Wild Voices | Nature and Belonging

Wild Voices | Nature and Belonging

Author: National Trust August 6, 2026 Duration: 26:35

Join National Trust ranger Ajay Tegala in a Wild Voices conversation with veterinary surgeon, conservationist and founder of the Ealing Wildlife Group, Dr Sean McCormack. Recorded live at the Global Bird Fair in Rutland, Sean shares the remarkable story of bringing beavers back to London for the first time in 400 years and explains why community-led rewilding is transforming urban landscapes.

Together, Sean and Ajay explore what it means to reconnect people with nature, why access and belonging matter, and how local action could shape a wilder future for us all.     

Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nationaltrustcharity/podcasts   

Production
 Host: Ajay Tegala
Producer: Pippa Tilbury-Harris & Ajay Tegala
Sound: Jesus Gomez
Contributor: Dr Sean McCormack 

You can find out more about the Ealing Beaver Project here:  The Ealing Beaver Project – Bringing Beavers Back to London

And you can discover more about Dr Sean McCormack here: https://www.instagram.com/thatvetsean/ https://linktr.ee/thatvetsean 

Follow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt

If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk


There’s a story waiting in every landscape, a secret history woven into the hedgerows and hidden in the soil. Wild Tales | Nature Podcast, brought to you by the National Trust, goes beyond the guidebook to find those narratives. Each episode is a quiet exploration of the intricate connections between the natural world and our own place within it. You might find yourself listening to the surprising biography of a centuries-old oak tree, learning how coastal erosion reveals forgotten chapters of human history, or understanding the subtle language of birdsong at dawn. This isn’t just a catalog of facts; it’s an immersive audio experience that considers the science of a changing ecosystem alongside the cultural traditions it sustains. We visit specific places-ancient woodlands, rugged coastlines, and working farms-to hear directly from the people who know them best: rangers, historians, ecologists, and local communities. The result is a thoughtful collection of stories that change how you see the world outside your window. Tune into this podcast for a deeper sense of connection, a moment of calm reflection, and a renewed appreciation for the wild and historic places that shape our shared story.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Wild Tales | Nature Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Crayfish Gladiator Battle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:32
White-clawed crayfish were once common in Britain’s waterways. But thanks to a restaurant craze in the 1970’s, that brought the American signal crayfish to our shores, our only native freshwater crayfish is under threat…
The Dinosaur in the Cliff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:04
Ever hunted for fossils on a beach and felt like you might actually find something? Rosie heads to the Isle of Wight to the scene of the most complete dinosaur discovery in the UK in a hundred years. She’s joined by Dr J…
Toad Patrol | The Perilous Path [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:37
As winter turns to spring , toads, frogs and newts across Britain begin their annual journey, making their way back to the ponds where they breed.For many, that journey means crossing busy roads and not all of them make…
Finding the Tundra Swan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:23
The Bewick’s or ‘Tundra’ swan has eluded ranger Ajay Tegala for years. It's hardly surprising: the swan’s epic migration is under pressure, and their numbers are dwindling. Can Ajay find them at their winter retreat of W…
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Duration: 15:37
Orford Ness is well practiced at keeping secrets; in the 1940s it was classified military research, but now it is a brand new colony of grey seals. Countryside Manager Matt Wilson guides us around the bomb craters to try…
Pine Martens’ Return [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:05
Pine martens were once common in Britain but now, they're one of our rarest carnivores. These slinky, tree-dwelling predators had virtually disappeared in England and Wales by the turn of the 20th Century. But pine marte…
Arctic Terns | Globetrotting Dive-bombers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:56
The Farne Islands in the North Sea, off the coast of Northumberland, have a very special species of seabird during the summer that fiercely protects its young with its dive-bombing technique. However, it’s the Arctic Ter…
The Man, The Book and The Mountains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:23
Just outside Belfast, lie the Mourne Mountains - a land of granite peaks and wide skies, but also a place of witches, fawns and lions. Protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, an Site of Special Scientific Int…
The Climbers of Eryri | A Story of Ice and Flowers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:00
The rock faces of Cwm Idwal are cold, dark and uninhabitable; unless what you love is to dangle off the frozen cliffs. Ice climbing takes you into a winter playground, but as the climate crisis thins the ice, how can cli…