The changing river with Philippa Forrester

For over two decades presenter and wildlife expert Philippa Forrester has lived in a house with a river flowing through the garden. It's home to an abundance of species including Kingfisher, Mink and Egrets, and it's been the backdrop to a remarkable period of time when Philippa helped raise two orphaned otter cubs ready to be released back into the wild.

In this programme Philippa tells some of the stories of this river, and remembers how whole trees and even a car have come floating past after particularly heavy rains. She talks about how the river changes in the seasons, but also how she's seen legions of Signal Crayfish marching down after the sluice gate has been opened. Philippa drops down to Keynsham to speak to Simon Hunter about what can be done to help tackle this invasive species, and Ben Potterton from The Otter Trust pops over to the house to talk about those enigmatic and elusive carnivores.

Presenter: Philippa ForresterGuest: Ben Potterton, The Otter TrustGuest: Simon Hunter, Bristol Avon Rivers Trust

Producer: Toby Field for BBC Audio Bristol

Open Country

Countryside magazine featuring the people and wildlife that shape the landscape of the British Isles

• No. of episodes: 441
• Latest episode: 2025-05-01
• Science

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