Karen lives on the edge of the Lake District National Park and is Senior Researcher and Writer in Residence at Lancaster University’s Future Places Centre. Her latest book Abundance: Nature in Recovery, is published by Bloomsbury and was longlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Writing in Conservation 2022.
In this episode Karen reads from her essay ‘Inside a Rockpool Shrimp there is a Dying Star‘ and talks about the microplastics problem, the pressures on the Lake District’s vulnerable habitats, the rights of Nature, and how we can protect the most fragile ecosystems in the UK from the impacts of human influence.
Take some time out as we barrel headlong into 2025, and discover a universe in the world of the Rockpool shrimp.
In the latest episode of the Paperboats Podcast I speak with naturalist, photographer and nature writer, Polly Pullar.
Polly talks about her early life growing up in Ardnamurchan on the west coast of Scotland, how her love of nature and wildlife brought her solace through a difficult period and continues to inspire her passionately today. She discusses the plight of Scotland’s wildlife under the pressures of climate change and habitat loss, and reads from her Paperboats Zine piece, ‘A Solan Goose Summer,’ which highlights how climate change, the avian bird-flu epidemic, and increasing food scarcity is threatening this wonderful seabird.
I had a great chat with Polly. Her love of nature and her zest for life is infectious, so I hope you’ll give this episode a listen, and if you enjoy it, please do like and subscribe!
If you’re concerned about climate change, want to delve further into the issues surrounding it, and like great writing, the Paperboats Podcast brings you a host of fantastic nature writers.
Find it on your preferred platform or head to Paperboats Podcasts and follow the links from there.
If you’re not familiar with Paperboats Writers, they’re a fantastic group of writers working across Scotland (and beyond) to highlight the impacts of climate change, the ecological collapse we’re all witness to, and the things we can do to help bring about positive change.
In each episode I meet with a different writer from the Paperboats collective. We discuss their work, and the issues they write about.
We hear Scotland’s Makar Kathleen Jamie (National Poet for Scotland 2021 – 2024) read her inspirational poem ‘What the Clyde Said, After Cop 26’, discuss the formation of Paperboats Writers, the importance of a Just Transition, and the work of Global Justice Now and the Scottish Rewilding Alliance.
In upcoming episodes I’ll be talking with author Linda Cracknell about the Flow Country and her book Doubling Back, and with Nature Writer and photographer Polly Pullar about the plight of the gannet and Polly’s life-long relationship with wildlife.
Many more fantastic Nature Writers to feature in the coming months, so I hope you’ll give it a listen, and follow and subscribe to keep up with future episodes.
I was delighted to be a part of the Paperboats e-zine 2 launch which featured in the University of Stirling’s symposium ‘A Day for Nature’, organised by poet and Teaching Fellow Dr ChrisPowici to celebrate, and advocate for, the natural world.
The event featured a panel of speakers including conservationists and Nature Writers Polly Puller and Tom Bowser of the Argaty Red Kites project, broadcaster and author Rebecca Smith, historian Dr Catherine Mills, and vice president of the university student Earth andEnvironment Society Ivet Stancheva. Each of the panelists gave fascinating talks about changes in the landscape over time from their different perspectives with a Q+A.
The Paperboats E-Zine is edited by Chris Powici and Kathleen Jamie and features work by writers from across Scotland and beyond concerned about our mounting ecological crises. The paperboats name and its inclusive, non-disruptive activism, has been inspired by Jamie’s poem written as Scottish Makar in response to the commitments of COP26, where, in the final verse, the poet speaks as the river Clyde.
“I heard the beautiful promises… and, sure, I’m a river, but I can take a side. From this day, I’d rather keep afloat, like wee folded paper boats, the hopes of the young folk chanting at my bank, fear in their spring-bright eyes so hear this: fail them, and I will rise.”
Despite the promises made, our politicians are failing us, and Paperboats aims to send a message on Thursday 23rd November 2023 by gathering outside the Scottish Parliament to deliver 1000 Paperboats, 1000 Climate Hopes, to demand that MSPs of all parties come together to deliver on their promises and a just transition to green energy.
The event will feature poetry from Kathleen Jamie and music from Karine Polwart.
Groundings 