This Natural Life

Martha Kearney meets wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin in a bird hide overlooking reed beds and marshes at the London Wetland Centre in Barnes. He speaks of his childhood growing up in Sudan on the banks of the Nile, with a large extended family and a pet monkey, before he then moved to the UK. He tells Martha about his decision to turn down the chance to study for a dentistry degree in order to become a wildlife cameraman, a dream that led him to move to the west coast of Scotland, where he lived in the back of his car for nine months. He talks about his role as Ranger Hamza (or "Ranger Hamster") for CBeebies, and his admiration for all the children he gets to meet along the way. He also speaks fondly about his time on Strictly Come Dancing, how his dyslexia helped him to learn the moves, and how his dances were inspired by the natural world. As birds fly past hide window, with the London skyline stretching beyond, Hamza speaks of hope in the face of all the difficulties facing our natural world.Producer: Becky Ripley

Richard Mabey has been described as the godfather of British nature writing. Over the last half-century, he has written more than thirty books. His first, 'Food for Free', was published in 1972 and has never been out of print since; the most recent, 'The Accidental Garden', came out earlier this year. Martha Kearney joins Richard and his partner Polly on their beloved boat on the Norfolk Broads. She hears about Richard's childhood in the Chilterns and finds out how he first became fascinated by the natural world. Together they spot grebes, terns, and even see a bittern in flight.Producer: Emma Campbell

In the first episode of this new series, Martha Kearney meets Hollywood star Cate Blanchett. She finds out about Cate's relationship with the natural world and explores the significance of nature and wildlife to her, as they walk around the Royal Botanic Gardens at Wakehurst in Sussex - where Cate has recently taken up the role of ambassador. Both Cate and Martha are bee-keeping enthusiasts, and they put on protective bee suits to visit the garden's bee hives together. Cate explains why the wildlife of both the UK and her native Australia are so important to her, and praises the work of the Millennium Seed Bank which is also based at Wakehurst.Producer: Emma Campbell

A new interview series where Martha Kearney takes people to a favourite place to explore their passion for nature.