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What happens to Britain’s birds when they leave Britain?Richard Prideaux and Callum McInerney-Riley are joined by Mark Nowers, RSPB Turtle Dove Conservation Adviser in Essex and one of the people behind Operation Turtle Dove. Recorded in the middle of autumn migration, they start by looking upwards. Redwings are arriving from Scandinavia and Iceland, geese are coming in from Siberia, other birds are simply passing through, and some will travel thousands of miles further south. Mark explains the flyways connecting Britain to the Arctic, Europe and Africa, how bird ringing and satellite trackers transformed what we know about migration, and why people once genuinely believed swallows spent the winter at the bottom of ponds. Then things get more complicated. Atlantic storms, food failures and warmer winters all have an effect on migrating birds. And a bad year for lemmings in the Arctic can eventually show up in the number of young Brent geese arriving in Britain. Which raises a bigger question: are they actually “our” birds? A conversation about bird migration, but really about how thoroughly connected the natural world is. In this episodeWhy mid-October is one of the busiest times for bird migration in BritainThe East Atlantic Flyway and where Britain’s winter visitors come fromWhy people once thought swallows spent winter underwaterHow ringing developed into satellite trackingStorms, vagrant birds and arrivals from North AmericaBramblings, waxwings and birds moving in search of foodClimate change winners and losersThe surprisingly important connection between lemmings, Arctic foxes and Brent geeseWhether a migratory bird can really belong to one countryTurtle doves, hunting pressure and conservation across an entire flywayWhat farmers can do for farmland birds, and why funding mattersLinksOperation Turtle DoveRSPB: Turtle DoveBTO: Bird Migration – A MasterclassBTO Cuckoo Tracking ProjectBTO BirdTrackSideCountrySupport SideCountry on Patreon DISCLAIMER Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

What does “wild” actually mean in a country where almost every landscape bears the mark of people? George Browne and Richard Prideaux are joined by archaeologist and author Eloise Kane, whose book Wilderlands: The Human History of Wild Britain traces 12,000 years of our changing relationship with the natural world. Starting with the extraordinary antler headdresses found at Star Carr, the conversation moves through ancient field boundaries, hunting, domestication, introduced species and deliberately designed landscapes to ask how much of what we think of as natural has actually been shaped by human hands. There are brown hares that arrived thousands of years after people did, man-made landscapes that now feel completely wild, red kites moving from pest to conservation success story, and wolves that have become symbols of both what Britain has lost and what some people would like to bring back. That leads into the modern arguments around rewilding, access, wild camping and our tendency to value nature most when it behaves in the way we would like it to. Do we really want wildness, or do we want the appearance of it without the inconvenience? Rather than searching for some perfect point in the past to recreate, Eloise argues for using history to understand the landscape we actually have. The fact that somewhere bears our mark does not automatically make it less valuable. Useful Links - Wilderlands: The Human History of Wild Britain - Eloise Kane on Bluesky - Star Carr Archaeology Project - SideCountry - Support SideCountry on Patreon DISCLAIMER Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

What happens when going outdoors becomes content? Social media has encouraged huge numbers of people to walk, camp and spend time in the mountains. But it has also created an industry of outdoor influencers, brand deals and increasingly dramatic content, where looking adventurous can sometimes matter more than knowing what you're doing. Richard Prideaux is joined by Scotty, better known as Scotty on the Summit, a former Royal Navy aeronautical engineer with years spent working alongside commando units and a lifelong background in the outdoors. Scotty began posting online to share what he had learned, but quickly found himself frustrated by the images and narrative circulating through hiking social media. They discuss how misinformation gets repeated, why risky-looking content performs so well, and the role outdoor brands and marketing agencies can play when free kit and social reach become more valuable than experience. But where does encouraging people outside end and responsibility begin? Richard and Scotty look at the accusation of gatekeeping, why qualifications and professional instruction still matter, and what can happen when somebody sees an experienced-looking person doing something risky online and assumes they can safely do the same. The conversation also gets into navigation, weather, route planning, GPS, map and compass skills, clothing, mountain rescue and the satisfaction that comes from learning the craft rather than simply completing the route. Because perhaps the answer isn't to stop listening to people on the internet or stop encouraging people into the hills. It is to make competence something worth aspiring to. Competence is cool. In this episode: How outdoor social media became dominated by influencers and brand contentWhy bad advice spreads so easily onlineFree kit, sponsorship and the pressure to make things look extremeWhen adventurous content starts influencing real-world riskIs talking about experience and training really gatekeeping?The difference between encouraging people outdoors and preparing them properlyWhy professional guides, instructors and qualifications still matterLearning navigation rather than simply following a GPS routeMap, compass, weather and route-planning skillsThe value of self-reliance in the mountainsWhy outdoor brands need to think about who represents their productsVisibility, clothing choices and being found if something goes wrongTaking pride in learning a craft properlyWhy competence is coolUseful links: Scotty on the Summit on InstagramMountain Training: Hill SkillsSupport the SideCountry NetworkMountain Training: Mountain SkillsAdventureSmart UKMountain Rescue England and Wales: Stay SafeSideCountry NetworkOrdnance Survey: Map Skills DISCLAIMER Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

What is a forest actually for? Richard Prideaux is joined by Nick Adams, forestry contractor, SideCountry writer and a man whose family has been following each other into the woods for generations. This episode was recorded at the 50th anniversary APF show at Ragley Estate on 24th September 2026. Surrounded by chainsaws, woodchippers and some extremely expensive machinery, they start with the less visible side of forestry: the people who actually plant, manage and harvest Britain's woods, and the strange disconnect between our enthusiasm for trees and our understanding of timber as something we use every day. They discuss the competing demands placed on modern woodland, from producing timber and storing carbon to supporting wildlife and providing somewhere for people to walk, ride and spend time outdoors. Can a forest really do all of those things at once, and should it have to? Richard and Nick then sit down with Andrew Sowerby, President of the Institute of Chartered Foresters, to look at the bigger picture. The conversation ranges from Britain's reliance on imported timber and the very long timescales of forestry to labour shortages, apprenticeships, woodland management, public procurement and the challenge of attracting people into careers that might shape landscapes they will never live long enough to see mature. And with technology changing work across almost every industry, there is one fairly reassuring conclusion: however clever AI becomes, somebody is still going to have to go outside and plant the trees. In this Episode: What the APF show tells us about modern British forestryThe people behind the machineryWhy timber is an everyday resource we rarely noticeBalancing timber production, wildlife, carbon and recreationWhy productive forestry and biodiversity do not have to be oppositesPublic perceptions of felling and woodland managementWhat makes a Chartered ForesterBritain's reliance on imported timberForestry, resilience and national securityPlanning woodland on timescales measured in decadesThe forestry labour shortageApprenticeships and bringing new people into the industryThe challenges facing contractors and small forestry businessesWhy forestry could offer opportunities in a changing jobs marketWhat AI cannot replace in the relationship between people and trees Links: - RFS Branching out film - APF Exhibition - Forestry Contracting Association - Institute of Chartered Foresters - Royal Forestry Society - Support SideCountry Part of the SideCountry Network. DISCLAIMER Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

Should you be allowed to head into a Welsh river and pan for gold? After a repeat offender was convicted of illegally gold panning at Coed y Brenin, George Browne, Richard Prideaux and Amy Green look at what seems like a fairly harmless countryside hobby and the much bigger questions sitting underneath it. They discuss Welsh gold, who owns it, why disturbing river gravel can matter for spawning fish, and whether prosecuting one gold panner is really an effective use of environmental enforcement. From there, the conversation broadens into access versus impact. What happens when a quiet activity becomes popular? Can education and self-policing work better than simply banning things? And does social media inevitably turn good countryside spots into honeypots? That leads from mountain biking and bothies to commercial mushroom picking, foraging pressure and the strange reality of people fighting over valuable fungi in Welsh forests. In this episode: Geology, rock hounding and reading the landscapeWelsh gold and the history of gold miningThe Coed y Brenin gold-panning prosecutionWho owns gold and silver found in BritainGold panning and salmon spawning habitatAccess versus environmental impactThe tragedy of the commonsMountain biking, bothies and countryside honeypotsSocial media and the pressure on popular placesCommercial mushroom picking and wild foodEducation, self-policing and responsible accessLinks: Natural Resources Wales: Repeat offender convicted for illegal gold panning The Crown Estate: Commercial exploration of Mines Royal Natural Resources Wales: Coed y Brenin Natural Resources Wales: Welsh salmon remain in crisis Mountain Bothies Association Support SideCountry DISCLAIMER Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

Why are mountain rescue teams seeing more callouts when the mountains themselves have not changed? After Llanberis Mountain Rescue reported 59 incidents in August alone, Richard Prideaux, George Browne and Amy Green look at what is driving the increase. They discuss changing attitudes to risk, the influence of social media, poor preparation, navigation, hypothermia and the small decisions that can turn a straightforward day in the hills into an emergency. Richard also draws on his background in mountain leadership, outdoor safety and mountain rescue to explain why experience, judgement and self-reliance still matter, and why fitness alone is not enough. The conversation also looks at the volunteers behind mountain and lowland search and rescue, preventative safety education, and the simple skills that can help people enjoy the outdoors more safely. In this episode: Why mountain rescue callouts are risingChanging attitudes to risk and self-relianceSocial media and outdoor expectationsHypothermia, navigation and fading daylightWhy problems often start long before the emergencyMountain Leader training and qualified guidesMountain and lowland search and rescueOutdoor first aid and navigation skillsHow to support your local rescue teamLinks: Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team Mountain Rescue England and Wales AdventureSmart UK and Ireland BMC hill walking skills and safety Lowland Rescue Support SideCountry DISCLAIMER Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

What connects baking sourdough, climbing mountains, keeping chickens, deer stalking, forestry, fishing, farming and knowing how to sharpen a chainsaw? In this episode - broqadcast across every show on the SideCountry Network - Richard Prideaux and George Browne attempt to explain what SideCountry actually is, why it was built, and where the network is heading. They start with George’s idea of the “sourdough pipeline”: the idea that apparently unrelated countryside interests are often connected by the same desire to learn, make, understand and do things for yourself. From there, they look at how SideCountry brings those worlds together - not as one enormous general-interest podcast, but as a network of shows, articles, films and resources covering different parts of life in the British countryside. They also explain why SideCountry aims to occupy some of the ground between the usual rural tribes and echo chambers; bringing farmers, foresters, anglers, shooters, walkers, conservationists, climbers and others into the same wider conversation without insisting that every subject needs a simple good-versus-bad answer. Richard and George discuss plans to establish SideCountry as a Community Interest Company, how the project will be funded, why commercial income will be reinvested into the network, and the importance of maintaining editorial independence. There is also a look at what’s already here - SideCountry, Countryslide and Fish and Game - and some of what is coming next, including Wild Food People, a forestry show, How the Countryside Works and Land Girls, alongside articles, gear guides, practical resources and films. Plus drive-by agronomy, aggressive protein acquisition, Kevlar kilts, Heath Robinson smokers, professional explaining and the continuing possibility of a company yacht. This episode is being published across the SideCountry podcast feeds as an introduction to the wider network.Find out more, sign up for the newsletter or get involved at sidecountry.co.uk. CreditsPresented by George Browne and Richard Prideaux Produced and edited for SideCountry by Amy Green. DISCLAIMER Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

Britain's 2026 harvest has been brutally early, dry and disappointing. With cereal yields down across much of the country, the obvious story is drought. But the economics underneath it may be more important. Herefordshire farmer Martin Williams joins Richard Prideaux and Richard Negus to explain why he decided last year not to grow cereals at all. What follows is a wider conversation about the business of British farming: shrinking margins, fertiliser and fuel costs, SFI, global grain markets, dairy, land prices, mixed farming, anaerobic digestion and solar. They also look at the uncomfortable question of what farmers should actually do when producing food no longer offers the best return from their land. Martin argues that British agriculture is already consolidating, that policy has helped shape some decidedly odd business decisions, and that adapting to a changing climate will require more than simply hoping next year's weather is kinder. The conversation finishes with water: storing more of it, keeping more of it in soils, sharing it better, and using it to build farming businesses capable of coping with hotter summers and wetter winters. Plus: Poldark, recreational tillage and the important distinction between a Merlo and a bottle of Merlot. In this episodeWhy Martin Williams decided not to grow cereals this yearWhat the 2026 harvest looks like across England and ScotlandWhy wheat margins have become increasingly difficult for some farmersThe impact of fertiliser, diesel and other input costsHow SFI and agricultural policy are influencing cropping decisionsWhy a poor UK harvest does not necessarily mean higher food pricesGlobal grain markets, Russia and the importance of logisticsLand values, agricultural borrowing and the strange economics of farmlandWhy dairy farmers can be buying and selling cows at the same timeWhether British farming could ever return to more mixed farming systemsThe long-term decline in the number of farms and the consolidation of agricultureEnergy crops, anaerobic digestion and the debate around food versus fuelSolar farms, land use and what happens to agricultural land over the long termHow climate change and increasingly erratic weather affect farm resilienceWhy Martin thinks water storage and water management should be a priority for British farmingThe role of collaboration, farm reservoirs and soil organic matter in adapting to drier summersLinksSustainable Farming Incentive 2026 — Defra guidanceAgricultural Industries Confederation (AIC)AIC policy team — including Ed BarkerLloyds Bank agriculture — with Ben MakowieckiFuture Biogas — anaerobic digestion and energy cropsTurriff ShowNational Farmers’ UnionDefra drought support — including funding for on-farm reservoirsDefra guidance on farming during prolonged dry weather and droughtCreditsPresented by Richard Negus and Richard Prideaux Produced for SideCountry by George Browne and edited by Amy Green.  DISCLAIMER Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

Do Britain’s uplands need more management, less management, or simply a different kind? Recorded at The Game Fair 2026, Richard Negus and George Browne are joined by Dr Nick Hesford and Dr Felix Meister of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust to examine the red grouse and the much larger argument surrounding its habitat. The conversation ranges across heather moorland, muirburn, wildfire, legal predator control, grouse disease and GWCT’s long-running research into falling breeding productivity. Nick and Felix set out the Trust’s interpretation of the evidence and explain why they see red grouse management as a driver of benefits for curlew, lapwing, golden plover, black grouse and rural communities. They also confront the politics around grouse shooting, the idea that management is inherently bad, and the difficulty of getting competing camps to look at the same landscape together. Rewilding, ecosystem services and changing Scottish policy all enter the discussion, along with the deceptively simple question beneath it: if nobody manages the moor, what happens next? In this episode Why heather moorland is rare, valuable and politically contestedWhat GWCT’s long-term red grouse monitoring is beginning to revealMuirburn, peat, carbon and the distinction between prescribed fire and wildfirePredator control, the Otterburn experiment and ground-nesting birdsLouping ill, strongyle worms, ticks and grouse breeding productivityThe class politics surrounding grouse shooting and conservationRewilding, ecosystem services and the reality that every land use creates winners and losersHow joint monitoring can bring gamekeepers and raptor workers onto common groundLinks GWCT guide to conservation and grouse moorsThe Moorland Balance — GWCT’s detailed guide to grouse and moorland managementGWCT’s 2026 red grouse research updatePredator control and moorland birds — the Otterburn experimentGWCT Scotland team — Nick Hesford and Felix MeisterGWCT Scotland Moor Walks 2026Future Moors and changing upland policyNatureScot guidance on muirburn licensingScottish Government independent review of grouse moor management — the Werritty ReportPresented by Richard Negus and George Browne Edited and Produced for SideCountry by Amy Green. DISCLAIMER Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

What makes a wildfire wild? In the first SideCountry episode, Richard Prideaux, George Browne and Amy Green follow that deceptively simple question into the increasingly urgent problem of fire in the British countryside. The conversation begins with a peregrine hitting George’s window and Australia’s alleged fire-spreading raptors, before turning to the fires that have affected moorland, woodland, farmland and communities across Britain. They discuss human ignition, disposable barbecues and campfires; the appeal of ‘voluntary outlawdom’ outdoors; and the difficult balance between greater access, personal freedom and responsibility. There are no neat answers. Rewetting, prescribed burning, cutting, grazing and changes in land management all enter the argument, along with climate change, fuel load, deep-burning peat and the tribal politics surrounding rewilding and grouse-moor management. The result is a wide-ranging discussion about risk, blame and what a more fire-resilient countryside might actually require — with a flaming buzzard, cultural burning and the Theft Act taking the occasional supporting role. In this episode Firehawks, peregrines and opportunistic wildlifeWhat British agencies and the public mean by ‘wildfire’Human ignition, disposable barbecues, lanterns and campfiresClimate change, dry weather and increasingly unpredictable conditionsRewetting, prescribed burning, cutting, grazing and fuel managementCool burns, deep peat fires and ecological damageAccess, freedom, responsibility and enforcementWhy the wildfire debate so quickly becomes ecopoliticalLinks Presented by Richard Prideaux, George Browne and Amy Green Edited and Produced for SideCountry by Amy Green. DISCLAIMER Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.