Nature's Voice

We often report on nature in trouble in the podcast – so many species and habitats in the UK and around the world are under threat. But from time to time it's worth taking stock of where work to help threatened species is bearing fruit. On this edition of Nature's Voice Jane Markham talks to Andy Evans, head of the RSPB's Nature Recovery Unit, and species recovery officer Stephanie Morren about some of the good news stories from the past year. These range from the appearance of a huge flock of yellowhammers at Hope Farm to progress in saving the albatross from extinction.

Actors Charles Dance and Jason Isaacs are taking a lead in The Climate Coalition's Show the Love campaign this February. They've given their time to star in a short film made by Ridley Scott Associates featuring the poetry of Anthony Anaxagorou and the music of Elbow. The things we love could change forever due to climate change and that's the message of the video. On this edition of Nature's Voice Jane Markham talks to Fiona Dear from The Climate Change Coalition about the film and campaign and to the RSPB's conservation director Martin Harper about special places under threat.

The Big Garden Birdwatch 2017 takes place between 28-30 January – yes this year you have a choice of three days to take part in the annual count by spending an hour in your garden noting down all the birds you see. And – particularly if you live in the east of the country – you might be lucky enough to spot an exciting visitor or two this time. With berries short in other parts of northern Europe, waxwings have already been spotted on the east coast. On this month's Nature's Voice, Jane Markham discovers that we may be heading for a waxwing winter!

The RSPB is aiming to raise a million pounds to acquire 10 million square metres of new space to provide homes for wildlife in the coming year. For this episode of Nature's Voice Jane Markham talks to Gwyn Williams, the RSPB's Head of Reserves, about how increasing the amount of land under RSPB management is helping conserve some of the country's rarest species. And she looks at a success story – the long road to acquiring and reclaiming rare salt marsh at Hesketh Out Marsh on the picturesque Ribble Estuary in Lancashire.

Jewellery designer Alex Monroe has created some very special pieces for the RSPB featuring a curlew, a pair of turtle doves and a harvest mouse. The collection illustrates his great love for wildlife and in particular the wildlife on the RSPB's Minsmere reserve in Suffolk - a place he's known since he was a child. He'll be telling Jane Markham about his inspiration and she'll be meeting the RSPB's Adam Rowlands and Matthew Parrott from Minsmere to find out more about one of the RSPB's flagship reserves. Alex will be donating £35 from each piece sold to the RSPB.

The RSPB, in partnership with 50 conservation organisations, have pooled data to provide the most comprehensive assessment of the UK's wildlife ever - and it's not good news. More than 56 per cent of our wildlife has declined over the last 50 years and is still in decline. The new State of Nature report was launched by Sir David Attenborough – three years after the original report. On this episode of Nature's Voice Jane Markham meets the RSPB's Principal Conservation Scientist Dr Mark Eaton, lead author of the report, to look at its findings. And she speaks to Jim Foster from ARC, the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, and finds how, working in partnership, there is good news for some species.

Turtle doves are the fastest declining bird in the UK - their population is halving every six years. Why is this happening and what can be done to help? On this month's Nature's Voice Jane Markham talks to the RSPB's Senior Conservation Scientist Dr John Mallord who has been part of Operation Turtle Dove. His work with Titan the turtle dove – who was satellite tagged two seasons ago - has produced a huge amount of information. She also meets Samantha Lee who works with landowners in the east of England to help improve the habitat on their key breeding grounds.

This year's Big Wild Sleepout is upon us and on this edition of Nature's Voice we go on a night time adventure at RSPB Pulborough Brooks Nature Reserve. We're on the trail of moths and bats – creatures you may well hear in your own garden if you take part in the Big Wild Sleepout over the last weekend of July. Jane Markham also speaks to the RSPB's Paul Birmingham about why it's become such a popular event and why it's so important to reconnect with nature.

It happens every morning at this time of year - in the countryside and in towns - but how many of us have ever really listened to the dawn chorus? Why do the birds start singing before the sun even rises and does the early bird really catch the worm? RSPB wildlife adviser Ben Andrew talks to Jane Markham about the birds as they start to sing in an Oxfordshire garden, identifying the early risers and what you should listen out for.

The results of this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch sees the lovely long tailed tit making it back into the number 10 spot on the chart. On this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham examines the results with RSPB conservation scientist Dr Daniel Hayhow. Nowadays most entries arrive online but in 1979, when it all started, they arrived by post. We hear from Peter Holden who had the task of sifting through and recording the results from huge sacks of mail.