Nature's Voice
http://www.rspb.org.uk

A monthly podcast from the RSPB, Europe's largest conservation charity, with features and interviews reflecting its work to protect birds and the environment in the UK and around the world. From the joys of watching and looking out for the birds in your back garden, to facing up to the challenges of global climate change, Nature's Voice keeps an entertaining, informative and campaigning eye on the world of birds.

---

Hope Farm and the Nature of Farming Award
Posted: August 2010

10 years ago the RSPB bought Hope Farm.  It's run a commercial venture to prove that wildlife friendly strategies can work alongside modern farming methods to the benefit of farmland birds like skylarks and yellow hammers while still turning a profit.  On this edition of Nature's Voice we visit Hope Farm with the RSPB's Director of Conservation, Mark Avery to celebrate its tenth birthday.  We also take a look at this year's Nature of Farming Award plus Bill Oddie chooses a great moment with nature from the top of one of the world's most iconic buildings.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

---

Bill Oddie on Rainham Marshes plus protecting wildlife from budget cuts
Posted: August 2010

Bill Oddie joins the celebrations to mark 10 years since work began to turn  Rainham Marshes in Essex from urban desolation into the great place it is for wildife and visitors today. And Jane Markham talks to the RSPB's Martin Harper about the charity's biggest ever campaign - The Letter to the Future. As the number of signatures nears a quarter of a million he discusses the prospects for protecting wildlife from the government budget cuts being discussed this summer.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

---

Springwatch 2010
Posted: May 2010

BBC Springwatch is back at the end of this month and in this edition of Nature's Voice Tim Scoones, the show's executive producer, looks forward to taking the cameras to his native Dorset and remembers boyhood visits to the RSPB's Arne reserve. The place had a profound effect on him as a child and we track down Arne's former warden who was to influence Tim's choice of career. Also - Richard Bashford tells us how to get involved with this year's Make Your Nature Count and there's a startling appearance of the only venomous snake in the UK.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

---

Nesting kestrels and polystyrene ospreys..
Posted: April 2010

Kestrels nesting at Aston University will be educating staff, students and visitors at the RSPB's date with nature events in and around Birmingham this summer. Jane Markham finds out how you can watch the birds live online. You can also find out why RSPB staff are building nests for ospreys in Dorset and putting polystyrene dummies in them. This month's Great Moment with Nature is on the trail of one of the UK's most threatened mammals. Plus there's an unplanned appearance of a cuckoo...it must be spring at last!

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

---

Election Special
Posted: April 2010

In the run up to the general election Kate Humble and 24 young people from RSPB Phoenix went to Westminster to put questions to MPs. On this edition of Nature's Voice we hear how they got on. Jane Markham talks to Judith Howell, the RSPB's head of government affairs about her role in focusing the minds of MPs, and aspiring MPs, on environmental issues at the this important time. Plus the results of this year's Big Garden Birdwatch are released.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

---

Birds of Prey Special
Posted: February 2010

This month DEFRA Wildlife Minister Huw Irranca-Davies was
presented with the RSPB's best supported petition ever - more than
200,000 people signed the pledge demanding an end to the killing of
birds of prey.  In this edition of Nature's Voice we report from the
Houses of Parliament and hear from the minister, supporters and
organisations who put their names to the pledge.  Plus Jane Markham
talks to RSPB species officer Jeff Knot celebrating the success of some
species like the Red Kite and updating us on how threatened species like
the are doing.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

---

Little Schools join the Big Garden Birdwatch
Posted: January 2010

How will the hard winter affect the birds in our gardens? Jane Markham talks to RSPB scientist Dr Mark Eaton who will be analysing the figures from this year's Big Garden Birdwatch when they come in after the count on the 30th and 31st of January. Plus what will the children at Woodentops pre school be doing as they join the first ever Little Schools Birdwatch. And Countryfile presenter John Craven shares a great moment with nature.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

---

Bill Bailey and a Letter to the Future
Posted: December 2009

Comedian Bill Bailey talks about his passion for nature and his new birdwatching television show - with a competitive edge. We look at the RSPB's Letter to the Future campaign which seeks political backing to save and protect the environment so that our grandchildren will be able to share their world with sparrows and polar bears, eagles and tigers. There's information about how you can add your signature to it.  Plus this month's great moment with nature takes place in a back garden with a festive covering of snow...but it's not robins or reindeer that the RSPB's Ciaran Nelson is celebrating!

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

---

Climate Change - The Wave
Posted: November 2009

Thousands of people will be marching in London, Glasgow and Belfast on December 5th ahead of crunch global climate change negotiations in Copenhagen. At the summit, world leaders must deliver a fair, ambitious and binding agreement to cut climate pollution and stop climate change reaching dangerous levels. Jane Markham talks to the RSPB's Mairi Dupar about why the RSPB is encouraging people to sign up for the largest demonstration on climate change the UK has ever seen (www.rspb.org.uk/thewave).

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

---

Feed the Birds and at sea with killer whales
Posted: October 2009

As winter approaches it becomes even more important to provide food for the birds in our gardens.  In this episode of Nature's Voice Jane Markham talks to the RSPB's Heather Mitchell about this year's Feed the Birds Day and out in the garden Richard Bashford suggests the five top things we can be doing at this time of year to help our wildlife. Plus BBC Autumnwatch cameraman Gordon Buchanan recounts his great moment with nature - a close encounterwith killer whales.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

---

Saving special places
Posted: September 2009

The Severn and the Tana are two of the world's great rivers. This episode of Nature's Voice looks at the RSPB's work to save special places like these. We visit the Tana Delta on the coast of Kenya which is teeming with wildlife and is home to farmers and fishermen who have been making their living there in the same way for generations. But the delta's habitat is under threat from proposals for industrial scale sugar cane farms to provide food and biofuel. Nearer to home Jane Markham talks to the RSPB's Andre Farrar about the threat to the Severn Estuary. There's more information on the new saving special places pages of the RSPB website.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.

---

Mike Dilger and Alison Steadman visit Minsmere
Posted: July 2009

Naturalist and TV presenter Mike Dilger keeps a promise to actress Alison Steadman as she prepares to start filiming a new series of Gavin and Stacey and takes her to experience the wildlife at the RSPB's reserve at Minsmere. We also look at how to get the best out of a visit to an RSPB reserve and our Great Moment with Nature feature looks at one of the noisiest of our summer visitors - the swifts - with a plea to report sightings as their numbers are on the decline and statistics are vitally important to find out why. Join Jane Markham for this episode of Nature's Voice.

An audio podcast in MP3 format.