During the summer I went on a hike from Newton Abbot to Torquay to chat about Slow Ways with John Danks from BBC Spotlight. Here’s how that went..
Video
National Geographic: Got 100 seconds? Use them to tour Britain’s National Parks from the air
“An exhilarating new film by National Geographic Explorer Daniel Raven-Ellison takes the high road to visual variety – and scientific insight – in tribute to the country’s wildest places.
In a period when even local travel is in woefully short supply, a nostalgia for both spectacle and variety is understandable. But to Daniel Raven-Ellison, the National Geographic Explorer behind UK National Parks in 100 Seconds, there is a deeper rationale at play behind his new film.
“I’m really interested in the gap between what we think the UK looks like and the reality on the ground,” Raven-Ellison tells National Geographic. “Back in 2018 I ran a poll with Friends of the Earth and we found that nearly 1 in 3 people think that over half of the UK is built on. Depending on how you measure it, the reality is closer to 5%.”
“That gap in people’s geographical imaginations is a big issue,” he adds, “as people are forming opinions and making decisions based on a misunderstanding of what makes up our country. That matters because people are voting, consuming and acting on issues such as migration, housing and making space for nature based on it.” Simon Ingram
Read the whole article on National Geographic’s website.
Canal & River Trust video: How the canal can be your co-navigator.
The Canal & River Trust asked me to collaborate on a short video about my relationship with canals. I used the opportunity to describe why I take so much pleasure in walking along them.
Going Underground Interview: Air pollution, the London National Park City and geography
Earlier this week I was interviewed on RT’s Going Underground about air pollution, making London greener, and the “renaissance of geography”. This is a shortened version of that interview.
BBC Countryfile: Cities
The first ever BBC Countryfile on cities started with a segment on the movement to make London a National Park City. It was wonderful to meet Countryfile presenter Anita Rani on Parkland Walk to chat with her about the campaign.
“Fundamentally this is about improving the health of all Londoners, no matter how wild they are..”
Watch from 01:50 on BBC iPlayer.
ESRI UK – Keynote Talk
My keynote talk for ESRI UK’s Annual Conference attended by around 3,000 people.