Adders, Shetland ponies and the future of the human race: Tom Hilder on the Country Life Podcast

Adders, Shetland ponies and the future of the human race: Tom Hilder on the Country Life Podcast

Tom Hilder was born to a life in the country. Born in rural Scotland but raised in Hampshire, he went through school always thinking – and being told — that he needed to find a life, and a career, out in the countryside, working with his hands.


A chance meeting with a lecturer at Sparsholt College changed his life for good, and put him on a pathway to become (deep breath) the 'Senior Nature-Based Solutions Officer — Practical Delivery' at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. It's comfortably the longest job title of anyone who's yet joined James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast, but the aim is clear: to make the world around us a better, greener place.


Tom talks to James about his life, how he ended up working in the field (literally), and the challenges he's faced — from Shetland ponies and landowners suspicious of his tender years to the 'charismatic adders' found on Hook Common, in north Hampshire.


You can find out more about the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust here, and to nominate someone for the 2026 edition of the award Tom won, visit the Schoffel Countryside Awards website.


Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Tom Hilder

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay


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

Episoder(108)

Borders, identity, and the truth about Cornish independence, with Richard Collett

Borders, identity, and the truth about Cornish independence, with Richard Collett

The River Tamar that forms the Devon-Cornwall border comes within four miles of making Cornwall an island. In and around the Scottish Borders, many people define themselves as Bordermen first, and Sco...

16 Mar 30min

Do androids dream of electric cars, with Adam Hay-Nicholls

Do androids dream of electric cars, with Adam Hay-Nicholls

The more things change, the more they stay the same. As the Formula One season kicked off on Sunday, we saw the advent of full hybrid racing at the top level for the first time. A full 50/50 split bet...

10 Mar 28min

The untold story of Stephen Sondheim, by the people who knew him best

The untold story of Stephen Sondheim, by the people who knew him best

The composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim was an icon. As the creative force behind a string of huge musicals — including West Side Story and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum — he is wi...

3 Mar 23min

Justine Picardie: Fashion, spies and Queen Elizabeth II's wardrobe, from timeless tweeds to a pair of Marigolds

Justine Picardie: Fashion, spies and Queen Elizabeth II's wardrobe, from timeless tweeds to a pair of Marigolds

Novelist, biographer, journalist and writer Justine Picardie joins the Country Life Podcast to talk about her life in fashion and journalism, her writing, and her close encounters with the Royal Famil...

23 Feb 30min

Moving to the Cotswolds and DIY disasters, with Jim Chapman

Moving to the Cotswolds and DIY disasters, with Jim Chapman

Is it worth the effort? That’s the question that many people might ask themselves as they stand in the doorway of a knackered old house in the Cotswolds, wondering whether to buy it and start renovati...

16 Feb 31min

'They've nourished us, sheltered us, protected us... we owe trees far more than they owe us': Aidan Meighan on the folklore of trees

'They've nourished us, sheltered us, protected us... we owe trees far more than they owe us': Aidan Meighan on the folklore of trees

For as long as he can remember, the writer and illustrator Aidan Meighan has been inspired by Nature. His early exploits might not have been entirely welcomed by those around him — collecting and stor...

2 Feb 29min

Two years, 2,000 miles and counting: Katharine Hay, the woman walking the length and breadth of Scotland

Two years, 2,000 miles and counting: Katharine Hay, the woman walking the length and breadth of Scotland

It's just over two years ago that the journalist Katharine Hay, a year into her new job as rural affairs correspondent for The Scotsman newspaper, had an epiphany.'98% of Scotland is rural,' she recal...

19 Jan 36min

Populært innen Vitenskap

fastlegen
tingenes-tilstand
rss-nysgjerrige-norge
rekommandert
liberal-halvtime
forskningno
sinnsyn
rss-rekommandert
fjellsportpodden
smart-forklart
vett-og-vitenskap-med-gaute-einevoll
jss
villmarksliv
hva-er-greia-med
rss-overskuddsliv
rss-radium
dekodet-2
rss-inn-til-kjernen-med-sunniva-rose
tidlose-historier
aldring-og-helse-podden