Best of Natural History Radio

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All episodes (102)

• The Living World 20 May 12 - Brecon's Bats

  Thu, 24 May 12

  Duration:
  22 mins

  The Living World visits the Usk Valley to see a population of lesser horseshoe bats and an expert who studies them.

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• The Living World 13 May 12 - Pasqueflower

  Sun, 13 May 12

  Duration:
  23 mins

  The Living World: The Pasqueflower Joanna Pinnock is at a nature reserve in Cambridgeshire, developed on a former ancient quarry site, to see one of the largest remaining colonies of pasqueflowers in the country.

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• The Living World 6 May 12 Bee Flies

  Sun, 6 May 12

  Duration:
  23 mins

  Joanna Pinnock joins naturalist John Walters in Devon to find out more about a bee mimic, the Dark Edged bee fly. Like the cuckoo, its young develop in others' nests. Producer: Sheena Duncan Editor: Julian Hector

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• Nature 01 May 12 Japanese Sika

  Tue, 1 May 12

  Duration:
  28 mins

  Nature: In Search of the Japanese Sika Chris Sperring goes in search of sika deer and discovers how conservation groups like the RSPB and National Trust are managing the delicate balance of deer, people and habitats. Produced by Karen Parteidge

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• The Living World 29 Apr 12 Woodman's Butterfly

  Sun, 29 Apr 12

  Duration:
  22 mins

  Sarah Pitt goes in search of the endangered pearl-bordered fritillary with the help of Richard Fox and Gary Pilkington.

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• Nature 24 Apr 2012 Hedgehogs

  Tue, 24 Apr 12

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Paul Evans investigates the decline of the British hedgehog and finds out that even estimating the population of this familiar creature is a daunting task for scientists. Producer: Brett Westwood Editor: Julian Hector

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• Nature 17 Apr 2012 Lamprey

  Tue, 17 Apr 12

  Duration:
  28 mins

  Lampreys are some of the most primitive vertebrates and our three British species have declined in recent years, but as Brett Westwood discovers, their fortunes could be improving.

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• Nature 10 Apr 2012 Wood And Water

  Tue, 10 Apr 12

  Duration:
  28 mins

  Fish live in trees too. Brett Westwood finds out why conservationists are dropping wood into rivers to improve their wildlife and water quality.

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• Nature 3 April 12 Drumming Down

  Tue, 3 Apr 12

  Duration:
  28 mins

  As spring woodlands resound with the drumming of woodpeckers, Brett Westwood hears about a new study of the tiny lesser spotted woodpecker, which has declined by nearly 90%. Producer: Brett Westwood Editor: Julian Hector

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• 30 Mar 12: A Life With... Seals

  Fri, 30 Mar 12

  Duration:
  15 mins

  Episode 5 of 5: Seals Grey seals are Britain's largest mammal, yet still remain a mystery. Mary Colwell Meets Sue Sayer on a windy cliff in Cornwall to view the animals she loves so much. Sue now spends all her time discovering their lives. She used to be a teacher, but as her passion for seals grew she found herself spending more and more time with seals. Sue eventually gave up her paid job and became a champion of seals.

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• 29 Mar 12: A Life With... Mosses

  Thu, 29 Mar 12

  Duration:
  15 mins

  Episode 4 of 5: Mosses What makes a young man forgo parties with friends to sit at home every evening and weekend and study the intricate anatomy of mosses? What is it about liverworts, best known for smothering seedlings in greenhouses that pushes the buttons of a naturalist? Mary Colwell meets Simon Bosenquet who sees the beauty and the importance of the less glamorous parts of the natural world.

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• 27 Mar 2012 Feathered Apes

  Wed, 28 Mar 12

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Corvids are the group of birds that include rooks, jays and crows. These birds are known by many to be canny and clever, but does that make them intelligent? Some think so.

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• 28 Mar 12: A Life With... Corals

  Wed, 28 Mar 12

  Duration:
  15 mins

  Episode 3 of 5: Corals Corals? In Devon? Believe it or not there are lots of corals around the British coastline. Mary Colwell meets Keith Hiscock: a man who has spent his life learning about Coral around the UK; inspired by re-tracing the steps of Victorian naturalist, Philip Henry Gosse.

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• 27 Mar 12: A Life With... Water Voles

  Tue, 27 Mar 12

  Duration:
  15 mins

  Episode 2 of 5: Water Voles Water voles are famous for being Ratty in Wind in the Willows, but they are disappearing fast from our waterways. Mary Colwell meets a water vole warrior who is determined to save them. Darren Tansley fell in love with water voles as a boy, messing around on a raft his dad made from an old barn door. 40 years later he is still messing about on the river, but now he is creating new, protected homes for water voles and makes sure their sworn enemies, the mink, don't get anywhere near them. Darren has a fascinating past. Not only has he always been monitoring and studying water voles he was a long haired eco warrior who played in a rock band and campaigned for Greenpeace. When he realised the conservation world didn't really listen to amateurs he went back to college to get the "proper" qualifications. Now his projects are paying off and Darren takes Mary to see water voles that have just returned to a water-way in Essex.

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• 26 Mar 12: A Life With... Insects

  Mon, 26 Mar 12

  Duration:
  14 mins

  Episode 1 of 5: Insects Insects are not everyone's favourite part of the natural world, but a doctor in Norfolk just loves them. Dr Phil Wilkins' day job is a palliative care consultant but his overwhelming passion is insects. Mary Colwell goes to his home to see his garden designed for insects and to try to understand what the connection is between being a doctor and an entomologist. Phil's garden is insect heaven, everything in it is there for a reason, to attract insects and give them what they need to breed, but the surrounding land is intensively farmed fields of crops with barely any insect life at all. Dr Wilkins wants to heal the land, and bring back a healthy, vibrant natural community. This is one man's battle to save Britain's creepy crawlies for future generations.

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• The Living World 26 Feb 12 Winter Flies

  Sun, 26 Feb 12

  Duration:
  23 mins

  For Living World, Miranda Krestovnikoff asks "where do flies go to in winter" and discovers that many of them are around even in freezing conditions. Producer: Brett Westwood; Editor: Julian Hector.

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• The Living World 19 Feb 12 Woodcock

  Sun, 19 Feb 12

  Duration:
  23 mins

  Miranda Krestovnikoff pays a nocturnal visit to the Hampshire countryside for a close encounter with one of our most mysterious birds, the woodcock.

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• The Living World 12 Feb 12 Ponds in Winter

  Sun, 12 Feb 12

  Duration:
  22 mins

  Miranda Krestovnikoff discovers the life beneath the surface of some very special New Forest ponds in winter and finds rare snails , newts frogspawn and fairy shrimps. Producer: Brett Westwood Editor: Julian Hector

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• The Living World 5 Feb 12 Dippers

  Sun, 5 Feb 12

  Duration:
  23 mins

  Miranda Krestovnikoff visits the Brecon Beacons where she explores the watery world of the dipper, a bird shaped by the rivers on which it depends. Producer: Brett Westwood

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• The Living World 29 Jan 12 Jackdaw Roost

  Sun, 29 Jan 12

  Duration:
  23 mins

  For this week's Living World, Joanna Pinnock heads to a site in Cambridgeshire which is currently part of a long term study into jackdaw behaviour. Here she meets Dr Alex Thornton on a blustery morning before dawn. As first light begins to creep silently over the horizon the first chattering's of a jackdaw roost can be heard. With increasing light, this chatter becomes louder until at some given signal, the jackdaws simultaneously leave their night roost in a cacophony of sound. It is a winter spectacle often overlooked but rivalling any in the natural world. So what is actually going on here? Producer: Andrew Dawes.

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• Yeti's Finger - 27 Dec 11

  Wed, 18 Jan 12

  Duration:
  28 mins

  High up a remote Himalayan Mountain in Nepal is a Buddhist monastery. The monks say there is no doubt yeti's roam the high forest, they see and hear them and they sometimes even attack people. The tantalising prospect of being the first to prove that this mythical ape like creature actually exists has been the goal of many explorers - but the beast has always evaded capture. Then the discovery of a supposed yeti's hand kept in the monastery set off a remarkable chain of events that drew in a mountain explorer, an American oil tycoon, a Hollywood film star and a high tech lab for forensic science in Scotland. But is it a yeti? Presenter: Matthew Hill Producer: Mary Colwell Editor: Julian Hector

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• Saving Species Sustaining Life - 23 Dec 11

  Fri, 23 Dec 11

  Duration:
  47 mins

  In a special edition of Saving Species, recorded in front of an audience at the University of Bristol, Brett Westwood chairs a discussion about the building tension between the natural world and the burgeoning human population. Every 2 seconds another child is born. The human population is now over 7 billion and is projected to rise to 9 billion by 2050. All these people will need food, water, energy and materials, is that possible? How can a burgeoning population really live with a flourishing natural world? Sustaining Life takes the issue of the human population and nature head on. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Mary Colwell Editor: Julian Hector

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• Saving Species (Srs 2) - 13 Dec 11 - Ep 30

  Tue, 13 Dec 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  30/30 For the final live programme of the series there will be an update from the BTO on the location of the five tagged cuckoos in the forests of Central Africa. Also on the move but on a much shorter journey are shags. Bob Swann reports from his well-monitored seabird cliffs at North Sutor in Scotland where he has been checking the ring numbers of the shags. Peter Burgess from the Devon Wildlife Trust takes Chris Sperring on an end of year update on the beavers who are being used to manage rare culm grassland. Mark Brazil reports on the conservation of the rare Lear's Macaw. Kelvin Boot joins Brett in the studio with the latest Wildlife news roundup Keep an ear out for the Saving Species special debate on "Sustaining Life" pre-recorded for broadcast on Friday 23rd December at 8pm. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Sheena Duncan Editor: Julian Hector

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• Saving Species (Srs 2) - 06 Dec 11 - Ep 29

  Tue, 6 Dec 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  28/30 Michael Scott reports from the Flanders Moss peat bogs near Stirling. He discovers it's all about the management of water. Howard Stableford sends a second report about Pikas, where American biologists from Arizona State University explain that the Pikas are also critical for the retention of water on the plateau: their burrows, they claim, help prevent flood and drought. Jane Madgwick, Director of Wetlands International talks about water and the conservation of peat bogs at home and in the Himalayas. And what are fungi doing wearing tights? it's a parasitic fungus- the powder cap strangler - whose host is another fungus - Brett is in the field to find them. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Sheena Duncan Editor: Julian Hector

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• Saving Species (Srs 2) 29 Nov 11 - Ep 28

  Tue, 29 Nov 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  28/30 In this weeks programme Buzzards are implicated as part of the cause in the decline of Brown Hares in North Wales. Hares are not commonly linked to a Buzzards diet - so can this be right. We're in North Wales to find out. We're also in Brazil with Mark Brazil who is exploring the flooded Amazon forest in search of the White Uakari Monkey. And back in the UK - news that many more of the global species of whales can be found in British waters. Presenter Kelvin Boot Producer Sheena Duncan Editor Julian Hector

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• The Living World - 27 Nov 11 - Cuckoo Trees

  Sun, 27 Nov 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  The Living World: Cuckoo Trees In early winter, Joanna Pinnock heads up to the Stiperstone Hills in Shropshire. Here she meets up with Sara Bellis and Carl Pickup from the Shropshire Wildlife Trust at a remarkable place, The Hollies. Here high up on the windswept hills, Joanna encounters ancient holly trees, which could be as old as 400 years. Holly, naturally an understory tree of more developed woodland, is not suited to grow up here in the cold windy conditions. But how and why these trees came to be here is something of a mystery. Produced by Andrew Dawes

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• Saving Species (Srs 2) 22 Nov 11 - Ep 27

  Tue, 22 Nov 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  27/30 This week the programme is all about trees and forests. In the UK this is national tree week. We have a story where a 500 year plan is being rolled out to restore ancient woodland in the British landscape. We also have a report from Italy on the success of designating a forest "sacred" to save it. And the Monkey Puzzle tree. A report from Michael Scott on the importance of the genetic diversity of Monkey Puzzles in Scottish gardens and parks to the Chile, the native country of this species. Presented by Brett Westwood Produced by Mary Colwell Editor Julian Hector

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• The Living World 20 Nov 11 Winter Ladybirds

  Sun, 20 Nov 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  As ladybirds become dormant in winter, their struggle to survive is examined. Joanna Pinnock joins Dr Helen Roy and Richard Comont in Oxfordshire. Produced by Andrew Dawes

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• Saving Species (Srs2) 08 Nov 11: Ep 25

  Thu, 17 Nov 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  25/30 Saving Species reports from Tampa Bay on studies following the movements and whereabouts of Sea Horses. How is it the males have been left "holding the baby" and why does understanding how the female has got out of rearing off spring help in the conservation of the species. We also get a report on efforts in Israel to stem the decline of marine turtles in the Mediterranean. The Sea Turtle Rescue Centre was set up in 1999 under the auspices of the Israel Nature and Park Authority with the aim to rescuing injured adult turtles and incubating eggs in replica nests. Presented by Brett Westwood Produced by Sheena Duncan Editor Julian Hector

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• Saving Species (Srs 2) 15 Nov 11 - Ep 26

  Tue, 15 Nov 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  26/30 Assisi in Italy is the town most strongly associated with Saint Francis - the patron saint of the environment. A fitting place for a unique gathering of world faiths and members of the global conservation community. They were there to inspire one another and find ways of working more closely together to protect the natural world. Karen Partridge joined the delegates and speakers in Assisi and will be in the studio to talk about the upsum of this special meeting of minds. And we're bring you an exclusive report and an encounter with a bird that is on the brink of extinction. A last ditch effort by two major UK wildlife organisations and collaborators in Russia might, in the long term, turn the fortunes of this most beautiful migrant bird. The Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Presented by brett Westwood Produced by Mary Colwell Editor Julian Hector

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• The Living World 13-Nov-11 Waxcap Grasslands

  Sun, 13 Nov 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  West Wales receives a lot of rain, which is perfect for this week's Living World. Paul Evans joins Bruce Langridge from the National Botanic Garden of Wales and Dr Gareth Griffiths, a mycologist from Aberystwyth University on a fungal foray with a difference, as they look for waxcaps hidden amongst grass. Produced by Andrew Dawes

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• The Living World 06 Nov 11: Celtic Rain Forest

  Sun, 6 Nov 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  High in the hills of the Snowdonia National Park in Wales, can be found a rare and fascinating habitat. For this weeks' Living World, Paul Evans joins Ray Woods from Plantlife Cymru on a voyage of discovery into the Celtic Rainforest.

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• The Living World 30 Oct 11: Stone Curlew

  Thu, 3 Nov 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  Wiltshire's dry arable land is home to the stone curlew. Joanna Pinnock joins Nick Adams, as dusk begins, to search for this banshee of the night.

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• Saving Species (Srs 2) 01 Nov 11 - Ep 24

  Tue, 1 Nov 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  24/30: This weeks Saving Species is recorded in front of an audience at the National Botanic Garden of Wales. And the programme has a theme - fungi. It's at this time of year that many of us see the fruiting bodies of fungi, the "mushroom", but so much more goes on underground and in the leaf litter. On the panel we have fungi expert Professor Lynne Boddy of Cardiff University and Rosie Plumer, the Director of the National Botanic Garden of Wales. Delivering some specially written prose is writer and broadcaster Paul Evans and a special report from naturalist Ray Woods. And of course questions from the audience. Presenter Brett Westwood Producer Sheena Duncan Editor Julian Hector

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• Savnig Species 2 Ep 23 - 25 Oct 11

  Tue, 25 Oct 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Ep: 23 of 30 - BBC1 airs the Natural History Units latest wildlife landmark Frozen Planet this week. The series Executive Producer Alastair Fothergill will be in the Saving Species studio to talk about the series and especially recounting the experience taking Sir David Attenborough down to the Antarctic ice shelf - a lasting experience Alastair tells us that portrays the change under way in the Antarctic. Also in the programme, the latest news of the Spectacled Eiders Julian Hector visited in the Arctic. This species is the only bird in the Arctic to winter on ice. Matt Sexson of the U.S. Geological Survey will tell us the latest movements and behaviour of the birds our programme met in the summer. Presenter Brett westwood Producer Sheena Duncan Editor Julian Hector

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• Saving Species Srs 2 18 Oct 11 - Ep 22 of 30

  Tue, 18 Oct 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  22/30: We report from the city of Bristol on the behaviour of Herring Gulls. There are reports of Herring Gulls stalking, waiting and seizing opportunities to snatch food from picnics on the beach and it's well known in the city of Bristol that Herring Gulls scavenge fast food in the streets. And yet Herring Gulls are in decline, they are now listed in the Red Data Book of threatened species. What is causing the Herring Gull decline in the UK when so much food seems available. And - all part of living with nature, we report on the status of the Wild Boar in the UK. Can there ever be too many of them? Our news hound Kelvin Boot will be live on the line with topical news and events. Presenter Brett Westwood Producer Mary Colwell Editor Julian Hector

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• Bitten By The Bug - Ep. 5 14 Oct 2011

  Fri, 14 Oct 11

  Duration:
  15 mins

  Bitten By The Bug: "Sorby" In the last of this series of five programmes exploring the aims and enthusiasms of their members, Brett Westwood searches for mountain hares on the Sheffield moors with Derek Whiteley and Val Clinging from the Sorby Natural History Society and discusses the future of natural history societies here in the UK. Produced and Presented by Brett Westwood.

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• Bitten By the Bug - Ep. 4 13 Oct 2011

  Thu, 13 Oct 11

  Duration:
  15 mins

  Bitten By The Bug: "Mosses" In the fourth of this series of five programmes exploring the aims and enthusiasms of their members,Brett Westwood is initiated into the delights of mosses and liverworts when he joins a foray with two botanists from the British Bryological Society and hears about the publication of their brand new field guide. Produced and Presented by Brett Westwood.

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• Bitten By The Bug - Ep.3 12 Oct 11

  Wed, 12 Oct 11

  Duration:
  15 mins

  Bitten By The Bug: "Bookham Commons" In the third of this series of five programmes exploring the aims and enthusiasms of their members , Brett Westwood gets to the heart of our natural history societies and finds that here in the UK they are in surprisingly good shape. In 2011 the London Natural History Society celebrates 70 years of studying one place, Bookham Commons in Surrey. The results of the findings, which include purple emperor butterflies and 1800 species of beetle, have influenced the way the National Trust manages the site for people and wildlife. Brett joins a beetle hunt with Stuart Cole of the London Natural History Society and Ian Swinney from the National Trust and discovers the jewel-like mint leaf-beetle as well as the value of keeping a donkey on site. Produced and Presented by Brett Westwood.

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• Bitten By The Bug - Ep.2 11 Oct 11

  Wed, 12 Oct 11

  Duration:
  15 mins

  Bitten By The Bug: "The Flies Workshop" In the second of this series of five programmes exploring the aims and enthusiasms of their members , Brett Westwood gets to the heart of our natural history societies and finds that here in the UK they are it is in surprisingly good shape. The Dipterist’s Forum was established to study the 7000 and more species of two-winged flies which occur in the UK, from bluebottles to mosquitos. At a field centre in Shrewsbury he learns how to navigate his way around a fly, pursues winter gnats over a garden compost-heap and gets to grips with the finer points of fungus gnats, a bewildering group of several hundred species most of which are less than 5mm long. Produced and Presented by Brett Westwood

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• Bitten By The Bug - Ep.1 10 Oct 11

  Wed, 12 Oct 11

  Duration:
  15 mins

  Bitten By The Bug: BSBI Field Trip In the first of this series of five programmes exploring the aims and enthusiasms of society members , Brett Westwood gets to the heart of our natural history societies and finds that here in the UK they are in surprisingly good shape. The first programme takes him to the Somerset Levels with the Botanical Society, where he joins a field meeting studying aquatic plants. Field trips are the life-blood of any society and a tour of the dykes and ditches produces not only the smallest flowering plant in the UK , but also the largest cells of any British plant. Produced and Presented by Brett Westwood

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• Saving Species Ep 21 11 Oct 11

  Tue, 11 Oct 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Research biologist Lucy Hawkes from Bangor University is in the studio reporting on her latest work on the Bar-Headed Goose. We find out how studying their migration helps inform their conservation. Chris Sperring reports on the re-introduction of the Fen Raft Spider into a restored marshland in Suffolk. And the BTO are live on the programme to bring us up to date with the Cuckoos on the move.

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• Saving Species 2 - 04 Oct 2011 Ep 20

  Wed, 5 Oct 11

  Duration:
  28 mins

  20/30 The Pika is a small mammal that lives in the high altitude grasslands in mountain ranges from Japan, through central Asia and North America. Andrew Smith and his team of field biologists from Arizona State University has studied the Pika for many years on the Tibetan Plateau. It's in Tibet, he claims, they are wrongly blamed for the degrading of the grasslands by the Chinese. We have been to see Andrew Smith and have a reply from the Chinese Academy of Science. Also in the programme: Kelvin Boot reports the status of polar plankton from a meeting (about plankton) in Plymouth. And the Curlew - the piping call of which contributes to the soundscape of uplands in summer and estuaries in winter, are seriously in decline in Ireland, SW Scotland and Wales. By how much and why we will find out. Presented by Brett Westwood Produced by Mary Colwell Editor Julian Hector

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• Saving Species 2 Ep 19 27 Sept 11

  Tue, 27 Sep 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  19/30 We have our third report from the tundra of the Alaskan North Slope. Species has been reporting the work of U.S. Geological Survey biologist Matt Sexson on Spectacled Eiders. Zoo vets Maria Spriggs and Gwen Myers of Mesker Park Zoo Indiana and Columbus Zoo Ohio respectively, provide the clinical support in the field. So what is conservation medicine and is there an increasing role for vets in the wider world of saving wildlife in our increasingly stressed planet? Also in the programme: the British Trust for Ornithology highlight garden bird disease getting into Europe. Kelvin Boot is live from Aberdeen at an international conference on marine biodiversity. And we acknowledge the death this week of Professor Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan woman who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her work teaching women to plant trees. Wangari Maathai believed the destruction of the natural world was directly linked to sustained poverty in Kenya.

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• Saving Species Ep 18 20 Sept 2011

  Tue, 20 Sep 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  18/30 Saving Species goes to Alaska to find the Spectacled Eider, a duck which is the focus of intense research and a species that represents the future of many Arctic species. Presented by Brett Westwood Produced by Sheena Duncan Editor Julian Hector

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• Saving Species Ep 17 13 Sept 11

  Tue, 13 Sep 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  17/30 Butterfly expert Matthew Oates is tramping the wilds with Brett looking for the Purple Hairstreak Butterfly. And Julian Hector reports from the North Slope of Alaska where he meets the team working on the extraordinary Spectacled Eider. We also hear from Sarah Pitt who has been looking for Water Voles - so this weeks edition of Saving Species is truly outdoors. Presented by Brett Westwood Produced by Sheena Duncan

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• Saving Species Ep 16 6 Sept 11

  Tue, 6 Sep 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Presenter Brett Westwood introduces the the Horrid Ground Weaver - a miniscule hairy creature found, it is thought, in only one place in the UK - And a team of biologists are on the hunt. Also in the programme: The latest news on Indian Vulture conservation - and the release of the European Cranes on the Somerset Levels. With news from Kelvin Boot.

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• Saving Species Ep 15 30 Aug 11

  Tue, 30 Aug 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is the oldest known nesting site in the world for the common swift but numbers are falling there and elsewhere - why and what is being done to help? And Brett discovers more about the private life of the beautiful woodland butterfly the Silver Washed Fritillary. Brett also gets an update on Chris, the Saving Species cuckoo that is making its way to its wintering area in Africa. With news from Kelvin Boot.

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• Living World - Malham Caddisfly

  Sun, 21 Aug 11

  Duration:
  22 mins

  The Malham Sedge has not been seen for four years. Paul Evans joins a research project run by Ian Wallace on Malham Tarn in Yorkshire to find out if this rare caddisfly still exists.

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• 14 Aug 11 - Living World - Vampire Plants

  Sun, 14 Aug 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  The Weardale uplands are home to rich and varied plant communities. For this weeks' Living World, Paul Evans joins Dr Phil Gates on a botanical exploration with a difference: A wildflower rich landscape with a sinister botanical twist in its tail.

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• 07 Aug 11: LW - Limestone Pavements

  Sun, 7 Aug 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  The Yorkshire Dales has some of the most spectacular scenery in England. In this weeks' Living World, Michael Scott explores the plants of the limestone pavement with Tim Thom. Produced by Andrew Dawes

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• 31 Jul 11 - Living World - Puffins

  Sun, 31 Jul 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  Its summertime and for this weeks Living World Paul Evans crosses over to the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast where he joins warden David Steele on a puffin safari. Produced by Andrew Dawes

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• Saving Species 2 Programme 14 26 Jul 2011

  Tue, 26 Jul 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  14/30 Chris the cuckoo is south bound, heading for Africa - but where exactly is he? We visit the British Trust for Ornithology's HQ in East Anglia and find out latest progress of him and his compatriots. We also have a report about the UK Lady Bird Survey being conducted by the Biological Records Centre. Over recent years we have heard much about the invasive harlequin ladybird pushing out our native species - but is this really the case. And how easy is it to see all the ladybrid species found in the British Isles? We'll be encouraging you to join in and if you don't know your ladybirds, why not use ispot.

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• Saving Species Series 2 Episode 13

  Tue, 19 Jul 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. Ponds in the UK are the target for significant conservation measures, but how well have we done looking after the wildlife of these mini wetlands? We talk to Natural England on the future of Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs). Also in the programme we feature the latest report from Bob Swann surveying the seabird colonies of Tain and Canna. And a report from Newcastle from Trai Anfield on the future of urban nesting Kittiwakes who are being re-located to breeding towers on the River Tyne. With news from Kelvin Boot.

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• Saving Species 2 Programme 12 12 July 11

  Tue, 12 Jul 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. Saving Species has an interview with Sperm Whale biologist Hal Whitehead and reports live from the International Whale Commission. We also have a report on wetlands in England and an interview from Kenya on the status of Giraffes. Giraffe numbers have been falling in Africa - why?

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• Saving Species 2 Programme 11: 05 Jul 11

  Tue, 5 Jul 11

  Duration:
  28 mins

  11/30 The Green Turtle is one of nature's great travellers, migrating from feeding grounds to breeding grounds traversing the oceans of the world. Like so many species reported in the series, Green Turtles are in decline. Our reporter James Brickell reports from the Great Barrier Reef with biologists who are both trying to understand the natural history of these magnificent creatures and help in their conservation. And we have turtle biologist Brendan Godley from Exeter University live in the studio. We'll have an update from the two Beavers we're following in Devon - Chris Sperring has been down to visit the site and to see the Beavers. And how is Chris the Cuckoo doing? We'll be spying in on his migration south. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Sheena Duncan Editor: Julian Hector

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• Saving Species 2 Programme 10 28-Jun-11

  Tue, 28 Jun 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  10/30 This week in the Saving Species studio we have Lucy Hawkes visiting who is a biologist working on the Bar-Headed Goose. The Bar-Headed goose is famous for its high altitude migration, climbing from the lowlands of India, over and above the highest peaks of the Himalayas, to their breeding grounds on the high altitude grasslands of Outer Mongolia. We also talk to Daniel Pauly, a leading marine biologist from University of British Columbia, about his take on the state of global oceans - And get out with Michael Scott on an Earth Watch expedition looking for whales around the British coastline. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Mary Colwell Editor: Julian Hector

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• Saving Species 2 Programme 9 21-Jun-11

  Tue, 21 Jun 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  As part of the Saving Species mini-series "Citizen Conservation", presented by Sarah Pitt, there is a feature on the conservation of Dormice. It seems that one of the most important habitats to protect for Dormice is "scrub". But what is scrub? Also in the programme is a report on the status of the Manx Shearwater seabirds, recorded on location on Canna near the Isle of Skye by Bob Swann. Followed by an interview with the RSPB about the role of controlling predators to protect seabird chicks. Other subjects also in the programme include Large Blue Butterflies with Matthew Oates; plus the latest on the Cuckoos the BTO have attached special transmitters too, reported in an earlier edition of Saving Species. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Mary Colwell Editor: Julian Hector

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• Savnig Species Series 2 Programme 8

  Tue, 14 Jun 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  8/30 Britain is internationally important for seabird species. There are colonies of Gannets, Fulmars, Manx Shearwaters, Puffins, Guillemots, Razor Bills, Greater Black-backed Gulls and Storm Petrels to name just a few. In recent years there have been reports that the breeding success of British seabirds is in decline although unusually cold winters in the last two years might have slowed this decline. To find out the latest about the UK's seabird populations Brett Westwood will be on the Farne Islands, with guests - And live with the National Trust from the Long Nanny Arctic Tern colony. Kelvin Boot will be in the Saving Species studio in Bristol. Presenter: Kelvin Boot Producer: Mary Colwell Editor: Julian Hector

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• Saving Species Series 2 Programme 7

  Wed, 8 Jun 11

  Duration:
  28 mins

  This week's Saving Species explores the mysteries of bird migration. Joanna Pinnock joins the British Trust for Ornithology on an early morning expedition to put a special transmitter on a Cuckoo. Chris Sperring is in Somerset finding out about the fortune of the pied flycatcher, and Mark Brazil reports from the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido on the little understood Latham's Snipe. Presenter: Brett Westwood, Producer: Sheena Duncan, Editor: Julian Hector.

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• 31 May 11 - Saving Species 2 Programme 6

  Tue, 31 May 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Saving Species reports the extraordinary findings of a twenty year study into the wildlife of a garden. Presented by Joanna Pinnock

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• Saving Species 2 Programme 5 24 May 2011

  Tue, 24 May 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Saving Species is in front of an audience on the Tyntesfield Estate near Bristol – it’s here, care of the National Trust, a BioBlitz is taking place. Saving Species asks the question, “where are tomorrows naturalists going to come from”?

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• Living World - Raft Spiders 22 May 11

  Sun, 22 May 11

  Duration:
  22 mins

  Presenter Paul Evans meets up with John Hughes from the Shropshire Wildlife Trust to traverse Wem Moss National Nature Reserve in search of a wetland specialist, the raft spider Dolomedes fimbriatus: Britain's largest native spider.

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• Saving Species 2 Programme 4 17 May 11

  Tue, 17 May 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. Saving Species reports from a project in Norfolk restoring an ancient wood. We feature a report from Bob Swann who has monitored the same two seabird colonies in Scotland for 25 years. Patrick Evans reads his second piece from the area around Chernobyl - this week we hear about the Przewalski's Horse. Produced by Mary Colwell, Editor: Julian Hector.

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• Living World - Oil Beetles 15 May 11

  Sun, 15 May 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  Devon is home to all four oil beetle species recorded in Britain. For this weeks' Living World, Paul Evans joins naturalist John Walters on an oil beetle hunt.

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• Saving Species 2 Programme 3 10 May 11

  Tue, 10 May 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Saving Species reports from the Congo and the future of Lowland Gorilla's and the translocation of Desert Tortoises in the Mojave desert. Plus, how has the UK wildlife reacted to this years most unusual spring - high seasonal temperatures, very low rainfall and habitat fires.

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• Living World - Dymock Daffodils 8 May 11

  Sun, 8 May 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  Paul Evans follows the Poet's Path into the heart of wild daffodil country as he celebrates spring in the Dymock woods in Gloucestershire, home to the Dymock Poets in WW1.

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• Saving Species 2 Programme 2 03 May 11

  Wed, 4 May 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  The re-introduction of European Beavers into the British countryside continues to be a long and complex consultation process, with many Beavers now in large habitat-scale enclosures. Plus the first report from journalist Patrick Evans on the state of wildlife in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

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• Living World - Islay Birds 1 May 11

  Sun, 1 May 11

  Duration:
  22 mins

  Islay is a haven for birds. For this weeks' Living World, Michael Scott joins long time Islay resident Malcolm Ogilvie for a birdwatch along the shores of Loch Gruinart.

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• Saving Species 2 Programme 1 26 Apr 11

  Wed, 27 Apr 11

  Duration:
  28 mins

  Saving Species is back for another year of live broadcasting about the world of wildlife conservation. The first programme is a reminder that spring has sprung and the UK's most treasured migrant birds are back - the Swallows. During the winter a BBC Natural History Unit team visited Nigeria to track down a little know population of wintering swallows - and they found them. With upward of five million individuals, the sky darkened with the swirling avian biomass. We reveal how we know East Anglia is the destination of some of these West African Swallows are migrating to.

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• James And The Giant Eagle 22 Apr 11

  Fri, 22 Apr 11

  Duration:
  28 mins

  James Aldred encounters one of the world's most powerful birds of prey, the Harpy Eagle.

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• Living World - The Brown Hare 27 Feb 11

  Thu, 24 Feb 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  Lionel Kelleway meets Gill Turner, who has observed the behaviour of brown hares for the last 15 years to explore this question. Together, they marvel at the antics of the brown hare - one of the first signs of Spring - on a very special farm in Hertfordshire.

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• Living World - Ptarmigan 20 Feb 11

  Sun, 20 Feb 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  Lionel Kelleway joins Cairngorm Mountain Head Ranger Nic Bullivant on the snow fields of Caringorm looking for the Ptarmigan in their harsh and open mountain-scape.

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• Living World - Yew Trees 13 Feb 11

  Sun, 13 Feb 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  Lionel Kelleway visits two very different yew trees in Scotland, including The Fortingall Yew - possibly the oldest living thing in Europe.

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• Living World - Arctic charr 6 Feb 11

  Sun, 6 Feb 11

  Duration:
  22 mins

  Lionel Kelleway travels to Lake Windermere in the Lake District to encounter one of Britains rarest fish, the Arctic charr, a remanant of the last Ice Age.

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• Saving Species Programme 40 01 Feb 11

  Tue, 1 Feb 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. If we accept that saving all endangered species might not be practical, affordable or possible - then how are decisions made about what to save? We have a special report from Howard Stableford who went to see the Californian Condor project and we'll have James Leape, International Director General WWF live into the programme. Also in the programme David Robinson, Professor of Biology at the Open University looks at the performance of ispot across 40 episodes of Saving Species. And Kelvin Boot is in the studio talking about the proposed sale of British woodlands.

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• Living World - First Flight 30 Jan 11

  Sun, 30 Jan 11

  Duration:
  23 mins

  Lionel Kelleway joins Brian Morrell from WWT Caerlaverock to witness a wildlife spectacle rarely encountered in Britain - the dawn flight of thousands of Barnacle geese over the Solway Firth in Scotalnd.

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• Saving Species Programme 39 25 Jan 11

  Tue, 25 Jan 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. In this programme we have our final "Memories" piece remembering the past abundance of the tenacious predators, stoats and weasels. We also discover the dangers of fragmenting heathland through the narrow-headed ant. Also in the programme we feature close encounters with the Africa Penguin on a remote island off the coast of South Africa. With news from Kelvin Boot.

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• Saving Species Programme 38 18 Jan 11

  Tue, 18 Jan 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. We feature the final episode in our special series about "Lady Bird Book Britain". In this programme it's the winter edition, with the joys of swirling starlings, Mistletoe and birds at the bird table. And we turn our attention to charismatic mega fauna(!) and tourism. With two special reports, one from James Brickell in Australia and another from Mark Brazil in India, we examine how using tourists, are helping with research and protecting Whales and Tigers.

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• Saving Species Programme 37 11 Jan 11

  Tue, 11 Jan 11

  Duration:
  29 mins

  This week Brett Westwood meets Damon Bridge of the Great Crane Project to catch up on the progress of the European Cranes that were introduced to the Somerset Levels. Mark Brazil sends a report from Brazil where he has been on the trail of the hyacinth macaw. Chris Sperring presents the Autumn edition of the 'Ladybird Book Britain' series, and we have our regular wildlife news round-up with Kelvin Boot.

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• Saving Species Programme 36

  Tue, 4 Jan 11

  Duration:
  28 mins

  This week Kelvin Boot presents the latest findings about goose migration, following up on research first broadcast in the BBC Natural History Unit Radio series 'World on the Move'. Sarah Pitt meets Graham Martin to talk about Tawny Owls. Also in the programme, the mystery of the 'Star Jelly' solved by the Open University's iSpot, and details of a new species of Gecko.

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• Saving Species Programme 35

  Tue, 28 Dec 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Guest presenter Matthew Hill presents a special programme focussing on tigers. Matthew travelled to Tadoba National Tiger Reserve in India for Saving Species. There, he investigated a story about tigers that involves a local Indian community, a retired heart surgeon from Bristol and a remarkable education programme to conserve tigers, not kill them.

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• Saving Species Programme 34

  Wed, 22 Dec 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  This week, Brett Westwood talks to Karen Partridge about the alarming situation facing lions in Africa and a controversial reintroduction programme. We also have the second in our series of 'Ladybird Book Britain', as well as a Christmassy wildlife news roundup with Kelvin Boot.

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• Saving Species Programme 33 14 Dec 10

  Tue, 14 Dec 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. We feature a special report about Sloths from the southern most tip of the Caribbean off the coast of Panama. Also in the programme we have the first of our special Ladybird Book series. Chris Sperring takes the first editions of these books about Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter - published in 1959 - and explores what species have gone, what have arrived and what hasn't changed. And with the news of two species of sharks attacking holiday makers in the Red Sea what does this do to the efforts to save sharks from extinction?

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• Saving Species Programme 32

  Tue, 7 Dec 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents a special edition of Saving Species from the 100 Foot Washes in Norfolk with an invited panel of experts and a live audience - And not to forget the thousands of migratory swans.

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• Living World - Ravens 05 Deb 10

  Sun, 5 Dec 10

  Duration:
  22 mins

  The raven is both agile and majestic in flight but shrouded in mystery, superstition and folk law. How was it that our biggest member of the crow family, a bird once protected as an important scavenger in ancient times, was then persecuted almost to extinction in the British Isles, with less that 1000 pairs clinging onto a precarious future in few remote hills in upland Britain? In this week's Living World, Lionel Kelleway travels to a remote part of Shropshire where thankfully the raven is making a remarkable comeback.

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• Saving Species Programme 31 30 Nov 10

  Tue, 30 Nov 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. We take a look at British farmland and ask how fit it is for wildlife to flourish. We go in search of the small flower the Blue Pimpernel and Britain's "Big Six" of farmland birds to discover what changes to farming arable land have been needed to allow them to re-emerge. We also feature a report from South America where Mark Brazil has had a close encounter with the Maned Wolf - one of the rarest mammals in the world and perhaps one of the least understood. With news from Kelvin Boot.

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• Living World - Ancient Trees 28 Nov 10

  Sun, 28 Nov 10

  Duration:
  23 mins

  Lionel Kelleway travels to Herefordshire to marvel at the Old Masters of the British countryside; ancient trees, including the oldest oak in Britain.

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• Saving Species Programme 30

  Tue, 23 Nov 10

  Duration:
  28 mins

  This week Brett Westwood presents a programme featuring a report from Japan about whooper swans. Brett visits a garden that has become a site of national importance because of its diversity of fungi, before discussing the conservation of fungi with an expert from Kew Gardens. Also in the programme a 'Memories' piece about freshwater fish and our regular wildlife news with Kelvin Boot.

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• Saving Species Programme 29 16 Nov 10

  Tue, 16 Nov 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. Saving Species looks into the issues of invasive species. What should countries do with wildlife aliens? When does a non-native species, like an eagle owl, become "invasive"? We discuss whether the eradication of invasive species in any one setting is wildlife conservation. With news from Kelvin Boot.

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• Living World - Hedgerows 14 Nov 10

  Sun, 14 Nov 10

  Duration:
  23 mins

  Lionel Kelleway visits hedgerow ecologist Rob Walton on a farm in Devon, where they explore the value of hedges for wildlife and search for a dormouse along the way.

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• Saving Species Programme 28 9 Nov 10

  Tue, 9 Nov 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. We return to St Bee's Island off the Queensland coast in Australia for our second exclusive report about Koalas. We also feature a special report from Madagascar and the work being done out there to save the Madgascan Pochard from the brink of extinction. Chris Sperring sends a report to us from Orkney where the Grey Seals are pupping. With news from Kelvin Boot.

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• Living World - Wasps 07 Nov 10

  Fri, 5 Nov 10

  Duration:
  23 mins

  The British Isles are home to 6500 species of wasps and bees. Lionel Kelleway travels to Devon in the hope of seeing a potter wasp bringing paralysed caterpillars to the pot.

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• Saving Species Programme 27 02 Nov 10

  Tue, 2 Nov 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents a programme full of geese. Joanna Pinnock witnesses the arrival in Norfolk of pink-footed geese, while Michael Scott visits the Scottish island of Islay. Geese migration is a spectacle, but is it also a problem? We have perspectives from farmers and conservation organisations. Finally, Kelvin Boot sums up developments from the Nagoya biodiversity conference.

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• Saving Species Programme 26 26 Oct 10

  Tue, 26 Oct 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. In the light of the British Government's spending review, is it business as usual for running nature reserves? Also in the programme, we have a live report from Nagoya in Japan where governments and conservation organisations from around the world have been meeting to discuss new biodiversity targets. Chris Sperring has his eye on Fallow Deer and brings you the spectacle of their rut on Exmoor together with their impacts of woodland. And Kelvin Boot has been with iSpot users in the New Forest looking for fungi.

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• Saving Species Programme 25 19 Oct 10

  Tue, 19 Oct 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. Saving Species is in London looking for south-bound migrating birds. Ornithologist Ian Wallace has watched the skies wherever he’s lived since he was a young man, including London’s Primrose Hill. So how would his earlier findings compare with todays visible migration? And we'll have a special piece from a sacred forest in Ethiopia, a unique wooded island refuge in a desert of over tilled land - a forest protected by a church and its followers. We hear from Claire Ozanne from Roehampton University as she and colleagues conduct the first ever wildlife survey of this refuge.

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• Saving Species Programme 24 12 Oct 10

  Tue, 12 Oct 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. In earlier episodes of Saving Species we followed the life and times of British seabirds on the Isle of May and the Cliffs near Tain, both in Scotland. Over recent weeks lots of data has been crunched and we have ornithologist Bob Swann telling us how Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Puffins and Shags and other seabirds have done in various places around the UK. Biologists from Oxford University have been studying the decline in British birds and have come up with work that indicates that bird decline in the UK is an indicator of wider mass extinctions over the world. Also, bees. We report new research looking at what the Honey Bee waggle dance tells us about nectar sources in gardens and the countryside. And to a great source of autumn nectar, Kelvin Boot hunts down the Ivy Bee.

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• Saving Species Programme 23 05 Oct 10

  Tue, 5 Oct 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. Chris Sperring reports from a woodland in Wales amongst erupting fruiting bodies and discovers the importance of conserving fungi for the health of woodlands. Ted Oakes is back in the Minnesota woodlands trying to locate black bears and see how they are responding to conservation. We're also back in Africa with a report from Tessa McGregor about the successful conservation of the Grevy's Zebra in the Samburu National Park in Kenya. With news from Kelvin Boot.

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• Saving Species Programme 22 28 Sept 10

  Tue, 28 Sep 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Presented by Kelvin Boot. Saving Species visits the Mississippi Delta and asks naturalists and biologists "just how tough are the oceans' defences to huge pollution events like the recent oil spill"? Howard Stableford will be in the area gathering information about the resilience of a huge river Delta and its relationship with the sea. How much flex is in the system? We'll find out.

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• Saving Species Programme 21 21 Sept 10

  Tue, 21 Sep 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. Saba Douglas-Hamilton reports from Samburu national park in Kenya. In her first report we hear about the affects of severe flooding after a period of sustained drought on the savannah and get an insight into the elephants within the national park. And we hear from Mark Brazil in the Aleution Islands (a string of islands streaming off the western tip of Alaska) and his close encounters with Stellers Sea Lions. And in the UK, culm grassland making a return - the preferred habitat of the Marsh Fritillary. With news from Kelvin Boot.

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• Saving Species Programme 20 14 Sept 10

  Tue, 14 Sep 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. We focus on the seabird species the Little Auk which inhabit the northern archipelago of Svalbard at the height of their breeding season. Joanna Pinnock visits a compost heap in Cambridgeshire. And we follow on this theme with a special studio guest who needs a warm living compost heap to successfully raise her young - the Grass Snake. Also in the programme we feature the Large Blue Butterfly.

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• Saving Species Prog 19 07 Sept 10

  Tue, 7 Sep 10

  Duration:
  29 mins

  Brett Westwood presents. For the first time in 400 years European Cranes are free-living on the Somerset Levels. Saving Species is live in the wetlands to witness this important landmark. And we get into citizen science. The Open University with OPAL (open air laboratory) launch a hedge row survey for us to conduct and we join a "BioBlitz" in Dorset - all lay people oberserving and recording and filing the data on public record. But is it of any real value? We ask the questions.

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