Shared Earth is a new series from the 大象传媒 Natural History Unit which celebrates the natural world and explores what we can all do to help conserve wildlife and habitats and reduce our footprint on the planet
Contact us
We're keen to hear your suggestions for future programmes via our Contact Us page or write to Shared Earth, 大象传媒 NHU Radio, Bristol BS8 2LR
Friday听10 November 2006
The Grassland Home of the Waxcap
Wonderful Waxcaps
In this week's programme Dylan explores a fantasia of fungi on a Welsh hillside. Britain is probably the most important place in Western Europe, if not the world for grassland fungi 鈥 the home of the waxcap. It's thanks to our ancient lawns on old estates, and amazing bits of upland habitat that are still left, grazed but not fertilised, ploughed or drained.听 Dylan joins botanist Ray Woods to find out about the extraordinary underground lives of these fungi
Find out more about waxcaps听 and on听 waxcap website set up by the University of Wales at Aberystwyth
The BTO Great Spotted Woodpecker Survey Launched in June in the very first Shared Earth programme, the results of this summer-long survey are in. Tune in to find out about the woodpecker's preferences from what is left out on the birdtable and parental guidance as to finding the best food. The results will eventually be published on the BTO's website but for now听 information about the species听
The Gwent Levels
The rhynes of the Gwent Levels at Magor Marsh
As you head over the Severn Bridge on the M4 into Wales there鈥檚 a stretch of land on the left that runs all the way to Newport. For most drivers it passes the car window as a grey-green , slightly nondescript blur as the land gives way to the mud of the severn estuary. But it鈥檚 anything but that 鈥 it鈥檚 an important and protected wetland habitat once again at threat from development.
There's a proposed solution by the Welsh Assembly Government to ease congestion on a stretch of the M4 motorway which runs from Magor to Castleton in South Wales. Referred to as 鈥渢he Levels motorway鈥, its a planned 15 mile long dual 3-lane motorway link between these 2 junctions. Local environmentalists and conservation groups are very concerned about the impact this motorway link will have on the Gwent Levels - an ancient and protected wetland habitat and landscape.
Find out more about the wildlife of the Gwent Levels
