The Plodcast

369. Learn how foraging can improve our bodies and minds on a wild wander in Herefordshire with Liz Knight

The Plodcast celebrates the start of autumn with a visit to deepest Herefordshire to go foraging with expert Liz Knight. Liz extols the power of plants we tend to despise

Sound Escape 291. The soft sounds of an autumn woodland walk

Recent rain has revived the woodland and you are compelled to take an evening walk in search of fungi along a stream and through the crunchy leaf litter. The strong, eart

368. Rewilding head, heart and landscape at the Sharpham Estate in Devon

Sometimes it's vital to take some time out and reconnect with nature and the present moment. The Sharpham Trust on the River Dart in Devon offers nature-based, mindful re

Sound Escape 290. Soothing rain falling in a thirsty wood - and a marsh tit sings

After months of heatwaves and drought, it's blissful to wander through a wooden valley listening to rain falling on leaves. And as if summoned by the falling water, a rar

367. A quest to find King Arthur with historian Amy Jeffs

The Plodcast heads to the Cotswolds this week in search of King Arthur. Historian and artist Amy Jeffs has written a new study exploring the earliest origins of the legen

Sound Escape 289. Enjoy the song of the sea on the island of Sark

It's the morning after a storm on the island of Sark and you've followed a narrow track along a wooded valley that opens into a tiny cove. Taking shelter in a sea cave, y

366. Harvesting walnuts with the Bishop of Bath and Wells in the Somerset Levels

This week, the Plodcast heads to Sharpham Park Farm in the Somerset Levels to join the 'Pickle Me Walnuts' day of harvesting and preparing young walnuts to make an ancien

Sound Escape 288. Join the crowds in Bristol witnessing 2026's the solar eclipse

On the crunchy parched grass of the Clifton Downs, you join the crowds gathering to witness the 2026 solar eclipse. As the atmosphere builds, people deploy eclipse glasse

365. A quest to explore the wildlife of the River Thames with writer and naturalist Stephen Rutt

“A fulmar once vomited in my eye!” Writer and naturalist Stephen Rutt recalls his adventures following s raindrop from source to sea for his new book The Waterlands. Th

Sound Escape 287. A blissful few moments beside a Welsh lake in high summer

There's nothing better on a hot afternoon than sitting in the cool of the reedbeds beside a lake. As you relax, wildlife emerges – waterbirds gossiping, bees and dragonfl

364. A walk in Suffolk with award-winning writer Melissa Harrison discussing her new novel The Given World

This week we welcome award-winning novelist and nature diarist Melissa Harrison to the Plodcast for the first time. Melissa's new novel, The Given World, is a dark and be

Sound Escape 286. In a parched landscape, the generous river provides life and music

Despite the endless drought, the river still runs. Reduced yes, but still a generous artery of life in a parched countryside. You sit beside it, cooled and reassured as n

363. Learn about a plan to eradicate destructive, non-native predators

Since they escaped into the wild in the mid 20th century, American mink have wreaked havoc on our waterways, virtually wiping out water voles and other aquatic wildlife.

Sound Escape 285. Gentle breezes and summer melodies from a meadow in Sussex

It's too hot for gardening so you retire to a wildflower meadow where a cooling breeze and gentle conversations of sparrows and jackdaws soothe your soul.BBC Countryfile

362. Enjoy and evening with long-eared owls and a lazy day's fishing with writer Kevin Parr

We head to Dorset this month to spend a day fishing at a lazy summer lake in the company of Plodcast regular Kevin Parr. But in a perfect Plodcast twist, Kev first has so

Sound Escape 284. Hear the beautiful music of a mountain spring in a dry summer landscape

Walking high in the parched hills you suddenly hear the welcome music of running water. After a brief search, you find a small cave mouth where a spring gushes continuous

361. Discover the secret lives of our forgotten coastal communities with Natasha Carthew

When we go on holiday to the coast, we tend to overlook the stories of the people who live and work there. Natasha Carthew grew up in a working class community in Cornwal

Sound Escape 283. Lose track of time gazing into the watery seashore

It’s a sunny morning on the seashore and the tide is going out. It’s Leaving behind shallow rockpools, perfect mirrors of the crisp, blue sky. BBC Countryfile Magazine's

360. Celebrate 100 years of Winnie the Pooh with new stories in 100 Acre Wood from Jane Riordan

Back in 1926, the first Winnie the Pooh book was published – and became one of the most loved children's stories of all time. One hundred years later, Plodcast host Fergu

Sound Escape 282. Immerse yourself in the manic action of a sand martin colony

As you crest a little riverside cliff, the air is filled with clicks, trills and buzzes. Squadrons of sand martins career wildly around you from their colony – a series o