Messages from the Wild

About Messages from the Wild

By listening to these short conversations with our wild messengers, you'll realise you didn't really know them at all. "Such a simple idea but so powerful."

Publisher

Annabel Ross

Category

science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Dec 2018

Latest episode

20 Mar 2026

Latest episodes

66 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Mar 2026

   The Bee-fly

   The bee-flies are out and about in the UK doing their crazy, cool hovering displays and they're great mimickers of bumble bees. But, don't be fooled, wait until you hear about what they do with their babies... If you head outside on a warm spring day, you might be lucky enough to spot one of these tiny, fluffy, flying narwhales or hear its high-pitched hum before you see it. With many thanks to Dr Erica McAlister for being such a natural Bee-fly (she was also our maggot, her other love). She is based at London's Natural History Museum and is the Senior Curator for Diptera and Siphonaptera. She manages the lower Brachycera, Mycetophilidae and Culicidae collections in Diptera, and the Siphonaptera collection. So there. Erica's instagram Producer, Presenter annabel@annabelross.com

2. 

   30 Oct 2025

   The Red Squirrel

   Red squirrels are our native species and have lived in the UK for around 10,000 years. They are facing a population decline, primarily due to competition from the invasive grey squirrel. With thanks to David Mills who really does make a charming red squirrel. Some of the experts in Messages from the Wild suit their animal down to the ground and David is one of them. If we could imagine what a red squirrel might sound like, this, to me is it. Visit The British Wildlife Centre and support their conservation and breeding programmes for our wildlife. Producer, Presenter annabel@annabelross.com

3. 

   16 Jun 2025

   The Buff Tailed Bumblebee

   Entomologist Jimmy Docherty discusses the easily identifiable Buff Tailed Bumblebee, sharing insights from his work at The Lost Gardens of Heligan in an interview with Annabel Ross.

Who has been a guest on Messages from the Wild

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jimmy Docherty
• Christine Figgener
• Iris Ziegler
• Melissa Cristina Marquez
• Casuarina McKinney-Lambert

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 23 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

26

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Messages from the Wild

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Messages from the Wild