Counting the Earth Counting the Earth

In this episode, Alice Hope and Sue Nelson get knee-deep in flowers to hear which plants attract the most pollinators –  those vital bees, butterflies, wasps, beetles, flies and moths – and why.

UKCEH ecologist Dr Claire Carvell takes Sue on a tour of the office wildflower meadow in Oxfordshire, discussing how citizen science is enhancing what we know about pollinators, and the latest findings from the UK pollinator monitoring scheme. 

Alice and Sue also explore the gardens at RHS Wisley in Surrey, where wildlife specialist Helen Bostock explains why they’re introducing wildflowers into formal gardens and talks about the work of their dedicated volunteers.

For more details see:
The UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme

The FIT count app

The Royal Horticultural Society

Hosts: Sue Nelson and Alice Hope 

Producer: Rachael Buchanan

Counting the Earth is a Boffin Media Production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. 

In this episode, Sue and Alice dive into the factors affecting the ecological health of our rivers.  

Alice goes wading in the River Kennet with Anna Forbes from ARK to explore river health monitoring first hand, encountering some fascinating river residents along the way. 

Then Sue and Alice chat with Dr Mike Bowes and Dr Eleanor Mackay of UKCEH about how both the state of our rivers and our approach to monitoring them is changing over time.

https://www.riverflies.org/

Sue and Alice explore these complex coastal ecosystems and discover their amazing benefits – from providing wildlife habitat to storing carbon.

https://www.ceh.ac.uk/solutions/emerging-challenges/saltmarsh-blue-carbon

Hosts: Sue Nelson and Alice Hope 

Producer: Rachael Buchanan

Counting the Earth is a Boffin Media Production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. 

Delve into the vital statistics of earthworms, as Alice and Sue uncover the unsung heroes of our soil.

Worm resources
Garden worm ID chart

Earthworm Society UK diagram of worm habitats

Hosts: Sue Nelson and Alice Hope 

Producer: Rachael Buchanan

Counting the Earth is a Boffin Media Production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. 

Sue and Alice visit Heartwood Forest and the Fens to explore how far nature-based solutions like planting trees and restoring peatlands can take us towards net zero.

Hosts: Sue Nelson and Alice Hope 


Producer: Rachael Buchanan

Counting the Earth is a Boffin Media Production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. 

Sue and Alice poke around that great staple of the British countryside - the hedgerow - and discover a surprising variety of residents, from mice to molluscs.

Hosts: Sue Nelson and Alice Hope 


Producer: Rachael Buchanan


Counting the Earth is a Boffin Media Production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.