Wallow with us in the quiet of July, seeking out the coolness of water in the orchard and the wetlands. Along the way we hunt for chicken of the woods and predict the weather on St Swithin’s Day. To begin, Sam Lee sings I Have Been A Rambling - an unusual song with a strange image at its heart. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novelist Zoe Gilbert and folk musician Sam L...
Jul 01, 2025•36 min
In our Found Sound for June, Alice meeets award-winning silversmith Cara Murphy on a beach near Belfast, Northern Ireland. We hear how the natural world influences Cara’s work, later joining her at the Ulster Museum to explore the role of handmaking in contemporary society. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and Sam Lee. Thanks go to Cara Murphy. 'Found Sounds' are back for 2025 with another twelve episodes, each released on the middle F...
Jun 20, 2025•22 min
For June, Sam Lee sets the tone with a serene arrangement of the beautiful midsummer hymn, 'Abroad for Pleasure'. We stroll from meadow to orchard to woodland, where we meet nightjars, spark bonfires and stumble across a truly adorable mammal of the month. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novelist Zoe Gilbert and folk musician Sam Lee. Sam's traditional song was arranged...
Jun 01, 2025•40 min
For May's Found Sound, Alice heads to Bristol to record the dawn chorus and meet wildlife presenter, activist and birder Nadeem Perera. We hear about how birdwatching has changed Nadeem’s life, and his role in building community as a founder of Flock Together. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and Sam Lee. Thanks go to Nadeem Perera. 'Found Sounds' are back for 2025 with another twelve episodes, each released on the middle Friday of the...
May 16, 2025•22 min
To bring in May we'll forage for bread and cheese, gather round the Maypole, and slip down to the riverbank to meet our mammal of the month. To begin, Sam Lee sings a new version of the Padstow May Song. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novelist Zoe Gilbert and folk musician Sam Lee. Sam's traditional song was arranged by himself (vocals) with James Keay (piano) and Niko...
May 01, 2025•39 min
For April's Found Sound, Alice meets artist Lucy May Schofield in her studio in rural Northumberland. We hear about Lucy’s water-based woodcut printing practice, as well as her fascination with the passage of time, our place in the cosmos and our relationship to the earth. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and Sam Lee. Thanks go to Lucy May Schofield. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with Lia Leendert...
Apr 18, 2025•23 min
Wend your way with us through an April day - through the blossoming orchard, to Japan for our monthly tree ritual, under the oak trees with Zoe, our resident forager, and up into the dusky air with emerging bats. Soundtracked by Sam Lee's song for April, 'The Cuckoo'. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novelist Zoe Gilbert and folk musician Sam Lee. Sam's traditional song ...
Apr 01, 2025•34 min
In March, Alice meets organic food grower and author Claire Ratinon in her garden in East Sussex. Sheltering from the rain, they plant the first seeds of the year in Claire’s greenhouse and meet some feathered friends - discussing signs of spring, tomatoes and the enormous value of growing. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and Sam Lee. Thanks go to Claire Ratinon. 'Found Sounds' are back for 2025 with another twelve episodes, each rele...
Mar 14, 2025•22 min
March is the start of spring - to celebrate, Sam Lee sings an uplifting new arrangement of the folk anthem 'Birds in the Spring'. Our mammal of the month is the mad March hare, while in the woods we look for bear garlic and go birch tapping. Meanwhile, Lia tells the Cornish folktale of The Fairies and the Bees. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novelist Zoe Gilbert and fo...
Mar 01, 2025•33 min
For February's Found Sound, Alice meets wood artist Darren Appiagyei in Greenwich Park in south-east London, before heading to his studio to learn more about his wood turning practice. In the background, you’ll hear chirping parakeets, the rumble of traffic and the occasional plane overhead, all of which are part of the sonic tapestry of this urban landscape. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and Sam Lee. Thanks go to Darren Appiagyei -...
Feb 13, 2025•19 min
For February, Sam Lee gives us a bold new version of 'Oakham Poachers', a traditional ballad recorded in Gloucestershire. In the orchard, we explore mistletoe folklore and select apple trees for planting. Zoe goes foraging for jack by the hedge, while our mammal of the month has a striped face, a grey back and a big personality... And Lia tells the Norse tale of Baldur, Frigg and the mistletoe. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author...
Feb 01, 2025•34 min
For January’s Found Sound, Alice Boyd meets Scottish-Scandinavian illustrator, printmaker and storyteller Morvern Graham on the East Scottish coast. Together, they head out onto the windy beach to collect limpets for Morvern’s latest folklore character: the Shellycoat. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and Sam Lee. Thanks go to Morvern Graham. 'Found Sounds' are back for 2025 with another twelve episodes, each released on the middle Fri...
Jan 17, 2025•23 min
For our first episode of 2025, we are delighted to welcome this year's musician - the wonderful Sam Lee, who has composed a song for January especially for us. Zoe Gilbert begins the year looking for jelly ear fungus and wood wives. And our presenter Lia Leendertz tells a seasonal folk tale from Somerset. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novelist Zoe Gilbert and folk mus...
Jan 01, 2025•37 min
For the final Found Sound of 2024, we have created a special episode for you. Alice travelled to Somerset to meet our very own Lia Leendertz, Almanac-maker and presenter of As the Season Turns. They visited Stanton Drew Stone Circles, to the south of Bristol, where they talked about stone circle myths, marking the seasons and fresh starts. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and The Breath. Thanks go to Lia Leendertz. 'As the Season Turns...
Dec 13, 2024•21 min
For December, our final episode of 2024, we mark the winter solstice with fireside tales of elder trees and wrens. The Breath sing 'Carry Your Kin', a song for the turn of the year, and we walk through the still, dim woods, looking for winter's jewels. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novelist Zoe Gilbert and folk musicians Ríoghnach Connolly and Stuart McCallum of The B...
Dec 01, 2024•32 min
This month, Alice is with ecological food grower, forager and cook Poppy Okotcha in her garden in Devon - where they plant beans, make compost and discuss how gardens can help us envision alternative ways of living. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and The Breath. Thanks go to Poppy Okotcha. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with Lia Leendertz. Each episode, released on the first of the month, is a gu...
Nov 15, 2024•22 min
In November's episode we mark the old festival of Samhain, and the end of the harvest - while in our ancient woodland the animals, too, are saying goodbye to autumn. We explore the fire folklore that abounds at this time, from Guy Fawkes to Will o' the Wisps, and The Breath sing 'All That You Have Been', a song for this dark month. To lighten the dark Lia tells a tale of spiders and fire, traditional to the Hopi Nation. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with th...
Nov 01, 2024•31 min
This month, Alice is back on another foraging walk with Zoe Gilbert, author, folklorist and contributor to As the Season Turns. This time, they’re looking for some autumnal treasures among the falling leaves in an ancient woodland near Hamstreet in Kent. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and The Breath. Thanks go to Zoe Gilbert. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with Lia Leendertz. Each episode, releas...
Oct 18, 2024•19 min
October is prime season for mushrooms - and we find them in the ancient woodland and in fairy rings, exploring the best kinds to eat and the folklore surrounding them. We identify Heath Star Moss and hear the tale of Herne the Hunter (be warned - this tale is a little scary!), while The Breath play 'Little One', a song for autumn babies. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by ...
Sep 30, 2024•30 min
This month, Alice meets Roka from Roka Brings Flowers on her narrowboat ‘Leafy Lady’. Roka is a florist and craft maker living a nomadic life on the British waterways. As she and Alice discuss the ups and downs of this way of life, they discover ripe tomatoes, dried elderflower - and the experience of going through a lock. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and The Breath. Thanks go to Roka of Roka Brings Flowers. 'As the Season Turns' i...
Sep 13, 2024•19 min
In September, the wildlife in our ancient woodland is thriving on the season's abundance, while in the orchard with Zoe we meet some interesting characters. The Breath sing Cliona's Wave, telling the tale behind it, and Lia too is in Ireland for a story from the Fenian Cycle: The Salmon of Knowledge. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novelist Zoe Gilbert and folk musician...
Sep 01, 2024•34 min
For August's Found Sound, Alice meets sisters Martha and Ella Webb, a clothes maker and scientific illustrator, in their studios in Stroud, Gloucestershire. The sisters demonstrate their creative processes, discussing how they find inspiration in nature and each other. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and The Breath. Thanks go to Ella and Martha Webb. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with Lia Leender...
Aug 16, 2024•18 min
August is the first real harvest month - so we go foraging in the ancient woodland, delving into the folklore of blackberries, elder and rowan along the way. Zoe tells a familiar tale from the herb garden, and The Breath sing 'Harvest', one of the first songs they wrote together. Our moss of the month takes us underground, while in the sky above we look out for meteors. An excerpt from Seamus Heaney's poem 'Blackberry-Picking', published by Faber in 'Death of A Naturalist' (1966), is read with t...
Aug 01, 2024•30 min
This month, Alice meets artist and woodworker Sophie Sellu on the way to her studio ‘Grain and Knot’ in south-east London, where Sophie discusses her artistic practice and Alice collects some soothing woodworking sounds. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and The Breath. Thanks go to Sophie Sellu and Stanley. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with Lia Leendertz. Each episode, released on the first of th...
Jul 19, 2024•15 min
In July, the ancient woodland cools us down - while we explore the hot-weather roots of some of the month's many names. In the garden Zoe gives us some charms against pests, and we find out what to eat and plant in the veg patch. Our folktale tells of fairies, while The Breath sing 'Only Stories', a song about Ríoghnach's childhood summers spent in West Cork. This episode also features a short performance from Sam Lee and original music from Avery Bright, excerpts from Ffern's short film 'A Tusc...
Jul 01, 2024•31 min
For June's Found Sound, Alice meets science and nature writer Chantal Lyons at Woorgreens Nature Reserve in the heart of the Forest of Dean, to spot the elusive wild boar - learning about their habits, expressions and natural history along the way. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and The Breath. Thanks go to Chantal Lyons. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with Lia Leendertz. Each episode, released o...
Jun 14, 2024•14 min
For June, we spend time in the garden - with squirrels and foxes, nectar-rich flowers and a glut of early summer vegetables. The Breath play 'For You', and we consider the old names for the month and its moons. We delve deep into the Forest of Dean to look for rewilded boar, and recount a folktale about them from the Brothers Grimm. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novel...
Jun 01, 2024•32 min
This month, Alice meets writer and poet Dr JC Niala and artist Sam Skinner at Elder Stubbs Allotments in Oxford - where they have recreated a 1918-style allotment using heirloom seeds. They discuss healing and heritage, and learn how to grow the straightest carrots. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and The Breath. Thanks go to Dr JC Niala and Sam Skinner. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with Lia Lee...
May 17, 2024•12 min
In May's episode we explore the folklore of this lovely month - green men, Robin Hood, the moon and maypoles. We cook from the garden and make German May wine for parties. We hunt for swan's-neck thyme-moss, stay up til dawn watching the Eta Aquarids meteor shower and hear 'Land of My Other', a song from The Breath. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novelist Zoe Gilbert a...
May 01, 2024•29 min
April's Found Sound is the second part of an exploration into foraging. In this episode, Alice meets wild foods expert Miles Irving to forage for common hogweed and drink rosebay willowherb tea. Settle in for a relaxing ten minutes that will help you feel part of nature, wherever you are. Please note that common hogweed should only be eaten cooked and those with celery allergies should avoid it. Common Hogweed's lookalikes include the invasive ‘Giant Hogweed’, which grows to much greater heights...
Apr 19, 2024•12 min
