In the first-ever episode of The Wild Wight, we just had to take a look at the most iconic mammal living on The Isle of Wight, Red Squirrels. We met up with Helen Bulter from the Wight Squirrel Project to find out about the work She does and the citizen science Squirrel Survey that allows people on the island to report Red Squirrel sightings.

Next we take a quick look at iWatch Wildlife and their Species of the Month, which we will be following throughout the series.

Our second interview is with Jon Jewett, a Woodsman and Coppicer, and we discuss the state of our woodland, the difference between a copse, woods and forests, Ash Dieback, and the concept of the Wood Wide Web.

Our performance this month comes from Kathryn Rossati who sent us a recording of her poem 'A Flash of Colour in the Trees', which was part of a #52weeksofpoetry challenge she took part in during 2021 raising money for the RSPB.

And our Landscape Listening comes from Castle Copse in East Cowes, a small but beautiful piece of woodland managed by Gift to Nature.

Links

The Wight Squirrel Project - http://www.wightsquirrels.co.uk/

iWatch Wildlife - http://iwnhas.org/recording/iwatch-wildlife/

Jon Jewett (IW Coppice Group) - https://www.iwcoppicegroup.com/

Kathryn Rosati Baron - http://www.kathrynrossati.co.uk/

Castle Copse - https://gifttonature.org.uk/discover/gurnard-and-east-cowes/castle-copse/