The Water Vole

This Water Vole is part of a series commissioned by
University of Derby’s Nature Connectedness Research Group for The River Derwent. 
The water vole is under serious threat from habitat loss and predation by the American mink. Found along our waterways, it is similar-looking to the brown rat, but with a blunt nose, small ears and furry tail.
(find out more from The Wildlife Trusts)
With many thanks to artist, photographer and author, Christine Gregory, such a font of knowledge on Water Voles as well as Brown Hares.
Christine's book on the Water Vole.
 
Producer, Presenter: annabel@annabelross.com 
Illustrations by Annabazyl www.fiverr.com/annabazyl

The Bee-fly

The bee-flies are out and about in the UK doing their crazy, cool hovering displays and they're great mimickers of bumble bees. But, don't be fooled, wait until you hear about what they do with their babies...
If you head outside on a warm spring day, you might be lucky enough to spot one of these tiny, fluffy, flying narwhales or hear its high-pitched hum before you see it.
With many thanks to Dr Erica McAlister for being such a natural Bee-fly (she was also our maggot, her other love). She is based at London's Natural History Museum and is the Senior Curator for Diptera and Siphonaptera. She manages the lower Brachycera, Mycetophilidae and Culicidae collections in Diptera, and the Siphonaptera collection. So there.
Erica's instagram
 
Producer, Presenter annabel@annabelross.com 

The Red Squirrel

Red squirrels are our native species and have lived in the UK for around 10,000 years. They are facing a population decline, primarily due to competition from the invasive grey squirrel.
With thanks to David Mills who really does make a charming red squirrel. Some of the experts in Messages from the Wild suit their animal down to the ground and David is one of them. If we could imagine what a red squirrel might sound like, this, to me is it.
Visit The British Wildlife Centre and support their conservation and breeding programmes for our wildlife.
Producer, Presenter annabel@annabelross.com 

The Buff Tailed Bumblebee

Bumblebees are at their peak right now and this Buff Tailed is fairly easy to spot. Keep a look out.
This was originally recorded for the collection at The Lost Gardens of Heligan, called Voices from the Lost Gardens.
Jimmy Docherty really makes me laugh and he knows his stuff too - farmer, entomologist, television presenter and I would add comedian. 
Visit Jimmy’s Farm and support the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
Producer, Presenter annabel@annabelross.com 
Illustrations by Annabazyl www.fiverr.com/annabazyl
 

The Leatherback Turtle

It’s World Ocean Week, an important yearly event for the future of all marine life. 
Ocean animals need our attention. They need to be heard. Please spread their messages far and wide.
This series, Voices from the Ocean, was commissioned by Gallifrey Foundation in collaboration with Mission Blue, with special thanks to Antoinette Vermilye for her unending support.
And many thanks to marine conservation biologist, author, science communicator, ocean advocate Christine Figgener, for embodying The Leatherback Turtle so beautifully.
presenter/producer: annabel@messagesfromthewild.com 

The Silky Shark

It’s World Ocean Week, an important yearly event for the future of all marine life. 
Ocean animals need our attention. They need to be heard. Please spread their messages far and wide.
This series, Voices from the Ocean, was commissioned by Gallifrey Foundation in collaboration with Mission Blue, with special thanks to Antoinette Vermilye for her unending support.
And many thanks to Iris Ziegler, for embodying The Silky Shark so beautifully.
presenter/producer: annabel@messagesfromthewild.com 

The White Spotted Wedgefish

It’s World Ocean Week, an important yearly event for the future of all marine life. 
Ocean animals need our attention. They need to be heard. Please spread their messages far and wide.
This series, Voices from the Ocean, was commissioned by Gallifrey Foundation in collaboration with Mission Blue, with special thanks to Antoinette Vermilye for her unending support.
And many thanks to Marine Biologist, Melissa Cristina Marquez, for embodying The White Spotted Wedgefish so beautifully.
presenter/producer: annabel@messagesfromthewild.com 

The Staghorn Coral

It’s World Ocean Week, an important yearly event for the future of all marine life. 
Ocean animals need our attention. They need to be heard. Please spread their messages far and wide.
This series, Voices from the Ocean, was commissioned by Gallifrey Foundation in collaboration with Mission Blue, with special thanks to Antoinette Vermilye for her unending support.
And many thanks to Marine Biologist, Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, for embodying The Staghorn Coral so beautifully.
presenter/producer: annabel@messagesfromthewild.com 

The Sperm Whale

It’s World Ocean Week, an important yearly event for the future of all marine life. 
Ocean animals need our attention. They need to be heard. Please spread their messages far and wide.
This series, Voices from the Ocean, was commissioned by Gallifrey Foundation in collaboration with Mission Blue, with special thanks to Antoinette Vermilye for her unending support.
And many thanks to the Founder and President of OceanCare, Sigrid Lueber, for embodying The Sperm Whale so beautifully.
presenter/producer: annabel@messagesfromthewild.com 

The Phytoplankton

It’s World Ocean Week, an important yearly event for the future of all marine life. 
Ocean animals need our attention. They need to be heard. Please spread their messages far and wide.
This series, Voices from the Ocean, was commissioned by Gallifrey Foundation in collaboration with Mission Blue, with special thanks to Antoinette Vermilye for her unending support.
And many thanks to Marine Biologist, Lewis Stagnetto, for embodying The Phytoplankton so beautifully.
presenter/producer: annabel@messagesfromthewild.com 

The Goliath Grouper

It’s World Ocean Week, an important yearly event for the future of all marine life. 
Ocean animals need our attention. They need to be heard. Please spread their messages far and wide.
This series, Voices from the Ocean, was commissioned by Gallifrey Foundation in collaboration with Mission Blue, with special thanks to Antoinette Vermilye for her unending support.
And many thanks to marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer, author, Dr Sylvia Earle for embodying The Goliath Grouper so beautifully.
presenter/producer: annabel@messagesfromthewild.com 

The Copepod

It’s World Ocean Week, an important yearly event for the future of all marine life. 
Ocean animals need our attention. They need to be heard. Please spread their messages far and wide.
This series, Voices from the Ocean, was commissioned by Gallifrey Foundation in collaboration with Mission Blue, with special thanks to Antoinette Vermilye for her unending support.
And many thanks to Marine Biologist, Howard Dryden, for embodying The Copepod so beautifully.
presenter/producer: annabel@messagesfromthewild.com 

The Coelacanth

It’s World Ocean Week, an important yearly event for the future of all marine life. 
Ocean animals need our attention. They need to be heard. Please spread their messages far and wide.
This series, Voices from the Ocean, was commissioned by Gallifrey Foundation in collaboration with Mission Blue, with special thanks to Antoinette Vermilye for her unending support.
And many thanks to Marine Scientist, Sheena Talma for embodying this Coelacanth so beautifully.
presenter/producer: annabel@messagesfromthewild.com 

The Bittern

The Bittern is part of a series commissioned by Future Places Centre at Lancaster University in collaboration with Leighton Moss RSPB.
With many thanks to Jarrod Sneyd, RSPB Leighton Moss, for embodying this Bittern.
"For me, they just bring joy, particularly when the atmospherics are right. You can be in Leighton Moss, or nearby in Silverdale, for example, where there's been five or six booming male Bitterns, and the sound echoes and reverberates. If you were to try and write it down and capture it, it's constant, it's impossible to do. And so you've got this cacophony of Bitterns booming all around you and echoing and bouncing. And it's actually just incredible when you get that. It's not like that every morning or every evening." Jarrod Sneyd, RSPB Leighton Moss
 
Producer, Presenter: annabel@annabelross.com 
Thank you to Jarrod for his superb sound recordings.
Thank you to Noemie Lina for the illustrations. 

The European Eel

The European Eel is part of a series commissioned by Future Places Centre at Lancaster University in collaboration with Leighton Moss RSPB.
With many thanks to Kath Smith, RSPB Leighton Moss, for embodying this European Eel.
"Eels are just fantastic. They've been around for hundreds of years but, we still don't really know much about them. It's only in the last few years we've realised that they spawn and die, and that's only through observation. And the fact that they have that incredible migration journey to the Sargasso Sea and back, they're just fantastic. And people need to know that. It's not all about fluffy, cuddly squirrels and other species. We should think about the ones that people might think are a bit weird too." Kath Smith, RSPB Leighton Moss
 
Producer, Presenter: annabel@annabelross.com 
Thank you to Noemie Lina for the illustrations.