In this episode, we're discovering how a love of birding can change lives and bring people together.

We join birdwatcher and community builder Lira Valencia on her local patch in London, where she shares how discovering the birds on her doorstep opened up a whole new world. Lira also challenges perceptions of who belongs in the great outdoors, exploring why representation matters and making the case for a more diverse and inclusive birding community.

Plus, we meet Shell, founder of The Birds and the Bells, an all-women birdwatching and photography group in Yorkshire. After a life-changing illness left her facing disability and an uncertain future, a trip to see puffins at Bempton Cliffs helped Shell rediscover joy and purpose. One Facebook post asking if other women wanted to go birdwatching has since grown into a thriving community, on a mission to redress the historic gender inequality in birdwatching and create safe, supportive spaces for everyone.

We also meet author and wildlife documentary maker Katie Stacey, founder of the Wild Shift and co-founder of Wild Finca, a rewilding project in northern Spain. Katie shares her approach to reconnecting families with nature, from finding wonder in everyday moments to rediscovering the curiosity and sense of adventure that children bring to the natural world.

Plus, Dr Mya-Rose Craig returns to answer your birding questions!

Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. The Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.

Outside with Lira Valencia https://www.instagram.com/outsidewithlira/?hl=en

The Birds and the Belles https://birdsandthebelles.co.uk/

The Wild Shift Community: https://www.skool.com/the-wild-shift/about

You get the first 7 days free to see if it's the place for you

Rewilding with Wild Finca Community: https://www.skool.com/rewilding-with-wild-finca-4590/about

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Sean Bean joins Poet Laureate Simon Armitage at RSPB Arne to explore how birds have inspired poetry and literature, and the books that first sparked a love of the natural world.

Plus, we meet writer and artist Jackie Morris, co-creator of The Lost Words and The Lost Spells, to hear how birds inspire her work, from the ravens flying overhead to The Book of Birds, her collaboration with Robert Macfarlane celebrating 49 threatened British bird species. We’ll also discover Spell Songs in Thin Air, inspired by The Book of Birds and the alarming thinning of our skies as birdlife disappears. Through music, poetry and art, the project aims to rekindle our love of nature and inspire us to protect it.

Bird biographer Stephen Moss explores the surprising history of puffins and the myths surrounding owls, revealing how our stories and traditions shape the way we see birds — and why understanding them is vital to protecting their future.

Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. The Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.

Spell Songs https://www.thelostwords.org/spell-songs/

The Book of Birds https://www.thelostwords.org/thebookofbirds/

The Bird Biographer Series by Stephen Moss https://www.penguin.co.uk/series/BRDBIO/the-bird-biography-series

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.