Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s podcast returns with a third series of Unearthed: Nature needs us

Wildlife extinction rates are soaring, and natural habitats are degrading faster than ever. Amid this global biodiversity crisis, the third Unearthed: Nature needs us podcast series from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is more than just a series of discussions - it’s a vital dialogue about the future of our planet.

Narrated by Dr Mya-Rose Craig, an environmentalist, ornithologist, and diversity activist known as Birdgirl, the third series of the award-winning podcast takes a deeper look into transformative and nature-based solutions that harness the innate strategies biodiversity can inspire us with.

Unearthed explores the essential connections in nature’s web – from the microscopic life in our soils to the expansive forest canopies that sustain our world. Each episode highlights Kew’s pioneering research and showcases real-world conservation projects, such as seed banking, which are critical for preserving our planet’s biodiversity.

Dr Craig discusses the complex ecological networks that offer revolutionary approaches to conservation. The journey through unseen layers of nature, from the microbial to the canopy level, demonstrates how every element is vital for life on Earth.

Dr Craig says: “With a huge increase in critically endangered wildlife, extinction is rapidly increasing with many habitats under strain. In Unearthed, myself and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew invite you to explore how plant and fungal knowledge can be harnessed to change our planet for the better. In this new series, I take you on a journey from soil to sky, scaling the tangle of nature’s systems and interactions to help us tackle the biodiversity loss and climate change crises.”

Isabel Larridon, Head of Accelerated Taxonomy at RBG Kew, says: “Facing the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and their partners around the globe are working tirelessly to better understand plant and fungal diversity to help deliver science-based data to policymakers that will help inform conservation efforts. In our own lives, there are many things we can do to relieve some of the pressure on nature, such as reducing our carbon footprint, advocating for nature, or even reducing our food waste and changing our diets to include less meat and dairy. Hopefully, listeners will pick up on some of these solutions to the challenges we face today through this podcast and realise that the environment is in peril, and nature needs us to save it.”

The podcast serves as a blueprint for the future, granting listeners unprecedented access to innovative conservation techniques essential for biodiversity preservation in our changing climate, such as the use of new technologies to protect our pollinators.

Dr Craig and her guests tackle real-world applications of scientific knowledge, from restoring ecosystems to initiating sustainable agricultural practices. These discussions highlight how integrating traditional wisdom with scientific innovation can forge impactful environmental strategies.

Throughout the series, listeners are invited to explore a variety of pressing topics, in each episode, including:

• Episode 1: Plan and protect - The importance of protecting plants and fungi
• Episode 2: Soil - Why we can’t let soil degrade
• Episode 3: Seed - How seed banking is crucial to human life
• Episode 4: Pollination and threat - Ensuring our pollinators can thrive
• Episode 5: Regeneration - Supporting the regeneration of habitats
• Episode 6: Systems and scale - How plants and fungi create the world as we know it

Episodes are released bi-weekly on all major podcast platforms and address how these issues are interconnected with human behaviours and global practices, urging a deeper understanding and proactive engagement with nature.

Encouraging listeners to reconsider their relationship with the planet, Unearthed: Nature needs us is a call to action for everyone, from policymakers to individuals, urging choices that promote sustainable living.

The series is made and produced by Fresh Air Production.