The People Place and Nature Podcast

To finish off the Season we wanted to say a huge thank you to all those who helped make the series what it was, all our fantastic sponsors, our fantastic production team at Monsterdon, especially Rob Montandon. Not to mention all of our incredible guests as well of course! We covered such an incredible range of topics, projects, ideas and innovations during the season that we thought it only prope...

In this episode, we are joined by Ben Harrison, Housing Sustainability Development Officer for Southend-On-Sea Council. Our second youngest guest and who is one of the key players in the award-winning retrofit home project we look at this episode. In this episode, we explore a former council house, now re-purchased by Southend-On-Sea Council. This is one of a number of homes being modernized and r...

In this episode, we are joined by excellent Ted Green our only returning guest of the series who has just authored a new book, Treetime. The book explores Teds lifelong adventure with trees and tree folk. Since earliest childhood, and with Windsor Great Park as his playground, Ted has been asking questions about nature and our environment. Treetime is a collection of tales from over 80 years spent...

In this episode, we are joined by Ramon CEO and Founder of ALIS a cutting edge biotech company based in Mexico, who are working to develop and manage new solutions to tackle issues around contaminated water, and how to produce useful, and high-end products from Algae. In this episode, we talk about the challenges facing existing infrastructure especially when it comes to water resilience related c...

In this episode, we are joined by David Prys-Jones the Biodiversity Manager at HS2 Ltd. Who is working to develop and manage the biodiversity enhancement aspects of the HS2 project, the one of the largest infrastructure projects in Europe. In this episode, we talk about the challenges facing major infrastructure projects such as HS2, and how the project is working to try and manage ecosystems impa...

In this episode, we are joined by the insightful Marketa Hermova Landscape Product Specialist at Vectorworks, a software provider for built environment specialists, especially landscape architects, architects, engineers, and garden designers - also one of our fantastic sponsors! In this episode, we talk about how Marketa is working with designers and engineers to ensure that they have the digital...

In this episode, we are joined by the incredible Will Campion a young architect punching well above his weight as the founder of Offgrid Works. In this episode, we talk about Will's wide range of work on many of the mega projects going on around the world, and how he turned from this to tackle challenges like the housing crisis. Will has taken his expertise, learning, and technologies from the...

In this episode, we are joined by the influential Oliver Jones a fellow Podcast host and Associate Director – Sustainability & Innovation at Cundall. In this episode, we talk about what both Oliver and I have found out and discovered through our podcasts and what our general observations are. We also talk about Olivers background and the types of projects he has undertaken and how Cundall a ma...

In this episode, we are joined by the incredible Garden Designer and Landscape Architect Marian Boswell. We talk about her fantastic new book, as well as her approach to the design of gardens. Marian has been playing a key role in developing sustainable practices for garden designs and landscape architects and has been championing sharing these ideas and her knowledge with others. A key theme that...

In this episode we are joined by the fantastic scientists Dr Pippa Simmonds and Dr Matthew Reed. We talk about a wide range of topics covering everything from sustainable farming, organic produce, packaging, engaging communities and challenges associated with a more sustainable transition. A key theme that came up throughout the episode was the connection between farming and many other aspects of...

In this episode we are joined by the fantastic author Dave Goulson. We talk about the importance and range of wonderful insect species that inhabit our world, how and why they are important to us, and unfortunately, how severely they're now threatened. We look into the incredible destruction caused by pesticides on insect species, their potency and legacy. As well as their potential impact on...

Want to know more about the role young people can play in the environmental world and how important being involved in projects to do with the natural world can be. Then this is a great episode for you. We talk about how engaging in practical environmental projects can help foster confidence, teamwork and team building, and how it can help get people back onto the right path due to the sense of res...

Interested in knowing more about what Rewilding is, how it works and how to do it? If you want to get a better understanding of the topic, what it can mean, and how it can be utilised in different ways, but also, what animals it may help return and the roles they can play in our landscapes, then this is certainly an episode for you! Guest: Prof Alastair Driver – Director: Rewilding Britain Be sure...

S1E17: Chris Griffiths - Green Manufacturing We are back!!! Following a mid season break we are now returning with a range of fantastic episodes. Our first guest, whose episode will be released tomorrow is Chris Griffiths, head of Sustainability for one of our fantastic sponsors, Marshalls. This is a really fascinating conversation as we discuss green manufacturing and the challenges faced when cr...

In this weeks episode we are joined by Jonathan Porritt CBE where we are talking about his new book “Hope In Hell: A decade to confront the climate emergency”.  This episode contains a bit more doom than we usually try to include as we talk about the extent of some threats we face. But, we also talk about some of the fantastic work being undertaken to combat this around the world.   Gues...

In this weeks episode we are joined by Tim Hopkins founder of the Land App. A fantastic bit of software helping to simplify bureaucracy for farmers, create joined up thinking across ownership boundaries allowing better landscape connectivity, and bringing big data to help make more informed decisions! Interested in finding out more about how data can help inform and create the farms of the future...

S1E14: The Edge: Urban Design In this weeks episode, we feature the two Directors of Edge Urban Design, a fantastically forward-thinking female-led Urban Design practice. They specialise in the creation of new developments, settlements, and how we think about urban living. Urban design is a really fascinating profession and they’re at the cutting edge, bringing the story of a place to the fore, re...

Fern and Max - Eden Project EP 2 In this weeks episode we feature two guests from the Eden Project, covering totally different topics, Ecology and Energy. We are joined by Max and Fern from two of the Eden Projects other programs. If you’re interested in how the UK could produce 20% of its energy from a Rock in Cornwall, or how we are changing the genetic makeup of our wildflowers just by our harv...

S1E12: The Ethos of Eden - David Harland  If you’re into the environment, then you must’ve heard of the Eden Project! I remember it very fondly as I visited it with school, on holiday with my family as a child, and then again with university before finally being able to film this episode there. It’s really played a key role in my understanding and appreciation for the natural world and showca...

S1E11: Dougal Driver - The World of Wood Interested in the importance of trees and the new ways we can utilise wood? How we can use timber to make the products of the future, learn some surprising uses of wood, but also some of the challenges we need to overcome, and investments we need to make to make our terrific timber tangible.    Then check out this episode where we are joined by: D...

In this episode we are joined by Dr Emma Ferranti and Prof. Rob Mackenzie from the University of Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFOR), where we talk about the role and importance of trees and plants in tackling the climate crisis and explore their experiments looking at how plants are responding to an artificial atmosphere based on what we think our woodlands will face in the future.&nb...

In this episode we are joined by Dusty Gedge President of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations (EFB), where we will be talking about, you guessed it, green roofs! But also about how we need to rethink urban centers, urban ecology, and how people interact with city spaces. A huge thank you to the sponsors of this episode: Vectorworks: https://lnkd.in/g7J-a6wa and, Marshalls plc: https...

Our guest Anna Dela Vega and host Niall Williams discuss the world of worms, why they are important, and what they can do for us! About Anna: Anna is a wormologist from the Urban Worm:  https://theurbanworm.co.uk/   She is helping lead the discussion in the UK and beyond on the importance of worms and what they can do for us!    In this episode we talk all about how important w...

Trees belong in forests, or do they? Ted Green and Jill Butler are two of the founding members of the Ancient Tree Forum, an organisation dedicated to the securing the future of our ancient and veteran tree ecosystems. These two have an immense wealth of knowledge on our trees, the impact they've had on forming society as we know it and the huge importance that ensuring we preserve these ecologica...

How do we create vibrant, healthy cities and what can be done to enable full ethnic participation in the environment? We sit down with Judy Ling Wong to discuss her work on these topics and more in this insightful episode of the podcast. Make sure you subscribe and share with your friends to help support this podcast! About Judy: Judy Ling Wong CBE is an incredible woman whose career has taken her...