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Are you wanting to learn more about british nature? Well you’ve come to the right place. This is a curated list of the best british nature podcasts of 2021.
We have selected these podcasts for a variety of reasons, but they are all well worth a listen. We tried to select a variety of podcasts across the spectrum from hosts with a wide breadth of experience.
Best British Nature Podcasts 2021
With thanks to ListenNotes, Crunchbase, SemRush and Ahrefs for providing the data to create and rank these podcasts.
The Stubborn Light of Things
- Publisher: Melissa Harrison
- Total Episodes: 29
I am a nature writer and novelist, and I’m lucky enough to be able to walk out of my cottage straight into Suffolk’s beautiful open countryside. For six months – as spring 2020 broke over the British Isles, and summer turned to autumn – I documented the wonder and richness of the natural world and the changing seasons and brought the outdoors into as many locked-down homes as I could.
Nature Tripping
- Publisher: Jo Kennedy and Cathy Shaw
- Total Episodes: 13
Jo and Cathy go out to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of nature at various locations around the British Isles. Join them as they chat about the wildlife around them and listen in to their surroundings.
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
- Publisher: Loyal Books
- Total Episodes: 25
Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” gives an in-depth discussion of different economic principles like the productivity, division of labor and free markets. Although written and published more than 200 years ago, it’s still hailed as one of the most original works in the field of economics and is still used as a reference by many modern economists. “An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” is the complete title of this book and it was first published in 1776, the same year that the American colonies declared their independence from Britain. It’s interesting to note that Adam Smith once suggested to British authorities before this year that they should let the colonies be represented in the British parliament because of the contributions they give to the British Empire. But as we all know, they didn’t follow his suggestion and the Americans in defiance of British rule declared their independence. Experts at the time argued that if the British only followed Smith’s suggestion, the American Revolution wouldn’t have happened. Aside from this, Adam Smith had many other brilliant ideas about politics and economics, many of which were discussed in this book. He was the first economist to make an in-depth analysis about the division of labor, how it affects productivity, and what real price is. He also explained in this book the reasons why he opposed mercantilism, an economic theory which was very popular during that time. Then, he recommended and discussed here why free trade is better for nations. This was one of the first books about economics which advocates free trade. This concept is very important in modern economics and have now been embraced by most of the whole world. “The Wealth of Nations” is an indispensable work that every student of economics should read. It’s a timeless classic and many of the concepts discussed in it are still valid today.
English Trips
- Publisher: Babbel
- Total Episodes: 14
Forces of nature in the American wilderness, life at a British boarding school, or bilingual naming in Hong Kong – join us on our adventures throughout the English-speaking world with real stories told by native speakers, all in a learner-friendly format to help you improve your English step-by-step.
Diabetes: From Beta Cells to Bicycles
- Publisher: BC Diabetes Research Network
- Total Episodes: 10
In our first season, host Krista Lamb sits down with six prominent diabetes researchers in British Columbia, discussing the many aspects of diabetes research and the exciting work being done in the province. “From Beta Cells to Bicycles” refers to the multi-disciplinary nature of diabetes research in BC – from lab bench discoveries to nutrition and exercise sciences– BCDRN researchers are working on many fronts to expand what we know about diabetes, while working towards a cure.
The Bald Explorer Podcast
- Publisher: The Bald Explorer Podcast
- Total Episodes: 33
Richard Vobes, the Bald Explorer, explores the fabulous heritage, landscape and nature of the British Isles through sound and pictures.
Hunting & Fishing British Columbia
- Publisher: Robert Koopmans
- Total Episodes: 81
A podcast about fishing and hunting, wildlife, nature and outdoor pursuits in magnificent British Columbia (BC) and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans and every week, I talk with people on a wide variety of topics and issues related to wild things. Some specific topics include fly-fishing, chironomids, hunting mule deer, bow hunting and learning all that’s required to become good in the field with archery equipment. I have lived in Kamloops for nearly 30 years and have come to love all aspects of the outdoors in B.C., from our great stillwater fishing lakes to our wild mountains, prime fishing rivers, incredible rainbow trout and spectacular scenery. There is so much to talk about when it comes to the outdoors in British Columbia, and I hope to provide outdoors folk with a wide range of meaningful information about so many of the outdoors activities that have become my life’s passion. Please subscribe, and let me know what you want to hear about by sending email to info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Department of Sociology Podcasts
- Publisher: Oxford University
- Total Episodes: 110
Podcasts from The Department of Sociology. Sociology in Oxford is concerned with real-world issues with policy relevance, such as social inequality, organised crime, the social basis of political conflict and mobilization, and changes in family relationships and gender roles. Our research is empirical, analytical, and comparative in nature, reaching far beyond British society, to encompass systematic cross-national comparison as well as the detailed study of Asian, European, Latin American and North American societies.
The Monkey’s Paw by W. W. Jacobs
- Publisher: Loyal Books
- Total Episodes: 1
An eerie supernatural story, The Monkey’s Paw follows the White family as they come to realize that nothing in life comes without a price or at the simple push of a button. First published in 1902, the short story powerfully suggests that one should not interfere with the course of nature, as cheating fate can result in unforeseen consequences that leave one with more than they bargained for. Set in England, the tale opens on a dark and stormy night inside Laburnam Villa, home to Mr. and Mrs. White and their adult son Herbert. Unlike the gloomy weather outside, the atmosphere inside the house is quite the contrary, as Mr. White and his son are playing a game of chess, while Mrs. White is knitting by the warmth of the fireplace. Shortly after, they are visited by Sergeant-Major Morris, a family friend who has been serving in the British Army in India for a number of years. Recounting some of his exploits during his time in India, Morris decides to share with them a mystical object that is known to have an extraordinary power. Consequently, he takes out a mummified monkey’s paw from his pocket and begins to tell them the legend surrounding the mystical object. Although he reveals that the paw has the power to grant three wishes, he also emphasizes its drastic repercussions, as he tells them of the distressing effect the paw has brought both him and its previous possessors. In a moment of anguish, Morris throws the paw into the fire, but Mr. White quickly retrieves it and manages to convince Morris to sell it to him and show him how it works. Ignoring Morris’s stern warnings, the Whites are in for quite the surprise as they slowly begin to understand the effects of disrupting the course of destiny. Regarded as one of the greatest horror stories in history, The Monkey’s Paw is sure to send a shiver down one’s spine with its uncanny atmosphere, as it allows the audience to develop the supernatural elements in their minds, which in turn only strengthens and prolongs the psychological effect of the tale. Withstanding the test of time, the intense plot ultimately validates the story’s leading position in the horror genre and justifies its influence for various adaptations.
A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great by John B. Bury
- Publisher: Loyal Books
- Total Episodes: 43
For the Irish historian John Bagnell Bury, history should be treated as a science and not a mere branch of literature. Many contemporary histories written in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century were poetic and heroic in tone, blending fact and fiction, myths and legends. They sometimes relied on sources from Shakespeare and classical poets. For Bury, the facts of history may be legendary or romantic in nature, but they should be recounted in a scholarly and non-judgmental manner, without the accompanying emotions. His aim was simply to “tell history as it happened.” A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great was first published in 1900. It went on to become a standard text in many colleges and was used as a definitive guide to our understanding of the pre-Hellenistic kingdoms. Richly supplemented with maps and columnar notes, the book deals with its subject in an academic manner, but it is a work which is easily accessible to the ordinary reader as well. There are many interesting illustrations from antiquities in the British Museum and photographs of busts from various art galleries. There are 18 chapters, portraying the beginnings of Ancient Greece in the Heroic Age. The author is also concerned about how previous histories of Ancient Greece have largely ignored the Greek presence in Persia, Asia Minor, Italy and Sicily while emphasizing the Greek history of Sparta and Athens. Later chapters deal with Athenian democracy, Pericles and the Golden Age, the advance of the Persians, the Peloponnesian war and the decline of Athenian Greece, the rise of Thebes, the Syracusan empire, the rise of Macedonia and the final conquest of Persia and East Asia. There is also an interesting chapter on Aristotle and Alexander. Aristotle’s background and how he became Alexander’s teacher, the differing visions that tutor and pupil held about the ideal city-state and the ultimate influence that these ideas had on the development of Europe are discussed in the last chapter. Bury was a young genius who became a Fellow at Trinity College Dublin at the young age of 24 and a professor at Cambridge, where he taught both history and Greek, before he was forty. His interests included medieval studies and philology. His works cover a range of subjects including Greek and Byzantine history and the role of the Church and the Papacy in the 19th century. Though some of the information in this book may be a little dated following new studies, technological advances and discoveries uncovered by the latest research, it is extremely readable and interesting. A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great is a historical and interesting read.
Oh Sugar: A Bake Off Bake Along
- Publisher: Oh Sugar
- Total Episodes: 12
Hosts and die hard GBBO fans Lauren Auerbach and Rachael Martel watch and recap The Great British Bake Off while baking along to the signature challenges. Just listen to our antics or bake along with us. We’d love to see your photos or hear your bake along stories at ohsugarpod@gmail.com
Unreality of Time, The by MCTAGGART, John
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Total Episodes: 1
John McTaggart was a British metaphysician and philosophical idealist. In this famous article for the periodical Mind, he introduced the notion of the A, B and C series, which was to become a leading theory in explaining the nature of time.
Tale of Two Cities (version 2), A by DICKENS, Charles
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Total Episodes: 45
A Tale of Two Cities (1859) is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. With well over 200 million copies sold, it is among the most famous works of fiction. The novel depicts the plight of the French peasantry demoralized by the French aristocracy in the years leading up to the revolution, the corresponding brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries toward the former aristocrats in the early years of the revolution, and many unflattering social parallels with life in London during the same time period. It follows the lives of several protagonists through these events. The most notable are Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. Darnay is a French once-aristocrat who falls victim to the indiscriminate wrath of the revolution despite his virtuous nature, and Carton is a dissipated British barrister who endeavours to redeem his ill-spent life out of his unrequited love for Darnay’s wife, Lucie Manette. (Introduction by Wikipedia)
Black Ivory by BALLANTYNE, R. M.
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Total Episodes: 25
Although the book’s title Black Ivory denotes dealing in the slave trade it is not our heroes who are doing it. At the very first chapter there is a shipwreck, which leaves the son of the charterer of the sinking ship, and a seaman friend of his, alone on the east coast of Africa, where Arab and Portuguese slave traders were still carrying out their evil trade, despite the great efforts of patrolling British warships to limit it and free the unfortunates whom they found being carried away in the Arab dhows.Our heroes encountered a slave trader almost at the very spot where they come ashore, and thereby managed to get to Zanzibar in a British warship that had captured the trader’s dhow in which our friends had hitched a lift.At Zanzibar they pick up some funds, and set forth on a journey into the interior. Here again they encounter the vile trade, but most of the story deals with other encounters of a more acceptable nature.This book will open your eyes to what really went on. At the time of writing slave-dealing on the west coast of Africa was, due to the efforts of the British, almost extinct, but this was not the case on the east coast. (Summary courtesy of Nick Hodson, http://www.athelstane.co.uk)
Maoriland Fairy Tales by HOWES, Edith
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Total Episodes: 28
Most of the tales have some basis in history. It is an oral language so all histories have to be remembered and retold. To help with this memory retelling the carvings all have relative information and prompts, stories of Atua (sort of gods) and other people (pakeha) that have been encountered are all blended into the stories. One of the amazing things to listen to is a person’s whakapapa (family line). My son’s father can tell his whakapapa right back to first landing in the canoe Aotea. It takes hours with the stories of battles, moving and resettling and then the invasion of British soldiers and settlers. Those pale fairies in one of the recent stories would most probably have been Malaysian or Portugese fishermen/explorers. The Tikanga (way to behave/live) is quite strict and the stories support keeping people in line. This strictness is a kind of policing I think because it doesn’t matter what time in history or what country, human nature doesn’t change. There are greedy, silly, great and strong leaders and followers throughout time. A Taniwha is often found in a tapu (sacred or restricted place) That might be a dangerous bend in a river, a place where currents catch people and drag the out to sea or a place in the forest that is sacred so the elders don’t want people wandering around in there. There taniwha could be from a spirit of someone or put there by the Atua as a guardian. A taniwha can also be friendly it depends on the place and it’s history. It is interesting to think about the origins and reasons behind these stories. Some like Hatupatu are based on fact but also retold to tell people about abuse of power and underestimating people. Maori are great strategists. If you can find the DVDs ‘The Maori Wars’ you will see the difficulty the British had when trying to beat these mighty warriors. Tha’ts why they finally had to sign the Waitangi Treaty (as ambiguous as it is) because they just couldn’t beat them. (Summary by mareab)
Lee Coombs Podcast
- Publisher: Lee Coombs
- Total Episodes: 2
British-born Lee Coombs has been DJing since 1989, when he got his start at acid house parties in London and Cambridge. He went on to run several of his own labels and collaborate with some of the most respected artists and producers in his field, combining breaks, house, electro, techno, and acid to create groundbreaking mixes in his own signature style. Coombs is a talented and innovative fan-favorite around the world, whether he’s releasing music through his own Thrust Recordings or as part of the Lot49 team, or mesmerizing massive audiences filling dance floors from Australia to Burning Man.
Masquerader, The by THURSTON, Katherine Cecil
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Total Episodes: 11
The Masquerader is one of two Katherine Cecil Thurston’s books that appeared on the Publisher’s Weekly best-seekers list in 1905 (The other, The Gambler, is also in the Librivox collection). The Masquerader is part mystery, part romance and part political thriller – all tied up in one neat package. Nature has a way of sometimes making two people nearly indistinguishable in appearance. Such is the premise for this book. John Chilcote, a British politician, and John Loder, a man down on his luck meet by accident one night during one of London’s worst fogs. Chilcote, addicted to morphine, needs to escape his political responsibilities and presents an offer to Loder to exchange places occasionally. Loder, reluctant at first, finally accepts the proposal and finds he fits into Chilcote’s role – perhaps better than Chilcote himself. The exchanges become more frequent and lengthy. Loder, finding his way, discovers he is worthy of Chilcote’s position, especially during an international crisis, but when Chilcote reclaims his life, Loder’s accomplishments try to unravel. Two women are intimately involved in this story – one is Chilcote’s wife, Eve, who is a wife of convenience rather than love. The second is Lady Astrupp. We will say little about Lady Astrupp except that she adds a great deal of suspense to the story. In such a charade, things do not always go as expected. Does Chilcote break his drug habit? What becomes of Loder? Does Eve become suspicious as a wife might? Is the masquerade exposed by……but then I would be telling you more than you should know beforehand.(Summary by Tom Weiss)
GC Capital Ideas
- Publisher: Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC
- Total Episodes: 19
Knowledge is power. And in today’s turbulent (re)insurance marketplace, having timely and informed insights is fundamental to making successful decisions. These GCCapitalIdeas.com podcasts are your newest tool for keeping pace with the changing nature of risk and are a featured component of our intellectual capital site that was just awarded “Reinsurance Broker Inititative of the Year” at the 2009 British Insurance Awards.
Politics Points North
- Publisher: Anya Media
- Total Episodes: 3
A response to the London-centric nature of British politics: “Politics Points North” is a podcast series presented by Will Sadler (Anya Media) that includes interviews with politically minded people and politicians from the North of England, and explores how political developments nationally and internationally have an impact on the region.
Stories Less Spoken
- Publisher: Cole Kelly
- Total Episodes: 13
Stories Less Spoken (SLS) is a storytelling podcast that brings you stories written and performed by artists from British Columbia. Hosted by Cole Kelly, a poet, traveller and former journalist, who introduces our writers and performers with wit and charisma. Come with us, as we explore the most compelling part of our nature, as we bring these tales to life through spoken word performance and the magic of the microphone.
