July 20, 2021 • 32 mins
“It is a bit like meditation. It's spending 10 minutes in a day, blotting out the sounds of the human hubbub, and eventually you start hearing the natural sounds”
Instead of looking at a problem that needs fixing, this month Call of the Wild looks at something that can make a real change for good. Rewilding. It’s all about bringing back the wilderness we have lost and how that can have a huge positive impact on our environment.
In this episode, actor and WWF ambassador Cel Spellman explores how we can rewild from our doorstep with the help from David Lindo (aka the Urban Birder), Isabella Tree from Knepp Wildland, and former model, trained horticulturist and regenerative grower Poppy Okotcha.
They explore what it means to “rewild”, the benefits that has on our natural world, especially for our pollinators and soil, and the simple steps to get you started.
Join the conversation on social media using #CallOfTheWild, and follow or subscribe now so you never miss an episode.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Cel Spellman (00:03):
Hello and welcome to episode six of Call of the
Wild. The podcast from WWF with yours truly, Cel Spellman.
Where I look to find out about the threats to
our planet and more importantly, how we can fight back.
Well guys, for our final, that's right, final episode my
friends, we're going to do things a little bit different.
(00:25):
We're going to pivot a little bit. Because instead of
looking at a problem that needs fixing, we're going to
look at something that can make a real change for
good. Something we're hearing more and more about, rewilding. A bit of
hope and positivity to end the series on something that
can actually make a massive difference. One of those nature
based solutions that really can help us turn the tide
(00:47):
on fighting the climate crisis. Now, I'm sad to say,
we have lost so much of our beautiful wildlife and
natural green spaces right here in the UK. But it
doesn't have to be a one- way street. We really
can bring back some of the wilderness we have lost
and that can have a huge positive impact on our
environment. And of course, those wildlife species as well, that
(01:09):
need those green spaces so much. In this episode, I'm
going to be joined by some fantastic guests. I'll be
joined by the wonderful Poppy Okotcha for her story about
why she left the bright lights of a modeling career
and became a gardening sensation.
Poppy Okotcha (01:25):
It didn't take long for me to kind of get
to a point where I was just really emotionally and physically burned out. Don't
get me wrong. There's also good, exciting, fun, beautiful people
in the fashion industry. But on the whole, as a
system, it just is broken.
Cel Spellman (01:38):
I'll also be chatting with David Lindow, also known as
the urban birder, on how to connect with nature in
the city.
David Lindow (01:45):
And it is a bit like meditation. It's spending 10 minutes in a
day, blotting out the sounds of the human hubbub. You
know, the police sirens and dogs barking and people shouting
and just... You cut all that stuff out and eventually
you start hearing the natural sounds. And it's not something
you can come overnight. You need to work at it.
But once it does come, you got it.
Cel Spellman (02:05):
Plus, along with all of that, we'll be getting all
your best tips to bring the wild back into your
life... So, rewilding, it means different things to different people.
It's got a scientific meaning. We've heard the great Sir David
Amber, talk about the need to rewild the world to help
increase its biodiversity. But also a lot of people use
(02:28):
it in a way to mean something much broader and
easier. So, let's break it down before we get into
the good stuff.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
The UK used to be hosts to a very different
animal on some bull. Just a few hundred years ago,
we had white tailed eagles, wolves, and wild boars all
roaming around Britain. But, because of people, these animals were
wiped out. And when you take an animal out of an
ecosystem, this can have a huge knock on effects to
(02:59):
how that system functions. If a predator disappears, prey species
can multiply and get out of control and destroy vegetation
and even impact carbon storage, flood risks, and soil quality.
Other species can be vitally important as pollinators. So, remove
them and you remove any plants that needed them to
(03:20):
reproduce. Potentially, plants that we rely on for food. So,
can bringing back the species we've lost help our natural
environments thrive? This is one type of rewilding. Reintroductions of
important species and if it goes well, you can reap
some serious benefits. One of the most well- known examples
(03:41):
of this type of rewilding is Yellowstone National Park in
America, who had lost their wolves. Without a predator, deer
and elk numbers were out of control, over- grazing the
trees, This, in turn, meant songbirds disappeared and beavers couldn't
build their dams. Which then meant the rivers were eroding
the land more than usual. But the introduction in 1995
(04:03):
of just 14 wolves has changed the landscape entirely. In
decades, the trees recovered. Beavers and songbirds returned and river
erosion, stabilized. But introducing big predators isn't appropriate for every
species or in every landscape. If an animal has been
gone long enough or is brought into a place without
(04:25):
a proper understanding of its needs, the ecosystem may actually
be damaged by its re- introduction. And if there are
lots of people around, introducing apex predators can obviously have
some issues. But this is not the only form rewilding
can take. It can simply mean restoring the natural flow
(04:46):
of rivers and wetlands or just leaving a space to
thrive on its own without intensive management. And this is
something that can be done anywhere, on any scale. We
could all help nature to thrive by bringing back a
bit of the wild inside our own community.
Cel Spellman (05:03):
So, rewilding can be this big, exciting, green restorative project.
From restoring the natural flow of rivers to bringing in
species back to their old habitats. For example, the UK
has recently had very successful beaver re- introduction trials. But,
I don't know about you. I don't have any beavers
to hand. So, today in this episode, we're going to
(05:26):
be focusing on the other type of rewilding. The type
where we just let nature thrive and do its thing.
We let nature do what it does best. And this
can be on any scale. However much space you have,
it is possible to give nature a chance and give
nature a big old boost. But let's find out a
bit more about what this can actually look like and
(05:47):
more importantly, why and how we should be connecting with
the wild in our lives. Now, this can be especially
difficult for those of us in cities. There's about 80 percent of the
population, here in the UK, that call a city their
home. So, luckily for you, don't say I don't look after you, we are
joined by the urban birder, AKA David Lindow. Now, he
(06:08):
knows all about the wonderful wildlife we have in our
own backyard. So, I sat down with him to talk
about how we can best connect with it in a
way that benefits both us and nature.
David Lindow (06:21):
It's fascinating because when you think that in the UK, there's
been what? Six hundred and twenty different types of birds discovered or
on the record since records began. Around about 95% have
turned up in urban areas. And when you look at London,
there's 370, I think, species on that list. I've always
(06:43):
lived by the, the motto that anything can turn up
anywhere or at any time. And the moment you kind
of get past thinking that it's only about pigeons and you open your mind
to the idea that anything can turn up, you can
see anything. It's not even a case of going to park.
It's just walking out of your door and nature's there.
Even if you live in the middle of the city.
(07:03):
It doesn't matter. Because that's what we need to get into our
heads. That it is all around us. And for me, it's
about getting on to the wavelength. It's spending 10 minutes in the day,
and it is a bit like meditation. It's spending 10
minutes in a day blotting out the sounds of the human
hubbub. You know, the police sirens and dogs barking and
(07:25):
people shouting and just... You cut all that stuff out and eventually you
start hearing the natural sounds. And it's not something you can come overnight. You
need to work at it. But once it does come, you got it.
Cel Spellman (07:36):
Biodiversity. I think it's a word that is definitely kind
of growing when it comes to the conversation around climate
and particularly, the climate crisis. For you, obviously, wherever, obviously
everything's intrinsically linked from the birds in the sky, to
the worms in the soil, and then the soil quality
to the trees. I wanted to ask you, David, from
your understanding and how, you know, you spending a lot
(07:57):
of time in nature, what have we done to our biodiversity,
particularly, in the UK? You know, have you seen signs
that kind of upset you in a way and go, "
That's not... That's not good."
David Lindow (08:08):
In many respects, we've trashed a lot of what we've
got. You know we've got rid of all of the apex
predators, for example. It's very sad. OUr countryside, some of
it I wouldn't even call countryside personally, because it's been
sprayed within an inch of his life with pesticides and
insecticides. And I walk around in places like Southeastern Europe
(08:34):
or even Northeastern Europe or even where I am now,
in Spain and their use of pesticides is a lot different to
ours. And as a consequence, there's so much more wildlife.
And they walk through... down a lane, in Astonia or
Serbia, and you're seeing a whole ton of stuff. You've
seen things that you probably would have seen 200 years ago in the
(08:55):
UK. And then I come back to the UK and
sometimes, it's quite depressing walking through the countryside in the
very coms because it's quiet. There's nothing much going on compared to what
it should be. And that's the same in most of
Western Europe as well,
Cel Spellman (09:10):
We're here, obviously, kind of, talking about rewilding, which means
different things to different people, in essence, of course. Well, I think one of the big
things we need to do to combat climate change is
literally rewild the world. You know? Whatever that might be.
I guess, for yourself, David, what does rewilding mean to
you and in involve?
David Lindow (09:28):
For me, rewilding is an interesting concept. I think it's a... In general, it's a great concept and it doesn't
necessarily mean in the middle of nowhere. You can also
make urban areas much more natural than they are now.
I mean stop cutting the road verges. You know, leave
the round abouts to grow. In terms of the grass and the round about, don't carve it down within an inch
(09:50):
of its life. You know, have a garden, if you do
have one, and have an area of wilderness in it.
'Cause even a square foot is like a jungle to
a small beetle or caterpillar and that's how you got to think about it.
Not in our terms, but in terms of what you're
creating these spaces for.
Cel Spellman (10:08):
What about in cities then as well? If we walk
out in central London and it's very gray and concrete
and pavements and busy, how do you think we can go about almost making
them wild spaces again, making them greener?
David Lindow (10:20):
I think a lot of people think of rewilding as something that happens over there,
out of, out of the way, away from where I can
see it. And you know, I'll never see your links
or whatever. But rewilding actually starts from your doorstep. You
know, you can plant stuff in your garden. You can encourage
things to grow in your local park and you will get a
whole host of animals coming who may not have necessarily
(10:43):
been there before. You know? Butterfly species, for example, or
moths or you know, other species that show up. Because
if you introduce all that stuff, then it's going to just make things better
generally for everything. And it'll be more of an opportunity
for creatures to recolonize naturally.
Cel Spellman (11:00):
You grew up in West London, as you said and there'll be
lots of people, and I come across it a lot you know, when
speaking around these things go, " Yeah. But it's easier if
you have access to the green spaces in the parks.
It's not easy for me, you know, if I live
in an apartment block or maybe in a densely populated
city." What would you say to them? You know, for
people who don't have gardens or those kinds of spaces
(11:22):
to kind of do these things. What tips have you
found or do you think... would you say to those people?
David Lindow (11:28):
Well, I think if you can find somewhere, there must
be a park around the corner, then make that your
local patch. Even if it looks not very inviting in
terms of wildlife, you may be surprised as to what
you will eventually start seeing. And once you go to your
(11:48):
park on a regular basis, you may meet other people.
You may decide form a friends off society, if there
hasn't been one before. You may join a local wildlife
trust, whatever, and incorporate the conservation work into the area
that you actually visit. And I think it's really rewarding
and you have a great sense of ownership and also
(12:10):
love when you realize, what you're seeing and you've actually
helped to, to encourage what that wildlife there...
Cel Spellman (12:18):
What are the benefits for people that might not of
realized yet of doing that, of being out in nature?
You know, of, like you say, it's almost a little
bit mediative in a way. What do you... What are the
benefits for you, David?
David Lindow (12:29):
To have nature around you is, is a very good
thing. Not just for nature, but for our well being
of our health. You know, for, for a whole host of
reasons. I think that we'll be getting a lot more
pleasure from life. I think, you know, wake up in the
morning and hearing all sorts of different things going on and
seeing much more in your garden and being aware of
(12:50):
stuff when you're walking around, will make life so much better.
And I think... I think people sometimes who aren't aware
of nature don't associate themselves with nature, don't realize just
how much a part of nature they are. And they take
for granted what they have, the food they have, and all that sort of stuff,
because it comes from the supermarket. The more we trash
(13:13):
our world, the less insects they are, the less bees. And I think they'll see
the fact banded around now. But if we lost that,
our bees then we will go down the plug fairly
quickly afterwards.
Cel Spellman (13:27):
Oh, what an absolute gent, such a cool guy and
it really was a delight to talk to the man
himself, David Lindow AKA the urban birder. And his book,
How to Be An Urban Birder is out now. Now,
for those of you, who have been with us every
step of this journey so far we'll know, this is
the part of the show where we would usually talk
(13:49):
to someone who is impacted by a part of the
climate crisis. But this time for rewilding, we're doing something
a little bit different. We're going to hear from someone
who has been on the rewilding journey for quite a
long time and can give us a real insight into
the positive change that can come from it. It is
my absolute pleasure to introduce to you Isabella Tree, author
(14:11):
of wilding. She and her husband have massively changed their
farm into a rewilding success story known as, Knepp Wildland.
So we wanted to hear about what that journey was
like and the amazing results they had.
Isabella Tree (14:24):
Knepp estate is a three and a half thousand acre rewilding
project. It is essentially allowing nature of the time and the
space to reveal itself and to get natural processes bouncing
back into action. To be absolutely honest, the first inspiration
for it, doesn't sound very romantic or altruistic, was financial.
(14:47):
We just weren't making money farming this land. That meant
that we wanted to do something working with the land
rather than battling against it. It's only now that we've
been on this rewilding journey, that we look back and
realize how much we had got wrong when we were
farming. The very first thing we noticed when we started
(15:10):
this project, the year after, we just stopped farming and
we stopped pouring chemicals on the land, was the sound
of insects. It was something we hadn't even noticed we
were missing. But to go out there now, on a
morning, the riot of Birdsong is so loud that you
can feel it literally reverberating in your stomach and your
lungs. This area of land, which previously, was totally insignificant
(15:34):
for wildlife, has now become one of the most significant
areas for nature in Britain. We've got some of our
rarest species turtle doves, nightingales purple and blue butterflies, peregrine,
falcons, you name it. I mean, all this life has
poured back onto our land. So, you feel it's humming,
thrumming, singing with life and that's only in a matter
(15:55):
of 20 years, it's quite astonishing. But when you walk
out into the project, it's really interesting. People find it
very difficult to describe because we're... They're so unused to
seeing this sort of habitat in the UK. We haven't
had it really for, for hundreds, if not thousands of
years and since... probably since the medieval hunting forests. It's
thorny, scrub. It's wetland. It's very dynamic. You shift from
(16:19):
one habitat to another on a short walk and you're
following animal trails all the time. So, it really feels
like you're in the land, belonging to animals again. It
almost feels like a cheetah or a leopard could jump
out at you from around the corner. We've, we've doubled our
carbon content. We've tripled our microsomal fungi we've tripled soil
(16:41):
biota. But also all that vegetation is also sequestering carbon.
So we've gone from being a net carbon emitter, huge
one under industrial agriculture, to being a really significant carbon
sink. But we're also doing other things like flooding mitigation.
So areas downstream from us that always used to flood
(17:03):
in, in intense rain, no longer flood. The wonderful thing
about rewilding is you don't have to do anything. You
do as little as possible in terms of management. So,
it's not hard work. And from the outside, perhaps it
looks like you're being lazy or irresponsible. And certainly one
of the hardest things in the beginning was the criticism
(17:23):
we had from neighbors and farmers who saw our land
transforming and found it very difficult to live alongside. I
think the real story of Knepp has been how quickly
nature can bounce back if you let it. And if
you do it in the right way, then extraordinary things
begin to happen in a very short space of time.
(17:45):
It's possible anywhere. If it can happen here underneath the
Gatwick Stacking System, surrounded by a roads and densely populated
Southeast of England, it can really happen anywhere. And one
of the ways of doing that of course, is to
get messy, is to forget about being such control, freaks
that we are and just, just let things go a bit.
Cel Spellman (18:07):
A massive thank you to Isabella Tree. I mean we
could not have had a rewilding episode without speaking to
one of the rewilding queens in the UK herself. And
I will definitely be getting myself down to Knepp for
a look at the project as soon as I can.
(18:27):
Now, the brilliant, insightful guests, just keep her rolling in
here on this episode. Because now I am so, so
excited to introduce you to Poppy Okotcha. Poppy used to
work as a model for places like Zara or names
like Vivian Westwood. But, something happened that made her change
her entire life and become a gardener. So, I wanted
(18:50):
to find out about what led her to this decision
and also, in case either mentioned, as a keen allotment
grower myself, harvest all the tips I could get about
being green.
Poppy Okotcha (19:02):
My earliest memories, even though I was in an urban
sprawl in London, are of holding snails on my hand
or my mum pointing at the butterflies and the Buddleia
Bush, that sort of thing, like getting lost in bushes
and the park and stuff. And I think that that kind of speaks
so much of how the natural world just always seems
(19:24):
to stand out. I think for kids, for adults, for
everybody, it just like, no matter where you are, you
end up kind of gravitating towards it. And then as
I grew up, I kind of drifted from all of that
kind of stuff as you do when you're a teenager for
the angst. And then I, yeah, I kind of ended
up modeling and at a certain point, things just didn't add
(19:46):
up anymore. And that's when I kind of reentered interacting
with the natural world and really meaningful way and when
I trained in horticulture.
Cel Spellman (19:54):
When you say, kind of, " Things didn't adds up," can you remember whether it, was a specific point or was there a
thing that kind of made you go, " Do you know what? This actually
isn't vibrating with me, I kind of need to go and
find something else and..." Was there a specific point or was it... Did it just kind of happen naturally.
Poppy Okotcha (20:07):
Working in fashion is like such a fast pace world.
It's driving consumerism. So, of course, you're producing at an
insane rate and it didn't take long for me to
kind of get to the point where I was just
really emotionally and physically burnt out. Don't get me wrong.
There's also good, exciting, fun, beautiful people in the fashion
(20:30):
industry. But on the whole, as a system, it just
is broken. I kind of needed to find a way
that I could get my body back up to health
and my emotional wellbeing back up to health. And while
I was kind of exploring how to nurture my body,
food just kept coming up, up and up and up. And
in tandem with that, I was also understanding more about the
climate emergency and how food has a huge impact on
(20:55):
that. And so, I was kind of looking at how
I could heal my body, trying to figure out how
I could have a positive impact on planetary health and
the solution to both those things was food.
Cel Spellman (21:05):
What were some of the biggest kind of, I guess, eureka moments or
you... that you had when moving into kind of studying
horticulture and really kind of getting to grips with the
soil, so to speak?
Poppy Okotcha (21:16):
It was about the fact that we're losing top soil
at such an alarming rate that we have a very
limited number of growing cycles left in our soils. And
that to me was like, " Oh, my God. Why are
we not talking about this more? Like, how is it
possible that we're using the soil? Like, something that we
think of is just as infinitely giving thing." We don't
even think about much at all to be honest because
(21:38):
it's underneath our feet. The fact that, that is sustaining
us and we're even using that up and mistreating that.
So, that was a big kind of wake up call.
Where I was like, " I want to learn about how
we can do this without causing that level of damage."
Which it is possible to do and I think so often
the climate emergency can feel like so overwhelming. But when
(22:00):
you realize that there's that much power in the soil,
in a plant pot or in your back garden, it's
just so empowering.
Cel Spellman (22:08):
I was going to say... Because I think that's something
that's popped up a lot on this first series of
Call of the Wild. And it is, I think, a feeling that
we can all relate to at some point. You know,
the thing I'm wanting to kind of just lock yourself
away and go, " It is far too big of a
problem." You found kind of with your garden, that was
one of your antidotes. Were there any other things you found, Poppy,
that helped you deal with those feelings, I think that
we've all felt?
Poppy Okotcha (22:29):
Tapping into like community projects. So, getting involved with protests
groups, stuff like that, surrounding myself with people that were
also trying to push for something that I saw as
a future I wanted to witness or be part of.
That was really amazing because all of a sudden you feel
(22:49):
less powerless because you start to understand that our power
comes from our community connection and it takes you from
being like, " Oh, my God. It's just little me. What
the hell am I meant to do?" To like, " Oh,
it's all of us. This is great and it can
actually be fun." You know? It doesn't have to be
this like sad, scary, awful mess. We can focus on the
solutions. How we can move positively rather than be crippled
(23:12):
with anxiety over what to do.
Cel Spellman (23:14):
Yeah. Couldn't agree more. What are the benefits and the
good things you've found that have come from working in
wild spaces, working with the soil, growing your own food?
Just tell me about the things it's brought to your life and those lessons you've learned.
Poppy Okotcha (23:30):
When I started to engage with the natural world, I
understood that I was totally dependent on it. And you
start to then also understand that there's so many ways
in which we feed back into the system. So, stuff
like we'll eat a carrot and we poop it back
out. And that act as fertilizer. Our pee is incredibly
rich in nitrogen. So, you start to sort of understand
(23:52):
the way that we actually fit into this amazing puzzle
and that is just an incredible feeling. The moment when
you're like, " Oh. I'm part of all of this. Like, I'm part
of this model that is really comforting, I suppose." So,
from a place of kind of mental and emotional well being, there's that. And it also kind of, I
think motivated me to really do the right thing by
(24:16):
this beautiful model that I'm part of. Because if you're part of it,
then why on earth would you not want to do
the right thing by it?
Cel Spellman (24:22):
I wanted To ask you as well 'cause I know you've spoken a lot around this actually. I
mean you've been on kind of Gardener's World. You've done the Great
Gardener's Revolution. You've got your own, the Royal Horticultural Society
podcast, really kind of using a platform to make a
difference. But one of the big things that I'm passionate
about as well, and I know you are, of course,
is the importance of representation in gardening and in particular
(24:44):
environmentalism as well. You know, I think the whole climate change conversation
really up until the last three years, it has been
a very white middle- class conversation. Still is in a
lot of places. Just wondered what your thoughts are around
this and how we can go about to change it
and how did you noticed the shift?
Poppy Okotcha (25:00):
Well, anyone listening, I'm a mixed race woman. You can't
tell what I look like. Yeah. So I'm operating horticulture
and activism, environmental activism, and yeah, like you say, two
spaces that are traditionally very white in horticulture. Also traditionally
quite male. I think that.. Well, for me anyway, I
hope that just by being in these spaces visibly is
(25:24):
kind of offering an invitation and saying, " Actually, this is
for everyone. And you know, maybe you didn't see someone
who looked like you before you could relate to. But
now I'm here and hopefully I'm like waving at you and saying, "
Come join."" I know that when I was younger, I
wish that I had role models in these sorts of
areas that I could look up to and be like, "
(25:44):
Oh. Actually, you know what? Gardening's really cool." I think that
they has been positive shifts recently. I think that there's
a long way to go. But I think that having
these conversations and opening the space to, to, to other
people and other voices is always going to be useful
and beneficial. Especially when we're looking at something like dealing
(26:06):
with the climate emergency, like as many voices and different
inputs as possible, I think is really important. You know,
getting everyone's perspective.
Cel Spellman (26:15):
And now you... I will never usually do this. But
if there's an Instagram account that anyone should follow, it
should be yours, Poppy. Not only will it just brighten
up your day, genuinely, I'm saying this, but it also is
a, it's a brilliant kind of live example that it
can be done. You know, you can go out there
and do it yourself. And it's a fountain of knowledge
and tips and tricks. But while we've got you on
(26:36):
the podcast, I can ask from the person who runs
that brilliant page himself, what are some of your favorite
tips and tricks and things learned for people who maybe
want to grow their own food and get back into
nature. What, um... What would you say to them?
Poppy Okotcha (26:48):
I'd say get a worm bin because it's a really brilliant
way of composting in a really small space. You can
put it under your kitchen sink or whatever. And do
you feed your little whammies, your kitchen scraps and they'll
produce incredible compost. Which you can use for your pot
plants or in a garden and also worm tea, which
is an amazing fertilizer. So, that's probably number one tip because
(27:12):
it's super cool and you get really fond of your
little worms and it's just such a brilliant-
Cel Spellman (27:18):
Love that.
Poppy Okotcha (27:18):
... like firsthand experience of like that cyclical thing, like
turning waste into a really valuable resource. Um. Yeah. And
then also, actually on the topic of like changes on
like a more policy level on my Instagram, I do
share petitions, et cetera, that you can kind of like
get involved with on topics like Pete and various pesticides
(27:39):
and sort of movements that are happening internationally around food
and farming.
Cel Spellman (27:42):
I really loved that chat with Poppy Okotcha and the newest
WWF ambassador. So, a massive congratulation Poppy and thank you so much
for your time, your insight and your wisdom as well.
And don't forget, there is a longer chat with Poppy
in our bonus episode. Where we dig a little bit more
(28:05):
into this topic. Oh. See what I did there? Big...
I'll just move on to the My Footprint app. This
is the place where it has challenges for you to
try and live more sustainably across all parts of your
life. So, if we have a little look, you can
start a wildflower seeds in your garden. These are great
at attracting some native insects and pollinators to the area.
(28:28):
It could even be in a planter or a grass
verge, or, and this might be my favorite tip of
the series so far, you can go on the Woodland
trust website and apply for a free tree to plant
in your community. They even recommend the best tree for
your area. Now, as we know, trees do all sorts
(28:48):
of amazing things. They suck up carbon. They can reduce
urban heat and a home for plenty of critters. And
that's just a few reasons of why I love hugging
them so much. And I've said it before, and I'll
say it again, would highly recommend going to hug a
tree. You could even go and hug your own tree,
one that you planted. How good does that sound? And
(29:10):
of course, we'll have some more brilliant tips and tricks
from you, my friends, that you've been sending throughout the series.
Speaker 6 (29:15):
I decided to grow my own freedom verge when I
was getting frustrated that I couldn't buy certain foods like
lettuce and cucumber in the super market without the plastic
packaging. So, fast forward a couple of years, and I
now have quite a large allotment and I'm able to
grow food, plastic free. The allotment is good for the
(29:38):
soul and for the environment. So win, win.
Cel Spellman (29:42):
It really does fill my heart, when we get to
hear about the brilliant, wonderful things that some of you
guys have been doing to try and make a difference.
And more so, just the fact that you take the
time to send in your tips and tricks really does
mean the absolute world and I can't thank you all
enough. I really do hope you've enjoyed these. And more
so, they've been a real source of inspiration. They've given
(30:03):
you some ideas and also some motivation to get out
there and make some changes, even if it is just
a small change. Because the more of us that are
doing that, the bigger the impact we can have together
and the harder it will be for governments and big
businesses to turn a blind eye. Guys, I'll be honest
(30:24):
with you. I don't want to read this sentence here
that I've got to say next to my script because
it does mean that we're going to arrive at the
end of the series. I want to express a huge
heartfelt thank you to the urban birder, AKA David Lindow,
Poppy Okotcha and Isabella Tree, such a brilliant note and fantastic
guests to end the series on. And what a journey
(30:46):
it's been. Honestly, guys, this has been one of my
favorite things I've ever done. And I think to actually
just have these conversations, meet some brilliant people along the
way, hear from people all around the world and also
be on this journey with you is something that I
found very, very special. And I do hope you've enjoyed
it and taken some tips and tricks and learned a
(31:09):
lot along the way. But one of the final things
I will say, and one of the biggest things I've learned is
yes, individual action has a massive role to play. We
all have that responsibility to try and make a difference
and lead a more green thoughtful, sustainable life. But, the
big change, some of the systemic change, has to come
from governments and world leaders and big businesses. Now, I don't know if I
(31:33):
can say this, but if we can, my producers won't
edit it out. We do hope to be back for
a season two. So, fingers crossed. And in the meantime,
if you do have any thoughts, ideas, feedback, get them
in. We'd love to hear from you. And I also
want to express my thanks to WWF for making this
podcast possible and creating the space to have these all
(31:55):
important conversations that really are crucial in educating us, raising
awareness and shifting consciousness. Don't you worry? We still have
one more episode comment, a bonus extended chat with Poppy
about everything we didn't get squeezed in today and it
is well worth checking out in two weeks time. This
(32:15):
is a fresh air production for WWF. The wild is
calling. It's time to act. Peace and love.
Hello and welcome to episode six of Call of the
Wild. The podcast from WWF with yours truly, Cel Spellman.
Where I look to find out about the threats to
our planet and more importantly, how we can fight back.
Well guys, for our final, that's right, final episode my
friends, we're going to do things a little bit different.
(00:25):
We're going to pivot a little bit. Because instead of
looking at a problem that needs fixing, we're going to
look at something that can make a real change for
good. Something we're hearing more and more about, rewilding. A bit of
hope and positivity to end the series on something that
can actually make a massive difference. One of those nature
based solutions that really can help us turn the tide
(00:47):
on fighting the climate crisis. Now, I'm sad to say,
we have lost so much of our beautiful wildlife and
natural green spaces right here in the UK. But it
doesn't have to be a one- way street. We really
can bring back some of the wilderness we have lost
and that can have a huge positive impact on our
environment. And of course, those wildlife species as well, that
(01:09):
need those green spaces so much. In this episode, I'm
going to be joined by some fantastic guests. I'll be
joined by the wonderful Poppy Okotcha for her story about
why she left the bright lights of a modeling career
and became a gardening sensation.
Poppy Okotcha (01:25):
It didn't take long for me to kind of get
to a point where I was just really emotionally and physically burned out. Don't
get me wrong. There's also good, exciting, fun, beautiful people
in the fashion industry. But on the whole, as a
system, it just is broken.
Cel Spellman (01:38):
I'll also be chatting with David Lindow, also known as
the urban birder, on how to connect with nature in
the city.
David Lindow (01:45):
And it is a bit like meditation. It's spending 10 minutes in a
day, blotting out the sounds of the human hubbub. You
know, the police sirens and dogs barking and people shouting
and just... You cut all that stuff out and eventually
you start hearing the natural sounds. And it's not something
you can come overnight. You need to work at it.
But once it does come, you got it.
Cel Spellman (02:05):
Plus, along with all of that, we'll be getting all
your best tips to bring the wild back into your
life... So, rewilding, it means different things to different people.
It's got a scientific meaning. We've heard the great Sir David
Amber, talk about the need to rewild the world to help
increase its biodiversity. But also a lot of people use
(02:28):
it in a way to mean something much broader and
easier. So, let's break it down before we get into
the good stuff.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
The UK used to be hosts to a very different
animal on some bull. Just a few hundred years ago,
we had white tailed eagles, wolves, and wild boars all
roaming around Britain. But, because of people, these animals were
wiped out. And when you take an animal out of an
ecosystem, this can have a huge knock on effects to
(02:59):
how that system functions. If a predator disappears, prey species
can multiply and get out of control and destroy vegetation
and even impact carbon storage, flood risks, and soil quality.
Other species can be vitally important as pollinators. So, remove
them and you remove any plants that needed them to
(03:20):
reproduce. Potentially, plants that we rely on for food. So,
can bringing back the species we've lost help our natural
environments thrive? This is one type of rewilding. Reintroductions of
important species and if it goes well, you can reap
some serious benefits. One of the most well- known examples
(03:41):
of this type of rewilding is Yellowstone National Park in
America, who had lost their wolves. Without a predator, deer
and elk numbers were out of control, over- grazing the
trees, This, in turn, meant songbirds disappeared and beavers couldn't
build their dams. Which then meant the rivers were eroding
the land more than usual. But the introduction in 1995
(04:03):
of just 14 wolves has changed the landscape entirely. In
decades, the trees recovered. Beavers and songbirds returned and river
erosion, stabilized. But introducing big predators isn't appropriate for every
species or in every landscape. If an animal has been
gone long enough or is brought into a place without
(04:25):
a proper understanding of its needs, the ecosystem may actually
be damaged by its re- introduction. And if there are
lots of people around, introducing apex predators can obviously have
some issues. But this is not the only form rewilding
can take. It can simply mean restoring the natural flow
(04:46):
of rivers and wetlands or just leaving a space to
thrive on its own without intensive management. And this is
something that can be done anywhere, on any scale. We
could all help nature to thrive by bringing back a
bit of the wild inside our own community.
Cel Spellman (05:03):
So, rewilding can be this big, exciting, green restorative project.
From restoring the natural flow of rivers to bringing in
species back to their old habitats. For example, the UK
has recently had very successful beaver re- introduction trials. But,
I don't know about you. I don't have any beavers
to hand. So, today in this episode, we're going to
(05:26):
be focusing on the other type of rewilding. The type
where we just let nature thrive and do its thing.
We let nature do what it does best. And this
can be on any scale. However much space you have,
it is possible to give nature a chance and give
nature a big old boost. But let's find out a
bit more about what this can actually look like and
(05:47):
more importantly, why and how we should be connecting with
the wild in our lives. Now, this can be especially
difficult for those of us in cities. There's about 80 percent of the
population, here in the UK, that call a city their
home. So, luckily for you, don't say I don't look after you, we are
joined by the urban birder, AKA David Lindow. Now, he
(06:08):
knows all about the wonderful wildlife we have in our
own backyard. So, I sat down with him to talk
about how we can best connect with it in a
way that benefits both us and nature.
David Lindow (06:21):
It's fascinating because when you think that in the UK, there's
been what? Six hundred and twenty different types of birds discovered or
on the record since records began. Around about 95% have
turned up in urban areas. And when you look at London,
there's 370, I think, species on that list. I've always
(06:43):
lived by the, the motto that anything can turn up
anywhere or at any time. And the moment you kind
of get past thinking that it's only about pigeons and you open your mind
to the idea that anything can turn up, you can
see anything. It's not even a case of going to park.
It's just walking out of your door and nature's there.
Even if you live in the middle of the city.
(07:03):
It doesn't matter. Because that's what we need to get into our
heads. That it is all around us. And for me, it's
about getting on to the wavelength. It's spending 10 minutes in the day,
and it is a bit like meditation. It's spending 10
minutes in a day blotting out the sounds of the human
hubbub. You know, the police sirens and dogs barking and
(07:25):
people shouting and just... You cut all that stuff out and eventually you
start hearing the natural sounds. And it's not something you can come overnight. You
need to work at it. But once it does come, you got it.
Cel Spellman (07:36):
Biodiversity. I think it's a word that is definitely kind
of growing when it comes to the conversation around climate
and particularly, the climate crisis. For you, obviously, wherever, obviously
everything's intrinsically linked from the birds in the sky, to
the worms in the soil, and then the soil quality
to the trees. I wanted to ask you, David, from
your understanding and how, you know, you spending a lot
(07:57):
of time in nature, what have we done to our biodiversity,
particularly, in the UK? You know, have you seen signs
that kind of upset you in a way and go, "
That's not... That's not good."
David Lindow (08:08):
In many respects, we've trashed a lot of what we've
got. You know we've got rid of all of the apex
predators, for example. It's very sad. OUr countryside, some of
it I wouldn't even call countryside personally, because it's been
sprayed within an inch of his life with pesticides and
insecticides. And I walk around in places like Southeastern Europe
(08:34):
or even Northeastern Europe or even where I am now,
in Spain and their use of pesticides is a lot different to
ours. And as a consequence, there's so much more wildlife.
And they walk through... down a lane, in Astonia or
Serbia, and you're seeing a whole ton of stuff. You've
seen things that you probably would have seen 200 years ago in the
(08:55):
UK. And then I come back to the UK and
sometimes, it's quite depressing walking through the countryside in the
very coms because it's quiet. There's nothing much going on compared to what
it should be. And that's the same in most of
Western Europe as well,
Cel Spellman (09:10):
We're here, obviously, kind of, talking about rewilding, which means
different things to different people, in essence, of course. Well, I think one of the big
things we need to do to combat climate change is
literally rewild the world. You know? Whatever that might be.
I guess, for yourself, David, what does rewilding mean to
you and in involve?
David Lindow (09:28):
For me, rewilding is an interesting concept. I think it's a... In general, it's a great concept and it doesn't
necessarily mean in the middle of nowhere. You can also
make urban areas much more natural than they are now.
I mean stop cutting the road verges. You know, leave
the round abouts to grow. In terms of the grass and the round about, don't carve it down within an inch
(09:50):
of its life. You know, have a garden, if you do
have one, and have an area of wilderness in it.
'Cause even a square foot is like a jungle to
a small beetle or caterpillar and that's how you got to think about it.
Not in our terms, but in terms of what you're
creating these spaces for.
Cel Spellman (10:08):
What about in cities then as well? If we walk
out in central London and it's very gray and concrete
and pavements and busy, how do you think we can go about almost making
them wild spaces again, making them greener?
David Lindow (10:20):
I think a lot of people think of rewilding as something that happens over there,
out of, out of the way, away from where I can
see it. And you know, I'll never see your links
or whatever. But rewilding actually starts from your doorstep. You
know, you can plant stuff in your garden. You can encourage
things to grow in your local park and you will get a
whole host of animals coming who may not have necessarily
(10:43):
been there before. You know? Butterfly species, for example, or
moths or you know, other species that show up. Because
if you introduce all that stuff, then it's going to just make things better
generally for everything. And it'll be more of an opportunity
for creatures to recolonize naturally.
Cel Spellman (11:00):
You grew up in West London, as you said and there'll be
lots of people, and I come across it a lot you know, when
speaking around these things go, " Yeah. But it's easier if
you have access to the green spaces in the parks.
It's not easy for me, you know, if I live
in an apartment block or maybe in a densely populated
city." What would you say to them? You know, for
people who don't have gardens or those kinds of spaces
(11:22):
to kind of do these things. What tips have you
found or do you think... would you say to those people?
David Lindow (11:28):
Well, I think if you can find somewhere, there must
be a park around the corner, then make that your
local patch. Even if it looks not very inviting in
terms of wildlife, you may be surprised as to what
you will eventually start seeing. And once you go to your
(11:48):
park on a regular basis, you may meet other people.
You may decide form a friends off society, if there
hasn't been one before. You may join a local wildlife
trust, whatever, and incorporate the conservation work into the area
that you actually visit. And I think it's really rewarding
and you have a great sense of ownership and also
(12:10):
love when you realize, what you're seeing and you've actually
helped to, to encourage what that wildlife there...
Cel Spellman (12:18):
What are the benefits for people that might not of
realized yet of doing that, of being out in nature?
You know, of, like you say, it's almost a little
bit mediative in a way. What do you... What are the
benefits for you, David?
David Lindow (12:29):
To have nature around you is, is a very good
thing. Not just for nature, but for our well being
of our health. You know, for, for a whole host of
reasons. I think that we'll be getting a lot more
pleasure from life. I think, you know, wake up in the
morning and hearing all sorts of different things going on and
seeing much more in your garden and being aware of
(12:50):
stuff when you're walking around, will make life so much better.
And I think... I think people sometimes who aren't aware
of nature don't associate themselves with nature, don't realize just
how much a part of nature they are. And they take
for granted what they have, the food they have, and all that sort of stuff,
because it comes from the supermarket. The more we trash
(13:13):
our world, the less insects they are, the less bees. And I think they'll see
the fact banded around now. But if we lost that,
our bees then we will go down the plug fairly
quickly afterwards.
Cel Spellman (13:27):
Oh, what an absolute gent, such a cool guy and
it really was a delight to talk to the man
himself, David Lindow AKA the urban birder. And his book,
How to Be An Urban Birder is out now. Now,
for those of you, who have been with us every
step of this journey so far we'll know, this is
the part of the show where we would usually talk
(13:49):
to someone who is impacted by a part of the
climate crisis. But this time for rewilding, we're doing something
a little bit different. We're going to hear from someone
who has been on the rewilding journey for quite a
long time and can give us a real insight into
the positive change that can come from it. It is
my absolute pleasure to introduce to you Isabella Tree, author
(14:11):
of wilding. She and her husband have massively changed their
farm into a rewilding success story known as, Knepp Wildland.
So we wanted to hear about what that journey was
like and the amazing results they had.
Isabella Tree (14:24):
Knepp estate is a three and a half thousand acre rewilding
project. It is essentially allowing nature of the time and the
space to reveal itself and to get natural processes bouncing
back into action. To be absolutely honest, the first inspiration
for it, doesn't sound very romantic or altruistic, was financial.
(14:47):
We just weren't making money farming this land. That meant
that we wanted to do something working with the land
rather than battling against it. It's only now that we've
been on this rewilding journey, that we look back and
realize how much we had got wrong when we were
farming. The very first thing we noticed when we started
(15:10):
this project, the year after, we just stopped farming and
we stopped pouring chemicals on the land, was the sound
of insects. It was something we hadn't even noticed we
were missing. But to go out there now, on a
morning, the riot of Birdsong is so loud that you
can feel it literally reverberating in your stomach and your
lungs. This area of land, which previously, was totally insignificant
(15:34):
for wildlife, has now become one of the most significant
areas for nature in Britain. We've got some of our
rarest species turtle doves, nightingales purple and blue butterflies, peregrine,
falcons, you name it. I mean, all this life has
poured back onto our land. So, you feel it's humming,
thrumming, singing with life and that's only in a matter
(15:55):
of 20 years, it's quite astonishing. But when you walk
out into the project, it's really interesting. People find it
very difficult to describe because we're... They're so unused to
seeing this sort of habitat in the UK. We haven't
had it really for, for hundreds, if not thousands of
years and since... probably since the medieval hunting forests. It's
thorny, scrub. It's wetland. It's very dynamic. You shift from
(16:19):
one habitat to another on a short walk and you're
following animal trails all the time. So, it really feels
like you're in the land, belonging to animals again. It
almost feels like a cheetah or a leopard could jump
out at you from around the corner. We've, we've doubled our
carbon content. We've tripled our microsomal fungi we've tripled soil
(16:41):
biota. But also all that vegetation is also sequestering carbon.
So we've gone from being a net carbon emitter, huge
one under industrial agriculture, to being a really significant carbon
sink. But we're also doing other things like flooding mitigation.
So areas downstream from us that always used to flood
(17:03):
in, in intense rain, no longer flood. The wonderful thing
about rewilding is you don't have to do anything. You
do as little as possible in terms of management. So,
it's not hard work. And from the outside, perhaps it
looks like you're being lazy or irresponsible. And certainly one
of the hardest things in the beginning was the criticism
(17:23):
we had from neighbors and farmers who saw our land
transforming and found it very difficult to live alongside. I
think the real story of Knepp has been how quickly
nature can bounce back if you let it. And if
you do it in the right way, then extraordinary things
begin to happen in a very short space of time.
(17:45):
It's possible anywhere. If it can happen here underneath the
Gatwick Stacking System, surrounded by a roads and densely populated
Southeast of England, it can really happen anywhere. And one
of the ways of doing that of course, is to
get messy, is to forget about being such control, freaks
that we are and just, just let things go a bit.
Cel Spellman (18:07):
A massive thank you to Isabella Tree. I mean we
could not have had a rewilding episode without speaking to
one of the rewilding queens in the UK herself. And
I will definitely be getting myself down to Knepp for
a look at the project as soon as I can.
(18:27):
Now, the brilliant, insightful guests, just keep her rolling in
here on this episode. Because now I am so, so
excited to introduce you to Poppy Okotcha. Poppy used to
work as a model for places like Zara or names
like Vivian Westwood. But, something happened that made her change
her entire life and become a gardener. So, I wanted
(18:50):
to find out about what led her to this decision
and also, in case either mentioned, as a keen allotment
grower myself, harvest all the tips I could get about
being green.
Poppy Okotcha (19:02):
My earliest memories, even though I was in an urban
sprawl in London, are of holding snails on my hand
or my mum pointing at the butterflies and the Buddleia
Bush, that sort of thing, like getting lost in bushes
and the park and stuff. And I think that that kind of speaks
so much of how the natural world just always seems
(19:24):
to stand out. I think for kids, for adults, for
everybody, it just like, no matter where you are, you
end up kind of gravitating towards it. And then as
I grew up, I kind of drifted from all of that
kind of stuff as you do when you're a teenager for
the angst. And then I, yeah, I kind of ended
up modeling and at a certain point, things just didn't add
(19:46):
up anymore. And that's when I kind of reentered interacting
with the natural world and really meaningful way and when
I trained in horticulture.
Cel Spellman (19:54):
When you say, kind of, " Things didn't adds up," can you remember whether it, was a specific point or was there a
thing that kind of made you go, " Do you know what? This actually
isn't vibrating with me, I kind of need to go and
find something else and..." Was there a specific point or was it... Did it just kind of happen naturally.
Poppy Okotcha (20:07):
Working in fashion is like such a fast pace world.
It's driving consumerism. So, of course, you're producing at an
insane rate and it didn't take long for me to
kind of get to the point where I was just
really emotionally and physically burnt out. Don't get me wrong.
There's also good, exciting, fun, beautiful people in the fashion
(20:30):
industry. But on the whole, as a system, it just
is broken. I kind of needed to find a way
that I could get my body back up to health
and my emotional wellbeing back up to health. And while
I was kind of exploring how to nurture my body,
food just kept coming up, up and up and up. And
in tandem with that, I was also understanding more about the
climate emergency and how food has a huge impact on
(20:55):
that. And so, I was kind of looking at how
I could heal my body, trying to figure out how
I could have a positive impact on planetary health and
the solution to both those things was food.
Cel Spellman (21:05):
What were some of the biggest kind of, I guess, eureka moments or
you... that you had when moving into kind of studying
horticulture and really kind of getting to grips with the
soil, so to speak?
Poppy Okotcha (21:16):
It was about the fact that we're losing top soil
at such an alarming rate that we have a very
limited number of growing cycles left in our soils. And
that to me was like, " Oh, my God. Why are
we not talking about this more? Like, how is it
possible that we're using the soil? Like, something that we
think of is just as infinitely giving thing." We don't
even think about much at all to be honest because
(21:38):
it's underneath our feet. The fact that, that is sustaining
us and we're even using that up and mistreating that.
So, that was a big kind of wake up call.
Where I was like, " I want to learn about how
we can do this without causing that level of damage."
Which it is possible to do and I think so often
the climate emergency can feel like so overwhelming. But when
(22:00):
you realize that there's that much power in the soil,
in a plant pot or in your back garden, it's
just so empowering.
Cel Spellman (22:08):
I was going to say... Because I think that's something
that's popped up a lot on this first series of
Call of the Wild. And it is, I think, a feeling that
we can all relate to at some point. You know,
the thing I'm wanting to kind of just lock yourself
away and go, " It is far too big of a
problem." You found kind of with your garden, that was
one of your antidotes. Were there any other things you found, Poppy,
that helped you deal with those feelings, I think that
we've all felt?
Poppy Okotcha (22:29):
Tapping into like community projects. So, getting involved with protests
groups, stuff like that, surrounding myself with people that were
also trying to push for something that I saw as
a future I wanted to witness or be part of.
That was really amazing because all of a sudden you feel
(22:49):
less powerless because you start to understand that our power
comes from our community connection and it takes you from
being like, " Oh, my God. It's just little me. What
the hell am I meant to do?" To like, " Oh,
it's all of us. This is great and it can
actually be fun." You know? It doesn't have to be
this like sad, scary, awful mess. We can focus on the
solutions. How we can move positively rather than be crippled
(23:12):
with anxiety over what to do.
Cel Spellman (23:14):
Yeah. Couldn't agree more. What are the benefits and the
good things you've found that have come from working in
wild spaces, working with the soil, growing your own food?
Just tell me about the things it's brought to your life and those lessons you've learned.
Poppy Okotcha (23:30):
When I started to engage with the natural world, I
understood that I was totally dependent on it. And you
start to then also understand that there's so many ways
in which we feed back into the system. So, stuff
like we'll eat a carrot and we poop it back
out. And that act as fertilizer. Our pee is incredibly
rich in nitrogen. So, you start to sort of understand
(23:52):
the way that we actually fit into this amazing puzzle
and that is just an incredible feeling. The moment when
you're like, " Oh. I'm part of all of this. Like, I'm part
of this model that is really comforting, I suppose." So,
from a place of kind of mental and emotional well being, there's that. And it also kind of, I
think motivated me to really do the right thing by
(24:16):
this beautiful model that I'm part of. Because if you're part of it,
then why on earth would you not want to do
the right thing by it?
Cel Spellman (24:22):
I wanted To ask you as well 'cause I know you've spoken a lot around this actually. I
mean you've been on kind of Gardener's World. You've done the Great
Gardener's Revolution. You've got your own, the Royal Horticultural Society
podcast, really kind of using a platform to make a
difference. But one of the big things that I'm passionate
about as well, and I know you are, of course,
is the importance of representation in gardening and in particular
(24:44):
environmentalism as well. You know, I think the whole climate change conversation
really up until the last three years, it has been
a very white middle- class conversation. Still is in a
lot of places. Just wondered what your thoughts are around
this and how we can go about to change it
and how did you noticed the shift?
Poppy Okotcha (25:00):
Well, anyone listening, I'm a mixed race woman. You can't
tell what I look like. Yeah. So I'm operating horticulture
and activism, environmental activism, and yeah, like you say, two
spaces that are traditionally very white in horticulture. Also traditionally
quite male. I think that.. Well, for me anyway, I
hope that just by being in these spaces visibly is
(25:24):
kind of offering an invitation and saying, " Actually, this is
for everyone. And you know, maybe you didn't see someone
who looked like you before you could relate to. But
now I'm here and hopefully I'm like waving at you and saying, "
Come join."" I know that when I was younger, I
wish that I had role models in these sorts of
areas that I could look up to and be like, "
(25:44):
Oh. Actually, you know what? Gardening's really cool." I think that
they has been positive shifts recently. I think that there's
a long way to go. But I think that having
these conversations and opening the space to, to, to other
people and other voices is always going to be useful
and beneficial. Especially when we're looking at something like dealing
(26:06):
with the climate emergency, like as many voices and different
inputs as possible, I think is really important. You know,
getting everyone's perspective.
Cel Spellman (26:15):
And now you... I will never usually do this. But
if there's an Instagram account that anyone should follow, it
should be yours, Poppy. Not only will it just brighten
up your day, genuinely, I'm saying this, but it also is
a, it's a brilliant kind of live example that it
can be done. You know, you can go out there
and do it yourself. And it's a fountain of knowledge
and tips and tricks. But while we've got you on
(26:36):
the podcast, I can ask from the person who runs
that brilliant page himself, what are some of your favorite
tips and tricks and things learned for people who maybe
want to grow their own food and get back into
nature. What, um... What would you say to them?
Poppy Okotcha (26:48):
I'd say get a worm bin because it's a really brilliant
way of composting in a really small space. You can
put it under your kitchen sink or whatever. And do
you feed your little whammies, your kitchen scraps and they'll
produce incredible compost. Which you can use for your pot
plants or in a garden and also worm tea, which
is an amazing fertilizer. So, that's probably number one tip because
(27:12):
it's super cool and you get really fond of your
little worms and it's just such a brilliant-
Cel Spellman (27:18):
Love that.
Poppy Okotcha (27:18):
... like firsthand experience of like that cyclical thing, like
turning waste into a really valuable resource. Um. Yeah. And
then also, actually on the topic of like changes on
like a more policy level on my Instagram, I do
share petitions, et cetera, that you can kind of like
get involved with on topics like Pete and various pesticides
(27:39):
and sort of movements that are happening internationally around food
and farming.
Cel Spellman (27:42):
I really loved that chat with Poppy Okotcha and the newest
WWF ambassador. So, a massive congratulation Poppy and thank you so much
for your time, your insight and your wisdom as well.
And don't forget, there is a longer chat with Poppy
in our bonus episode. Where we dig a little bit more
(28:05):
into this topic. Oh. See what I did there? Big...
I'll just move on to the My Footprint app. This
is the place where it has challenges for you to
try and live more sustainably across all parts of your
life. So, if we have a little look, you can
start a wildflower seeds in your garden. These are great
at attracting some native insects and pollinators to the area.
(28:28):
It could even be in a planter or a grass
verge, or, and this might be my favorite tip of
the series so far, you can go on the Woodland
trust website and apply for a free tree to plant
in your community. They even recommend the best tree for
your area. Now, as we know, trees do all sorts
(28:48):
of amazing things. They suck up carbon. They can reduce
urban heat and a home for plenty of critters. And
that's just a few reasons of why I love hugging
them so much. And I've said it before, and I'll
say it again, would highly recommend going to hug a
tree. You could even go and hug your own tree,
one that you planted. How good does that sound? And
(29:10):
of course, we'll have some more brilliant tips and tricks
from you, my friends, that you've been sending throughout the series.
Speaker 6 (29:15):
I decided to grow my own freedom verge when I
was getting frustrated that I couldn't buy certain foods like
lettuce and cucumber in the super market without the plastic
packaging. So, fast forward a couple of years, and I
now have quite a large allotment and I'm able to
grow food, plastic free. The allotment is good for the
(29:38):
soul and for the environment. So win, win.
Cel Spellman (29:42):
It really does fill my heart, when we get to
hear about the brilliant, wonderful things that some of you
guys have been doing to try and make a difference.
And more so, just the fact that you take the
time to send in your tips and tricks really does
mean the absolute world and I can't thank you all
enough. I really do hope you've enjoyed these. And more
so, they've been a real source of inspiration. They've given
(30:03):
you some ideas and also some motivation to get out
there and make some changes, even if it is just
a small change. Because the more of us that are
doing that, the bigger the impact we can have together
and the harder it will be for governments and big
businesses to turn a blind eye. Guys, I'll be honest
(30:24):
with you. I don't want to read this sentence here
that I've got to say next to my script because
it does mean that we're going to arrive at the
end of the series. I want to express a huge
heartfelt thank you to the urban birder, AKA David Lindow,
Poppy Okotcha and Isabella Tree, such a brilliant note and fantastic
guests to end the series on. And what a journey
(30:46):
it's been. Honestly, guys, this has been one of my
favorite things I've ever done. And I think to actually
just have these conversations, meet some brilliant people along the
way, hear from people all around the world and also
be on this journey with you is something that I
found very, very special. And I do hope you've enjoyed
it and taken some tips and tricks and learned a
(31:09):
lot along the way. But one of the final things
I will say, and one of the biggest things I've learned is
yes, individual action has a massive role to play. We
all have that responsibility to try and make a difference
and lead a more green thoughtful, sustainable life. But, the
big change, some of the systemic change, has to come
from governments and world leaders and big businesses. Now, I don't know if I
(31:33):
can say this, but if we can, my producers won't
edit it out. We do hope to be back for
a season two. So, fingers crossed. And in the meantime,
if you do have any thoughts, ideas, feedback, get them
in. We'd love to hear from you. And I also
want to express my thanks to WWF for making this
podcast possible and creating the space to have these all
(31:55):
important conversations that really are crucial in educating us, raising
awareness and shifting consciousness. Don't you worry? We still have
one more episode comment, a bonus extended chat with Poppy
about everything we didn't get squeezed in today and it
is well worth checking out in two weeks time. This
(32:15):
is a fresh air production for WWF. The wild is
calling. It's time to act. Peace and love.
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