Different by Nature

Can you grow a work of art? And what happens when nature takes over?
This week on Different by Nature, Hannah meets Kirsten Tingle, an artist and biodesigner creating living sculptures from mushrooms. https://www.kirstentingle.com/
From growing hundreds of basil plants to creating life-sized human figures that slowly decompose in Scottish woodlands, Kirsten is redefining what art can be.
We explore the wonderfully weird world of BioArt, where science meets imagination, nature becomes part of the creative process, and artworks have a life of their own.
It's a conversation about curiosity, creativity, experimenting with the unexpected and finding inspiration in the strangest places.
Different by Nature. Real life, outside.

What happens to our bodies after death, and what can nature teach us about the process?
In this rather unusual Halloween episode of Different by Nature, Hannah Sayers is joined by forensic anthropologist Professor Anna Williams and returning guest and special co-host Carla Valentine, author of The Language of Bones.
Together, we dig into the strange and fascinating world of forensic science, exploring how the natural environment plays a crucial role in understanding death.
From maggots that help solve crimes and the surprising use of pigs in forensic research to the secrets our bodies leave behind, this episode uncovers a side of nature we don't often talk about.
We also hear about Anna's campaign to establish the UK's first outdoor human decomposition research facility, why this research could transform criminal investigations, and how it might help us rethink our relationship with death and the environment.
Expect fascinating discoveries, a little dark humour and a few moments that might require a strong stomach!
Find out more and support the campaign
Learn about the Human Taphonomy Facility for the UK campaign, complete their survey or find out how to get involved:
https://htf4uk.org
Different by Nature explores the interesting and unusual stories hidden in the outdoor spaces around us.
Content warning: This episode includes discussions of death, human remains and a brief mention of suicide, which some listeners may find distressing.

What if the natural world is making music we've never really heard?
This week on Different by Nature, we're joined by musician, sound artist and audio producer Alice Boyd, who finds inspiration in the extraordinary sounds hiding all around us.
From recording sounds beyond human hearing to turning plants into musical inspiration, Alice takes us into a world where nature has its own soundtrack.
We put our listening skills to the test with a hilarious game of Guess That Sound (with some spectacularly questionable guesses!), explore how Alice transforms field recordings into music, and discover how the sounds of our landscapes are changing.
We also explore why a woodland can look just as beautiful as it did 50 years ago, but sound completely different.
It's an episode full of strange noises, unexpected discoveries and a reminder that sometimes we need to stop looking and start listening.
🎧 Pop your headphones on. You might never hear nature the same way again.
Find Alice's music and projects: https://aliceboyd.info
Follow @differentbynaturepod on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Different by Nature — Real life, outside.

What happens when you follow your curiosity instead of the expected path?
In this episode of Different by Nature, Hannah speaks to Author of 'On Belonging - Reflections of a Renegade Guide' and Living London Founder Saira Niazi, whose love of wandering started with bunking off school to explore markets, cemeteries and random stops on the London Underground.
That curiosity eventually became Living London — a project uncovering hidden places, overlooked communities and the stories that often sit just beneath the surface of the city.
Saira talks about walking hundreds of miles across the World and the UK, discovering the power of being different, helping people feel that outdoor spaces belong to them, and why nature and place can connect us back to culture, memory and identity.
They also explore untold histories, inclusive walking, neurodivergence, taking unconventional career paths and why sometimes the best thing you can do is simply follow your feet.
Plus, Saira shares three of her favourite hidden places in London.
Different by Nature — real life, outside.

What happens when humans look at the world through non human eyes?
In this episode of Different by Nature, I’m joined by Phil Tovey, whose career has taken him from the Royal Marines and DEFRA to researching new ways of understanding risk and our relationship with nature.
We talk about Risks Beyond Human Eyes, an experimental project that asked people to experience their local landscape from the perspective of species including earthworms, otters, kestrels, red deer and Atlantic salmon.
How do you actually “become” an earthworm? What can an otter notice about a landscape that we don’t? And could stepping into another species’ world help us spot risks — and make better decisions — before it’s too late?
We also explore Phil’s military background, learning to read landscapes, the importance of play and imagination, and what happens when nature is given a voice in the way we think about risk.
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