Where is your favourite wild place? What would you do if you know that space was under threat? In this episode I chat with Exmoor Ranger Charlotte Wray about all things national parks and natural spaces; we discuss what these designations actually offer in terms of protection, and what we can do as users of the outdoors to step up our game to minimise our impact on the wild world around us.
Exmoor is a place like no other. As one of the UK’s 15 National Parks it boasts a myriad of habitats from rugged heather moorlands, home to wild deer and semi-feral ponies, to the most extensive broadleaved coastal woods in Britain, and the highest sea cliffs and most remote coastline in England. The park is full of historical buildings, bubbling brooks and fascinating combes and valleys, and is an International Dark Sky Reserve.
Exmoor sees around 2 million visitors pass through its borders each year, and as such a team is needed to ensure these beautiful spaces are protected. Someone who knows all about enabling the public to give back and get engaged is Charlotte Wray, a ranger within Exmoor National Park.
In this episode I talk with Charlotte and find out more about her role and what it takes to keep Britains wild spaces flourishing for all to enjoy.