Ep. 017: (re)Wild the Boar with Chantal Lyons

Chantal’s passion for the wild boar exudes throughout this interview as we discuss the role the boar plays in habitat-regeneration, the challenge they present for their human neighbours and how they might just be rewilding us? Following the success of her recently published book ‘Groundbreakers - The return of Britain’s wild boar’, Chantal indulged our stories from the forest as we reflected on the myths, the debates and the opportunities of living alongside these complex animals.

Your Hosts

• Tom Constable: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-constable/
• Chloe Constable: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-constable-24155821b/

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• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-constable/

Our Guest

Chantal is a naturalist, writer and science communicator. Having grown up in the tidy countryside of Kent, her encounters with the growing rewilding movement opened her eyes to the potential for restoring nature in Britain, and inspired her to study the relations between people and wild boar in the Forest of Dean. She currently lives in Cheltenham, never too far from the boar. 

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/chantallyons/
• https://chantallyons.uk

Listen out for:

[00:00:00] Tom and Chloe share an update from the Grange Project, specifically Tom’s first experience of a local community council meeting.

[00:05:22] We welcome Chantal to the podcast and she describes her background and how found herself writing a book about wild boar.

[00:09:08] Chantal gives us a history of wild boar in the UK and how they contribute to our ecosystems.

[00:17:05] Tom describes the effects of wild boar disturbance and the hazards of running in the forest.

[00:21:42] Chloe questions Chantal about some of the challenges of humans coexisting alongside wild boar, including disturbance and the ‘threat’ they present.

[00:28:00] Chantal reports how the wild boar have started to ‘rewild’ people. 

[00:35:20] We discuss how Forestry England have worked to achieve a balance between the boar, the ecosystem and the people that live alongside them.

[00:38:35] Chantal describes two possible futures for our relationship with the wild boar.

[00:43:42] Chloe and Tom reflect on the interview and what resonated most for them.

Keen for more:

To purchase Chantal’s wonderful book: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/groundbreakers-the-return-of-britain-s-wild-boar-chantal-lyons/7453304?ean=9781399401630

Mentioned in this episode:

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