13 episodes

Bringing you a glimpse into the world-leading research at The James Hutton Institute. Through conversations with our scientists and researchers, we'll be delving into everything from the impact of climate change and biodiversity loss to threats to food and water security. 

Hutton Highlights‪:‬ The James Hutton Institute

    • Science

Bringing you a glimpse into the world-leading research at The James Hutton Institute. Through conversations with our scientists and researchers, we'll be delving into everything from the impact of climate change and biodiversity loss to threats to food and water security. 

    The alien truffle, the invasive tree and the Scottish rainforest restoration project

    The alien truffle, the invasive tree and the Scottish rainforest restoration project

    Today we’re talking truffles and a super rare truffle discovery that’s been made recently in Scotland by one of our scientists. It’s discovery in an ancient Scottish rainforest restoration site – where the spruce tree the truffle lives in symbiosis with is being removed – does raise some interesting conservation questions.

    Host:

    Elaine Maslin, Media Officer (Aberdeen) at the Hutton

    Guests:

    Richard Thompson, native woodland ecologist from Scottish Forestry and Land.
    Dr Andy Taylor, molecular fungal ecologist at the Hutton.

    For more information about what you’ve heard in this podcast, visit:
     
    Globally rare truffle found in Scottish Atlantic rainforest | The James Hutton Institute
    Glen Creran - Forestry and Land Scotland
    Home - Forestry and Land Scotland




    Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed this glimpse into our world.
    We look forward to bringing you more insight the world across food, energy and environmental security in future episodes of the Hutton Highlights podcast.

    Remember to subscribe and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

    • 19 min
    Blueberries on steroids: Scotland’s new super fruit – the honeyberry

    Blueberries on steroids: Scotland’s new super fruit – the honeyberry

    In our latest Hutton Highlights, we speak with experts and growers about what could be Scotland’s fifth soft fruit – the honeyberry. We hear how it’s not only a superfood, but one that’s also well suited to Scotland’s climate. It could help farms diversify as well as bring benefits to their land, from an environmental perspective. We found out how this new fruit found its way to Scotland and the Scottish Honeyberry Growers cooperative’s plans to get more of them into our diets. 

    Host:
    Elaine Maslin, Media Officer (Aberdeen) at the Hutton

    Guests:
    Dr Louise Gamble, soft fruit high health facility manager, at the Hutton
    Peter Arbuckle, from Arbuckles, who grow and sell soft fruit.
    And Caroline Black, who works with her husband on their family-owned farm, while also working for the Scottish Honey Berry Growers Association.

    For more information about what you’ve heard in this podcast, visit: 
    Scottish Honeyberry Growers | The Honeyberry ExpertsComparative analysis of quality and nutritional traits from Lonicera caerulea (Honeyberry) cultivars and other berries grown in Scotland - Gamble - 2023 - Annals of Applied Biology - Wiley Online LibraryWatch: Fruit for the Future - HoneyberryArbuckle's Farm Shop (arbuckles.co.uk)Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed this glimpse into our world.
    We look forward to bringing you more insight the world across food, energy and environmental security in future episodes of the Hutton Highlights podcast.

    Remember to subscribe and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

    • 25 min
    Flooding: a costly catchment-scale challenge, but one we can prepare for

    Flooding: a costly catchment-scale challenge, but one we can prepare for

    Flooding is an issue that’s increasingly high on the agenda. What’s behind these events, what exacerbates them, why are the obvious solutions maybe not so easy to implement and what can we do to be more prepared for the next one? We take a dip into these stormy waters with scientists from across our environmental and social sciences teams.

    Host:
    Elaine Maslin, Media Officer (Aberdeen) at the Hutton

    Guests:
    Dr Marc Stutter, a senior scientist focusing on river catchment management
    Dr Mark Wilkinson, a senior research scientist in catchment hydrology.
    Dr Mags Currie, a senior researcher in our social sciences team who has looked at the longer-term impacts of flood events on people.

    For more information about what you’ve heard in this podcast, visit:
    Achieving multi-purpose nature-based solutions
    Long-term impacts of flooding
    Scottish river water levels: SEPA Water Levels

    Don’t forget to visit us at www.hutton.ac.uk 
    Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed this glimpse into our world.
    We look forward to bringing you more insight the world across food, energy and environmental security in future episodes of the Hutton Highlights podcast.

    Remember to subscribe and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

    • 18 min
    Clay – the super material that links life of Mars, medicine and cat litter

    Clay – the super material that links life of Mars, medicine and cat litter

    Day to day, few give much thought to clay. But it’s a substance that goes a long way – literally and metaphorically. It’s a natural material with ever expanding qualities and uses, from showing if there was life on Mars to complex medicinal delivery systems. It’s all pervasive in our lives – it’s in everything from packing material and cat litter to toothpaste. It’s also a specialism here at the Hutton. So in this episode of Hutton Highlights, we take a delve into the world of clay.

    Host:

    Elaine Maslin, Media Officer at the Hutton

    Guests:

    Professor Steve Hiller, soil mineralogist
    Dr Stuart Turner, mineralogist
    Helen Pendlowski, XRPD mineralogist
    Dr Nia Gray-Wannell, clay mineralogist

    For more information about what you’ve heard in this podcast, visit:
    About Us | Clays and Minerals
    X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) | James Hutton Ltd
    https://www.minersoc.org/images-of-clay.html

    Don’t forget to visit us at www.hutton.ac.uk 
    Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed this glimpse into our world.
    We look forward to bringing you more insight the world across food, energy and environmental security in future episodes of the Hutton Highlights podcast.

    Remember to subscribe and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

    • 16 min
    Reversing nature loss in Scotland – a complex challenge with surprisingly global implications

    Reversing nature loss in Scotland – a complex challenge with surprisingly global implications

    In the final episode of our three-part pod on the underlying drivers of biodiversity loss, we’re joined again by NatureScot to look more at who gets a say in the changes we need to make, who can we trust and who benefits from doing things differently. Do we need a different type of democracy to tackle biodiversity loss?

    Host:
    Elaine Maslin, Media Officer at the Hutton

    Guests:
    Professor Robin Pakeman, plant ecologist at The James Hutton Institute and lead author of the report on the underlying drivers of biodiversity loss.

    Dr Clive Mitchell, Strategic Resource Manager for Nature and Climate Change, NatureScot.

    Dr Kerry Waylen, senior researcher in the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences department at The James Hutton Institute.

    For more information about what you’ve heard in this podcast, visit:

    NatureScot Research Report 1309 - Understanding the Indirect Drivers of Biodiversity Loss in Scotland | NatureScot
    NatureScot
    Considerable change needed to stop nature loss in Scotland | The James Hutton Institute

    Don’t forget to visit us at www.hutton.ac.uk 
    Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed this glimpse into our world.
    We look forward to bringing you more insight the world across food, energy and environmental security in future episodes of the Hutton Highlights podcast.

    Remember to subscribe and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

    • 31 min
    Reversing nature loss in Scotland – a complex challenge across how we use land, what we buy and eat

    Reversing nature loss in Scotland – a complex challenge across how we use land, what we buy and eat

    In our second pod in a three-part series looking at what’s really driving biodiversity loss in Scotland, we’re again joined by NatureScot and this time look at how doing the right thing isn’t as straight forward as it seems, not least around land use, our food systems, the increasing demands on farming and how choices made in Scotland could impact biodiversity elsewhere.

    Host:

    Elaine Maslin, Media Officer at the Hutton

    Guests:

    Professor Robin Pakeman, plant ecologist at The James Hutton Institute and lead author of the report on the underlying drivers of biodiversity loss.

    Dr Clive Mitchell, Strategic Resource Manager for Nature and Climate Change, NatureScot.

    For more information about what you’ve heard in this podcast, visit:

    NatureScot Research Report 1309 - Understanding the Indirect Drivers of Biodiversity Loss in Scotland | NatureScot
    NatureScot
    Considerable change needed to stop nature loss in Scotland | The James Hutton Institute

    Don’t forget to visit us at www.hutton.ac.uk


    Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed this glimpse into our world.
    We look forward to bringing you more insight the world across food, energy and environmental security in future episodes of the Hutton Highlights podcast.

    Remember to subscribe and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

    • 23 min

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