Episode 12: The Web of Life

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Episode Twelve

How important is nature to us? How has our relationship with nature changed over time? What does the future hold?

Through the lenses of birds and trees, The Louder Than Words podcast investigates how we talk and feel about the natural world at this time of environmental crisis.

Professor Jules Pretty is joined in conversation by:

Professor Sean Nixon, from the Department of Sociology, writer of Passions for Birds: Science, Sentiment and Sport to be published by McGill-Queen's University Press. The book explores the shifting relations with wild birds within Britain and the wider Atlantic world from the first decades of the twentieth century to the late 1970s.

Dr James Canton, from the Department of Literature Film and Theatre Studies (LiFTS), His most recent book is The Oak Papers, a meditation on the human need for connection with nature which reflects on the relationship with an ancient oak tree.

Discover more on Essex Blogs

Sean discusses Bird Watching and Climate Change: the challenge of low carbon birding.

James reflects on our relationship with nature.

The Louder Than Words Podcast - Series Two

Professor Jules Pretty has created the Louder than Words podcast to encourage difficult discussions, to offer a platform to people making a difference and to explain how you can take action on issues you care about.

This is the first podcast from the Centre for Public and Policy Engagement and was originally developed with CommsConsult. The latest series is being produced by Ali Walker from the University's Media Centre team.

The Louder Than Words Podcast shows how research delivers solutions to global problems, how we can improve people’s lives and how we can inspire people to take action now. Each episode of Louder Than Words will look at a key global issue or research challenge and give you a chance to hear from leading researchers, policy makers, thinkers and campaigners plus those directly affected by the issue.

The third series is looking at the web of life, saving the seas, the baby lab, patient involvement and improves lives, indigenous voices, our bodies and images, immersion in theatre and Black History.

The first season looked at climate change, migration, mental health, inequality and nature as therapy. The second season looked at the Warner Textile Archive, telecommunications pioneer Marconi, disasters and how we prepare for them, our planet and crop production and surveillance technology. Join us and subscribe to upcoming podcasts.