Worms, Soil and Earth Matters

Available for 29 days

Mark visits the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen, where researchers are carrying out a project to restore, preserve and digitise irreplaceable soil and peat maps, aerial imagery, field notebooks and survey records collected since 1947. Mark hears why Hutton Unearthed: A New National Soils and Peat Map Archive is so important for the future of soil health. Stirling is busy this weekend as Radio 2 in the Park rolls into town, but one of the other popular locations near the city is Dumyat. Rachel visited recently to see the work of the Future Forest Company, which has been planting thousands of trees on the estate. In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Mark spent a morning with wildlife photographer Karen Miller. They spent some time trying to spot voles. This week, a new path was officially opened at Ben Rinnes in Moray. Rachel went along to test out the new route, which was funded by a local windfarm, alongside Ella Grant from Friends of Ben Rinnes, Marion McDonald from Foundation Scotland and Ewan Watson from the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland. Becoming a worm farmer is perhaps not an obvious career choice, but Scott Baxter has turned a lifelong fascination with the invertebrates into his job. Mark went to visit his wormery near Balmedie in Aberdeenshire to hear how business is booming. We hear live about Earth Matters, the exhibition at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh which is a multidisciplinary salute to soil. Phil Sime is on Nairn beach trying out some outdoor cooking alongside influencer Etta May, who tells him about moving from Harris to the mainland to launch her social media profile, which aims to inspire other young people to get active in the outdoors. Mark is in Tranent visiting the Heugh Community Garden which is located on the site of an old gas works. He hears how the area has been transformed and meets some of those involved. And Rachel visits an exhibition at the National Library for Scotland which explores Scotland's relationship with rain. Curator Sarah Mackay shows her around.