Christmas is the perfect time to buy books about the environment, about nature, about the climate and what each of us can do , both for presents for friends and family, but also for ourselves to snuggle up with during those long, dark evenings. So in this week’s Environment Matters podcast, Susheel Rao, one of ... Read more

We’ve just had Black Friday which, unsurprisingly turns out to be bad news for the planet and, on the whole, bad news for us too. So on this week’s Environment Matters we have an antidote. With all takings going to charity, all materials reclaimed or gathered locally and the accent on kindness to yourself, each ... Read more

In this Environment Matters podcast, Astrid Biddle of the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust tells the amazing story of how the Scarce Tufted Sedge, found only here in Hertfordshire, is being rescued from the brink. It’s a story of discovery, cooperation and hope and a demonstration of how even the rarest things in nature have ... Read more

Winter is a tough time for wildlife that lives in your garden or outdoor space, but there’s a few simple things that you can do this weekend to give it a hand. In this podcast, Amanda has some ideas you might not have thought of and is joined by Martin Maylin of Hornbeam Wood Hedgehog ... Read more

Choosing a laundry product that cleans your washing and is good for the planet can be a minefield. In this week’s Environment Matters podcast Amanda enlists the help of Sonia, Ruth, Juliet, Jean, Laura and Talya to put a range of products to the test and give you some pointers to make your wash better ... Read more

Listener and cyclist Mike Hartley is concerned that crucial local public rights of way have recently been shut – in particular at Heartwood and at Oaklands College. In this podcast, hear about the problems caused by these closures, why they’ve happened and what’s being done about them.

They’re beautiful, they’re mysterious and they’re essential for life on earth – they’re fungi. In this week’s Environment Matters podcast, Chloe Valerie Harmsworth of the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust chats to Amanda about why fungi are important, where to find them and some strange and interesting fungi to look out for on your autumn ... Read more

There’s a lot of hope placed in the practice of regenerative agriculture – but how much of it is well founded? Step in Rothamsted Research scientists who are putting regenerative agriculture techniques to the test. In this week’s Environment Matters podcast, Team Leader Professor Jonathan Storkey explains what regenerative agriculture is and talks about the long ... Read more

Children can feel powerless in the face of climate change and loss of the natural world. In this week’s Environment Matters podcast, Amanda talks to Dan Bradbury of the World Land Trust about Operation Ocelot, aimed at showing children that they can make a real difference to help both nature and the climate.

The 2023 Great Britain State of Nature report makes depressing reading, but there are some rays of hope. Chloe Edwards of the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust explains how are things shaping up in Hertfordshire, and how we can all take action to turn these grim figures around. If you’d like to take action now ... Read more