Nature Talks With Humans

I was over the moon when King Arthur Uther Pendragon agreed to a podcast with Nature Talks With Humans. There was so much I wanted to know about the druid ideology and connection with nature as well as what King Arthur personally did for access to Stonehenge - I won't spoil the content but I think it's fair to say King Arthur has legend status in more than one sense of the word. Being a very senior druid, King Arthur's explanation of the druid and nature connection is brilliant. This content is superb but that's not all - King Arthur has a mischievous sense of humour and his lovely personality shines through. Enjoy this wonderful chat! FYI this was two days after my gorgeous puppy Topaz arrived and he slept throughout between King Arthur and me - we had to record outside the kitchen door in case he woke up - thank you King Arthur!

I was deeply moved by Rev Jane Sheppard's incredible exhibition at Salisbury Museum. It is absolutely wonderful and on until 30 September, I urge you to see it if you can. Having seen Jane's work in the flesh I couldn't wait to chat with her about her relationship with nature, land and clay. Jane is extraordinarily eloquent and informed about her connection to her work and the natural world. I think this is a mighty and very fine podcast, a rare delve into inner connection with the natural world. I am extremely grateful to Jane for this podcast. Thank you! It's the kind of podcast you want to listen to twice. I have kept the editing light because I think it's interesting and good to hear the evolution of Jane's thinking.

I came across Benedict Tomlinson in the grounds of Pythouse near Tisbury in Wiltshire and was delighted when he agreed to record a podcast with Nature Talks With Humans. As well as being a gardener, Benedict works in the art world and is himself an artist. It was immediately apparent he has a deep affinity with the natural world. This comes out in his podcast in unexpected ways; Benedict goes back to his childhood and draws on his artistic expertise in his relationship with nature. This is a fabulous and fascinating podcast. It's not every day you get to talk to someone with such multiplicity of talent Benedict inspired me profoundly.

Rob Cowen is one of the UK's most original writers of nature, place and people. He has won or been shortlisted for many prestigious awards. Stellar though Rob's background is, it does not prepare you for meeting him in person. Rob embodies the intuitive. There is magic about him and emotional truth. It was a dream come true for me to record a podcast with him - not only that but Rob's close friend the anonymous "A" in Rob's book "The North Road" sat down with us, too. It was an incredible and humbling privilege to be in the presence of the friendship shared by Rob and A. As you can hear in the podcast their understanding is unique and very special. This podcast is a joy wherever and whenever you are! Enjoy :) Find Rob on Instagram @robbiecowen

Not only is Jon Woolcott the author of The Tattooed Hills (Aurum) and Real Dorset (Seren) he is also a publisher himself as part of Little Toller. Jon's knowledge of Dorset and chalk land is phenomenal. His connection to the landscape is moving and fascinating in equal measure. Plus Jon is of course an absolute expert, a fountain of knowledge for landscape especially in Dorset. This emerges in Jon's fantastic podcast. You will love it and want to listen again - such is the breadth and depth of Jon's knowledge. Settle down with tea and cake... catch Jon on Instagram @dorsetjonw . :) x

Jeni Bell is immersed in the countryside and nature. This comes out in her writing - Jeni won the Nature Writing prize for Working Class Writers. She writes for publications like the Guardian, BBC Wildlife Magazine and Simple Things. When I started this podcast Jeni was one of the people I hoped to speak with... finally the day arrived. It was worth the wait! Jeni's experience is profound and unique. This podcast will bring you joy and inspiration. Jeni is on Instagram as @seekingwildsights Keep an eye on Jeni's socials to join her for one of her nature writing workshops. :) xx

Monica Feria-Tinta is an international barrister, globally recognised for her groundbreaking work protecting the environment. She has won many awards and is author of the book A Barrister For The Earth published by Faber & Faber. Before I recorded this podcast with Monica I saw her speak at a sold out event with the Reading The Land Festival in Shaftesbury . I was blown away by her intellect, passion and commitment. I sat there thinking thank goodness we have Monica in the world. Her achievements are huge. I am sure she will continue to make a big difference for the world and nature in particular. Only after Monica had finished her endless signings with Folde Bookshop in Shaftesbury were we able to sit down and chat. As you will hear, Monica's commitment is predicated upon a deep love for nature. Her story of connection is beautiful and adorable. It is my great privilege to share it with you. Thank you.

Ella Hibbert is undertaking an extraordinary voyage - the first ever solo circumnavigation of the Arctic Circle. It is incredible to have the opportunity to speak with her. Ella's experience in the natural world is unique. To be able to speak with someone who spends a great deal of time on their own in cold seas was mind blowing. As you will hear, Ella is exceptional on many levels. Not just for her obvious sailing skill but also for her thoughtful insight into her relations with the world around her. Ella is absolutely wonderful. She is mesmerising and intuitive. I am deeply honoured and thrilled to bring you this podcast.

This is a fabulous podcast with Broad Chalke villager Philly Tree (!). Philly has spent time in Australia and the UK. Wherever she is her affiliation with trees goes with her. In this podcast Philly shares her experience in extraordinary detail. As she spoke I felt I was with her in the moment. This is a gorgeous conversation about beautiful moments. It will give you food for thought. Philly's wonderful ability to express something we don't have words for is compelling listening. What she said stayed with me. You'll notice Philly's reference to Avatar. It is not surprising this film affected her because tree legend Dr. Suzanna Simard influenced James Cameron's Tree of Souls. Enjoy!

You may have seen Dr Anjana Khatwa on TV or heard her on the radio. She is a leading earth scientist. Her new book The Whispers of Rock was released recently and is available here. We had a fantastic chat in the woods at National Trust Kingston Lacy . We covered some profound and important topics, such as the relationship between spirituality and science. It was an absolute joy to speak with Anjana, I can't believe how much we covered in this fabulous podcast - from Anjana's early memories of rock, her mother's influence, ceremony and the nature within us to earth power and the preciousness of rock as a resource. :) Follow Dr Anjana on Instagram at @anjanakhatwa

Derek Gow's work is superb. Have a look at his Rewilding Coombeshead here . Not only is Derek author of a number of books including Hunt for the Shadow Wolf: The lost history of wolves and the myths and stories and Bringing Back the Beaver: The Story of One Man's Quest to Rewild Britain's Waterways, he is also one of the Dereks in the filmdoc Derek vs Derek. The trailer is hilarious. Watch it here . Derek has successfully introduced a number of species and is presently working on introducing the wild cat. Have a look at the Rewilding Coombeshead site for info on that project. Catch Derek on Instagram @derekjgow

It is a thrill and honour to bring you Dale Vince OBE talking about the origin of his connection with nature, farming and veganism. Vince delves into his childhood hours spent fishing for stannicles, his rescue of a crow and early thought that led him to environmentalism. This fabulous podcast is an inspiration. Dale's achievements are immense. They are beyond what could be expected of a team of people, let alone one. Enjoy listening to this wonderful podcast with Dale. He is an inspiration. Find out more about Ecotricity here , Forest Green Rovers here and Dale's Zerocarbonista podcast here . :)

I was privileged to visit JLM Morton's (Juliette) local wild swimming spot to talk about her connection with nature. From the mysticism of white magpies and the spiritual power of water to a heart-in-your-mouth meeting with a silverback gorilla, this podcast is one hundred per cent loveliness. Hopefully you'll hear some of the nature sounds from our outdoor location.:) JLM Morton is a poet and writer. Her work "explores contemporary rural experience and belonging, ancestry, place and practices of care, repair and solidarity across human and more-than-human worlds". Find Juliette here Juliette's publications include the poetry collection "Red Handed" and "Forest" which has a fantastic animation here and her awards include a 2024 Highly Commended by the Forward Prizes, longlist for the National Poetry Competition, the London Magazine Poetry Competition and for the Nan Shepherd Prize in September 2023 for nonfiction. Brilliant! JLM Morton is on Instagram here @jlmmorton

What an honour to do a podcast with Dominic Couzens! I was not expecting him to be hilarious. This fantastic podcast starts with him snorkelling in the Galapagos Islands where he had a deeply moving connection with - I'm not going to spoil it for you because it was so incredible. The podcast reveals Dominic's extraordinary knowledge and the depth of his understanding with nature. He takes us from the lowly midge into tropical rainforest. I'm sure you'll love this podcast as much as I enjoyed recording it. Dominic gives a big shout out to Stephen Moss and Elle Kay, too - names I'm sure you know if you're reading this!

Welcome to the audience participation podcast from Blandford Literary Festival's LIVE podcast with celebrity guest Amanda Wallwork. We had fabulous and moving audience stories from Jackie Arnold who told us about the Climate Coaching Alliance, an artist profoundly inspired by Dorset's hills, Kelly-Ann, an ecologist who spent months in solitude in the jungle, a postman who had an epiphany and Leona a gardener who grows food in the gardens at Ambios on the Sharpham Estate cultivating and workshopping. This podcast is a stand alone version of the audience participation included in the full length Blandford Literary Festival LIVE podcast (previous episode) in which Amanda Wallwork delves into her artistic practice and connection with the land. Find out more about the Climate Coaching Alliance here and Ambios here and on instagram @ambios_ltd here

In this fabulous podcast LIVE at Blandford Literary Festival we hear from wonderful artist Amanda Wallwork. Amanda has a special relationship with the landscape. She delves into the origins of this relationship and how this translates into her work as an artist and curator. Amanda's talk lasts about 26 minutes after which we hear moving stories of connection with nature from members of the audience. These begin at 26 minutes 30. Find Amanda at her website here and at b-side festival here Amanda is on instagram @Amanda_wallwork Follow Blandford Literary Festival on Instagram @blandfordliteraryfestival Enjoy!

A fantastic podcast with Ruth Simonsen, a seventh generation Norwegian potter. Ruth works in Sandnes near Stavanger. Ruth's connection with nature is historic, current and profound. After an exciting revelation (extremely exciting for me!), Ruth talks about grounding, history, the importance of landscape and the feel of clay in her hands. This is a deeply inspirational podcast. Contact Ruth via her Instagram account @RuthKSimonsen and her website . Recorded in Ruth's shop in Sandnes, Norway in August 2025.

Norwegian film maker Martin Nilsen talks about his Viking heritage and connection with nature. Recorded face to face in a stunning mountainous region of Norway, Martin tells how he feels in the raw landscape when he walks solo for weeks. This is a wonderful and inspiring podcast. I guarantee you'll rush out to get your walking boots on! Follow Martin on Instagram here . I stayed at Haukeliseter fjellstue which I found via the wonderful Den Norske Turistforening (DNT).

Angela Mcallister is an award winning author of books for children of all ages. Angela's artwork is wonderful, too - hop over to her Instagram account here to check it out. Angela has a fantastic collection of prehistoric artefacts especially knapped flint from many different ages including the Stone Age. She also has an extremely rare ceremonial axe in jadeite. Angela has found all these treasures herself. In this podcast Angela talks about her connection with land and the stones she finds. She and I share a love of flint and you'll hear us talk about this too! Find out more about Angela's phenomenal work here and here.

In this wonderful podcast RON IVES describes in detail how the Stonehenge stones trembled in his hands. Ron talks about pilgrimages and reveals his instinctive ability to find his way around the landscape. His observations of the sun in particular are extraordinary. Ron and Estelle share their thoughts on landscape. Find out more about Stonehenge here.