100: Lean into Clean with Jarvis Smith - Episode 100100: Lean into Clean with Jarvis Smith - Episode 100
UK Health Radio Podcast
Professor Alastair Driver talks with Jarvis Smith about his lifetime in conservation, the meaning of rewilding, and the dramatic changes at Broughton Sanctuary. The conversation touches on river health, food production myths and simple actions anyone can take to help nature recover.
49:55•15 Jul 2026
Rewilding Britain: Professor Alastair Driver on Rivers, Wildlife and Broughton Sanctuary
Episode Overview
- Rewilding is described as large-scale ecosystem restoration that lets nature largely take care of itself, distinct from small-scale habitat management.
- Privatised water systems and shareholder profit are criticised for underinvestment, leaving UK rivers in a poor state despite past restoration successes.
- At Broughton Sanctuary, intensive sheep grazing was reduced and hundreds of thousands of native trees planted, leading to booming wildlife and less local flooding.
- Rewilding projects can still produce food, typically shifting from large numbers of sheep to fewer cattle, while broader food waste remains a much bigger issue.
- Individuals are encouraged to create wildlife-friendly gardens, especially small ponds, and to volunteer with nearby rewilding sites to support nature recovery.
“If you think you're too small to make a difference, you should try spending a night in a tent with a mosquito.”
This episode dives deep into the challenges and triumphs of restoring nature in modern Britain, with a strong focus on practical change rather than abstract theory. You'll hear Jarvis Smith chatting with renowned ecologist and conservationist Professor Alastair Driver, whose life has been shaped by birdwatching trips with his naturalist father and decades of frontline work in river and habitat restoration.
The conversation tracks Alastair’s journey from being the first conservation officer for the Thames catchment in 1984, through his years as national head of conservation at the Environment Agency, to his leadership role at Rewilding Britain and now the Global Rewilding Alliance. He recalls helping secure the international river prize for the Thames, and then frankly shares why he now feels that underinvestment, privatisation and "human greed" have pushed British rivers back into trouble.
Alastair sets out a clear, down-to-earth definition of rewilding as "the large scale restoration of ecosystems to the point where nature is allowed to take care of itself" and explains how it differs from traditional conservation. He tackles common myths head-on: rewilding is not about abandoning land, excluding people or wrecking food production. Instead, he describes active interventions such as tree planting, breaking up land drains and using cattle and pigs as stand-ins for missing wild herbivores.
A highlight is the story of Broughton Sanctuary in North Yorkshire, where intensive sheep grazing has given way to 330,000 native trees and roughened grassland. Alastair shares concrete results: vast increases in insects, owls and other wildlife, reduced local flooding, and a growing species list now over 2,000. He rounds off with simple actions anyone can take, from creating a small wildlife pond at home to volunteering with nearby rewilding projects.
If you’ve ever wondered whether small actions matter, this conversation might nudge you to get your hands a bit muddier. What could your patch of earth become in the next decade?
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