Coast and Country

Felicity Evans visits the South Wales international school set up to promote world peace.

Helen Mark explores the myths and legends of the Snowdonian landscape

Helen Mark explores the idea being the Lake District as the Adventure Capital of the UK

Helen Mark explores the transformed landscape of the National Forest in Leicestershire

Clare Balding walks with naturalist, author & TV presenter, Steve Backshall. Together they stroll along his favourite stretch of the Thames from Bourne End to Boulter's Lock in Buckinghamshire. Steve is best known for presenting CBBC's 'Deadly 60', and has recently started writing children's fiction - his first book is 'Tiger Wars', about a group of renegade children who become involved with tiger poaching in India. He spends a lot of time filming abroad so Clare was lucky to catch up with him on his home patch. As they wander along the Thames, Steve explains that his love of the outdoors began when - as a child - his parents sent him and his sister out to play and told them not to come back until it was dark. This kind of 'feral' (as he put it) freedom developed in him an enduring passion for the natural world.

Clare Balding walks with Simon Evans and his family along a tributary of the Usk, in the shadow of the Sugar Loaf. Simon is a passionate fisherman and river conservationist who works for the Wye and Usk Foundation. Simon's wife Hazel and their two children - Freya and Arlo - also joined in... Freya contributing musical accompaniment (Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his nose...) and Arlo narrowly avoiding tree-branches from his elevated position in Simon's backpack. A highlight was discovering otter spraint under a bridge - concrete evidence of recent otter activity. It's lilac-scented although perhaps not (as Clare pointed out) enough to warrant taking it home and putting it in her sock drawer...

Clare Balding walks around the RSPB reserve at Rainham Marshes in Essex with the actor, Samuel West.

Clare Balding continues her series of wildlife walks with a visit to Dublin Bay, Ireland. Famous Irish naturalist and environmentalist Eanna Ni Lamhna and husband, John Harding, join Clare on a hunt for geese on a football pitch, curlew and dolphins along the Irish coast. On the walk from Sandymount Strand they discuss deadly seafood, James Joyce, Molly Malone and Ulysses, and catch some peculiarly named insects in an umbrella.

Clare Balding goes on a series of Holiday hikes. This podcast is a repeat of her walk in the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland in 2002. Clare is joined by environmentalist and well-known broadcaster Eanna Ni Lamhna in this fabulous walking country. She™is a mine of information on many subjects and keeps Clare entertained as they climb - to be rewarded by a view of the lakes of Glendalough. Producer: Lucy Lunt, BBC Birmingham

Clare Balding joins Nicola Hicks, an award winning British artist and sculptor, to discover wildlife in London. They discuss Nicola's unique artistic approach to wildlife and the contrast (and perils)of city versus country living. Along the route they encounter unusual horses, birds and deer - and try to stop their dogs repeating the infamous youtube "Fenton!" incident. Finally Clare reveals where you can find perhaps the best (and least known) view of the the whole city...

The beaching of twenty six pilot whales in Scotland Moray Forth made headlines, Richard Uridge travels further to the Moray Firth, to test the health of its mammal population.

Helen Mark goes "doon the watter" to explore the Isle of Bute of the West Coast of Scotland.

Jules Hudson explores the history of Richmond Castle and the surrounding landscape

Helen Mark explores the Gwent Levels, an extreme low lying area of the Severn Estuary.

Helen Mark is in Ireland, looking at attitudes down the centuries to the peat bogs