S1 Ep 32: Urban Wildlife, Wetlands and Community Gardens with Lira Valencia
5/21/20261 hr 2 min
In this episode, Martha and Jamie are joined by wildlife educator and urban nature advocate Lira Valencia. They explore why cities are full of incredible wildlife if you know where to look, why pigeons deserve more respect, and what the new RSPB advice on bird feeding means for gardeners. This episode is packed with practical advise, wildlife facts and lots of inspiration you can apply to any space.
And If you would like to grow our seed of the week, or some of the other varieties we discussed, you can find the links below:
Sunflower Velvet Queen:
https://shegrowsveg.com/product/sunflower-velvet-queen/
Sunflower Titan:
https://shegrowsveg.com/product/sunflower-titan/
We love hearing your questions and comments - so please do get in touch:
Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton
Video Editor and Socials: Thomas Griffin
Artwork: Rare Studio
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsLira Valencia· Guest0:00
They're one of the only species of birds that produce something called bird milk. But I call them a bird of prey, you know, a seagull.
Jamie Walton· Host0:06
Mm.
Lira Valencia· Guest0:06
Because they're so big, and I've seen them eat, like, rabbits.
Martha Swales· Host0:09
I think the thing that people don't necessarily realize about birds is, like, if you see the same one in the same place on a regular basis, it's probably the same one.
Jamie Walton· Host0:16
Did you know that they're semi-carnivorous?
Martha Swales· Host0:18
What do you mean?
Lira Valencia· Guest0:18
Wait, what do you mean? The majority of people on Earth live in cities. Cities are expanding. They're not getting smaller.
Jamie Walton· Host0:24
Yeah, yeah.
Lira Valencia· Guest0:24
So why would we not want these places to be more green?
Martha Swales· Host0:27
This week on Home Grown, we've got the wonderful wildlife expert, Lira Valencia.
Jamie Walton· Host0:31
So we'll be talking about how you can promote and support wildlife wherever you are.
Martha Swales· Host0:34
Why pigeons are the unsung heroes of urban wildlife.
Jamie Walton· Host0:37
The controversial changes to how we should feed the birds.
Martha Swales· Host0:40
And why everyone should get stuck into a bit of community gardening.
Jamie Walton· Host0:43
[upbeat music] I'm Jamie Walton, otherwise known as Nettles and Petals.
Martha Swales· Host0:48
And I'm Martha Swailes of Martha's Kitchen Garden.
Jamie Walton· Host0:50
Welcome to Home Grown, the plant podcast for those who want to know more and grow more.
Martha Swales· Host0:54
Your one-stop show for practical advice and fascinating facts from the world of useful plants. Home Grown is sponsored by She Grows Veg, our go-to seed company for the most incredible range of heirloom veg seeds.
Jamie Walton· Host1:06
And as well as supporting the podcast, they're also offering our listeners 20% off your first order with code Homegrown.
Martha Swales· Host1:11
So just head to shegrowsveg.com, and happy growing. [upbeat music] Hello, Jamie.
Jamie Walton· Host1:17
Hello, Martha.
Martha Swales· Host1:18
So this week is a guest episode.
Jamie Walton· Host1:21
I'm excited.
Martha Swales· Host1:21
We've got the fabulous Lira Valencia with us this week, and she's gonna talk to us all about urban wildlife, basically.
Jamie Walton· Host1:28
Mm-hmm.
Martha Swales· Host1:29
So, uh, Lira