Wild Things Ii

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

Wild Ponies

20120227

They are some of the oldest wild inhabitants of the British Isles, they pulled Bronze Age chariots and feature in literature and paintings through the centuries. In a second series of Essays on five native wild animals, the poet and writer Ruth Padel investigates how our reactions to wild ponies have been subconsciously shaped by centuries of folklore, literature and biology.

From the shaggy Exmoor pony, 'Skipper', on whom she learned to ride, to the Shetland ponies who were often used down the mines, Ruth explores how different breeds have lived and been used in Britain. She describes how they are evoked in poetry by John Betjeman and U.A Fanthorpe and paintings by the 'Ashington' group of pit painters.

The Essay also looks at the questions over the long term survival and stability of wild ponies. How can they survive the problems of surplus stock, dropping sale prices and over-attentive visitors?

Producer: Emma Kingsley.

Ruth Padel explores how history and literature have shaped our reactions to wild ponies.

The Owl

20120228

In our imagination owls are often associated with wisdom and magic, with their singular front-facing eyes and silent brooding presence. They appear in a wide range of literature, from Shakespeare to the Harry Potter books. So why are we fascinated by them and what do they in turn tell us about our landscape?

In the second of her Essay series on native British wild animals, the writer and poet Ruth Padel explores what these birds mean to us. Her images range from the owls in Biblical scenes of destruction to the more comic ones in the novels of Max Beerbohm. And she investigates whether our mysterious reactions to these birds are shaped by the fact that owls belong to the night.

Producer: Emma Kingsley.

Ruth Padel on what owls mean to us and what they can show about the British landscape.

Wild Salmon

20120229

In the 17th century the writer Izaac Walton called salmon 'the King of freshwater fish' and they have continued to inspire authors as diverse as Henry Williamson and Ted Hughes. Their vivid life cycle, as they leave freshwater rivers, go to the sea and return home, is one of intense struggle as they swim upstream against the current.

In her third Essay on Britain's wild animals, writer and poet Ruth Padel explores the history of salmon and investigates their significance to the landscape and to our imagination. She compares the lives of wild salmon with those which are farmed and considers the problems for the wild salmon's survival, such as pollution and disease.

Producer: Emma Kingsley.

Ruth Padel explores the wild salmon's extraordinary life and its impact on humans.

The Squirrel

20120301

Is the squirrel a bushy-tailed friend or a creature of destruction, chewing through electricity cables and stripping bark from trees? Are the grey ones marauding invaders and the displacers of the red squirrels, or do they too own a place in our physical and emotional landscape?

In her fourth Essay on native British wild creatures, the poet and writer Ruth Padel considers our attitudes to squirrels of both colours and explores how our responses to them have been shaped by biology, history and literature. She traces how the red population evolved, how grey squirrels were introduced and how conservationists are now trying to restore red squirrel numbers. She also evokes the many different ways in which writers through the centuries have responded to them.

Producer: Emma Kingsley.

Ruth Padel explores our feelings towards squirrels in biology, history and literature.

05 LAST

The Snake

20120302

The image of the snake is full of symbolism with its connotations of venom and forked tongues. It has inspired poets as diverse as Keats and D.H. Lawrence with its ability to move without limbs. In her final Essay on British wild animals, the poet and writer Ruth Padel explores how our responses to the snake have been shaped by biology, literature and history. She remembers her own experience of watching an adder in Cornwall and asks how snakes fit into our physical and emotional landscape.

Producer: Emma Kingsley.

Ruth Padel on our feelings towards the snake through biology, history and literature.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
01	Wild Ponies	20120227	They are some of the oldest wild inhabitants of the British Isles, they pulled Bronze Age chariots and feature in literature and paintings through the centuries. In a second series of Essays on five native wild animals, the poet and writer Ruth Padel investigates how our reactions to wild ponies have been subconsciously shaped by centuries of folklore, literature and biology. From the shaggy Exmoor pony, 'Skipper', on whom she learned to ride, to the Shetland ponies who were often used down the mines, Ruth explores how different breeds have lived and been used in Britain. She describes how they are evoked in poetry by John Betjeman and U.A Fanthorpe and paintings by the 'Ashington' group of pit painters. The Essay also looks at the questions over the long term survival and stability of wild ponies. How can they survive the problems of surplus stock, dropping sale prices and over-attentive visitors? Producer: Emma Kingsley. Ruth Padel explores how history and literature have shaped our reactions to wild ponies.
02	The Owl	20120228	In our imagination owls are often associated with wisdom and magic, with their singular front-facing eyes and silent brooding presence. They appear in a wide range of literature, from Shakespeare to the Harry Potter books. So why are we fascinated by them and what do they in turn tell us about our landscape? In the second of her Essay series on native British wild animals, the writer and poet Ruth Padel explores what these birds mean to us. Her images range from the owls in Biblical scenes of destruction to the more comic ones in the novels of Max Beerbohm. And she investigates whether our mysterious reactions to these birds are shaped by the fact that owls belong to the night. Producer: Emma Kingsley. Ruth Padel on what owls mean to us and what they can show about the British landscape.
03	Wild Salmon	20120229	In the 17th century the writer Izaac Walton called salmon 'the King of freshwater fish' and they have continued to inspire authors as diverse as Henry Williamson and Ted Hughes. Their vivid life cycle, as they leave freshwater rivers, go to the sea and return home, is one of intense struggle as they swim upstream against the current. In her third Essay on Britain's wild animals, writer and poet Ruth Padel explores the history of salmon and investigates their significance to the landscape and to our imagination. She compares the lives of wild salmon with those which are farmed and considers the problems for the wild salmon's survival, such as pollution and disease. Producer: Emma Kingsley. Ruth Padel explores the wild salmon's extraordinary life and its impact on humans.
04	The Squirrel	20120301	Is the squirrel a bushy-tailed friend or a creature of destruction, chewing through electricity cables and stripping bark from trees? Are the grey ones marauding invaders and the displacers of the red squirrels, or do they too own a place in our physical and emotional landscape? In her fourth Essay on native British wild creatures, the poet and writer Ruth Padel considers our attitudes to squirrels of both colours and explores how our responses to them have been shaped by biology, history and literature. She traces how the red population evolved, how grey squirrels were introduced and how conservationists are now trying to restore red squirrel numbers. She also evokes the many different ways in which writers through the centuries have responded to them. Producer: Emma Kingsley. Ruth Padel explores our feelings towards squirrels in biology, history and literature.
05 LAST	The Snake	20120302	The image of the snake is full of symbolism with its connotations of venom and forked tongues. It has inspired poets as diverse as Keats and D.H. Lawrence with its ability to move without limbs. In her final Essay on British wild animals, the poet and writer Ruth Padel explores how our responses to the snake have been shaped by biology, literature and history. She remembers her own experience of watching an adder in Cornwall and asks how snakes fit into our physical and emotional landscape. Producer: Emma Kingsley. Ruth Padel on our feelings towards the snake through biology, history and literature.