Rivers, streams, and other bodies of water are the lifeblood for Hampshire’s natural resources. In this episode Susan Simmonds explores their history and the challenging work to protect them in the modern age.
Why not listen as you take a walk along the banks of the River Itchen, if you do you will enter a magical world where otters play, mayfly dart, brown trout slip through the weeds and water vole peer from burrows. Winchester has its very own Wind in the Willows habitat!
Join us today as Susan Simmonds of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust talks to Kyle Alexander about her work protecting and celebrating the county’s glorious chalk stream landscapes and where and when to spot the Itchen’s beguiling array of wildlife.
Susan graduated in Environmental Science, has a lifelong passion for wildlife and has worked in the conservation sector for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) for over 20 years. Susan is also a sessional lecturer at Sparsholt College on the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation degree and the Land & Wildlife Management Level 3 Diploma.
Susan has a Certificate to teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (CTLLS) and enjoys passing on her knowledge through running training courses like plant species identification and mammal tracks and signs. This last year has provided an opportunity to explore online learning and Susan has delivered training courses, school, college and university sessions online, alongside making educational videos and running online clubs.
Kyle Alexander is a Creative Producer from London. He has developed multi-media content for BBC Radio, The Sunday Times and Universal Studios, Los Angeles. He maintains a passionate interest in British culture and heritage and has a Masters Degree in History from the University of Manchester. Kyle is currently living in Winchester, writing an issue of a new travel magazine, due to be released later this year.
FURTHER RESOURCES
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust have been taking part in Winchester Heritage Open Days for a number of years now, and so we are delighted when we heard the news they have been accepted into the national Heritage Open Days project. You can discover more here, and we look forward to welcoming them back again for the 2021 festival.
If you want to learn more about what the Hampshire Wildlife Trust do, then you can follow them on various social media:
Facebook - @HampshireandIsleofWightWildlifeTrust
Instagram - @hantsiwwildlife
Twitter - @HantsIWWildlife or you can follow Susan on Twitter - @susanjsimmonds
Or you can have a look at their website and their YouTube Channel to engage in their wide range of videos.