In this episode of The Sieve, Karen is joined by writer, naturalist, photographer and wildlife rehabilitator Polly Pullar - a woman whose life and work are beautifully entwined with the wild landscapes of Scotland.

Polly has spent decades observing, rescuing, and writing about the natural world. Her stories from otters and owls to red squirrels and resilience remind us how deeply our human lives are woven into the land we live on.

In this conversation, Karen and Polly explore ...

🌿 How her early life and love of animals shaped her path as a writer and conservationist.

🦉 The deep connections between nature, grief, and healing.

🌾 The stories behind her memoir The Horizontal Oak and what it taught her about belonging.

🦊 What the wild can teach us about compassion, courage, and letting go.

🌼 How to stay hopeful in a world that can feel increasingly disconnected from nature.

This is a tender, thoughtful conversation about the comfort of wild places, the lessons held in loss, and the quiet wisdom that comes from paying attention.

🎧 Listen now and be reminded that the wild isn’t something outside of us, but something we’re part of.

📚 Connect with Polly Pullar

• Website: www.pollypullar.com
• Books: The Horizontal Oak, Fauna Scotica, A Scurry of Squirrels, and more.
• Instagram: @pollypullar

💬 Join the Conversation

Follow @thesievepod on Instagram — a growing community where we can pause, exhale, and sift through the good stuff together.