Counting the Earth

Counting the Earth
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Sue Nelson and Alice Hope explore the numbers behind nature and pick apart the jargon and misinformation surrounding climate, the environment and biodiversity. Each month, they start with a number and investigate what it really means. From net zero to hedgerows, worms to water, Sue and Alice aren’t afraid to get their feet muddy in the quest for facts.  Producer: Rachael Buchanan A Boffin Media production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

  1. 16/10/2025

    The Burning Issue: 3.7 million

    Wildfires are evolving. Around the world they are becoming bigger, burning hotter, and harder to control with devastating impacts on humans, the economy and the environment. In this episode, Alice and Sue talk to UKCEH wildfire scientist Dr Douglas Kelley who outlines the causes of this change, drawing on examples from California and the Pantanal, the worlds’ largest tropical wetland.   Closer to home, it has been a record year for wildfires in the UK. Alice catches up with Station Commander and Wildfire Tactical Adviser Andy Elliott from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. They visit Holt Heath National Nature Reserve in Dorset, the site of a fierce large scale blaze in August. Andy reveals that, due to the fire’s intensity, the lowland heath landscape may take up to 30 years to recover.    Hosts: Sue Nelson and Alice Hope Producer: Rachael Buchanan Counting the Earth is a Boffin Media Production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Find out more:   UKCEH press release on the State of Wildfires report. The State of Wildfires project, including the latest report.  The State of Wildfires project is co-led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, University of East Anglia, the Met Office and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The National Fire Chiefs Council Wildfire Aware campaign.

    39 min

  2. 12/05/2025

    Encounters of the Invasive Kind: 2,104

    What do raccoons, purple pitcher plants, signal crayfish and the yellow-legged hornet all have in common? No, this is not a joke - far from it. They are all on the GB invasive non-native species alert list. The introduction of invasive non-native species is one of the top causes of biodiversity loss worldwide. In this episode Sue and Alice meet up with UKCEH ecologist Professor Helen Roy to delve into the challenges posed by invasive non-native species and explore their environmental, economic, and social impacts. They also catch up with Dr Olaf Booy, Technical Coordinator for the GB Non-native Species Secretariat, part of the Animal and Plant Health Agency, to find out about the work that goes on to identify, detect, monitor and eradicate invasive non-native species. Olaf also spoke about how events such Invasive Species Week (12-18 May) help to raise awareness of the issue and what you can do to help and get involved. Hosts: Sue Nelson and Alice Hope Producer: Rachael Buchanan Counting the Earth is a Boffin Media Production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Find out more: Invasive Species Week – 12-18 May 2025 Non-native Species Secretariat ID sheets for Invasive Non-native Species Check, Clean, Dry Be Plant Wise Record a sighting of an invasive non-native species, especially an alert species

    40 min

  3. 27/03/2025

    Resistance Rising: 1.14 million

    In this episode, Alice and Sue visit the River Kennet and the Reading Sewage Treatment Works to explore antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing global issue. In 2021 1.14 million deaths were attributed to antimicrobial resistant bacterial infections, according to the UN Environment Programme. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become resistant to the medicines that are meant to kill or treat them. Microorganisms from our waste, along with chemicals from our homes (like medications, cleaning products, and antifungal shampoos), contribute to this problem when entering our watercourses, along with agricultural and urban runoff.  Alice and Sue meet with Dr Holly Tipper and Dr Isobel Stanton, molecular microbiologists at UKCEH, to learn more about their research on AMR, what we know and where the knowledge gaps are and role of the environment in the development of AMR in microbes. Then, they put on boots, hats, Hi-Viz jackets, and goggles to see for themselves the wastewater journey through the treatment works with Dan Freeman, lead for Thames Water’s Chemical Investigation Programme, providing insight into monitoring of emerging contaminants.   Hosts: Sue Nelson and Alice Hope  Producer: Rachael Buchanan Counting the Earth is a Boffin Media Production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.  Find out more about AMR research at UKCEH https://www.ceh.ac.uk/news-and-media/blogs/our-research-will-inform-action-tackle-amr-environment-and-risk-human-health The Naked Scientist podcast on AMR, featuring Dr Andrew Singer from UKCEH https://www.thenakedscientists.com/podcasts/naked-scientists-podcast/amr-unleashed-silent-pandemic

    35 min

  4. 24/01/2025

    Top of the crops: 2080

    In this episode, Alice and Sue time travel to the year 2080, to explore what crops we might be growing in the UK, after 50 years of a changing climate. They speak with UKCEH Spatial Ecologist Dr John Redhead about horizon- scanning research on how climate change could shape the suitability of crops in the UK and the challenges this brings for UK farming systems. Alice also speaks with Josiah Meldrum from the UK-based wholefoods supplier Hodmedods to explore the benefits of beans and uncover how crops like chickpeas and lentils are already being cultivated in the UK. They also discuss ongoing trials of other crops, which are setting the stage for a more diverse and sustainable agricultural future. Read more about the research in our media release https://www.ceh.ac.uk/press/scientists-predict-what-will-be-top-crops-2080-due-climate-change and the paper in Environmental Resilience and Sustainability https://doi.org/10.1002/cli2.70007

    36 min

  5. 12/12/2024

    Slow the flow: 5.7 million

    In England alone, an estimated 5.7 million properties are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea, surface water and groundwater.   In this episode and in the wake of Storm Bert, Alice and Sue visit the Bruern Estate in Oxfordshire to explore how Natural Flood Management measures are reducing flood risks downstream in Milton-under-Wychwood. UKCEH senior hydrologist Dr Alejandro Dussaillant explains how a holistic nature-based approach can work alongside more traditional flood management techniques to help address the challenges presented by the climate crisis and changes in land use. Alice and Sue also speak with Ann Berkeley from Wild Oxfordshire, to learn how features such as leaky woody dams, swales, wet woodlands and field corner bunds are helping to manage water flow through the catchment, bringing co-benefits along the way. UKCEH hydrologists Neeraj Sah and Ponnambalam Rameshwaran share insights from the ongoing monitoring activity to evaluate the longer-term effectiveness, co-benefits and any trade-offs to consider of these innovative approaches. For more information about the work done at the Bruern Estate and across the Evenlode Catchment please see the website for that project Hosts: Sue Nelson and Alice Hope  Producer: Rachael Buchanan Counting the Earth is a Boffin Media Production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

    31 min

  6. 25/11/2024

    Breaking down microplastics: 115

    Microplastics are everywhere—tiny plastic particles that permeate our soil, water, food, drinking supplies, and even our bodies. But how much do we actually understand about their long-term effects on our health and the environment? In this episode, Alice visits UKCEH labs in Wallingford to explore these questions. Pollution scientist Dr Richard Cross shares insights into how microplastics impact the environment, and Dr Gbotemi Adediran introduces the innovative CoreMis facility, which is pushing the boundaries by studying even smaller particles: nanoplastics, which are so tiny they're invisible to the naked eye. Also, Sue discusses how microplastics are present in the air we breathe and what that could mean for human health with Dr Stephanie Wright, from the Medical Research Council’s Centre for Environment and Health at Imperial College London. Hosts: Sue Nelson and Alice Hope  Producer: Rachael Buchanan Counting the Earth is a Boffin Media Production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

    43 min

  7. 22/10/2024

    Chilling facts about forever chemicals: 1000

    In this episode of Counting the Earth, we find out about forever chemicals – persistent pollutants that can pose serious environmental and health risks. Alice and Sue brave the icy freezers of the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme (PBMS) in Lancaster to meet UKCEH ecotoxicologist Lee Walker and discover how studying dead birds like buzzards and barn owls can offer critical clues about how these chemicals accumulate. They discuss innovative projects ensuring that future chemicals are designed to be sustainable from the start, and explore what actions individuals can take to reduce their exposure.   Listener discretion: this episode includes a detailed description of an autopsy performed on a dead bird.   Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme website We are an independent, not-for-profit research institute and need your help to support this unique scheme: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/predatory-bird-monitoring-scheme Hosts: Sue Nelson and Alice Hope  Producer: Rachael Buchanan Counting the Earth is a Boffin Media Production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

    34 min

  8. 08/08/2024

    Into the woods: 30,000

    In this episode, Alice and Sue take you on an exploration of the past, present and future of the UK’s woodlands.  Sue visits the enchanting Heartwood Forest in Hertfordshire, where she meets Chris Nichols from the Woodland Trust to uncover the latest insights from the Bunce Woodland Survey. The survey reveals how our woodlands have changed over the past 50 years, and highlights the pressing challenges they face today, from climate change to shifts in land use.   Looking to the future, Alice and Sue then speak with UKCEH scientist Stephen Cavers to discuss whether the UK is on track to meet the Government’s ambitious goal to plant 30,000 hectares of trees by the end of 2024 and investigate the role of genetics in building forest resilience. Tune in to discover how past lessons inform future strategies, and why every tree counts in the journey towards a more sustainable landscape. Read the full report  https://www.ceh.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2024-08/Final-Bunce-report-50-years-of-change-in-British-broadleaved-woodlands_08082024.pdf  The Bunce Woodland Survey https://www.ceh.ac.uk/our-science/projects/bunce-woodland-survey  Woodland Trust  https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/  Future of UK Treescapes programme https://www.uktreescapes.org/  Hosts: Sue Nelson and Alice Hope  Producer: Rachael Buchanan Counting the Earth is a Boffin Media Production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

    31 min
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About

Sue Nelson and Alice Hope explore the numbers behind nature and pick apart the jargon and misinformation surrounding climate, the environment and biodiversity. Each month, they start with a number and investigate what it really means. From net zero to hedgerows, worms to water, Sue and Alice aren’t afraid to get their feet muddy in the quest for facts.  Producer: Rachael Buchanan A Boffin Media production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Information

  • Creator
    Counting the Earth
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
  • Show Website
    Counting the Earth

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