Wild Tales | Nature Podcast cover art

Wild Tales | Nature Podcast

Wild Tales | Nature Podcast

By: National Trust
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About this listen

 Delve into intriguing stories from our weird, wonderful and utterly wild world.

You'll experience nature in a whole new way, from untangling the strange world of spider sex and digging up the greatest fossil finds, to meeting mysterious ocean giants and finding out why there’s no such thing as a seagull.

Join experts Rosie Holdsworth, Ajay Tegala and Heather Birkett on adventures in the UK’s diverse habitats and uncover fascinating tales that connect us with wildlife.

New Wild Tales are released twice a month.

Follow us on your favourite podcast app and never miss an episode.

Get in touch with feedback and your favourite topics on instagram www.instagram.com/wildtalesnt or by emailing podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

Discover more from National Trust podcasts

This podcast is made by the National Trust, Europe’s biggest conservation charity. Looking after history, nature and beauty for everyone to enjoy.

Listen to Back When history podcast, taking you inside stories of our past: podfollow.com/back-when

Discover Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers, perfect for kids aged 5-8:
podfollow.com/national-trust-kids-podcast

Follow National Trust podcasts on Youtube:
www.youtube.com/@nationaltrustcharity/podcasts National Trust Biological Sciences Science Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • 10: Screaming Swifts | Living Life on the Fly

    10: Screaming Swifts | Living Life on the Fly
    Jul 16 2025
    Every summer, swifts return to our skies, screaming overhead in joyful, acrobatic flight. But behind their spectacular aerial displays lies a stark reality: these much-loved birds are in serious decline.

    Join ranger Rosie Holdsworth in Sheffield as she meets two swift lovers doing everything they can to keep them flying high.

    [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure.
    Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.
    Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor.
    www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/


    Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nationaltrustcharity/podcasts

    Production

    Presenter: Rosie Holdsworth
    Producer and sound designer: Nikki Ruck

    Contributors

    Flora Jeferzade

    Chet Cuñago

    Image



    Discover more

    Find out more about swift conservation at Sheffield Swift Network
    Follow us @wildtalesnt Instagram account

    If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk
    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
  • Bioluminescent Bay Watch | Strange Things Light Up the Ocean

    Bioluminescent Bay Watch | Strange Things Light Up the Ocean
    Jul 2 2025
    Bioluminescent tides are often described as the northern lights of the ocean.
    Marine biologist, Dr Yasmin Meeda, has only witnessed this natural phenomenon once. She says seeing bioluminescence is one of the most magical things she’s ever experienced.

    Yaz takes us into the strange world of bioluminescent life to meet the species whose bodies light up from the inside, due to a chemical reaction.

    From bioluminescent tides caused by microscopic dinoflagellates to angler fish and glow worms, uncover nature's light displays in the dark.

    [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure.
    Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.
    Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor.
    https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/

    Production:
    Host: Rosie Holdsworth
    Producer: Michelle Douglass
    Sound Editor: Jesus Gomez

    Special thanks to Dr Yasmin Meeda @marinebiologywithyaz for exploring the weird world of bioluminescence with Wild Tales.

    Follow Yaz @marinebiologywithyaz on instagram

    Image (c) Kezan24 | iStock

    Discover more:

    Find out about the UK Glow Worm Survey and look for organised walks:
    https://glowworms.org.uk/

    Follow Wild Tales on your favourite podcast app or on Instagram @wildtalesnt

    If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a wild tale you’re like to hear, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

    Show More Show Less
    14 mins
  • The Queer Life of a Cockchafer

    The Queer Life of a Cockchafer
    Jun 18 2025
    How did two beetles cause a gay panic? There's much more to a cockchafer or ‘maybug’ than meets the eye. Join ecologist, Connor Butler, to find out more about what these charismatic creatures can teach us about science, humanity and the fluidity of the natural world.
    Discover more:

    You can find out more about Connor’s work and the queer ecology walks here: https://www.connorbutler.co.uk/

    To visit Osterley Park and House and gardens, or to find out more about its spectacular grounds, find out more here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/london/osterley-park-and-house
    Further reading:
    This is a HUGE topic of which we’ve only scratched the surface. As part of our research and if you wanted to dig a little deeper, we read:
    Of Maybugs and Men: A History and Philosophy of the Sciences of Homosexuality by Pieter R. Adriaens and Andreas De Block
    and
    Biological Exuberance by Bruce Baghemil
    Special thanks to Laine Kaplan-Levenson from A Field Guide to Gay Animals for taking the time to speak with us while we developed the episode.
    [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure.
    Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.
    Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor.
    https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/

    Production:
    Host: Rosie Holdsworth
    Producer: Marnie Woodmeade
    Sound Designer: Jesus Gomez

    Follow Wild Tales on your favourite podcast app or on Instagram @wildtalesnt. If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected to our wild world, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins

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