Can writing about nature help to protect it? Charlotte Smith discusses this with three authors: Helen Macdonald, Paul Evans, and Kerri Andrews.

David Attenborough explores the wildlife and wild spaces of the United Kingdom in Wild Isles, his latest natural history series. It’s a glorious celebration but it also highlights the depletion of nature on our own doorstep, and - without a doubt - its power lies, not just in the unforgettable images, but in the strength of the script.

So, in today’s episode of Costing the Earth, Charlotte Smith hears from three British nature writers about what inspires them, how they feel the genre is faring, and whether nature writing can play a meaningful role in helping to protect our own native landscape and its flora and fauna.

Joining Charlotte, who served for three years as a judge of the Wainwright Prize for writing on global conservation, are Helen Macdonald (H is for Hawk, Vesper Flights), Paul Evans (Guardian Country Diaries, Field Notes from the Edge) and Dr Kerri Andrews (a forthcoming book about Nan Shepherd who wrote The Living Mountain, and Wanderers: A History of Women Walking).

Producer: Karen Gregor Show less