The naturethrive podcast

On this episode Jonathan Withey hosts Peter Dorans, Business Development Director at the charity Plantlife. Peter shares his unconventional career path into the NGO environment sector, including roles in the civil service, New Zealand’s Ministry for the Environment, 15 years at The Wildlife Trusts, and moving to Plantlife to build commercial engagement in nature restoration. Plantlife was founded by botanists to address the lack of attention on plants and fungi and focuses on species-rich grasslands and the UK’s rare temperate rainforest, working mainly through partnerships rather than a large reserve estate. Peter explains Plantlife’s role as a Defra-designated responsible body for biodiversity net gain via conservation covenants, adding legal assurance and long-term monitoring to restoration. They discuss workplace nature, wellbeing benefits, and Peter’s best and worst nature experiences.

00:00 Podcast Welcome Updates
02:23 Meet Plantlife Focus
03:41 Pete Career Journey
09:33 Plantlife Mission Habitats
14:27 Why Restore Nature
15:58 Everyday Nature Business Sites
24:12 BNG Responsible Body Explained
29:34 Cathedral Thinking Long Term
30:18 Best Worst Nature Stories
36:38 Wrap Up Listener Takeaways

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In this episode Jonathan interviews Nick White, Principal Adviser for Net Gain at Natural England, about his career path into biodiversity work and his 14-year involvement in developing biodiversity net gain (BNG). Nick explains how Brexit created a political window to help get BNG onto the national agenda and ultimately enshrined into law, and discusses BNG’s global influence, including international uptake of the metric. They explore what natural capital means, why habitats are used as a practical proxy for biodiversity, and how environmental net gain seeks to capture wider ecosystem benefits beyond wildlife value. The conversation also covers the importance of numbers for business decision-making, the need to ensure long-term on-the-ground outcomes, and Nick’s first, best, and worst experiences in nature.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
03:11 Setting the Scene
04:03 Nick’s Career Journey
06:28 Brexit and Policy Window
07:54 From Idea to Global Impact
10:39 Supply Demand and Trust
12:12 Natural Capital Explained
14:58 Keeping BNG Simple
18:44 Environmental Net Gain
20:46 Private Sector Motivation
21:06 Beyond Compliance Value
23:09 Metrics That Move Money
24:14 Making the Business Case
26:06 How BNG Should Evolve
29:09 Nature and Development Together
29:56 First Memory Fishing
32:29 Worst Night Exercise
34:20 Best Moments in Nature
35:57 Everyone Can Act
38:14 Host Wrap and Next Guests

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On this episode Jonathan frames the conversation as a focus on Anglia Water’s work for nature recovery and biodiversity, while acknowledging wider water industry challenges around drinking water, sewage treatment, and infrastructure. Angus explains Anglia Water’s geographic coverage (from the Humber Estuary to the Thames Estuary and inland to Northamptonshire) and discusses work across the UK’s driest region, including river restoration, slowing flows, habitat creation and some wetland creation as part of catchment management, alongside future-focused initiatives like desalination plants and new reservoirs. Angus shares his career path from studying geography and management at the University of Leeds into practical woodland management, then environmental land management at the 11,000-hectare Auburn Wise estate, before joining Anglia Water in April. The episode explores land sharing vs land sparing, including agroforestry projects integrating nature corridors within arable farming and the role of agri-environment schemes and emerging biodiversity net gain markets as income streams. Angus outlines key drivers for Anglia Water’s biodiversity work, including the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) within AMP8 (2025–2030) and the new Biodiversity Performance Commitment requiring measurable habitat unit uplift using the biodiversity metric on a four-year cycle (2025 baseline to 2029 reassessment), with penalties for non-delivery. He also notes Anglia Water’s obligations as a significant landholder managing many SSSIs—about 99% by area in favourable condition—while continuing to improve remaining sites. Angus highlights a project at Grafham Water near Huntingdon, linking fragmented ancient woodlands with woodland creation and grassland along reservoir shores to improve connectivity and resilience for woodland species. In the recurring segment, Angus shares early memories growing up on a rural farm, his worst experience of seeing habitat reverted to arable despite efforts to influence decisions, and best experiences including delivering a 40–50 hectare agroforestry project in Norfolk and cycling from east Norfolk to southwest Wales to experience landscapes at a slower pace. Jonathan closes by emphasizing the importance of recognizing positive work within water companies and previews a future episode with Nick White of Natural England.

00:00 Welcome + What This Episode Will (and Won’t) Cover
01:34 Meet Angus Wells: Shared Backgrounds & Why This Story Matters
03:19 Anglia Water’s Region & Big-Picture Catchment Work (Wetlands, Reservoirs, Resilience)
05:04 Angus’s Career Journey: From Practical Woodland Work to Anglia Water
07:27 Land Sharing vs Land Sparing: Making Nature Work in Productive Farmland
10:52 Why Water Companies Invest in Nature: AMP8, WINEP & Regulatory Drivers
15:08 Measuring Biodiversity Uplift: Performance Commitment, Habitat Units & 4-Year Targets
19:30 SSSIs & Flagship Project: Grafham Water Woodland Connectivity
22:08 Why Habitat Corridors Matter: Resilience, Movement & Genetic Diversity
25:05 First / Worst / Best in Nature: Early Memories, Career Frustrations & Agroforestry Wins
34:26 Wrap-Up + Host Reflections and What’s Next on the Podcast

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On this episode Jonathan has a conversation with Peter Rogers, co-founder of Lipton Rogers and former co-founder of Stanhope. They discuss Rogers’ long career in commercial and residential development, including insights into 22 Bishopsgate (“22B”), designed as a “vertical village” with shared amenities such as restaurants, bars, gyms, art in the lobby, and community-focused spaces to offset limited ground-level public realm. Rogers shares how he got into construction through early exposure to his grandfather’s development work in Italy, his civil engineering background, and his belief that people should find work they enjoy. The conversation covers industry challenges such as increasing bureaucracy, planning complexity, rising costs, slow innovation, and the impact of legislation like the Building Safety Act, as well as the role of AI and robotics. Rogers explains his long-standing focus on creating places for people with landscaping and greenery, critiques greenwashing (including green walls and token rooftop measures), and argues for investing in larger-scale, properly maintained parks and biodiversity projects rather than small on-building interventions. They also discuss biodiversity net gain and the value of practical, local, measurable interventions, drawing parallels with approaches like insulating homes for carbon benefits. In the recurring nature segment, Rogers recounts early alpine experiences skiing and staying in remote huts, a safari in the Kalahari Desert, and a “worst” experience at sea involving increasingly severe Mediterranean storms, which he links to warming sea temperatures and global warming.

00:00 Welcome Back + Newborn Night Shift Story
01:16 Meet Peter Rogers: Iconic City of London Developer & Green Building Pioneer
04:22 Deep Dive: 22 Bishopsgate’s ‘Vertical Village’ Concept
06:13 Inside the Building: Lobby Art, Amenities & Tenant Community
08:57 Peter’s Origin Story: From Italy to Civil Engineering & Contracting
11:06 Career Advice at 80: Find Work You Love + Start Early
14:41 Industry Headwinds: Bureaucracy, Rising Costs & Slow Innovation
17:32 Planning Reform, Building Safety Act & Unintended Consequences of Regulation
18:52 Energy Efficiency vs Overheating: Futureproofing Buildings in a Warming Climate
19:43 Safe Homes vs Enough Homes: Finding the Balance
20:50 Designing Developments as Places: Greenery, Parks & Wellbeing
22:08 Calling Out Greenwashing: Why Tiny Green Walls Don’t Move the Dial
23:11 Biodiversity Net Gain Reality Check: On‑Site Rules vs Landscape‑Scale Impact
26:31 Health & Safety vs Biodiversity: What Legislation Can (and Can’t) Fix
28:57 First Nature Memories: Ski Touring to Alpine Huts & Wild Quiet
31:44 Best Experience: Kalahari Desert Safari and Life in Harsh Landscapes
33:16 Worst Experience: Mediterranean Storms, Sailing Risk & Climate Change Signals
37:03 Wrapping Up: Ocean Warming, Seagrass Decline & Final Takeaways

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In this episode Jonathan dives into a captivating conversation with Edward Pollard, founder of Positive by Nature. Edward shares insights on sustainability, nature recovery, and biodiversity, drawing from his extensive experience in the field. Learn about the interconnectedness of climate and nature, the importance of business resilience, and the exciting projects driving nature conservation forward. Edward also shares memorable personal stories from his career, highlighting the crucial role of both local action and global cooperation in preserving our natural world. This episode provides a rich exploration of the many facets of nature recovery, making it a must-listen for anyone passionate about the environment.

00:00 Welcome to Season Two
00:37 Personal Updates and Reflections
02:01 Challenges in Sustainability
03:16 Nature Thrive's Mission and Projects
07:42 Interview with Edward Pollard
11:33 Edward's Career Journey
16:06 Understanding Nature Positive
20:17 Corporate Action on Biodiversity
25:10 Business Case for Nature Conservation
27:44 Investor Pressure on Corporate Responsibility
29:06 Resilience and Risk in Supply Chains
30:26 Collaborative Approaches to Sustainable Supply Chains
32:28 Challenges and Successes in Landscape-Level Conservation
35:08 Regulatory and Policy Impacts on Conservation
41:25 Personal Experiences in Nature
51:28 Concluding Thoughts and Future Directions

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In this episode host Jonathan sits down with Connell Grogan, co-founder of Nature Impact, to discuss the significance of biodiversity net gain policy, the creation of offsite habitat banks, and how an entrepreneurial spirit can drive nature recovery in the UK. They delve into the policy's impact, the importance of offsite versus onsite biodiversity enhancements, and innovative approaches like the upcoming nature credit offerings. Connell shares insights from his career, the journey of Nature Impact, and personal stories highlighting the profound connection with nature. Tune in for a deep dive into biodiversity, policy, and entrepreneurial efforts to restore the natural world.

00:00 Welcome to the Nature Thrive Podcast Finale
00:22 Introducing Connell Grogan and Nature Impact
01:19 The Importance of Biodiversity Net Gain
02:13 Challenges and Opportunities in Nature Recovery
08:06 Connell Grogan's Career Journey
15:38 The Mission and Model of Nature Impact
24:40 The Role of Developers in Biodiversity Net Gain
26:44 The Importance of Connected Green Spaces
27:33 Challenges in Landscape Architecture
28:14 Onsite vs. Offsite Biodiversity Efforts
30:09 Local Planning Authorities and Biodiversity
31:11 Supporting Small Developers
32:38 The Future of Nature Credits
39:03 Personal Experiences in Nature
47:12 Conclusion and Reflections

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In this episode host Jonathan speaks with Nick Wenman, owner of Albury Vineyard in the Surrey Hills. Nick shares his transition from the IT world to cultivating vines for certified organic wine production in the UK, while adopting biodynamic principles. The conversation delves into the challenges and rewards of organic viticulture, the commercial benefits of sustainability, and the importance of reconnecting with nature. Nick also discusses the significance of introducing educational and nature-friendly practices into his vineyard operations. This episode offers valuable insights into sustainable farming and the commercial viability of eco-friendly practices. Tune in to learn more about Nick's passion for nature, his vineyard's success, and the role of sustainability in modern farming.

00:00 Welcome to the Nature Thrive Podcast
00:21 Introducing Nick and Aubrey Vineyard
01:15 The Importance of Commercial Benefits in Sustainability
03:05 Nick's Journey from IT to Viticulture
06:28 Challenges and Rewards of Organic Farming
08:42 Biodynamic Principles and Practices
12:31 Impact of Climate Change on Viticulture
14:47 The Business of Running a Vineyard
16:02 Educational and Environmental Initiatives
25:28 First, Best, and Worst Experiences in Nature
32:31 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections

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In this episode Jonathan has a conversation with Helen Nyul, former Head of Biodiversity at Barratt Redrow, who recently transitioned to a new role at the nature tech startup, Verna. Helen shares her career journey, the impact of nature-rich housing developments, and the essential role of biodiversity in business and the economy. We discuss successful projects like Kingsbrook and the value of biodiversity action plans. Don't miss the engaging stories and practical insights on how both developers and individuals can reconnect with nature. 

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:37 Guest Introduction: Helen Mule's Career Journey
02:14 Helen's Transition to Verna
03:47 Jonathan's Nostalgic Moment
04:44 Helen's Career Pathway
08:06 Biodiversity Action Plans and Business Impact
19:00 Barrett's Approach to Sustainability
23:34 Innovative Wildlife-Friendly Developments
23:54 The Decline of Nature in Popular Culture
24:46 Future Homes Hub and Biodiversity Net Gain
25:08 The Impact of Biodiversity Policies on Developers
27:44 The Global Perspective on Biodiversity Net Gain
29:01 Mitigation Hierarchy in Site Development
30:53 Challenges and Opportunities in Biodiversity Net Gain
34:34 Personal Experiences and Reflections on Nature
41:23 Final Thoughts on Biodiversity and Nature Recovery

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In this episode Jonathan has a conversation with Philippa Birch-Wood, the former Executive Director for ESG at Chetwoods and now Head of Climate Action at the UK Green Building Council. They delve into the critical role of architecture in enhancing connections with nature and promoting sustainability. Learn about Chatwood's Thrive Design approach and Phillipa's career journey into sustainability, her insightful experiences in nature, and the importance of integrating biophilic designs in modern buildings. 

00:00 Introduction to the Nature Thrive Podcast
00:52 Key Themes of the Conversation
03:21 Phillipa's Career Journey
04:36 The Role of Sustainability in Architecture
10:12 Thrive Design and Its Impact
21:56 Nature's Increasing Role in Design
26:24 First, Best, and Worst Experiences in Nature
31:28 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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In this episode Jonathan  engages in an insightful conversation with Simon Kennedy, Associate Director of Wates Wild Scape. They discuss the formation and mission of Wates Wild Scape by the Wates Group, an over-a-century-old  construction and development company in the UK. The episode covers key themes such as natural capitalism, nature markets, biodiversity net gain, nutrient neutrality, and sustainable alternative natural green spaces (SANGs). Simon shares his career journey, the importance of monetising nature-based solutions, and how these initiatives contribute to creating sustainable futures. The episode also delves into the broader impacts of development on nature and the exciting projects Wates Wild Scape is undertaking to address these issues. Join us for an engaging discussion that highlights the intersection of capitalism, policy, and environmental sustainability.

00:00 Introduction to the Naturethrive Podcast
03:43 Meet Simon Kennedy: Associate Director at Wates Wild Scape
06:37 Understanding Nutrient Neutrality
10:49 Exploring Wates Wild Scape and Its Mission
19:45 The Importance of Sustainable Urban Green Spaces
27:39 Personal Reflections on Nature
35:16 Conclusion and Call to Action

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