E106 Sophie Pavelle

What does absence teach us about nature? And what can parasites, fungi, and strange symbiotic relationships reveal about life — and our place in it?

This week, Rich Stockdale sits down with award-winning science communicator and author Sophie Pavelle to talk about curiosity, rejection, career detours, and her unique path into the world of conservation storytelling.

Sophie shares the deeply personal story behind her first book, Forget Me Not, a journey across the UK to reconnect people with the species most threatened by climate change. And she gives us an inside look at her powerful new release:

📖 To Have or To Hold: nature’s hidden relationships, out now with Bloomsbury.

Together, they explore:

— Why nature shouldn’t have to “perform on demand”

— The emotional weight of writing about absence and fragility

— How parasites make up 50% of the world’s biodiversity (yes, really)

— The quiet power of learning with the reader

— And why it shouldn’t take sheer endurance to get a job helping the planet

🔗 Listen in for insight, laughter, and perspective from one of the most refreshing voices in environmental writing today.