The BBC Natural History Unit produces a wide range of programmes that aim to immerse a listener in the wonder, surprise and importance that nature has to offer.
Episodes available:
Indefinitely 
Sun, 19 May 13
Duration:
22 mins
In traditional Chinese culture the mandarin duck is believed to bring lifelong fidelity to couples and frequently used as symbols for wedding presents or in Chinese art. Formerly abundant in their native Far East, numbers of mandarin ducks have declined due to habitat destruction (mainly logging) and over-hunting. For this Living World, presenter Chris Sperring travels to the river Dart in Devon where starting underneath the busy A38 trunk road he meets up with naturalist John Walters who has been studying a winter roost of mandarin ducks here. In mid-winter up to 100 birds can roost here but in early spring they are beginning to pair up and disperse along the river Dart. Leaving this noisy suburban area, Chris and John then head off up the river to search for pairs of these wonderful tree ducks in the Devonian landscape.
Sun, 12 May 13
Duration:
22 mins
For many the emergence of the daffodil is the real, true harbinger of spring. That flash of yellow across the countryside breathes vitality into a previously grey and dormant winter landscape. There are around 26,000 species of daffodil in the World, however Britain is home to a special collection of true wild daffodils; smaller and less showy than the more usual cultivated stock, but superbly adapted to survive in our cold wet climate. For Living World, presenter Chris Sperring joins botanist Ray Woods in search of one such daffodil, the Tenby daffodil, the National emblem of Wales. This daffodil is unique in that it is found nowhere else on the Planet except around Tenby and southwest Wales. Most often associated with places of habitation, its origins and history are now lost in history, but by the 1800's this species was abundant in hedgerow and field.
Wed, 8 May 13
Duration:
23 mins
May 5th is International Dawn Chorus day and to celebrate this worldwide event presenter Trai Anfield heads to the Coombes Valley near Leek in Staffordshire to experience the emulsion of sound of a dawn chorus there. Well before dawn, for this special Living World, Trai Anfield meets up with Jarrod Sneyd from the RSPB. Here standing in oak woodland their sense of anticipation rises as with the first shimmers of light breaking the eastern horizon, the first pipings of the thrush family begin to break the silence. Slowly and imperceptibly more birds and different species join the awakening woods, the warblers, flycatchers and redstarts are then followed by the seed eaters until, soon after sunrise, the wood is alive with nature's choral sound. Can there be any better way to celebrate the arrival of spring.
Sun, 28 Apr 13
Duration:
22 mins
One of Britain's scarcest birds is also one of its most beautiful. The flame-coloured golden pheasant is a riot of red, orange and bronze and is native to Chinese forests. The birds are popular around the world as ornamental species and over the years have been introduced on country estates. Brett Westwood joins Paul Stancliffe of the British Trust for Ornithology in search of wild golden pheasants in the conifer woods of Norfolk. Here, in spite of their bright colours, they are very elusive and behave much as they do in their native China, skulking in dense undergrowth and glimpsed only as they dash across rides. As numbers in China are in decline, do our UK pheasants have an international importance? They prefer to run rather than fly and call loudly at dusk in spring, so this visit is the best chance that Paul and Brett have to see one - a bird that's one of the toughest challenges that the countryside can offer.
Tue, 16 Apr 13
Duration:
28 mins
Paul Evans explores the human self after discovering that only one in ten cells in our bodies is human; the rest are microbial cells. So, if we're not all human, what are we? Produced by Sarah Blunt
Sun, 31 Mar 13
Duration:
14 mins
Ep 3 of 3. In the third and last programme in the series, ecologist Matthew Oates, like Thomas, ends his journey in Somerset.
Sat, 30 Mar 13
Duration:
28 mins
Ep 2 of 3. In the second programme in the series, ecologist Matthew Oates celebrates the centenary of naturalist and poet Edward Thomas’s iconic cycle ride from South London to Somerset over Easter 1913.
Fri, 29 Mar 13
Duration:
14 mins
Ep 1 of 3. Edward Thomas (1878-1917) was arguably the most accomplished and profound writer of English rural prose, with a unique poetic-prose style. Over Easter 1913, Thomas set off on a cycle ride of personal self-discovery across Southern England. This journey was published in 1914 in his book "In Pursuit of Spring" and it remains a poignant reminder of one of our greatest countryside writers, who just a few years later would die on the battlefields of World War One. Throughout the series of three programmes, naturalist Matthew Oates pursues his own personal homage to Thomas by following in the literacy cycle tracks of the Edwardian writer one hundred years before. Academic and travel writer Robert MacFarlane, an admirer of Thomas himself, will read passages from Thomas's work which illustrate the man within. Presented by Matthew Oates. Produced by Andrew Dawes.
Tue, 19 Mar 13
Duration:
28 mins
Ep 3 of 3. In Episode Three, Erica explores how insect technology can solve human design problems.
Tue, 12 Mar 13
Duration:
28 mins
Ep 2 of 3. In Episode Two, Erica asks whether we should be eating more insects.
Tue, 5 Mar 13
Duration:
28 mins
Ep 1 of 3. They make up 80% of the species on earth, and at any time there are ten QUINTILLION of them living. Meet the six-legged rulers of the world: INSECTS. Entomologist Erica McAlister is known as Fly Girl to her friends. As Curator of Flies at the Natural History Museum, she knows what remarkable, strange, and diverse animals insects are. The insect world is populated by beings with superpowers - an amazing sense of smell, lightning reflexes, the ability to fly at dizzying speed or walk on the ceiling. And these superpowers have implications for us humans - in medicine, defence, food, art and architecture. They can help us to live more healthily, more safely, more sustainably. In Episode One, Erica discovers that bees' sense of smell can be used to detect explosives and disease.
Tue, 26 Feb 13
Duration:
22 mins
For this week's Living World, presenter Chris Sperring goes in search of a large carnivore he's never seen before in the wild, the grey wolf. To do this he travels to Sweden where he meets up with Pierre Ahlgren a wildlife ranger in the Vastmanland area of Mid Sweden, where they are also joined by Tom Arnbom from WWF Sweden.
Tue, 26 Feb 13
Duration:
22 mins
In January Sweden can be a cold and inhospitable place. Despite winter temperatures dropping to -15, southern Sweden is alive with birdlife. For this week's Living World, Chris Sperring travels to the Vastmanlan area of Sweden where the huge taiga forests begin, forests that stretch east all the way to Alaska. Travelling 40 km north of the town Vasteras he meets up with Torbjorn Hegedus a local ornithologist and Tom Arnbom from WWF Sweden to head out for the day and see what birds they come across in this snowy wooded landscape.
Tue, 26 Feb 13
Duration:
22 mins
Living World: Tree Sparrows. Trai Anfield heads to RSPB Old Moor reserve to seek out the Tree Sparrow; a bird which only a few generations ago was a common sight in the British countryside.
Tue, 12 Feb 13
Duration:
29 mins
Ep 24 of 24. In the final episode of the current series, Saving Species looks at the Slender-billed curlew; no official confirmed records of its existence have occurred since 2001 although there have been sightings of it in 2010 but photographic evidence was not taken. Horatio Clare follows the route of the bird's migration route from its Siberian breeding grounds to the area around the Mediterranean Basin. Kelvin Boot finds out about the threat facing many species of moths in the southern part of the UK and Kelvin Jones of the BTO gives the latest movement of the cuckoos sending signals back from Central Africa as they gear up to begin their migration back to the UK. Producer: Sheena Duncan. Presenter: Brett Westwood.
Thu, 7 Feb 13
Duration:
29 mins
Ep. 23 of 24: This week's edition of Saving Species looks at the introduction of quota-regulated cull of Grey Wolves in Sweden as part of plan to to genetically invigorate the currently inbred Swedish wolf population. Michael Scott reports on conservation efforts of the Arctic Fox in Iceland. Plus, the programme looks at a major project by The Mammal Society which aims to map population levels of various mammals that reside across the British Isles.
Mon, 4 Feb 13
Duration:
22 mins
Living World: Godwits. Black-tailed godwits are an elegant long legged bird about the size of a pigeon. In the summer they are found in the arctic where the Icelandic race of this species then migrates to Britain to spend the winter in relatively warmer weather. Chris Sperring travels to the a flooded meadow near the New Forest to join Pete Potts from Operation Godwit.
Mon, 4 Feb 13
Duration:
22 mins
Living World: Urban Kites Living World presented by Trai Anfield is on the outskirts of the Tyneside conurbation following red kites with Harold Dobson from Friends of Red Kites in the north east of England.
Thu, 31 Jan 13
Duration:
29 mins
Ep22of24. Freshwater eels are explored this week, as Sian Griffiths reports from the Ottawa River Valley in Canada where hydropower dams are disrupting the American eel's migration paths, and Brett Westwood speaks with David Bunt from the Sustainable Eel Group to discuss similar issues with European eels. Joanna Pinnock looks the furry clawed invasive species; the Chinese mitten crab and the problems they cause for British habitats. Also in the programme - news from around the world with our regular news reporter, Kelvin Boot. Presenter: Brett Westwood. Producer: Sheena Duncan. Editor: Julian Hector.
Thu, 24 Jan 13
Duration:
28 mins
Ep21 of 24: This week Saving Species looks at Bonobos - a great ape, related to chimpanzees, and found in the forest of the Congo Basin of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Theo Webb reports from the Salonga National Park investigating the threat from an increase in hunting for the bushmeat trade. Also Michael Scott reports on the Dragon Tree, a native species of Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde. There are only one or two native wild dragon trees left on Madeira and Saving Species finds out from local conservationists what is being done to increase the number of trees in the wild from original seed. Presenter: Brett Westwood. Producer: Sheena Duncan. Editor: Julian Hector.
Tue, 22 Jan 13
Duration:
44 mins
Recorded high up in the Shropshire hills of the Welsh Marches and inspired by a living landscape, the Chapel of Skins is a fictional story about a ghostly meeting of ways. CAST: Phone Box: Paul Evans Trebrodier: Liza Sadovy Anchor: Ben Crowe Quabbs: Alex Tregear Wildlife sound recordist: Chris Watson Directed and Produced by Sarah Blunt for BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol.
Tue, 15 Jan 13
Duration:
28 mins
Ep20 of 24: Marine Conservation Zones are in the spotlight this week, as Saving Species looks at the importance of protecting our marine life. In December it was revealed that only 31 of the 127 proposed Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) have the chance of being implemented for the first tranche. Kelvin Boot is live in the studio with Brett Westwood, plus Trai Anfield is in Filey Brigg in North Yorkshire to visit a zone that didn't make the cut. There are also interviews with Matt Frost, the deputy director of the Marine Biological Association and the Environment Minister Richard Benyon. Presenter: Brett Westwood. Producer: Mary Colwell. Editor: Julian Hector
Wed, 9 Jan 13
Duration:
28 mins
Ep 19 of 24: Saving Species investigates the relationship between polar bears and the year on year reduction in sea ice in the Arctic collaborating with BBC2’s series "The Polar Bear Family and Me", a trio of films following a polar bear family in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic. Ellie Williams looks at the National Elephant Corridor Project in India which is redeveloping historical paths used by Asian elephants to travel between habitats. Plus a report from Dorset where the Game and Wildlife Trust’s Salmon and Trout Research Centre on the river Frome is located. The centre is carrying out important research through the tagging and monitoring of salmon. Also in the programme - news from around the world with our regular news reporter, Kelvin Boot. Presenter: Brett Westwood. Producer: Mary Colwell. Editor: Julian Hector.
Tue, 1 Jan 13
Duration:
28 mins
Ep 18 of 24: Saving Species kick's off the new year with a look at the role of wetland habitats in providing a wintering refuge for wildfowl. Joanna Pinnock makes a dawn visit to Wildfowl and Wetland Trust reserve at Welney in Cambridgeshire to witness the very noisy but magical spectacle of thousands of Whooper and Bewick's swans flighting off from the pools by the reserve centre to head out to feed on the fields for the day. Chris Sperring is on the Hampshire coast at the Lymington-Keyhaven nature reserve. It's home to important numbers of Dark-bellied Brent Geese amongst many other species of smaller ducks. The geese come to the reserve for the winter from Siberia. Plus, news from around the world with our regular news reporter Kelvin Boot. Presenter: Joanna Pinnock Producer: Sheena Duncan Editor: Julian Hector
Tue, 25 Dec 12
Duration:
28 mins
Ep 17 of 24: Howard Stableford is in the chair for this Christmas Day Saving Species with a programme on conservation in some of the British Overseas Territories. A report from Ed Drewitt with Dr Ian Stephen about the last chance conservation effort to save the Mountain chicken frog threatened with the Chytrid fungus. A report about "Team Rat" who are planning in January 2013 to save the albatrosses and petrels that nest on South Georgia from being eaten by rodents. Howard looks at the establishment of marine conservation areas around the British oveseas teritories through interviews with Alistair Gammell of the PEW Fondation about and DEFRA Minister for Biodiversity, Richard Benyon. Presenter Howard Stableford Producer Mary Colwell Editor Julian Hector
Tue, 18 Dec 12
Duration:
28 mins
Ep 16 of 24: This week Brett Westwood looks at the increasing alliance between the arts and conservation. We hear from two artists, one a painter and one a photographer who are using their talents to help raise awareness about highly endangered species. Professor Tim Birkhead tells Brett about a growing movement - New Networks for Nature - which brings many different artists and scientists together to inspire each other. Sarah Pitt brings a report on wildlife gardening, with suggestions for wildlife friendly Christmas presents. Also in the programme - News from around the world with our regular news reporter, Kelvin Boot. And we'll update you on the activities of the Open University's iSpot. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Mary Colwell Editor: Julian Hector
Tue, 11 Dec 12
Duration:
28 mins
Ep 15 of 24: Saving Species takes a look at what could happen if parts of the British countryside were returned to their natural state through a process known as rewilding. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Sheena Duncan Editor: Julian Hector
Wed, 5 Dec 12
Duration:
28 mins
Ep: 14 of 24 Scotland's five year Species Action Framework programme ended in March 2012. This unique programme has advanced conservation and management action for 32 of Scotland's select species - including beaver, red squirrel, sea eagle, capercaillie, freshwater pearl mussel, great yellow bumblebee and woolly willow and invasive non-native species such as North American signal crayfish. For Saving Species Brett Westwood travels up to the Scottish Natural Heritage conference in Edinburgh to discuss the results of this 5 year programme with the movers and shakers in Scotlands wildlife conservation. Presented by Brett Westwood. Produced by Mary Colwell.
Sun, 2 Dec 12
Duration:
22 mins
The Living Deadwood. Trai Anfield is in ancient woodland in North Yorkshire known for its deadwood bugs led by passionate invertebrate expert Roger Key. Produced by Andrew Dawes
Thu, 29 Nov 12
Duration:
29 mins
Brett Westwood travels to the Brecon Beacons to see the a very unusual lichen. Sausages lichen hang from tree branches as long thin strands like uncombed and sparse straggly hair. This lichen is now being spotted locations in south Wales and there are hopes its fortunes are improving as it spreads east. Mark Day has been to The Koytendag Nature Reserve (formerly known as the Kugitang Nature Reserve, established in 1986) located in the Lebap province of Turkmenistan. The reserve is home to the globally endangered markhor, a large wild mountain goat. The hope is to bring worldwide recognition and protection for its unique landscapes, and the wealth of rare plants and animals found in Koytendag as well as bringing benefits to local communities through tourism. Plus wildlife news round up from Kelvin Boot. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Sheena Duncan
Sun, 25 Nov 12
Duration:
23 mins
Brambles. James Brickell is in mid Wales with botanist Ray Woods looking at the fascinating ecology surrounding the humble blackberry. Produced by Andrew Dawes
Wed, 21 Nov 12
Duration:
29 mins
Ep 12 of 24: Plant a tree in 73" became a national slogan and very large numbers of trees have been planted over the decades since. Ash die back has been widely reported in many programmes, especially news, in recent weeks and in this programme we ask whether the call to plant trees and desire to create new woodlands has in any way contributed to this fungal attack on Ash trees. We also ask how serious a threat diseases are to our trees. Also in the programme - News from around the world with our regular news reporter, Kelvin Boot. And we'll update you on the activities of the Open University's iSpot. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Mary Colwell
Sun, 18 Nov 12
Duration:
22 mins
Alongside Myriapod expert Steve Gregory, Living World is in Oxfordshire on the search for for centipedes and millipedes. Presented by Chris Sperring/Produced by Andrew Dawes.
Fri, 16 Nov 12
Duration:
14 mins
In Pursuit of the Ridiculous: Ep 5/5 - The Purple Emperor Matthew Oates is a complete fan of the rare purple emperor butterfly but meets his match in Neil Hume, a self-confessed addict of this insectsand its favoured woods. Produced by Brett Westwood
Thu, 15 Nov 12
Duration:
14 mins
In Pursuit of the Ridiculous: 4/5 - Slugs and Snails After enduring a wet slug-filled summer Matthew Oates meets Mary Seddon, a biologist specialising in slugs and snails to find out why she finds the study of molluscs so compelling. Produced by Brett Westwood
Wed, 14 Nov 12
Duration:
14 mins
In Pursuit of the Ridiculous: Ep 3/5 - Rare Orchids Most natural historians look for species, but today Matthew Oates meets botanists enthusing over some spectacular hybrid orchids with very rare parents. Produced by Brett Westwood
Wed, 14 Nov 12
Duration:
14 mins
In Pursuit of the Ridiculous: Ep 2/5 - Twitching To outsiders, twitching can seem the most pointless of natural history activities. Matthew Oates meets Rob Lambert from the University of Nottingham to find out why he twitches. Produced by Brett Westwood.
Wed, 14 Nov 12
Duration:
14 mins
In Pursuit of the Ridiculous - Ep 1/5: Water Beetle In the first of five programmes about naturalists and their pursuits, Matthew Oates goes hunting with Andy Foster, man obsessed for thirty years by a rare water-beetle. Produced by Brett Westwood.
Wed, 14 Nov 12
Duration:
28 mins
Reporter Mark Brazil travels to the Gir Forest National Park in India to report on the plight of the last lions in Asia. A sanctuary set up in 1972 and now holds about 400 individuals. The Atlantic Goliath Grouper is a huge, majestic fish only found in significant numbers today off the coast of Florida. At up to 2.5m in lenght, they are outsized only by the few remaining sharks and they are critically endangered across their range due to historical overfishing. Helen Scales meets her first wild goliaths in the company of Dr Sarah Frias-Torres who is studying many aspects of these huge fish including a survey of scuba divers that she hopes will show that a goliath is worth more alive than dead. Paul Stancliffe brings the latest information on the invasion of Waxwings in the UK.
Wed, 14 Nov 12
Duration:
22 mins
Living World goes in search of autumn harvestmen in Yorkshire, a spider looking creepy crawly but as entomologist Paul Richards says, more closley related to a scorpion. Presented by Trai Anfield/Produced by Andrew Dawes.
Wed, 14 Nov 12
Duration:
22 mins
Living World, presented by Chris Sperring, looks for the Manx Shearwater and Storm Petrel with ecologist David Boyle. To find them they go to Skomer Island after dark.
Mon, 12 Nov 12
Duration:
28 mins
Ep 10 of 24 Saving Species reporter Karen Partridge travels to Scotland to seek out the Scottish wildcat: an iconic emblem of the unspoilt wilderness of Scotland. It has been suggested that there may be fewer than one hundred pure bred wildcat in Scotland, with some studies concluding that this species may actually be rarer that the Amur tiger or even extinct as a genetic species. Professor Lynne Boddy from Cardiff University travels to the New Forest in search of a very rare fungus, the bearded tooth fungus (Hericium erinaceus). This species is commonly grown commercially however in the wild it is one of the rarest fungi's in the UK and it's importance in the woodland ecosystem as a wood-recycling fungus is giving conservationists cause for concern.
Tue, 30 Oct 12
Duration:
28 mins
Citzen Science/Giant Havestman Saving Species asks this week what contribution the amateur naturalist makes to our understanding of the natural world through citizen science.
Tue, 23 Oct 12
Duration:
28 mins
Brett Westwood discusses issues arising in our countryside from a rising bird of prey population and possible conflict this brings to other land users.
Wed, 17 Oct 12
Duration:
28 mins
Ep 7 of 24 Brett Westwood talks to heads to filmmakers attending International Wildscreen Film Festival 2012 to discuss their work and motivations, Plus, Brett gets the latest on the multi-wildlife organisation conservation breading project to save the critically-endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper bird. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Sheena Duncan Exec Producer: Julian Hector
Tue, 9 Oct 12
Duration:
28 mins
In this episode of Saving Species we look at one of Britain's favourite birds - the swallow. Ed Drewitt travels to a swallow roost in Southern England, where overnight he joins the The Wetland Trust to trap and ring swallows as they gather in a mass roost to head south. So how have the swallows and other summer migrants done this year? Chris Sperring travels with entomologist Tristan Bantock to a central London park to track down the rare mediterranean Southern Oak Bush Cricket was first recorded in the UK in 2001. Since then sightings of the bright green, wingless cricket have become more frequent, but still more elusive than its native counterpart. David Robinson from the Department of Environment, Earth and Ecosystems at the Open University joins Brett Westwood in the studio to discuss in more depth how the Southern Oak Bush Cricket came to be in the UK.
Tue, 2 Oct 12
Duration:
28 mins
In this episode of Saving species we focus on the issues facing our rivers and freshwater systems. The Shropshire Wildlife Trust this year highlight them by saillling a curragh down the Severn. John Hughes from the Trust joins Brett Westwood on the water to give them a perfect otter's eye view of the issues facing our crowded countryside and ever increasing demands on this natural resource.
Tue, 25 Sep 12
Duration:
28 mins
Can the world's marine environments remain healthy and functioning under the influence of man, from pollution to over fishing and climate change? In Saving Species this week, Brett Westwood looks in depth at some of the issues and research being carried out into the species which depend upon this often abused natural resource. Our reporter Helen Scales travels to the Gambia, where issues of oyster overfishing are having a devastating effect not only on the native oysters but also the coastal mangrove swamps. In Florida, Howard Stableford joins marine researchers for an evening on a sandy beach. And closer to home, we look at the 2012 breeding season of some of our breeding seabirds. Producer : Sheena Duncan Presenter : Brett Westwood Editor : Julian Hector
Wed, 19 Sep 12
Duration:
28 mins
Saving Species presented by Brett Westwood this week poses the question; with increasing pressures to develop our land for housing, transport and industry, is there still room for Britain's wildlife to flourish? Recently the Government set out proposals to extend development rights into the Green Belt as an aid to economic growth. Brett Westwood discovers the importance of brown-field sites on a visit to Canvey Wick in the Thames Estuary accompanied by Sarah Henshall, Brownfield Manager from the charity, Buglife. And we hear from Dr Chris Baines who discusses whether the plans to build a London to Birmingham high speed rail link could actually benefit wildlife in the longer term. Producer : Mary Colwell Presenter : Brett Westwood Editor : Julian Hector
Tue, 11 Sep 12
Duration:
28 mins
Episode 2 of 24 Saving Species presented by Brett Westwood this week looks at bats and how research is looking at finding ways to allow them to fly unhindered in our increasingly urbanised land. Also in the programme is a special report about the Sulcata tortoise. Over the years many tortoises have been a special pet to families across the Globe. However the Sulcata tortoise is now of global concern and to discover more of the conservation efforts to return this species in the wild, Helen Scales travels to Senegal to see the pioneering work by Tomas Diagne.
Thu, 6 Sep 12
Duration:
28 mins
1/24 Saving Species is back for another year of live broadcasting about the world of wildlife conservation, presented by Brett Westwood. We kick off the first programme with look back at the summer of 2012. This summer has been one of the wettest on record, has this affected our wildlife? We look at some of the winners and losers in the battle for survival. Also in the programme - Saving Species heads to Dungeness in Kent where a long term project is underway to return the short haired bumblebee to Britain. This formerly widespread bee was last recorded in 1988 and declared extinct in 2000. At the opposite end of the country, Chris Sperring reports from Devon where he joined a public night-time safari to look for one of our most enigmatic and enlightening beetles, the glow-worm. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Sheena Duncan Editor: Julian Hector
Sun, 19 Aug 12
Duration:
23 mins
Little Owls Miranda Krestovnikoff goes in search of the little owl, a bird that was introduced in the late 19th century and has since spread throughout England and Wales.
Sun, 12 Aug 12
Duration:
23 mins
Ouzels of the Moor Miranda Krestovnikoff is in a valley on Dartmoor searching for the last ring ouzels in southern England where an RSPB study of the birds is investigating their decline.
Tue, 7 Aug 12
Duration:
29 mins
Nature: Quest for the World's Largest Butterfly Queen Alexandra's Birdwing has a 30cm wingspan. Mark Stratton visits remote Papua New Guinea to find the butterfly and to meet its dedicated tribal conservationists.
Sun, 5 Aug 12
Duration:
22 mins
The UK's Rarest Frog Joanna Pinnock is at a secret location in Norfolk, the home of the rare pool frog, reintroduced after becoming extinct.
Tue, 31 Jul 12
Duration:
29 mins
In Nature, Matthew Hill takes us from the windswept Maltese countryside, to the corridors of Brussels, to investigate allegations of widespread illegal bird hunting on Malta.
Sun, 29 Jul 12
Duration:
23 mins
New Series: A Home in the Reeds Joanna Pinnock enters the mysterious world of an East Anglian reed-bed in search of the tightly-woven nests of reed warblers, the hosts of the cuckoo.
Tue, 3 Jul 12
Duration:
29 mins
Amazonia - Keeping It Alive! The Amazon rainforest covers covering 1.6 million square miles. About 20% has gone in the last 40 years. How can we use the resources it contains, but still keep it alive? Producer/Presenter: Mary Colwell Editor: Julian Hector
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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?
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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”?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fri, 22 Apr 11
Duration:
28 mins
James Aldred encounters one of the world's most powerful birds of prey, the Harpy Eagle.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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