and lea...
2025-04-301h 30Nature ConnectsSustainable Tourism in the Tamar Valley – green tourism initiatives and a closer look at the Tamara Coast to Coast Way
Whether you’re planning a day trip or looking to stay for a while in the Tamar Valley, Sarah Bartlett from Visit Tamar Valley highlights just some of the ways in which local tourism providers are offering a sustainable experience, to help conserve the natural beauty of our area.
Find out more about Visit Tamar Valley’s eight Green Ambassadors, the sustainability pledge and their work towards a sustainable tourism charter during a walk and talk at Lopwell Dam, where we caught up with Sarah just ahead of English Tourism Week (15-24 March).
2025-03-2740 minNature ConnectsGreen Careers – apprenticeships, traineeships and internships in the Tamar Valley
This month, to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, we’ve been spending time on the Bere peninsula, interviewing Marketing Trainee Kirsty at Harlings Devon and our Community Engagement intern, Ginnette, as we explore green careers in the Tamar Valley.
Your hosts, Ginnette Sutherland and Charlotte Dancer from Tamar Valley National Landscape, meet the next generation that are benefitting from real hands-on experience and knowledge exchange throughout our National Landscape, and discover more about the apprenticeships, traineeships and internships created through our National Lottery Heritage Fund supported Tamara Landscape Partnership scheme.
D...
2025-02-2738 minNature ConnectsTamar Valley Wetlands – supporting a wealth of wildlife, benefitting our environment and all that lives within - Episode 1
Find out more about Calstock Wetlands with Pete Thompson, and the wetland area at National Trust’s Cotehele from Lead Ranger George Holmes. Your hosts, Ginnette Sutherland and Charlotte Dancer, from the Tamar Valley National Landscape team, take a walk around Calstock and through the woods to Cotehele, to discover more about these amazing habitats and the wealth of wildlife they support, together with the vital role they play to benefit our wider environment and climate.
You’ll hear the sounds of Nature on the wetlands as we pause, listen and conne...
2025-01-3142 min