The Plodcast

The Plodcast has learned that hundreds wallabies are living wild on the Isle of Man? How did these Australian marsupials get there and what impact are they having on local ecology? Friend of the Plodcast James Fair led the expedition into the Irish Sea to meet local experts - David Bellamy and Graham Makepeace-Warne from the Manx Wildlife Trust - and see if he could set eyes on these creatures from the other side of the world. Also, the Plodcast is very proud to announce that it is media partner for the Speakies – the British Audio Awards from The Bookseller Magazine. These new awards celebrate the very best in audiobooks. The Plodcast is partnering in the non-fiction category. Find the shortlists here: www.thebookseller.com/the-british-audio-awards And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 & 2025 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: theplodcast@countryfile.com. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the sun high on a cloudless day, you listen to the rippling waves of the Exmoor coast. The gentle foam trickles over deep red seaweed and smoothed rocks. Everything feels calmer here. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Lewis Dobbs and introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: theplodcast@countryfile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A wonderful Plodcast walk this week – in Vallis Vale in the Mendip Hills. Plodcast host Fergus joins artist, historian and musician Amy Jeffs on a late summer walk along a beautiful stream discussing Amy's new book: Old Songs, which looks at the origins and importance of traditional ballads. Listen on for some true Plodcast magic – some unexpected wildlife encounters, beautiful singing and a bone whistle! Old Songs: Stories of Love and Death from Traditional Ballads by Amy Jeffs and Gwen Burns is published by Quercus Books Also, the Plodcast is very proud to announce that it is media partner for the Speakies – the British Audio Awards from The Bookseller Magazine. These new awards celebrate the very best in audiobooks. The Plodcast is partnering in the non-fiction category. Find the shortlists here: www.thebookseller.com/the-british-audio-awards And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 & 2025 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: theplodcast@countryfile.com. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the day draws to a close, the cattle gather for their night-time routine, and the birds sing their final calls of the day. The pink-and-orange sunlight spills through the trees and onto the farmyard's vast fields. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Lewis Dobbs and introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: theplodcast@countryfile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Plodcast heads to Penzance in Cornwall this week to hear the haunting poetry of Katrina Naomi. Katrina met Plodcast host Fergus on a beach near the town to discuss her latest collection of poems Battery Rocks, inspired by the sea in all its dark beauty. Poor Katrina had injured her foot so was on crutches – and the whole Plodcast team wish her a speedy recovery. Battery Rocks is published by Seren. And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 & 2025 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: theplodcast@countryfile.com. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just as you're closing the back door as dusk falls, you hear a rustling in from the end of the garden. Is it a cat or a rat? No, it's a hedgehog foraging for slugs, beetles and worms around the compost heap. You sit quietly and listen to your visitor - its snuffles like the puffs of a tiny steam train. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins and introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: theplodcast@countryfile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we return to the Global Birdfair, held in summer at Rutland every year. Hear two inspiring conservation stories: the first interview is with Stephanie Borrelle who works with Birdlife International to conserve seabirds such as albatrosses in the Southern Hemisphere. The second chat brings us back to the UK and efforts to save two endangered birds: the curlew and the corncrake. Nick Acheson is our guest, talking about his work with the Deepdale Conservation Trust. Find out more about Stephanie's work: https://stephborrelle.com/ Find out more about Nick's work: https://deepdaleconservationtrust.org.uk/ These interviews were recorded live on the Swarovski Podcast stage – with thanks to Charlie Bingham and Oscar Henderson for helping organise and record the sessions. And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 & 2025 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: theplodcast@countryfile.com. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Deep in a cool woodland, you hear the rumour of a stream long before you see it. A small stone bridge crosses the water, just above a small waterfall. It's the perfect place to stop and dream. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins and introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: theplodcast@countryfile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let the Plodcast take you to a peaceful lake deep in the Somerset countryside. Lily pads float in margins, dragonflies buzz past and kingfisher makes regular sorties across the water. And you'll meet the Plodcast team of Fergus, Hannah, Lewis and Kev chatting on the bank, and trying to catch the elusive tench – a mysterious fish of lazy summer ponds. Listen on for a joyful adventure... And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 & 2025 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: theplodcast@countryfile.com. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're listening to the rain. Its been dry for weeks, and this shower feels like its washing the world clean. The water runs down the roofs and gurgles in the drainpipes. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded and introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: theplodcast@countryfile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we're at the Global Bird Fair, held every summer on the edge of Rutland Water in the tiny county of Rutland. Plodcast host Fergus met two of the people behind the incredible Merlin app which you can use to help you identify birdsong. Alli Smith and Ian Davies from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on the podcast stage at Birdfair to hear how the magic happens. With special thanks also to Charlie Bingham for organising the Birdfair podcasts, Oscar Henderson for recording and producing, and to Swarovski for sponsoring the podcast stage. Credits for the birdsong recordings used in this episode: Leach's storm petrel by Diane Tessaglia-Hynes; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library Bobolink recorded by Wil Hershberger Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 & 2025 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: theplodcast@countryfile.com. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Soothed by the gentle lapping of water, you pause by a quiet lake. It's a hot day, but you find refuge sheltered under the rustling willow trees. Moorhen families drift by as the lively fish swim beneath. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Lewis Dobbs, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: theplodcast@countryfile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An extremely special edition of the Plodcast this week as we head to Knepp Wildlands in Sussex to look for storks and listen for turtle doves in the company of Isabella Tree. Isabella and her husband Charlie Burrell have transformed their former dairy farm into one of the best examples of rewilding in Europe – and it's a magical place to explore. Plodcast host Fergus was lucky enough to meet up with Isabella one midsummer evening. Isabella's new book Wilding: How to Bring Wildlife Back is illustrated by Angela Harding. It is published by Pan Macmillan. And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 & 2025 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: theplodcast@countryfile.com. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're on hampsted heath. A light shower has covered the trees in raindrops, and parakeets. As they gossip to pass the time before they're free to fly once more. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded and introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: theplodcast@countryfile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Plodcast team of Fergus, Hannah, Jack and Lewis embark on a 15-mile hike around the Gower Peninsular in South Wales as part of a Mighty Hike organised by the cancer care charity Macmillan.The team explore the coast path, chat to fellow hikers and enjoy some rare wildlife encounters along the way. Have a listen to their charming adventure, and for more plodding along the Gower Peninsula, listen to Ep. 96 with Fergus and Hannah!And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page.The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 & 2025 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: theplodcast@countryfile.com. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Take time out to sit by a chicken pen and listen to the gentle gossip of the hens – plus a pair of ducks - as they go about their daily business. Meanwhile, wood pigeons, wrens, goldfinches and others pass comment from the surrounding trees. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: theplodcast@countryfile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we're heading out into the boglands of North Wales with writer and gardener Alys Fowler. Alys has a passion for these wild wetlands so host Fergus followed her into one of the strangest and most beautiful landscapes the Plodcast has ever visited. Join them for a journey into another world. Alys's book, Peatlands: A Journey Between Land and Water is published by Hodder. And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 & 2025 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: theplodcast@countryfile.com. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Following the South West Coast Path through North Cornwall, you chance upon the ruins of Wheal Coates tin mine at the cliff's edge. Below, the sea seethes and surges, a wall of salty sounds rising up and through the mine's towering engine house. Any stray cobwebs you may have had hanging around are blown clean away. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: theplodcast@countryfile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Monsters haunt the myths and legends of almost every culture in the world. Take a walk along the Dorset coast with Nicholas Jubber looking for the footprints of ancient monsters, to explore why humans have felt the need to invent frightening beasts and beings to scare us from the shadows. Kevin Parr is your Plodcast host this week. Nicholas's book, Monsterland: A Journey Around the World's Dark Imagination, is published by Scribe UK And now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page. The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 & 2025 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: theplodcast@countryfile.com. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is late morning, the sun is high and the heat brings out butterflies, bees and, as your ear becomes attuned, grasshoppers fizzing and buzzing in the meadows. You lie down letting the sounds wash over you as you realise you can hear no human sounds at all. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and transport you somewhere beautiful, wherever you happen to be. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Email the Plodcast team – and send your sound recordings of the countryside – to: theplodcast@countryfile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices