Episode five of our long-term series, The Far Reaches, features ornithologist, environmentalist, writer, and sustainability advisor, Tony Juniper CBE. Tony is the Chair of Natural England, the former president of The Wildlife Trusts, and has devoted over four decades to nature recovery and environmental protection. In this episode, Matt sits down with Tony in his greenhouse for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of the natural world. They start with the scale of what’s happening: climate change, collapsing ecosystems, soil loss, freshwater depletion, and how it's all driven by the same forces shaping modern society. Tony explains why many of the biggest environmental debates are framed incorrectly - not as trade-offs between nature and food, or economy and environment, but as problems that can be solved together if approached differently. They talk about farming, land use, and how mindsets are already beginning to shift. This episode is rooted in cautious optimism as Tony shares stories of species already returning to the UK. It emphasises that restoration isn’t theoretical, it’s already happening. Throughout the episode, Matt and Tony keep coming back to the idea of connection. People and nature. Policy and reality. And how the future depends on whether more people engage with it. While this is a stark reminder of what's going wrong, it's also strongly hopeful and shows what's already being quietly put back together.

The Far Reaches is a long-term series where we speak to guests about subjects related to our planet and our place on it. These episodes will dig a little deeper, perhaps enter the realm of armchair philosophy, and will tackle some more existential questions surrounding adventure and exploration.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Chapter Breakdown

00:00-05:00: Why climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion are deeply tied to how society functions.

05:00-15:00: How different lifestyles drive vastly different environmental footprints, and consequences.

15:00-25:00: Why framing issues as “nature vs food” or “economy vs environment” is misleading, and what a better approach looks like.

25:00-35:00: How farmers are responding to climate pressures, and why the conversation is shifting on the ground.

35:00-45:00: Examples of restoring ecosystems and improving biodiversity through smarter land use.

45:00-55:00: Beavers, white-tailed eagles, cranes, spoonbills - real stories of recovery across the UK.

55:00-End: Why this isn’t hopeless - and how reconnecting people with nature is key to change.

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Episode 224 of The Adventure Podcast features wildlife cinematographer and third generation commercial fisherwoman, Erin Ranney. The conversation begins with Erin's upbringing in Alaska and Washington State, and how she grew up working on her family tree farm and in the largest sockeye salmon run in the world. She talks about how that shaped her understanding of conservation from the inside out and why she’s chosen to stay connected to that community. From there, Erin traces her path into filmmaking and the point at which she realised it could act as a bridge between science, storytelling, and audiences. Alongside the field stories, Matt and Erin dig into the realities of the industry; the long periods living in tents, years spent building skills through unpaid work and stock footage, and the challenges facing nature storytelling today. They talk about the need for better science communication and the lack of funding for nature content. And why inspiring curiosity might be one of the most important parts of the job.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Chapter Breakdown

00:00-08:00: Life in Bristol Bay, commercial fishing, and understanding conservation from within a working community.

08:00-18:00: A chance fly-fishing class leads to a complete career pivot into ecology and field research.

18:00-26:00: Erin discusses her lemur research, and how borrowing a long lens led to realising film could connect people to science.

26:00-36:00: Cold emails, buying her own camera, filming stock footage, and landing her first paid job filming bears in Alaska.

36:00-45:00: Working in extreme environments.

45:00-55:00: Six months in remote camps, bush planes, family involvement, and rediscovering a love for filmmaking.

55:00-01:05:00: Glacial retreat, extreme heat, and salmon die-offs - and why these stories couldn’t be ignored.

01:05:00-01:15:00: Why Erin stays connected to fishing and farming communities, and sees herself as a bridge between worlds.

01:15:00-End: Kids’ programming, inspiring curiosity, mentoring young filmmakers, and what needs to change in the industry.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast.

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Episode 223 of The Adventure Podcast features award-winning director and cinematographer, Richard Ladkani. Richard has dedicated his life to impactful, compelling storytelling about our world and our place in it. His work includes The Ivory Game, Sea Of Shadows, YANUNI, and his latest film follows the life of his close friend, Jane Goodall. In this episode, Richard reflects on his life and his career so far. He starts by telling the tale of how Jane once challenged him to stop making films that were simply “interesting” and instead focus on work that could genuinely change the world. And how that one moment changed everything. He explains how that led him into the heart of the illegal ivory trade and cartel-driven illegal fishing in the Sea of Cortez. Matt and Richard unpack the reality of making “impact films”: chasing dangerous stories, earning trust on the ground, and taking risks that often define whether a story even exists. They also dive into what impact actually means and what can limit it, and touch on the challenges facing documentary filmmaking today: political pressure, platform control, and the constant tension between telling important stories and actually getting them seen. At its core, this episode is about choosing work that matters, taking risks to tell stories that need to be told, and figuring out how much impact one person can really have.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Chapter Breakdown

00:00-05:00: Greenland & Jane Goodall: feeling lost, then being challenged to make films that actually matter.

05:00-10:00: Discovering the scale of the ivory trade and realising how few people understand what’s happening.

10:00-15:00: Arriving in Africa, gaining access, and witnessing the aftermath of elephant poaching first-hand.

15:00-25:00: How following instinct, taking risks, and building relationships opens doors to the real story.

25:00-35:00: Choosing characters and narratives that can carry impact, not just information.

35:00-45:00: How the film reached China, Jane Goodall’s role, and the potential link to policy change.

45:00-55:00: Cartels, illegal fishing, and why timing (like Covid) can derail even the biggest campaigns.

55:00-01:05:00: Why stories need hope, character, and emotional connection to actually change behaviour.

01:05:00-01:15:00: Streaming platforms, politics, censorship, and the difficulty of getting important stories seen.

01:15:00-End: Purpose, Impact & What Comes Next. Why he keeps doing it even when it’s difficult, and what it means to use storytelling as a force for change.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.