Best Of Natural History Radio

Ep 1 of 3. They make up 80% of the species on earth, and at any time there are ten QUINTILLION of them living. Meet the six-legged rulers of the world: INSECTS. Entomologist Erica McAlister is known as Fly Girl to her friends. As Curator of Flies at the Natural History Museum, she knows what remarkable, strange, and diverse animals insects are. The insect world is populated by beings with superpowers - an amazing sense of smell, lightning reflexes, the ability to fly at dizzying speed or walk on the ceiling. And these superpowers have implications for us humans - in medicine, defence, food, art and architecture. They can help us to live more healthily, more safely, more sustainably. In Episode One, Erica discovers that bees' sense of smell can be used to detect explosives and disease.

For this week's Living World, presenter Chris Sperring goes in search of a large carnivore he's never seen before in the wild, the grey wolf. To do this he travels to Sweden where he meets up with Pierre Ahlgren a wildlife ranger in the Vastmanland area of Mid Sweden, where they are also joined by Tom Arnbom from WWF Sweden.

In January Sweden can be a cold and inhospitable place. Despite winter temperatures dropping to -15, southern Sweden is alive with birdlife. For this week's Living World, Chris Sperring travels to the Vastmanlan area of Sweden where the huge taiga forests begin, forests that stretch east all the way to Alaska. Travelling 40 km north of the town Vasteras he meets up with Torbjorn Hegedus a local ornithologist and Tom Arnbom from WWF Sweden to head out for the day and see what birds they come across in this snowy wooded landscape.

Living World: Tree Sparrows. Trai Anfield heads to RSPB Old Moor reserve to seek out the Tree Sparrow; a bird which only a few generations ago was a common sight in the British countryside.

Ep 24 of 24. In the final episode of the current series, Saving Species looks at the Slender-billed curlew; no official confirmed records of its existence have occurred since 2001 although there have been sightings of it in 2010 but photographic evidence was not taken. Horatio Clare follows the route of the bird's migration route from its Siberian breeding grounds to the area around the Mediterranean Basin. Kelvin Boot finds out about the threat facing many species of moths in the southern part of the UK and Kelvin Jones of the BTO gives the latest movement of the cuckoos sending signals back from Central Africa as they gear up to begin their migration back to the UK. Producer: Sheena Duncan. Presenter: Brett Westwood.

Ep. 23 of 24: This week's edition of Saving Species looks at the introduction of quota-regulated cull of Grey Wolves in Sweden as part of plan to to genetically invigorate the currently inbred Swedish wolf population. Michael Scott reports on conservation efforts of the Arctic Fox in Iceland. Plus, the programme looks at a major project by The Mammal Society which aims to map population levels of various mammals that reside across the British Isles.

Living World: Godwits. Black-tailed godwits are an elegant long legged bird about the size of a pigeon. In the summer they are found in the arctic where the Icelandic race of this species then migrates to Britain to spend the winter in relatively warmer weather. Chris Sperring travels to the a flooded meadow near the New Forest to join Pete Potts from Operation Godwit.

Living World: Urban Kites Living World presented by Trai Anfield is on the outskirts of the Tyneside conurbation following red kites with Harold Dobson from Friends of Red Kites in the north east of England.

Ep22of24. Freshwater eels are explored this week, as Sian Griffiths reports from the Ottawa River Valley in Canada where hydropower dams are disrupting the American eel's migration paths, and Brett Westwood speaks with David Bunt from the Sustainable Eel Group to discuss similar issues with European eels. Joanna Pinnock looks the furry clawed invasive species; the Chinese mitten crab and the problems they cause for British habitats. Also in the programme - news from around the world with our regular news reporter, Kelvin Boot. Presenter: Brett Westwood. Producer: Sheena Duncan. Editor: Julian Hector.

Ep21 of 24: This week Saving Species looks at Bonobos - a great ape, related to chimpanzees, and found in the forest of the Congo Basin of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Theo Webb reports from the Salonga National Park investigating the threat from an increase in hunting for the bushmeat trade. Also Michael Scott reports on the Dragon Tree, a native species of Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde. There are only one or two native wild dragon trees left on Madeira and Saving Species finds out from local conservationists what is being done to increase the number of trees in the wild from original seed. Presenter: Brett Westwood. Producer: Sheena Duncan. Editor: Julian Hector.

Recorded high up in the Shropshire hills of the Welsh Marches and inspired by a living landscape, the Chapel of Skins is a fictional story about a ghostly meeting of ways. CAST: Phone Box: Paul Evans Trebrodier: Liza Sadovy Anchor: Ben Crowe Quabbs: Alex Tregear Wildlife sound recordist: Chris Watson Directed and Produced by Sarah Blunt for BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol.

Ep20 of 24: Marine Conservation Zones are in the spotlight this week, as Saving Species looks at the importance of protecting our marine life. In December it was revealed that only 31 of the 127 proposed Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) have the chance of being implemented for the first tranche. Kelvin Boot is live in the studio with Brett Westwood, plus Trai Anfield is in Filey Brigg in North Yorkshire to visit a zone that didn't make the cut. There are also interviews with Matt Frost, the deputy director of the Marine Biological Association and the Environment Minister Richard Benyon. Presenter: Brett Westwood. Producer: Mary Colwell. Editor: Julian Hector

Ep 19 of 24: Saving Species investigates the relationship between polar bears and the year on year reduction in sea ice in the Arctic collaborating with BBC2’s series "The Polar Bear Family and Me", a trio of films following a polar bear family in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic. Ellie Williams looks at the National Elephant Corridor Project in India which is redeveloping historical paths used by Asian elephants to travel between habitats. Plus a report from Dorset where the Game and Wildlife Trust’s Salmon and Trout Research Centre on the river Frome is located. The centre is carrying out important research through the tagging and monitoring of salmon. Also in the programme - news from around the world with our regular news reporter, Kelvin Boot. Presenter: Brett Westwood. Producer: Mary Colwell. Editor: Julian Hector.

Ep 18 of 24: Saving Species kick's off the new year with a look at the role of wetland habitats in providing a wintering refuge for wildfowl. Joanna Pinnock makes a dawn visit to Wildfowl and Wetland Trust reserve at Welney in Cambridgeshire to witness the very noisy but magical spectacle of thousands of Whooper and Bewick's swans flighting off from the pools by the reserve centre to head out to feed on the fields for the day. Chris Sperring is on the Hampshire coast at the Lymington-Keyhaven nature reserve. It's home to important numbers of Dark-bellied Brent Geese amongst many other species of smaller ducks. The geese come to the reserve for the winter from Siberia. Plus, news from around the world with our regular news reporter Kelvin Boot. Presenter: Joanna Pinnock Producer: Sheena Duncan Editor: Julian Hector

Ep 17 of 24: Howard Stableford is in the chair for this Christmas Day Saving Species with a programme on conservation in some of the British Overseas Territories. A report from Ed Drewitt with Dr Ian Stephen about the last chance conservation effort to save the Mountain chicken frog threatened with the Chytrid fungus. A report about "Team Rat" who are planning in January 2013 to save the albatrosses and petrels that nest on South Georgia from being eaten by rodents. Howard looks at the establishment of marine conservation areas around the British oveseas teritories through interviews with Alistair Gammell of the PEW Fondation about and DEFRA Minister for Biodiversity, Richard Benyon. Presenter Howard Stableford Producer Mary Colwell Editor Julian Hector

Ep 16 of 24: This week Brett Westwood looks at the increasing alliance between the arts and conservation. We hear from two artists, one a painter and one a photographer who are using their talents to help raise awareness about highly endangered species. Professor Tim Birkhead tells Brett about a growing movement - New Networks for Nature - which brings many different artists and scientists together to inspire each other. Sarah Pitt brings a report on wildlife gardening, with suggestions for wildlife friendly Christmas presents. Also in the programme - News from around the world with our regular news reporter, Kelvin Boot. And we'll update you on the activities of the Open University's iSpot. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Mary Colwell Editor: Julian Hector

Ep 15 of 24: Saving Species takes a look at what could happen if parts of the British countryside were returned to their natural state through a process known as rewilding. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Sheena Duncan Editor: Julian Hector

Ep: 14 of 24 Scotland's five year Species Action Framework programme ended in March 2012. This unique programme has advanced conservation and management action for 32 of Scotland's select species - including beaver, red squirrel, sea eagle, capercaillie, freshwater pearl mussel, great yellow bumblebee and woolly willow and invasive non-native species such as North American signal crayfish. For Saving Species Brett Westwood travels up to the Scottish Natural Heritage conference in Edinburgh to discuss the results of this 5 year programme with the movers and shakers in Scotlands wildlife conservation. Presented by Brett Westwood. Produced by Mary Colwell.

The Living Deadwood. Trai Anfield is in ancient woodland in North Yorkshire known for its deadwood bugs led by passionate invertebrate expert Roger Key. Produced by Andrew Dawes

Brett Westwood travels to the Brecon Beacons to see the a very unusual lichen. Sausages lichen hang from tree branches as long thin strands like uncombed and sparse straggly hair. This lichen is now being spotted locations in south Wales and there are hopes its fortunes are improving as it spreads east. Mark Day has been to The Koytendag Nature Reserve (formerly known as the Kugitang Nature Reserve, established in 1986) located in the Lebap province of Turkmenistan. The reserve is home to the globally endangered markhor, a large wild mountain goat. The hope is to bring worldwide recognition and protection for its unique landscapes, and the wealth of rare plants and animals found in Koytendag as well as bringing benefits to local communities through tourism. Plus wildlife news round up from Kelvin Boot. Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Sheena Duncan