Rivers and People: A dance across time and space

We are all drawn to the beauty and power of rivers, but have you ever wondered how they have changed us? Or how we have changed them? In this episode, Megan McCubbin takes us to Devon, to meet the river poet Alice Oswald by her ‘pretty little stream’, the Torridge.

Writers and artists through the ages have been drawn to the beauty and power of rivers, and Alice is no exception. The river was a paradise throughout her childhood; a place for skimming stones, catching (and setting-free) minnows and escaping to another reality. She believes we are drawn to the wildness and otherness, as well as to the animals and different, changing landscapes of rivers as they travel from source to sea.

Paul Raven, Author of Rivers: A natural and not-so-natural history, examines the relationship between rivers and people since the ice age and shares how human actions across history have positively and negatively affected the health of our waterways and the creatures that depend on them. 

Roisin Taylor, Co-Director of UK Youth 4 Nature shares the important work they are doing to redress the balance and implores us to ‘find a dipper and then you’ll want to save that river.’

Featuring: Alice Oswald, Paul Raven and Roisin Taylor, Presented by Megan McCubbin

If this episode has inspired you to take action for wetlands or discover more about our rivers, visit wwt.org.uk.

Waterlands is brought to you by WWT. It’s an 18Sixty production, produced by Ellie Richold, mixed by Melvin Rickarby and original music by Noah Bloom.