In this podcast series, we hope to enthuse and inspire people about the wildlife around them, by focussing on those species we often overlook or don't even notice but nevertheless have fascinating stories to tell. We will feature a range of animals, insects and birds from across the British Isles (and further afield), and hopefully provide some new snippets of information that anyone can enjoy. We hope you enjoy the series, and please feel free to add your comments or suggestions of species we can focus an episode on!
This time Will is in the deep jungles of Borneo on the quest for the most remarkable of arachnids, the Ogre-Faced Spider.
Listen as he is surrounded by moths on remote jungle plateaus, chased by Orangutans, bitten by fire ants, told local folklore of long-extinct Gigantopithecus apes, and devastated by vast tracts of palm oil plantations.
We'll go on a night walk with our second ever guest Tim Hawkes (Will's brother) who is a music teacher in Singapore, and listen to the world premier of 'Hominid', his new track.
29 Dec 2024
The fern with many feet
In this episode, Will and Ben meet up in person in an ancient Atlantic rainforest in mid Wales, Ceunant Llennyrch. This beautiful place is steeped in old Welsh magic as we hear to Ben telling us the story of the polypody fern. The ghost of the great Welsh hero Pryderi listening in.
20 Nov 2024
Moth Munchers of the Mountains
Will and Ben, the Wildlife Men, explore the interconnected world of moth and bat species in the Pyrenees, revealing the surprising links between high-mountain ecosystems.
22 Oct 2024
Dryads of the northern realm
In this episode, Ben tells us the fascinating story of a hardy little plant known as Mountain avens, and how its presence in ancient peat deposits have helped us piece together some dramatic changes in the Planet's climate during our most recent glacial past.
We also hear some updates from Will's current fieldwork studying insect migration in the south of Spain, and discuss the power of small but meaningful actions in the face of global crises currently unfolding, including in Palestine.
29 Sept 2024
Heavy Metal Trout in Hard Rock Rivers
In this episode we welcome our first guest - Dr Dan Osmond! Dan is an incredible fish scientist and a passionate conservationist. He has spent the last 4 years of his life studying the impacts of metal pollution on trout! This is his story.
12 Sept 2024
The Dragon Riders
This episode Will shares a completely new discovery all about flies who ride upon the backs of dragonflies across oceans!
Also listen out for more of Ben's adventures following storm petrels and Will makes an incredible discovery deep beneath the Somerset soil...
9 Aug 2024
A Sky Full of Storm Swallows
This episode, Ben calls in from the wild Faroe islands. Fresh from the salt-filled sea breeze and smelling slightly of seabird vomit, he shares a fascinating tale of his PhD and his studies into the magical Storm Petrels. Listen in to hear how these birds inspired tales of rock elves, the incredible efforts they undertake to raise their young, and how they can light up the nights for humans...
12 Jul 2024
The Migration of the Dragons
We're back! In this new series of Will and Ben the Wildlife Men, we're going to take you on a journey through the natural world, stopping to focus on the fascinating and less-noticed aspects as we go.
This time, Will takes us to the Maldives to meet the globe skimmer dragonfly who has one of the most remarkable migrations of any animal.
31 Jan 2021
On the Hazel Trail
This week, Ben tells the fascinating story of how hazel trees recolonised Britain.
11 Dec 2020
World Mountains Day #13
A slightly different format this time. For World Mountain Day, Ben and Will chat about their favourite mountain animal tales - including how Scottish Manx Shearwaters rely on high mountains and how a tiny midge in the Himalayas has evolved to survive solely on glaciers.
An appreciation of these beautiful, monolithic but fragile habitats that are the mountains.
4 Nov 2020
How to track an insect
Insects travel thousands of kilometres around the globe every year, but how can we track them? In this podcast Will dives into the blossoming world of insect tracking. Learn how water is being used to track hoverflies and the story of planes following moths through the Alps!
20 Oct 2020
On the Origins of Insect Migration
This time, Will describes how the incredible journeys of insects (which travel thousands of kilometres each year) first started.
28 Sept 2020
Aderyn Drycin Manaw - The Manx Shearwater
Our tenth episode! This week’s focus is a fittingly special species indeed, who calls a scattering of islands off the Welsh coast its home. Ben exposes some of this seabird’s fascinating life history, whilst Will updates us on his insect migration research from the spectacular Pyrenean mountains.
21 Aug 2020
The Geographic Accident of British Slugs
With the wet weather and talk of migrants on the news, this episode Will tells us about the fascinating migrant history of UK slug species. Learn about where our slugs came from and just how important slugs are to our soils!
28 Jul 2020
The Meadow Maker
This week Ben tells us all about the amazing Yellow Rattle flower, or meadow maker. Learn how this flower can help restore meadows into the vibrant habitats that are so important for our pollinators and how it’s a perfect tool for councils on roadside verges. We’ll also share some ideas about how you can encourage this flower (and many others) into your gardens to make them a haven for wildlife.
18 Jul 2020
Life Beneath the Soil
In this episode, Will leads us underground to explore life beneath the soil. Past hungry glowworms, walls painted by ancient hands, and down into the realm of the stygobites...
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
4.9 / 5
15 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
45
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
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