Best of Natural History Radio

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

Brambles. James Brickell is in mid Wales with botanist Ray Woods looking at the fascinating ecology surrounding the humble blackberry. Produced by Andrew Dawes

Ep 12 of 24: Plant a tree in 73" became a national slogan and very large numbers of trees have been planted over the decades since. Ash die back has been widely reported in many programmes, especially news, in recent weeks and in this programme we ask whether the call to plant trees and desire to create new woodlands has in any way contributed to this fungal attack on Ash trees. We also ask how serious a threat diseases are to our trees. 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

Alongside Myriapod expert Steve Gregory, Living World is in Oxfordshire on the search for for centipedes and millipedes. Presented by Chris Sperring/Produced by Andrew Dawes.

In Pursuit of the Ridiculous: Ep 5/5 - The Purple Emperor Matthew Oates is a complete fan of the rare purple emperor butterfly but meets his match in Neil Hume, a self-confessed addict of this insectsand its favoured woods. Produced by Brett Westwood

In Pursuit of the Ridiculous: 4/5 - Slugs and Snails After enduring a wet slug-filled summer Matthew Oates meets Mary Seddon, a biologist specialising in slugs and snails to find out why she finds the study of molluscs so compelling. Produced by Brett Westwood

In Pursuit of the Ridiculous: Ep 3/5 - Rare Orchids Most natural historians look for species, but today Matthew Oates meets botanists enthusing over some spectacular hybrid orchids with very rare parents. Produced by Brett Westwood

In Pursuit of the Ridiculous: Ep 2/5 - Twitching To outsiders, twitching can seem the most pointless of natural history activities. Matthew Oates meets Rob Lambert from the University of Nottingham to find out why he twitches. Produced by Brett Westwood.

In Pursuit of the Ridiculous - Ep 1/5: Water Beetle In the first of five programmes about naturalists and their pursuits, Matthew Oates goes hunting with Andy Foster, man obsessed for thirty years by a rare water-beetle. Produced by Brett Westwood.

Reporter Mark Brazil travels to the Gir Forest National Park in India to report on the plight of the last lions in Asia. A sanctuary set up in 1972 and now holds about 400 individuals. The Atlantic Goliath Grouper is a huge, majestic fish only found in significant numbers today off the coast of Florida. At up to 2.5m in lenght, they are outsized only by the few remaining sharks and they are critically endangered across their range due to historical overfishing. Helen Scales meets her first wild goliaths in the company of Dr Sarah Frias-Torres who is studying many aspects of these huge fish including a survey of scuba divers that she hopes will show that a goliath is worth more alive than dead. Paul Stancliffe brings the latest information on the invasion of Waxwings in the UK.