BBC Earth Podcast

The difference between order and chaos can depend on your perspective. The systems and processes that drive the natural world might seem random in close-up, whether it’s an ant wandering around near its nest, or a wildebeest charging through the water. But if you zoom out, you can see how these small activities combine to form part of a bigger picture.

The Darwin Tree Of Life project is an attempt to bring order to nature by sequencing the DNA of every living thing in the UK, a staggering 70,000 species. The research team explains how they’ll keep on target by doing a little light sequencing before their morning coffee.

We fly high with one of nature’s most stunning visual displays of order, murmuration, learning from Professor Mario Pesendorfer how this magical movement comes together, and how birds move in perfect sync with no leader.

And wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson – who has helped to create some of the BBC’s best-loved nature documentaries – takes us on a trip to Maasai Mara, where the annual rains bring a natural order to the migration patterns of wildebeest.

Credits:

The BBC Earth podcast is presented by Sebastian Echeverri and Rutendo Shackleton.

This episode was produced by Rachel Byrne and Geoff Marsh.

The researcher was Seb Masters.

The Production Manager was Catherine Stringer and the Production Co-ordinator was Gemma Wootton.

Podcast Theme Music was composed by Axel Kacoutié, with mixing and additional sound design by Peregrine Andrews.

The Associate Producer is Cristen Caine and the Executive Producer is Deborah Dudgeon.

Special thanks to:

Caroline Howard, Liam Crowley and Mark Blaxter for the feature on the Darwin Tree of Life Project.

Mario Pesendorfer for sharing his insights into murmurations.

Chris Watson for providing the wildebeest soundscape.

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Sebastian is not afraid to admit that he lacks natural rhythm. But Rutendo thinks he’s too hard on himself – perhaps the world is just out of sync with him. Besides, every living thing is built upon natural rhythms, from our response to night and day, to the beating of our hearts.

Kristina Bolinder leads us on an exploration of a plant with a very unusual habit: it only flowers under the light of the full moon. The reason why connects a century of lunar records with the latest in botanical research.

Deep in the Budongo Forest in Uganda, a team of researchers has been following a group of chimps for several years, and learning that they each have their own signature rhythm, expressed through drumming on the base of trees. What’s more, they can choose when to reveal their identities through their drumming, and when to keep them hidden.

Frozen Planet II Producer Rachel Scott tells us about the rhythm of life in the Arctic, from the devastating effects of climate change, to a beautiful and unexpected

sequence featuring polar bears dancing on ice.

We close with the friendly tap-tapping sounds of the Great Spotted Woodpecker – who reveals much within its rhythm.

Credits:

The BBC Earth podcast is presented by Sebastian Echeverri and Rutendo Shackleton.

This episode was produced by Rachel Byrne and Geoff Marsh.

The researcher was Seb Masters.

The Production Manager was Catherine Stringer and the Production Co-ordinator was Gemma Wootton.

Podcast Theme Music was composed by Axel Kacoutié, with mixing and additional sound design by Peregrine Andrews.

The Associate Producer is Cristen Caine and the Executive Producer is Deborah Dudgeon.

Special thanks to:

Kristina Bolinder for sharing her discovery that connected plants to the lunar cycle.

Vesta Eluteri, Viola Komedova, Catherine Hobaiter and Mugisha Stephen for the feature on chimpanzee drumming.

Rachel Scott from the BBC Natural History Unit.

Chris Hails of wildechoes.org for providing the woodpecker soundscape.

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In an age of individualism, sometimes we are more connected than we think. And the same is true for everything on the planet. Rutendo and Sebastian explore the question of how and why we define an individual, a colony, or a group, across the animal kingdom.

Lisa Kirkendale was astounded when she came across the longest organism ever discovered, a siphonophore off the coast of Australia. Composed of several semi-independent but constantly connected parts known as zooids, could it be seen as a colony of many creatures, or just one?

Richard Youell, a beekeeper and sound recordist, uses innovative techniques to record directly inside a beehive, an almost impossible task because of bees’ natural inclination to protect themselves from a microphone, by covering it in wax. After a lot of time and patience, he has managed to record the unique captivating sounds of the battle between potential queens, a behaviour known as piping, where there can be only one victor.

And we hear from Australian rockers King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, about their efforts to reduce the impact of their packed touring schedule on an increasingly fragile ecosystem.

Credits:

The BBC Earth podcast is presented by Sebastian Echeverri and Rutendo Shackleton.

This episode was produced by Rachel Byrne and Geoff Marsh.

The researcher was Seb Masters.

The Production Manager was Catherine Stringer and the Production Co-ordinator was Gemma Wootton.

Podcast Theme Music was composed by Axel Kacoutié, with mixing and additional sound design by Peregrine Andrews.

The Associate Producer is Cristen Caine and the Executive Producer is Deborah Dudgeon.

Special thanks to:

Richard Youell for sharing his insight and sound recordings from within a beehive.

Interviewee Lisa Kirkendale from the Western Australian Museum.

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It’s a scary world out there, as we explore how everything on the planet – from humankind to glaciers – must be able to respond to threat in order to survive. Sebastian surprises Rutendo with a story of the time he lived in Japan and took up fencing, occasionally finding himself at the wrong end of a sword.

WWE wrestler and commentator Stu Bennett, better known as Bad News Barrett, is used to feeling the pressure in the ring. But away from that controlled environment, he has faced less expected threats, including an underwater close encounter with an enormous moray eel. He also shares his concerns – and hopes – for the future of a planet under its own kind of threat.

In Nepal, poaching of rare animals is a growing problem, threatening the ecosystem itself. Kumar Paudel is tackling this issue head-on, using folk music and videos to educate rural communities on the consequences of poaching, and meeting face-to-face with convicted animal smugglers, to try to make lasting change against the odds.

Lianna Zanette tells us about her work studying predator-induced fear, and how animals respond differently to threats depending on how they perceive their environment.

And Oskar Glowacki introduces heartrending sounds recorded inside glaciers which are dying as a result of climate change.

Credits:

The BBC Earth podcast is presented by Sebastian Echeverri and Rutendo Shackleton.

This episode was produced by Rachel Byrne and Geoff Marsh.

The researcher was Seb Masters.

The Production Manager was Catherine Stringer and the Production Co-ordinator was Gemma Wootton.

Podcast Theme Music was composed by Axel Kacoutié, with mixing and additional sound design by Peregrine Andrews.

The Associate Producer is Cristen Caine and the Executive Producer is Deborah Dudgeon.

Special thanks to:

Liana Zanette from The University of Western Ontario for sharing her research into the ecology of fear.

Interviewee Stu Bennett aka Bad News Barrett.

Kumar Paudel from Greenhood Nepal.

Oskar Glowacki from the Polish Academy of Science for talking us through and letting us hear his glacier recordings.

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Light and reflection are crucial across the animal kingdom, and sometimes they interact in strange and surprising ways.

Rutendo tells Sebastian about the time she carried out a classic experiment, the mirror test, with lions, during her PhD. Some lions made friends with the mirrors, while others pursued less wholesome activities...

The hatchet fish has evolved a fascinating means of hiding itself from predators, especially those searching out their prey with giant bioluminescent headlights. Biologist Alison Sweeney explains how the fish is able to disappear almost completely, using a combination of mirror-like scales and cells that act like fibre-optic cables on its belly.

Yossi Yovel invites us into his “bat lab for neuro-ecology” in Tel Aviv, where he carries out (harmless) experiments with helium to see how a changed atmosphere can dramatically impact a bat’s ability to navigate using echolocation.

And we find ourselves immersed in the bizarre sound-world of the lyrebird, which can perfectly mimic everything from car alarms to the calls of up to 25 other species of bird.

Credits:

The BBC Earth podcast is presented by Sebastian Echeverri and Rutendo Shackleton.

This episode was produced by Rachel Byrne and Geoff Marsh.

The researcher was Seb Masters.

The Production Manager was Catherine Stringer and the Production Co-ordinator was Gemma Wootton.

Podcast Theme Music was composed by Axel Kacoutié, with mixing and additional sound design by Peregrine Andrews.

The Associate Producer is Cristen Caine and the Executive Producer is Deborah Dudgeon.

Special thanks to:

Alison Sweeney from Yale University for sharing her research on hatchetfish.

Yossi Yovel from Tel Aviv University for his interview about bat senses.

Marc Anderson for supplying the lyrebird soundscape.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sebastian and Rutendo celebrate nature’s defenders in all their forms. They argue that vultures should get more credit for their vital role as scavengers. Their super-acidic stomachs kill off deadly bacteria, like anthrax, that accumulates onrotting carcasses. This prevents the spread of disease and recycles nutrients back into the environment.

Molecular biologist Mike Kolomiets tells us that the fragrance of newly mown grass isactually a scream for help and a warning to nearby plants that a herbivore is around. Grass can defend itself by releasing toxic metabolites and summoning the assistance of parasitic wasps that attack plant-eating caterpillars.

We hear from prominent Brazilian climate activists Sônia Guajajara and Celia Xakriabá, both of whom believe that inidigenous women have a vital role to play in

the fight to preserve Brazil’s vast biodiversity.

Biologist and comedian Simon Watt argues that to protect the biodiversity of our planet we need to be less fixated on cute creatures which are “lucky enough to have

a face”, and take more interest in Earth’s ugly animals.

Credits:

The BBC Earth podcast is presented by Sebastian Echeverri and Rutendo Shackleton.

This episode was produced by Rachel Byrne and Geoff Marsh.

The researchers were Seb Masters and Dawood Quereshi.

The Production Manager was Catherine Stringer and the Production Co-ordinator was Gemma Wootton.

Podcast Theme Music was composed by Axel Kacoutié, with mixing and additional sound design by Peregrine Andrews.

The Associate Producer is Cristen Caine and the Executive Producer is Deborah Dudgeon.

Special thanks to:

Mike Kolomiets from Texas A&M University for sharing his research into grass.

Simon Watt from the Ugly Animal Preservation Society.

Alice Aedy for the report from Brazil and her interviewees Sônia Guajajara, Célia Xakriabá.

Interviewee Carl Gerhardt from University of Missouri and Lang Elliot for the amphibious soundscape.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rutendo and Sebastian are looking at stories and whether it matters who is telling them. Paula Kahumbu is a renowned conservationist and film-maker in Kenya who wants to see more African stories told by Africans for Africans. “It's really important that Iam empowered to tell my own story. Not just that it's authentic, which therefore will resonate with the audiences ...but also it boosts my ability to have more impact out there.” Through her programme: ‘Wildlife Warriors’, Paula is training, championing and inspiring future generations of Africans to pursue careers in nature.

Storytelling might feel uniquely human, but it plays an important role in the animal world too, with animals learning certain behaviours by copying family members. Just as human language is passed down through generations, animals learn vocalisations by listening to individuals around them. So what happens when that species is dying out? Daniel Appleby, of the Difficult Bird Research Group atCanberra University, describes how the scarcity of the Regent Honeyeater means the bird is forgetting its own song.

And when an artist uses mushrooms to generate music through a synthesiser, who is the composer – the musician or the fungi?

Credits:

The BBC Earth podcast is presented by Sebastian Echeverri and Rutendo Shackleton.

This episode was produced by Rachel Byrne and Geoff Marsh.

The researchers were Seb Masters and Dawood Quereshi.

The Production Manager was Catherine Stringer and the Production Co-ordinator was Gemma Wootton.

Podcast Theme Music was composed by Axel Kacoutié, with mixing and additional sound design by Peregrine Andrews.

The Associate Producer is Cristen Caine and the Executive Producer is Deborah Dudgeon.

Special thanks to:

Daniel Appleby from the Difficult Bird Research Centre at the Australian National University in Canberra.

Paula Kahumbu from WildlifeDirect.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We explore the invisible pulling powers of nature through the forces of smell, sound and gravity.

In Greece, desert ants start their lives underground in total darkness. Void of landmarks and sun they initially learn to orient themselves using the Earth’s magnetic field. German scientist Dr Pauline Fleischman reveals how her team discovered the ant’s internal GPS.

A healthy coral reef is a very noisy place, full of the snapping, rasping, scraping and croaking of various vocal species. But a dying reef is tragically quiet, devoid of the life which can no longer survive on it. However, conservationists have discovered a way to pull species back to these habitats with the ingenious use of underwater

speakers.

This sort of catfishing is used by a number of animals, including arachnids. Sebastian and Rutendo discuss one of nature’s more perilous powers of attraction with Kenyan entomologist, Dr Dino Martins. He describes the dramatic mating behaviour of the camel spider, an alluring species with incredible hunting skills.

Humans might find the British dawn chorus a more soothing courtship ritual. But for the birds, it’s an intense competition. Sound recordist Gary Moore tells us why he

thinks it’s one of the world’s greatest wildlife events.

Credits:

The BBC Earth podcast is presented by Sebastian Echeverri and Rutendo Shackleton.

This episode was produced by Rachel Byrne and Geoff Marsh.

The researchers were Seb Masters and Dawood Quereshi.

The Production Manager was Catherine Stringer, the Production Co-ordinator was Gemma Wootton, and the Project Co-ordinator was Linda Barber.

Podcast Theme Music was composed by Axel Kacoutié, with mixing and additional sound design by Peregrine Andrews.

The Associate Producer is Cristen Caine and the Executive Producer is Deborah Dudgeon.

Special thanks to...

Dino J. Martins from the Mpala Research Centre.

Pauline Fleischmann from the University of Würzburg for her insights on ant behaviour.

Gary Moore who recorded and spoke about the dawn chorus soundscape.

Tim Lamont, Tammy Silva, Emma Weschke, Tim Gordon and Eric Parmentier who provided underwater audio recordings for the interview with Steve Simpson from the University of Bristol.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rutendo and Sebastian explore death and its role in the natural world. For Sebastian, death is a permanent state, a complete end to a life. But for Rutendo and her family, death is just a temporary parting. Around the world burial customs differ, but throughout nature, death and decay provide sustenance to other life-forms.

Sebastian explores the extraordinary diversity within the ground, with soil ecologist Frank Ashwood, who explains that a single teaspoon of healthy soil contains more than a billion organisms. Among them, the nematode worm – the most abundant organism on the planet.

Wildlife pathologist Simon Spiro performs a post-mortem on an elderly cheetah from Whipsnade zoo, and takes us through ZSL’s archive of specimens from nearly 120 years of animal post-mortems. Samples such as worms from the gut of a European bison, or stones from the stomach of a llama, are used to help scientists learn more about the basic biology of each species.

Rutendo and Sebastian are joined by TikTok star Mamadou whose animal fact videos have brought him more than 15 million followers. Rutendo and Mamadou bond over their shared belief that jaguars are disrespectful, and he leaves Sebastian with a disturbing story about Pelicans.

Credits

The BBC Earth podcast is presented by Sebastian Echeverri and Rutendo Shackleton.

The producers were Rachel Byrne and Geoff Marsh.

The researcher was Seb Masters

The Production Manager was Catherine Stringer and the Production Co-ordinator was Gemma Wootton.

Podcast Theme Music was composed by Axel Kacoutié, with mixing and additional sound design by Peregrine Andrews.

The Associate Producer is Cristen Caine and the Executive Producer is Deborah Dudgeon.

Special thanks to

Simon Spiro from the Zoological Society of London.

Soil ecologist Frank Ashwood.

Jennifer Jerret from The Acoustic Atlas at Montana State University for providing the soundscape from Yellowstone National Park.

Mamadou Ndiaye who can be found on TikTok under @mndiaye_97

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rutendo and Sebastian get to indulge their passions for nature AND superheroes, as they look at real-life superpowers in nature.

Rutendo explores how these superpowers inspire fictional worlds and heroes with Mike McHargue, a science advisor/world builder for film and television. Mike helps writers and film-makers integrate accurate and consistent science into their stories, and together he and Rutendo invent a brand new superhero.

Rats seem unlikely superheroes but in Tanzania they’re being trained to save lives. Their acute sense of smell means they can detect landmines, and sniff out illegal wildlife being trafficked in shipping containers. We drop in on their training at non-profit organisation, APOPO.

Sebastian’s favourite superhero is Spiderman, whose spider-sense gives him advance warning of impending danger. This superpower is used every day by real spiders whose special leg hairs can sense vibrations. Web-building spiders use this superpower to build a mental map of the world around them by detecting and decoding the tiny vibrations created by anything that touches their web. Through a special program designed by experts at MIT, we hear a digital version of this experience, turning the web into a musical instrument with thousands of unique notes.

Credits:

The BBC Earth podcast is presented by Sebastian Echeverri and Rutendo Shackleton.

This episode was produced by Rachel Byrne and Geoff Marsh.

The researcher was Seb Masters.

The Production Manager was Catherine Stringer and the Production Co-ordinator was Gemma Wootton.

Podcast Theme Music was composed by Axel Kacoutié, with mixing and additional sound design by Peregrine Andrews.

The Associate Producer is Cristen Caine and the Executive Producer is Deborah Dudgeon.

Special thanks to:

Isabelle Szott, Lily Shallom & Said Mshana from APOPO and producer Charles Kombe for the recordings.

Science consultant Mike McHargue from Quantum Spin Studios.

Markus Buehler from MIT for providing the spider web soundscape.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You don’t need to be on an African Savanna to enjoy a safari. Rutendo and Sebastian explore how to have a nature adventure wherever you are.  

On the isle of Bute in Scotland, Nature Instagrammer Lucy Lapwing takes us on an immersive walk through her local woodland. It’s a wonderfully damp, fresh day, and the forest is dripping with lichen and bright lime green moss as Lucy points out local birds and wildlife. 

Rutendo and Sebastian go in search of spiders in Bristol, and with the ingenious use of an electric toothbrush, tempt a rather large specimen out of a city wall.  

Their special guest is Eric Stonestreet, the Emmy award-winning actor best known for playing Cameron Tucker in the ABC mockumentary sitcom Modern Family. A huge nature-fan, Eric describes some of his favourite animal encounters.

And finally, we hear how patience and stillness are key to noticing the amazing nature all around us, as sound recordist Melissa Pons shares some of her haunting recordings of wolves in Portugal.

Credits

The BBC Earth podcast is presented by Sebastian Echeverri and Rutendo Shackleton . 

This episode was produced by Rachel Byrne and Geoff Marsh. 

The researchers were Seb Masters and Dawood Quereshi. 

The Production Manager was Catherine Stringer, the Production Co-ordinator was Gemma Wootton, and the Project Co-ordinator was Linda Barber. 

Podcast Theme Music was composed by Axel Kacoutié, with mixing and additional sound design by Peregrine Andrews. 

The Associate Producer is Cristen Caine and the Executive Producer is Deborah Dudgeon. 

Special thanks to… 

Interviewee Eric Stonestreet.

Lucy Lapwing for her report from the Isle of Bute.  

Field recordist Melissa Pons for the wolf soundscape.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each week the BBC Earth podcast brings you entertainment, humour, an abundance of amazing animal stories and unbelievable unheard sounds. Explore the world of animals with superpowers, deep dive into death, hear from heroes passionately protecting the planet and get expert insights into corners of the natural world you’ve never explored before.

Hosted by zoologists Rutendo Shackleton and Sebastian Echeverri, each episode features special guests including the world’s most respected scientists and naturalists, stars of film and television, nature Instagrammers and more.

Listen, laugh and learn – whether you’re a nature lover, nature curious or haven’t yet realised nature is for you, there’ll be a story here to captivate your ears.

Credits

Special thanks to...

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In the final episode of series 4, we’re digging into some of the more elusive corners of our planet.

To begin, we’re on a bear hunt deep in the Bornean rainforest. Guiding us is Siew Te Wong, who is the world’s foremost authority on a bear we know very little about. The sun bear is the smallest bear in the world and, as Wong has discovered for himself, tracking them can draw up some unexpected discoveries.

Next we’re turning our attention upwards, to the sky at night. Or, to be more precise, to the sounds that come from it. Magnus Robb explores what birdsong can tell us about the extraordinary migration routes of these animals.

To end, we sit still to see the visible changes over time to our glaciers. Using past and present technology, Kieran Baxter brings to life some of the unprecedented declines in our natural world.

Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.

As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or a story that amazed, surprised or moved you…

Website: www.bbcearth.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bbcearth/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bbcearth/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/bbcearth 

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In this episode, we’re delving into the topic of extinction. We'll be finding out about some of the animals who are critically endangered, meeting the people trying to rescue them, and exploring species who may be able to make miraculous comebacks.

Perhaps one of the most endangered species is the vaquita, a small sea mammal with a population of less than 20. We hear from some extraordinary people weathering threats and tragedies in an attempt to bring these ‘pandas of the ocean’ back from the brink. 

According to US Department of Agriculture researcher, Dr Samuel Ramsey, every discovery is built upon a discovery that came before it. Yet some of those discoveries can be found in the most unexpected of places. For Samuel, understanding his father’s health issues provided the key to discovering why honeybee populations are on the decrease.

And to finish, we’re asking one of the biggest questions in paleontology: how did birds evolve from dinosaurs? To help us explore this topic, we’ve got the help of Jingmai O’Connor whose work in China has helped shed light on the distant link between the extinct dinosaur and ballooning bird populations.

Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.

As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or a story that amazed, surprised or moved you…

Website: www.bbcearth.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bbcearth/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bbcearth/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/bbcearth 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re displaying the most impressive artists of the animal kingdom. From tiny visual masterpieces, to animals that can dance to a beat, we’re shining a spotlight on the art that can be found in nature.

Deep in the Amazon rainforest, there’s a tiny structure that (if you’re able to spot it) catches your eye. The intricate silk henge is a mini masterpiece, and for some time nobody could say exactly what it was or why it existed. Phil Torres takes us on his journey of discovery and demystification.

Next we’re exploring whether animals can dance to a beat and, if so, why? To help us try and answer that, we hear from Henkjan Honing, professor of Music Cognition at the University of Amsterdam. 

Finally, we turn our attention to Northern Australia’s great bowerbird. What can the males' elaborate constructions teach us about perspective?

Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.

As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or a story that amazed, surprised or moved you…

Website: www.bbcearth.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bbcearth/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bbcearth/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/bbcearth 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While nature is full of beauty and wonder, it also has a deadly side. In this episode, we're getting a brush with death and exploring how nature can be both a source of comfort and a source of danger.

Prosanta Chakrabarty spends his time studying different species of fish in some of the world's most hostile spots. He leads us into a deep, dark cave in Madagascar where he and his team didn't just discover a new species, but also discovered a new illness.

We’ll be introduced to the unlikely ‘assassins of the sea’: cone snails. Mande Holford explains how these extraordinary creatures can both kill and cure us.

And finally, we hear how a lioness chose to share her most intimate moments of life and death with African wildlife expert, Gareth Patterson.

Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.

As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or a story that amazed, surprised or moved you…

Website: www.bbcearth.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bbcearth/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bbcearth/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/bbcearth 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re exploring the parts of our world that require us to look a little deeper. From the depths of our oceans to the canopies that grace our skylines, we’ll be venturing into unfamiliar pockets of nature with the people who have carved a life out of choosing to study the things that many of us can’t see.

First up, we meet Matthew Doogue who finds solace in capturing small things. He tells us how photographing the tiniest creatures has helped him find a greater sense of happiness.

We also travel to the bottom of the ocean, and discover how even in the most extreme environments fragments of life persist. What can this alien environment teach us about life’s limits and extraordinary capabilities?

And finally we head upwards into the canopies of trees with ecologist Nalini Nadkarni. She invites us to to experience canopy life, and reflects upon what it can teach us about relationships and recovery.

Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.

As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or a story that amazed, surprised or moved you…

Website: www.bbcearth.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bbcearth/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bbcearth/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/bbcearth 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re exploring the boundary between our world and the world of myth, mysticism, and magic. We’ll discover how some of the customs and practices from our ancient ancestors continue to influence our relationship with the natural world today.

To begin, we’re opening our ears to some of the sounds of the natural world and the inanimate objects that produce them. On a trip to Serengeti, Jahawi stumbled across rocks which, when hit by another type of rock, produced different sounds. He leads us into the world of the rocks that ‘sing’.

The Baka are one of the oldest hunter gatherer societies in the world. They’re physically and spiritually connected to the forests they inhabit. This connection runs so deep that they believe their top hunters have the ability to experience the world from another animal’s point of view.

And in South Africa she’s known as the ‘frog lady’, but Dr Jeanne Tarrant didn’t always love them. Like many others, she grew up scared of frogs. Now, however, she works tirelessly to protect them, which includes dispelling some surprising myths that continue to put the lives of these amphibians at risk.

Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.

As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or a story that amazed, surprised or moved you…

Website: www.bbcearth.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bbcearth/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bbcearth/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/bbcearth 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are few places on our planet that have not in some way been shaped by humans. We’re looking at how, for better or worse, we’ve made a mark on our world, and whether it’s possible to escape the influence of us.

To begin, we travel to Aldabra - an idyllic coral atoll in the Indian ocean. It’s one of the most remote places in the world, home to giant tortoises and very little human intrusion. Yet even in this largely uninhabited spot, traces of humanity can be found.

Next we’ll be exploring an island far away from anywhere else, right in the middle of the Atlantic. Ascension Island is an arid landscape. But it’s also home to a lush man-made tropical forest. What lessons can we learn from one of humanity’s largest ever landscaping projects?

To finish, we’ll hear from journalist Judith D. Schwartz. She explains how human influence - even that thousands of years in the making - has and can be reversed. 

Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.

As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or a story that amazed, surprised or moved you…

To find out more about David Attenborough’s stunning natural world series, A Perfect Planet, visit the BBC Earth website: bbcearth.com

Website: www.bbcearth.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bbcearth/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bbcearth/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/bbcearth

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We’re exploring the theme of recovery, delving into times when we’ve stepped in to help save our natural world, and looking at the moments when it’s come to our rescue too.

We’ll be starting off in the sea off the West Coast of Africa where a crew member from the latest David Attenborough series, A Perfect Planet, will take us behind the scenes on an eye-opening rescue mission.

We’ll then meet the Bloom family, whose lives were turned around following a life-changing accident. The road to recovery came in the unexpected form of a mischievous Australian magpie.

Finally, we’ll burrow into the world of wombats and meet a woman who has journeyed through much of life’s ups and downs with these four-legged creatures at her side.

Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.

As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or a story that amazed, surprised or moved you…

To find out more about David Attenborough’s stunning natural world series, A Perfect Planet, visit the BBC Earth website: bbcearth.com

Website: www.bbcearth.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bbcearth/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bbcearth/

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In this week’s episode of the BBC Earth podcast we’ll be looking to solve some of the natural world’s mysteries.

Starting off in North West Honduras, we’ll hear from ethnobiologist and sound artist Ben Mirin who set out to discover the voice of a previously voiceless animal. The exquisite spike-thumb frog is a critically endangered species. Recording its voice could help save this frog. The only problem is, nobody actually knows what it sounds like.

We’ll also be taken on a personal journey of discovery with a woman who has become known on the tiny island of Guam in Micronesia as the ‘Manta Mum’. Julie Hartup is a microbiologist who has spent over a decade studying the enigmatic Manta Rays. She explains how a simple hypothesis led to a beautiful discovery.

Finally, we’ll speak to marine biologist Dr Edith Widder who has spent most of her career trying to communicate with the animals that live in our oceans.

Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.

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To find out more about David Attenborough’s stunning natural world series, A Perfect Planet, visit the BBC Earth website: bbcearth.com

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We're exploring what the natural world can teach us about teamwork. We'll learn how in some of the most remote locations and harshest conditions, strength can come in numbers.

In the Amazon rainforests in Northern Peru, tiny creatures have found an ingenious way to tackle the annual floods. With the help of a crew member from the landmark series, A Perfect Planet, we'll be floating alongside fire ants forming a living raft.

Tens of thousands of penguins make the journey from the sea to a spot in the Antarctic to breed. For them, sticking together is crucial for surviving such harsh conditions.

Finally, we'll hear about slime mould. To prevent starving, genetically different strains of slime mould come together. But within this system exist loners. What can they teach us about the evolution of social behaviours?

Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.

As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or a story that amazed, surprised or moved you…

To find out more about David Attenborough’s stunning natural world series, A Perfect Planet, visit the BBC Earth website: bbcearth.com

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We're journeying into hidden worlds, exploring nature that offers much more than what initially meets the eye. We travel to locations that continue to thrive against the odds.

When Long Litt Woon's life drastically changed, she turned to the secretive world of mushrooms to manage her grief. She tells us how these visible fungi are just one tiny part of a vast and complex organism that lives beneath our feet.

We'll hear how a crew member filming the latest David Attenborough series, A Perfect Planet, managed to document the life of a creature measuring the size of an apostrophe: the fig wasp.

Finally we go to Ethiopia, where small pockets of forest surrounding churches continue to thrive.

Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.

As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or a story that amazed, surprised or moved you…

To find out more about David Attenborough’s stunning natural world series, A Perfect Planet, visit the BBC Earth website: bbcearth.com.

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We’re back with new discoveries and awe-inspiring moments, taking you to a world far beyond your own four walls.

The wildlife photographer and adventurer Tui De Roy explores one of the most hostile spots on Earth: the mouth of a volcano on Fernandina Island. The inside of the volcano is a barren place, but surprising life exists - in the form of tiny iguanas. 

Jason Ward’s encounter with a Peregrine falcon from the window of his homeless shelter in the Bronx led towards a lasting love affair with the natural world. 

The birder and science communicator explains how you don’t have to travel as far as you might think to get up close to nature. 

Connections with the world around us can be found in even the most trying of times. 

Elisabeth Bailey’s mystery illness led to an unlikely companionship with a forest snail. She shares some surprising facts about these creatures, including the sound of a wild snail eating.

Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth Podcast. As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or story that amazed, surprised or moved you…

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We've reached the end of Series 3! It's been a series of new discoveries, awe-inspiring moments, tear-jerkers and revelations.

In the final episode of the series, we are telling stories about the senses. We begin by meeting Sy Montgomery, who built a bond with an eight limbed friend through touch. Octopi have the unique ability to taste what they are touching using the suction cups on their tentacles; some are more sensitive than others and it became clear to Sy that a friendship had been born. Hear from legendary composer, Hans Zimmer, as he describes the process of composing for natural history documentaries - such as Seven Worlds, One Planet - and how these thought provoking series differs from his work on iconic, blockbuster movie soundtracks. In this episode we also tell the story of Bernie Krause who is a "soundscape ecologist", responsible for tracking and recording the sounds of our planet which are rapidly vanishing.

Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth Podcast. As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or story that tugged your heart strings…

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In this episode of the BBC Earth Podcast, we’re getting glimpses into brave new worlds, advancing into unfamiliar territories and breaking new ground. We’re pushing at the frontiers between us and the natural world.

In New Zealand there is a river so integral to the history of the Maori people, it has just been granted "personhood". It has been a fight fought for 140 years but finally, this giver of life and symbol of rich history has the same legal rights as the human beings that love it so much. This week we reveal stories of discovery from tiny tales of moss to the unexplored and vast ocean floor. We listen to James, a rhino keeper who talks about the plight of a species which is "functionally extinct": the Northern White Rhino. There are only two left in the world but conservation scientists have hope; using Southern White Rhinos as surrogates, the scientists are taking on a pioneering mission to bring the species to term.

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For the seventh episode of the BBC Earth Podcast, we’re bringing your stories about adaptation. Did you know, during its 8 month hibernation, the Arctic ground squirrel can survive with a core temperature of 3 degrees below freezing? Scientists have been studying this astounding little rodent’s long, cold sleep to understand whether its hibernation can help revolutionise understanding of our own brains. We also meet the ‘Lightning Bug Lady’ Lynn Faust who has studied fireflies her entire life and tells us about the beautiful display these creatures put on, when trying to attract a mate. We speak to a man who describes nature’s resurgence following the catastrophic nuclear disaster in Chernobyl and get to grips with some surprising silver linings to a human catastrophe.

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Welcome to another episode of the BBC Earth Podcast; the podcast that delves deep into nature’s great mysteries and surfaces the unknown.

This week we’re telling stories of the unexpected, stories which seem too astounding to be true. Journey with us to the Sahara where the sand is known to sing; deep, bassy sounds that reverberate as the millions upon millions of grains fall down the dunes. From the unknown cause of these sounds to the unknown status of a species, let us take you back to the 1930s, when the Tasmanian Tiger was confirmed “extinct”. Unlike the tiger you have pictured in your imagination, this one was more dog-like, with stripes across its back and a tail not dissimilar to that of a kangaroo. There have supposedly been 8 sightings of this creature in the last 3 years, suggesting science should not give up on it just yet…

Should these stories leave you perplexed, just wait until you hear from Doug Larson who was the first to discover an ancient forest, undisturbed since deglaciation. These 700 year-old trees had never been found by humans until Doug came along.. Mind. Blown. 

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This week we are telling stories from the wilderness. Stories of scale, vast expanses, extreme conditions, little known corners of the planet and the sparsest environments. We begin in Alaska, with the tale of an unbreakable bond between a dogsled racer and her pack, who travel huge distances across rugged terrain. Diving deep to the ocean floor, we join Deep Sea Biologist, Diva Amon, to discover new species and understand the threats that lie beneath. Meet the camera operators who filmed flightless birds that resemble dinosaurs for Seven Worlds, One Planet and hear the magical music that helps camels through birth and makes them shed a tear or two.

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This week on the BBC Earth Podcast, we are sharing stories of unity. Hear the story behind the international mission of 20 African countries to hold back the desert and plant trees to reclaim the once lush oasis of oasis and greenery. We also discover the unique relationship between a toad and tarantula who choose to be roommates as well as a migration miracle: a three-thousand mile oceanic journey across the Sargasso Sea is made by a transparent animal half the width of a pencil.

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This week we're travelling to a place that is different for all of us, but one we all hold close to our hearts: Home.

Listen to the heart-warming story of a keeper in Ohio who built an unbreakable bond with a baby Sumatran rhino named Harapan. Sumatran Rhinos are facing extinction and Harapan was the last remaining in the Western Hemisphere, kept in captivity at Cincinnati Zoo. To give the species the best chance of survival in the wild, Harapan was to fly across the world and return to the home of his ancestors – Sumatra, Indonesia. We also visit the man who keeps a flock of homing pigeons in his back garden in London and two young women who tracked down the symbol of their heritage – the American Bison of Banff National Park.

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Welcome to the third series of the BBC Earth Podcast. This time, we’re taking you behind the scenes and sharing untold stories from our latest landmark series, Seven Worlds One Planet, from the perspective of camera crew, producers, researchers and scientists alike. Alongside these stories, you’ll hear tales from people all over the planet, exploring the huge array of environments on our planet, from the beauty of vast sand dunes to the eerie deep sea floor; unveiling the harsh reality of disappearing species and miraculous rediscoveries of animals thought to be nearing extinction.

In this first episode we hear about the dramatic journey the crew of Seven Worlds One Planet took to reach Antarctica, from Executive Producer Jonny Keeling. They travelled through hell and (very) high waters to film leopard seals hunting penguins for five weeks and it was no mean feat. If you've ever wondered who is responsible for naming newly discovered species - look no further; Quentin Wheeler lets us into the world of taxonomy and he's got some words of warning concerning the disappearance of many thousands of species. You'll also hear the story of the couple who lost everything... and the 600 mile walk that gave them their life back, as well as the re-wilding of a bog land in Hawaii which was taken over by invasive species as a result of human activity.

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The BBC Earth Podcast is back from Thursday 31st October. This series, we're taking you behind the scenes and sharing untold stories from our latest television series, Seven Worlds One Planet. Alongside these stories, you'll hear tales from all over the planet, from vast sand dunes, to the eerie deep sea floor.

It's time to close your eyes, open your ears and subscribe so you never miss an episode.

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Welcome to the final episode of the BBC Earth Podcast, Series 2. This series we've told stories about the amazing animals that live among us, and discovered the amazing technology that helps us get close to them; we've looked down on the wonder of our planet from above, and met the people who are working hard to take better care of it. For our final journey, we're looking beyond Earth, out through our thinning atmosphere to the stars and the depths of space.

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Sometimes we need to look at our planet from a different perspective to really appreciate its splendour and realise how small we really are, when sailing the seas or staring into the sky. This week join us in discovering the magical, the unexpected and the awe-inspiring.

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Ever wondered what it would be like to fly into the heart of a storm? For the pilots of the 53d Weather Reconnaissance Squadron it’s just another day on the job monitoring and collecting data on weather systems. These ‘Hurricane Hunters’ share what it’s really like when you reach the eye of a storm. But it’s not just weather on Earth that captures our imagination; we’re travelling about 63 light years from our world to experience weather on other planets. Wind speeds of 5,400mph, dust storms and a Giant Red Spot which has raged on uninterrupted for the last 400 years. Buckle up, we’re in for a bumpy, but thrilling, ride.

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This week we turn our attention to the technology that enables us to soar above the clouds to and zoom in close to our natural world. We meet Sacha, who conquered a debilitating fear of flying to fly alongside and study the decline of swans. Prepare to be amazed by the complex world of bio-inspired robotics and the intelligent engineers behind them. These robots go where humans can’t, places that are inaccessible or dangerous, collecting samples, making measurements and deliveries to aid human innovation. And for all the wonders of the world drones have enabled us to see, sometimes their very presence can pose a threat to the animals they are hoping to film. How can we get in close while keeping our distance at the same time? We know, we can almost hear the cogs turning in your brain too.

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This week, we tackle one of the biggest questions that has puzzled scientists and philosophers for centuries – the concept of ‘forever’.

First, we look to the future where advances in science could give the species we thought lost forever a second chance at life and wonder what the archaeologists of the future (human or otherwise) will learn about our civilisation from the items we leave behind. Will plastic be humanity's lasting legacy on this planet and what will happen to Earth’s great cities once we are no more?

Finally, we attempt to find the edge of the universe and ask if it too has an ending. While occasionally overwhelming and uncertain, our future near and far is impossibly intriguing.

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Never has the saying 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' been more true, than in nature. This week, we ponder a question: who really decides what is beautiful? It is the creatures who do not fit our conventional beauty standards that are taking centre stage. We discover The Ugly Animal Preservation Society (yes, it exists!) and its weird yet wonderful looking members. While a little more aesthetically challenged, some of these animals are just as endangered as their cute, cuddly and beautiful neighbours, and deserve equal recognition. We're going to get to the root of how our beauty standards came to be, as we investigate the science of beauty and finally meet the man who is pioneering innovation to reduce fashion's huge and detrimental impact on the planet.

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The world is moving and changing at an ever-increasing speed, but we’re all starting to realise the importance of slowing down. This week we meet Amy Powney who explains how the influence of her off-the-grid childhood led her to be a pioneer in slow, sustainable fashion. Plus, the cameramen who help us understand creatures and plants on different time scales to our own with the help of specialised equipment and a lot of patience. We also meet Lauren Gay who, in 2015, spontaneously booked a “part bucket list adventure trip and part mental health break”. She had no idea how this trip to the Azores would change her life for good.

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We begin the second series of the BBC Earth Podcast in bustling, often polluted, but always charismatic cities. In today’s built-up world, it’s easy to forget that nature is often closer than we might think. Meet the two women from a suburban London council estate who bonded over their discovery of some very unexpected guests from the woods at nightfall. Just as humans adapt to rural or urban lifestyles, we explore the ways in which urban animals’ bodies have adapted, alongside their behavioural patterns. Prepare for a heart-warming tale of humans living alongside wild bears as well as the impressive methods conservationists took to lure penguins in Cape Town to a new colony, in order for them to thrive. 

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The BBC Earth Podcasts returns for a second series from Thursday 21st March. We’ll be taking you on a journey from our beautiful but changing environment here on earth, to less explored corners of the universe. Imagine how it feels to discover a bear in your home… the lengths we would have to go, to exist on another planet. Close your eyes, open your ears and subscribe so you never miss an episode.

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For our final week of BBC Earth Podcast's first season, we're talking families, the bonds that bind us so tightly and the feuds that could tear us apart. Series producer Rupert Barrington takes us on a deep dive into Dynasties, exploring the ideas behind the series and how the stories were chosen (don't worry, no spoilers!). Meet the remarkable couple who dedicate their lives to nurturing a colony of orphaned chimps and wrap your head around the biology of bonding.

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Join us for a game of hide and seek. Imagine trying to track down an uncollared tiger in a vast, dense jungle in India… You’d need the help of experienced local trackers who have spent years perfecting the art of tracking animals through the language of surrounding species. To them, simply listening to the wall of sound around them paints the perfect audio map of what’s going on in the dense undergrowth. Speaking of maps, we hear the tale of a man who used satellite technology and imagery to discover an unmapped forest, uncovering a brand-new ecosystem. From forest to cities, expect unexpected stories, hidden truths and unwelcome surprises (like a python in your toilet…)

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Discover the rituals performed in the animal kingdom for love, life and death. Did you know painted wolves sing to vote for the next alpha couple? Neither did we. This behaviour was documented for the first time ever by the crew working on BBC Earth’s latest landmark. We explore the weird, and occasionally dark, acts that characterise crow funerals, how birds brandish themselves to potential mates and the awe-inspiring tale of witnessing a mass-baptism at the Blue Nile – a river steeped in myth and legend

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The transition between childhood and adulthood is no easy feat for humans and animals alike. These awkward years see creatures evolving physically and socially, clumsily learning to fend for themselves with all the pitfalls of being young, foolish and free. This week we hear from producer-director Simon Blakeney as he describes the dynamic teenage duo of Red and Tatu from Dynasties’ Lions episode.

Learning from others is part of getting older and, hopefully, wiser, but when there are no parental figures to help raise these teenage elephants they become unruly. Also featured is the tale of a jellyfish whose development stages occur in reverse and a Blue Planet II Assistant Producer on her life growing up quite literally on the ocean.

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This week we’re taking you to the southernmost continent on the planet: Antarctica. This is where cameraman Lindsay McCrae and his team spent 10 months filming emperor penguins for Dynasties. As it was impossible for the crew to leave their location, it meant Lindsay experienced a key life event over 14,000 kilometres from home. In this episode, you’ll also walk among gorillas in the Impenetrable Forest, step into untouched caves and meet the man who finds companionship through whale song.

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Beginnings. Join the crew from the BBC Studios series Dynasties on a journey to Senegal, home of Fongoli chimps. Each year, these chimps brave intense wildfires that ruin their homes. Destructive though they seem, these wildfires are actually part of the cycle of life. The stories in this episode embrace what it means to discover our roots, to begin again and the trials some animals must endure in their very first stages of life.

Very few of us get up early enough to hear the birds sing in the dawn and even fewer of us decide to sing back. English-Finnish vocalist Hanna Tuulikki calls back to the birds.

Eric Grandon, a military veteran, explains how caring for a colony of bees turned his life around after suffering his darkest days having returned home from war. 

Finally, the BBC Springwatchteam recount the harrowing journey of a tiny great tit named 'Plucky'.

Close your eyes and open your ears for the first episode of the BBC Earth Podcast.

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Intimate stories and surprising truths about nature, science and the human experience in a podcast the size of the planet.

Each week the BBC Earth podcast brings you a collection of immersive stories about our world and the astonishing creatures, landscapes and elements in it. Close your eyes and open your ears as you travel from the impenetrable forests of Uganda to research bases in the Antarctic; the edges of the Thar Desert to the Shores of Lake Tahoe. You’ll get up close and personal with jewelled beetles in the Namib Desert and soar with eagles in Rajasthan as you experience tales of human emotion, of encounters with animals, of the strangest corners of the Earth and breath-taking marvels. All carefully gathered together and delivered into your ear by the good people at BBC Earth. 

From the deepest caves in the world to the very edge of space the BBC Earth podcast transports you on an awe-inspiring journey in sound. 

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