Wild Tales | Nature Podcast

Join National Trust ranger Ajay Tegala and author, musician and solitary witch Zoë Howe for a magical conversation recorded live at the Emmetts Garden Autumn Festival.
Journey around the zodiac as Ajay and Zoë explore the connections between nature, folklore and the turning year. Discover the plants, animals and ancient traditions that have shaped our seasonal stories, and find new ways to connect with, enjoy and protect the natural world throughout the year. From seasonal wonders to age-old folklore, uncover the magic hiding in the world around us.   
Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube: https://youtu.be/CniyYJXYjXw  
Production
Host: Ajay Tegala
Producer: Jesus Gomez and Pippa Tilbury-Harris
Sound: Jack Glover-Higgins and Jesus Gomez
Contributor:  Zoë Howe   
Discover more
Ajay and Zoë’s book ‘Witching the Wild Year’ will be published in 2027 via The History Press 
If you’d like to hear or read more from Zoë you can do so here: https://linktr.ee/zoehowe   
Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

With silent flight and ghostly heart-shaped faces, barn owls are among Britain's most captivating birds. Join Ranger Ajay Tegala, as self-confessed barn-owl obsessive Jake Brass takes us into his wonderful world of barn owls. With expert insight from The Barn Owl Trust. 

Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube: 
https://www.youtube.com/@nationaltrustcharity/podcasts 

Production 
Host: Ajay Tegala 
Producer: Claire Hickinbotham 
Sound: Jesus Gomez 
Contributors: Jake Brass, photographer, and Kate Jellyman, The Barn Owl Trust 

Jake walked on the Longshaw Estate in Derbyshire for this recording. Check out this map for walks on the estate -longshaw-map.pdf or head to the 'Top Trails' part of this page Longshaw, Burbage & the Eastern Moors | National Trust 
You can get to the start point of many of the walks from Grindleford train station, which has trains from Manchester and Sheffield. 

For other places to see Barn Owls at our sites, have a look at this page Our guide to barn owls | Wildlife | National Trust 

Or plan your own walk at dusk or dawn, just please remember that barn owls are a protected species and disturbing them while they are nesting is illegal. There's more information here Legal protection of wild Barn Owls - The Barn Owl Trust 

Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt 
 
If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

Beneath the trees at Hardcastle Crags, millions of tiny workers are busy building a city of their own.
Follow Rosie Holdsworth down to the forest floor, as she meets the northern hairy wood ants and discovers busy motorways, high-rise homes, and even an onsite food production line.   
Production
Host: Rosie Holdsworth
Producer:  Nikki Ruck
Sound Recordist : Jesus Gomez
Sound Design : Nikki Ruck
 
 Contributors :
Anthony Arak
Steve Blacksmith
Alice James

photo credit :  ©National Trust Images/Robert Morris
If you would like to visit Hardcastle Crags you can find out more here

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/hardcastle-crags


Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube channel

If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk 
 
Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

Join National Trust ranger Ajay Tegala in conversation with Zoe Hill, the National Trust’s first-ever Tree Nursery Officer. Zoe offers a fascinating insight into what it takes to grow climate-resilient trees for future generations, from caring for 50,000 young saplings to helping them thrive in an increasingly challenging climate. She also shares practical tips for growing and caring for trees in your own garden.
 
Together, Zoe and Ajay look ahead to the British landscape of 50 years’ time, exploring how the trees we plant today could shape the future of our countryside, and the vital role they can play in tackling climate change. 
Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube: https://youtu.be/BrAcTeGQKJw
Production
Host: Ajay Tegala
Producer: Pippa Tilbury-Harris
Sound: Jesus Gomez
Contributor: Zoe Hill 
Image copyright: ©National Trust Images/ Trevor Ray Hart
Discover more:
If you’d like to visit Holnicote, you can find out more here:   https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/somerset/countryside-woodland/explore-holnicote-estate 
Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

Bats are some of Britain’s most mysterious mammals. From caves and woodlands to parks and abandoned buildings, they’ve adapted to an astonishing range of habitats, and as night falls, you might spot them emerging from their roosts.
National Trust ranger Rosie Holdsworth joins bat conservationist Steve Roe on a series of surveys across the Peak District, tracking these elusive creatures through winter and spring. Part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme, the surveys are helping to build a vital picture of how bat populations are faring across the UK.
Often feared and misunderstood, bats are far more fascinating than their reputation suggests. Join us on a journey into their hidden world to discover the remarkable lives of Britain’s bats, and why monitoring and protecting them matters.
Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube:
 https://youtu.be/ZT4mlDD6j8U

Production
Host: Rosie Holdsworth
Producer: Jack Glover, Michelle Douglass, Jesus Gomez, Pippa Tilbury-Harris
Sound: Jesus Gomez
Contributor: Steve Roe, Allan Roe, Jess Eades, Helen Ball

Cover image copyright: Steve Roe

 
 Discover More:
 
Want to know more about bats? Why not listen to BatChat, a podcast dedicated to these amazing creatures and hosted by Steve Roe, our main collaborator in this episode.
If you’d like to learn more about The National Bat Monitoring Programme and the bat surveys, you can sign up here.
To find your nearest bat group search this page.
Follow Steve’s Instagram account @steveroebatman

Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt
 
 If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk