In 2022, a report by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences analysed 14 European countries and ranked them for nature connectedness, bio diversity, and wellbeing. Britain ranked last in all three.

So how do we better protect nature, care for wildlife, and look after each other? 

Adrian Lawson is an environmentalist, author and activist whose career and campaigns have been defined by these questions - whether in council meetings or camping out with Extinction Rebellion. Adrian is also a pivotal figure in a major community ecological project here in Reading, turning an abandoned meadow into the thriving Fobney Marsh, as a lead organiser of the Fobney Marshians.

In this episode, we speak with Adrian about his love of land, wildlife, and humanity, and how we can do better better by all three. We also talk a lot about Reading and the joy of building a home and finding community. You should definitely visit Reading btw. Come for the marsh, The MERL, and the memes.

Links:

• Adrian vs the IMO: https://oceanrebellion.earth/imo-omg-get-a-grip-poseidon-lectures-the-imo/
• Join the Fobney Marshians: https://merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/absolute-units/qr-code-for-the-fobney-marshians/
• Wild Service: Why Nature Needs You, by Nick Hayes and Jon Moses: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/wild-service-9781526673299/
• Book your tickets for our Spring LATE: https://merl.reading.ac.uk/whats-on/spring-late/
• Come and visit us: https://merl.reading.ac.uk/visit/

This episode features additional audio from Epidemic Sounds. The opening song is 'Journey to Mars' by Sayuri Hayashi Egnell. The song for the LATE is 'Pity Party' by Gamma Skies. The wetlands ambient sound was recorded by Lars Edenius and reused from xeno-canto.

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Absolute Units is the official podcast of The Museum of English Rural Life. This series is made possible through the generous support of Arts Council England and Museums Partnership Reading, a partnership of The MERL with Reading Museum. Themetune by Tai Dawson.

Co-hosts: Ollie Douglas and Joe Vaughan
Producer: Joe Vaughan

• Shop MERL merch: https://merl-shop.co.uk/shop/absolute-unit.html
• Support the pod: https://merl.reading.ac.uk/visit-us/donate/