This week's episode of the Wildlife Matters podcast invites you into the magical world of Winnie the Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood, celebrating the centenary of this beloved character and his friends. We take a captivating journey to Ashdown Forest, the real-life inspiration behind A.A. Milne's cherished stories, and enjoy charming activities like a game of Pooh sticks. Our conversation also shines a spotlight on urgent wildlife issues, such as the sharp decline in butterfly populations across the UK, highlighting the vital role communities can play in conservation. We celebrate impressive citizen science efforts, including the Shore Watch project at Bempton Cliffs, which has recorded an incredible variety of marine mammal sightings. Join us as we marvel at nature's beauty, underscore the importance of preserving wildlife, and reflect on the timeless memories these stories inspire in us all.

An engaging journey into the enchanting Hundred Acre Wood unfolds, set against the rich backdrop of wildlife and conservation efforts. This episode dives into the cultural and ecological significance of this iconic locale, coinciding with Winnie the Pooh's centenary celebration. The hosts take listeners on a vivid tour of Ashdown Forest, capturing its natural beauty and vibrant wildlife. Emphasizing the vital importance of habitat preservation, the episode also celebrates the timeless charm and enduring legacy of A.A. Milne's beloved characters.

Through a captivating narrative, the hosts draw the audience into the rich literary heritage of the region while highlighting its vital ecological importance. They craft a compelling conservation message that strikes a chord in today's climate-challenged world. The episode skillfully blends nostalgia with a powerful call to action, inspiring listeners to connect with nature and advocate for wildlife preservation—fusing literary imagination with urgent environmental reality.

Takeaways:

• In 2026, we will commemorate the centenary of the beloved character Winnie the Pooh.
• The Hundred Acre Wood is a real location that individuals can visit for adventure.
• Volunteers at Bempton Cliffs have successfully recorded an unprecedented number of marine mammal sightings.
• The Shorewatch program illustrates the importance of citizen science in monitoring marine wildlife.
• Heathlands in the South Downs are as rare as ancient rainforests and critical for biodiversity.
• The alarming decline in butterfly populations highlighted the urgency for public participation in wildlife conservation efforts.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• RSPB
• Whale and Dolphin Conservation
• Butterfly Conservation
• South Downs National Park Authority
• Irecord Butterflies

Hello and welcome to this week's All Wildlife Matters podcast where we have another episode filled with adventure, a wonder and a few surprises.

And here's something the Hundred Acre Wood is a real place that you can visit and today we'll explore this magical woodland home to Winnie and friends and share that adventure with you.

As always, we'll take a moment to relax with inspiring nature sounds in this week's Wildlife Matters mindful moments.

But first, let's look at the fascinating stories from the world of wildlife and nature that have caught our attention in this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News.

Hello, welcome to this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News where where we share some of the most exciting and interesting stories from the natural world.

And first up this week is a Dolphin spectacular.

Volunteers at Bempton Cliffs have recorded a record number of marine mammal sightings, making this well known bird watching spot a great place to see marine mammals too.

A dedicated group of local volunteers and citizen science project have revealed a busy world of marine life just off the the well known East Yorkshire Cliffs.

The dolphin sightings have created a lot of excitement locally.

The RSPB Bempton Cliffs team has just finished its thousandth marine mammal watch for the Shore Watch project.

The grassroots effort, which is led by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, invites everyone from experienced naturalists to newcomers to help spot and record Ocean Wildlife.

This proves there is a hidden underwater world beneath our cliffs and it's ready to be explored.

And so far volunteers have recorded 505 separate marine mammal sightings, counting a total of 2,384 animals including 160 calves and pups.

Susanna O' Neill added, this project has opened visitors eyes to the amazing marine wildlife along East Yorkshire's coast.

Watching dolphins glide near the cliffs is magical.

Our long term data Collection means we can track how environmental changes affect marine mammals and make sure we have what we need to protect their future.

While local sightings are exciting, there are still problems beneath the surface.

UK seas are important for these animals, but they face growing threats such as climate change, pollution, underwater noise and less availability of food.

Because of the Shore Watch program's success, more visitors are coming to the reserve, hoping to see dolphins, porpoise and even an odd whale along the impressive East Yorkshire coastline.

From the seas of northeast Britain to a purple paradise in the southeast.

We're pleased to share the news that the rare wildlife is thriving in the blooming heathlands of the South Downs.

In late summer, the South Downs turn purple and pink, and experts say that the heathland habitats are as rare as the UK's ancient rainforests.

In late August and early September, heathers bloom in bright colours under the blue sky in the South Downs National Park.

And for a few weeks, these heaths attract visitors from all over the uk.

This annual purple spectacle inspired the launch of the Heathlands Reunited project 10 years ago, which was spearheaded by the South Downs National Park Authority and joined by 10 other groups.

The project set out to restore and to reconnect these vital habitats, and its efforts have paid off.

Heathlands, once shaped by centuries of human activity, now cover just 1% of the national park and are found in small, separate, isolated patches.

These rare areas are vital for some of the UK's most threatened species.

So far, the Heathlands Reunited team has protected and restored 23,825 hectares of lowland heath, which is about the size of 18,000 football pitches.

An independent scientific review called the Restoration Significant, which is a big win for local wildlife.

These blooming heaths are not just beautiful, they are essential for survival.

Twelve of Britain's 13 native amphibians and reptiles depend on heaths like these, and as do rare birds like the Dartford warbler.

In a recent survey, 67 nightjars were counted in Hampshire's Wealdon Special Protection Area, showing just how important these habitats are.

Heathlands are as rare as rainforests in Britain, and only about 40 sites are left in and around the South Downs.

Their rarity helped this area become a national park, and it is a privilege to have these natural treasures grow close by.

Without these wild refuge, many unique wild animals and plants would vanish forever.

So if you're seeking a summer adventure, now is the Time to go and visit, enjoy the scenery, take some photos and make some memories in this rare purple pink landscape.

Our third story this week raises the question, where have all the butterflies gone?

It's time for one of Britain's biggest citizen science events.

But the mood this year is tinged with concern.

Across the uk, butterflies are struggling and your help now is more important than ever.

They declared a national butterfly emergency on after seeing a dramatic and worrying drop in butterfly numbers.

How bad was it?

Well, on average, people saw only seven butterflies in each 15 minute count, which was almost 50% less than the previous year.

And that was the lowest count since the survey had begun 14 years ago.

And it's not just a few species that were struggling back then.

And the numbers tell a clear story.

Just over 935,000 butterflies and day flying moths were recorded that summer.

That's nearly 600,000 fewer than the year before.

And most alarming of all, 9,000 counts turned up empty, setting a new record low for this much loved citizen science project.

It only takes 15 minutes of your time and you can take part anytime between 17 July and 9 August.

Every count helps butterfly conservation.

Find out if the crisis is getting worse or if there's hope for butterflies.

The event takes place at the same time each year, giving scientists a reliable picture.

By focusing on a strict list of species, this careful approach helps show trends that need attention.

The timing is planned so that the count happens when butterflies are most visible across the biggest area of the UK.

This means your 15 minutes outdoors can make a real difference.

If you see a butterfly that is not on the official list, you can use the free Irecord Butterflies app for iOS or Android to log every butterfly that you spot.

This helps scientists understand the full story of Britain's butterflies.

Of course, the famously fickle British weather can make spotting butterflies tricky, but that is why the scientists compare the numbers with each species flight periods and check data from other major surveys, such as the Irecord butterflies.

The UK Butterfly monitoring scheme and the Garden Butterfly Survey to get the clearest picture of how Britain's butterflies are doing.

Butterfly numbers may go up or down each summer, but the long term trend is worrying.

The emergency is real and turning things around starts with all of us.

It only takes 15 minutes of your time and you can help to safeguard butterflies and day fly moths for generations to come.

We will include links to all the organizations we've mentioned in this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News in the show notes Foreign.

Cliffs in Yorkshire has always been a favorite spot for bird watchers, but now it's also famous for marine mammals.

Volunteers have seen everything from bottlenose dolphins to a majestic and rare humpback whale.

And I've had the pleasure of watching dolphins myself and it's an experience that you will never forget.

I hope you can now imagine walking through the South Downs where summer turns the landscape into a sea of purple and pink.

Because of the efforts of conservationists, farmers and local landowners, the heather is blooming again, bringing the heathlands back to life and creating a beautiful natural late summer display.

And while you're out enjoying nature, consider joining the Big Butterfly Watch.

It's fun to spot and count butterflies and your efforts support one of Britain's largest citizen science projects.

Your 15 minute survey can make a real difference.

It's easy to register.

Just visit Butterfly Conservation website for all the information you need and there's a handy link in our show notes.

Now let's take a break from your busy day, sit back and relax as we share a little escape from the daily stresses of and strains in this week's Wildlife Matters Mindful Moment.

It's.

It's.

I hope you were able to picture that scene.

A small crystal clear stream slips quietly across the woodland floor, carving a gentle ribbon like path as it meanders through the ancient trees.

It doesn't rush, it just drifts, guided by the natural dips of the earth.

Sharing these magical nature sounds for you to enjoy is so important to us and that's why we created the Wildlife Matters Mindful Moments.

Now, are you ready for a little bit of nostalgia?

It's a bit adventure time as we wander through Winnie the Pooh's legendary 100 Acre Wood and celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Join us as we visit the world of Winnie, Christopher Robin and the whole gang and we also enjoy a game of Pooh sticks in this week's Wildlife Matters main feature.

Hello and welcome to this week's A Wildlife Matters Main Feature and thanks for joining me for part two of our walk in Ashdown Forest, or as many know it, Winnie the Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood.

We'll be starting at Gills Lap Car park and we'll be following a 3 1/2 kilometer route.

If you're short on time, there is also a shorter trail that covers most of the poo and trail highlights.

Ashdown Forest is full of wildlife and natural beauty and I'm excited to share it with you today.

As I tie my boots on this sunny but chilly morning, I notice that most of the forest is heathland with a thick group of Scots pine trees as our starting point.

A melodic song comes from the pines.

Just as I leave the car park, I stop and I spot a pinkish red black faced male red star.

In Winnie the Pooh's magical world, this spot is known as Galleon's Lap, a dense cluster of Scots pine.

As Milne wrote, even Christopher Robin couldn't count the trees.

Christopher Robin knew that it was enchanted because nobody had ever been able to count whether it was 63 or 64, not even when he tied a piece of string around each tree after he had counted it.

Crossing the heathland with gorse and bracken, we rejoin the main path.

The low dense heather hints at the purple and blue blooms that will soon transform this area.

A vivid blue butterfly lands on the heather, flicking its wings open and closed as I watch.

Can't identify many butterflies in the wild but but at first I thought this might be a common blue as I took a more detailed look as it basks in the early sun, its wings gleaming with a metallic sheen and a green blue haze.

A quick check on my app shows that this is actually fairly rare.

It's the silver studded blue found only in the southeast of England and in some parts of Wales.

Spotting a new species always makes my day and it's a treat to share one of the pictures I took on our website and social media.

This walk is level and can be done in about an hour, although I suspect my paid for four hours at the car park may not be enough.

The straight sandy path is dry today, but you can see how the winter rain can easily wash it out.

Sometimes if you stand on the bottom rail of the bridge and lean over, the river slips slowly underneath.

Now that's a hint to where we're heading for the first part of today's special Winnie the Pooh sights.

Of course, it's the famous Pooh Sticks Bridge.

The path slopes gently toward the stream, leading to a bench and a clearing.

If you're reliving your childhood on this walk, this is where you gather your poo sticks.

I must add here that you should only gather fallen sticks from the trees and certainly never break your poo sticks off the branches of the trees around here.

Today there are plenty of sticks on the ground.

The clearing, or glade, is filled with spring flowers such as bluebells, wood anemones and dog violets, all accompanied by the pungent scent of wild garlic.

After gathering my sticks, I walked another 200 metres or so along a flat gravel track to reach the bridge that leads to Pooh Sticks Bridge.

Stepping out onto the bridge, I couldn't help but smile.

There were five adults on the bridge, no children, which I suspect is typical, except during the school holidays.

Two couples played nearby and I invited a lady with a small dog to join me for a game.

She smiled and readily agreed.

We shared the twigs and stood looking upstream.

Let the games commence, she said.

And just like that, two strangers became friendly poo stick rivals.

We dropped our first sticks into the water and hurried to the other side to watch them emerge.

The world's challenges faded as we focused on our race.

She won the first round, but after five races, I had narrowly claimed a three to victory.

We watched as our sticks joined a dam of poo sticks just downstream.

I imagine a ranger has to come and collect them several times a day and return them to the glade for the next round of games.

I thank my new friend for the game as she, Catherine and her springer spaniel, Luna, headed off to finish their walk.

Poostick's Bridge stands where Christopher Robin and A.A. milne once played.

It replaced the original after years of loving use by fans.

Playing Pooh Sticks on the bridge was great fun and it was heartwarming to see people of all ages reliving their childhood memories.

As we leave Pooh Sticks Bridge behind, it's time to find Winnie the Pooh's house.

I feel as if I've stepped into a childhood storybook captivated all over again by AA Milne's beloved characters.

Pooh's house is just 50 metres down the footpath, along a small trail to our left.

Once upon a time, and a very long time ago now, about last Friday, Winnie the Pooh lived in the forest all by Himself under the name of Sanders, begins one of the stories.

What does under the name mean?

Asks Christopher Robin.

It means he had the name over the door in gold letters, and he lived under it.

Mr. Sanders lived in Pooh's house before Pooh arrived, but the silly old bear never bothered to take the sign down.

Of course, no one knows who Mr. Sanders was, and that will always remain a mystery.

Winnie's house perfectly captures the spirit of Pooh's home from the books.

It's nestled at the base of a grand old oak.

Its exposed roots surround a tiny arched wooden door with thick brass hinges and a lock that is far too big for Pooh.

He hides the key nearby.

A jar of honey sits on the ledge to the left.

Maybe it was left by a fan, although the glass jar isn't quite as authentic as I would have liked.

Pooh's classic mailbox stands just to the right.

Behind the door sits a dry, happy Pooh bear.

Maybe placed there by a ranger, maybe by some fans, but it's a charming touch.

I take even more pictures whilst already wishing I could live in a treehouse myself.

Back on the path, a short walk leads to a trail deeper into the woods where Piglet's house awaits.

You can also park at Piglet's car park nearby, which is a much shorter walk.

It's pretty much impossible to miss Piglet's house with a red wooden sign with blue lettering that announces Piglet.

Deep in the tree's roots, you'll spot the rosehip red door with its oversized brass doorknob.

To get my picture, I lay flat on my front leg, bent in the air, just like Christopher Robin did when talking to pigs.

And although I claimed it was only for the picture, it was good reliving another part of my childhood memories.

If you look up, you will see Piglet has a tiny balcony for surveying the Hundred Acre Wood.

And if you're lucky, you might just spot him waving to his visitors.

After visiting Piglet, a brief walk brings you to another very special tree, which you will know as Owl's House.

Owl lives high in a tree, and the details of his recreated home are delightful.

Short landing steps, wooden shingles and a green door bearing the sign Please ring.

If an answer is not required in the story, Al finds what he believes is a marvellous rope doorbell.

Came across it in the forest.

It was hanging over a bush and I think thought at first that somebody lived there.

So I rang it and nothing happened.

He rang it again and it came off in his wing.

So he took it Home.

Later, Pooh visits and realises the rope is Eeyore's lost tail.

Which is why you'll find Eeyore's tail hanging outside Owl's house.

I really enjoyed the level of detail and authenticity of the stories.

In case you hadn't realized, I'm thoroughly enjoying this walk.

It really is a true trip down memory lane.

As I remember Winnie the Pooh stories.

It's been years since I last read them and now I'm tempted to scour charity shops for some pre loved copies to read and enjoy all over again.

The path leads us away from our characters homes to a very special place.

It's actually the highest point in Ashdown Forest.

Here, a beautiful memorial and bench with a viewpoint to honour A.A. milne, creator of the Pooh stories and E.H. shepherd, the illustrator who brought them to life.

Standing at the memorial, you're treated to sweeping views over the Ashdown forests towards Hartfield and downhill to Cotsford Farm where the Milne family once lived.

Of course, Pooh fans know this as the enchanted place where Christopher Robin and Pooh sat at the end of the House at Pooh Corner, as Christopher explained he was leaving for boarding school.

Wherever they go and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the forest, a little boy and his bear will always be playing A.A. milne.

You might also spot sheep and their lambs or possibly belted Galloway cows grazing nearby.

As I set off, I noticed a wooden sign displaying the classic Pooh quote.

I'm rumbly in my tummy.

It's time for something sweet.

This walk is a wonderful way to spend a few hours outdoors.

Surrounded by a beautiful landscape, the area teems with wildlife and it is also active farmland, home to wild deer.

But it's a connection to the stories that truly makes the experience magical for individuals, couples and families alike.

Leaving the enchanted place, I wandered into wilder heathland.

A skylark soared overhead, its call echoing while a buzzard rode the thermals, being closely tracked by two crows, likely protecting their nest.

Unexpectedly, the path brought me to some wooden forts.

At first my imagination tried to convince the me that these must be Eeyore's house.

Even stranger was a bridge standing alone in a field with no stream or river in sight.

The timber structure is being restored to span its original stream in the Posing Ford Wood.

This is the original Pousticks Bridge.

AA Milne would have known.

Now being restored.

Ahead, I spotted a solitary Scots pine standing tall and proud.

In the stories, this is said to be the last of six pines where Pooh looked around to be sure no one was listening.

And then in a solemn voice he announced, Piglet, I have decided something.

What have you decided, Pooh?

I decided to catch a Heffalump.

It's interesting to note that this area is referred to as a forest, despite being about two thirds heathland with small woodland areas.

Neither of which is really right habitat for Heffalumps, though.

Ashdown Forest heathland is home to the rare green huntsman spider, found mainly in southern England.

These spiders have a bright green carapace and legs.

Males have a yellow abdomen marked with scarlet stripes, while females show a bright green abdomen with a darker green stripe bordered in yellow.

Both have white circles around their six black eyes.

They get their name from their hunting style.

Instead of chasing prey, they lie in wait and pounce.

Like many heathland habitats, Ashdown Forest is filled with fast growing silver birch saplings, a colonising woodland species.

And without careful management, much of the UK's heathland would revert to woodland over time.

England's lowland heath is a rare and valuable habitat, characterised by open spaces of low growing shrubs such as heather and gorse on sandy, acidic soils.

It's a scarce habitat worldwide and in the uk, making it a conservation essential.

Ashdown's forest soils are mostly sandy and podzilic, shaped by the underlying sandstone and a local climate.

These conditions create a well drained heathland with pockets of clay support wetland areas.

Podzillic soils are acidic and low in nutrients.

The path leads to another spot of geological interest and one that also appears in the Winnie the Pooh stories.

Ashdown Forest's sandstone geology made it a source of building stone, resulting in many quarries throughout the local area.

It was in these stories that Rabbit introduced readers to Kanga and Roo with these words.

Suddenly we wake up one morning and what do we find?

We find a strange animal among us, an animal we have never heard of before.

An animal that carries her family about in her pocket.

Suppose I carry my family about with me in my pocket.

How many pockets would I need?

Do you remember the scene where Pooh, Piglet and Rabbit found Kanga and Roo in a sandy patch.

Baby Roo practiced jumps, tumbling into mouse holes while Kanga told him it was time to go home.

In a comical twist, though, Kanga accidentally took Piglet home with her in her pouch instead of Roo.

The Path continues past the quarry to the car park, where you can cross the road to continue your adventure.

A grassy path leads downhill, and it's time to begin the next part of our adventure, or should I say expedition?

A few minutes along the path and I enter a broadleaf woodland, which is the famous 100 acre wood.

And I'm really happy to see two young roe deer, a buck and a doe, feeding side by side.

The doe senses me first, her keen nose alerting her to danger, which is a vital defense, along with her ability to to outrun most predators.

She freezes, and so do I.

She seems confident.

I hadn't noticed her or her brother.

When I do, I stand motionless, knowing that any movement will send them running.

After about 45 seconds, she slips away, her brother following, their white rumps flashing as they disappear into the woodland.

Deeper in the woods, I am captivated by the lush ferns lining the path as it descends towards the stream at the bottom of the valley.

This is perfect habitat for a rare fern I've been lucky enough to see before.

It thrives on steep, acidic banks in dense, damp woodland.

All habitat features that are present here.

I step off the main path and inspect the dense, vibrant undergrowth.

There is a clump of fern spread across a sandstone rock.

Likely it's been resting here for decades, maybe even centuries.

The Tunbridge filmy fern is a small perennial fern forming dense mats of overlapping leaves from creeping rhizomes.

Its name comes from its name delicate translucent leaves which are just one cell thick, which gives them that wet, filmy look.

What a find.

Delighted, I return to the footpath and continue my descent towards the gill stream below.

Story lovers will recall Christopher Robin's expedition to the North Pole when Roo fell into the stream.

Well, this is that very stream.

Luckily, Pooh found a pole to fish Roo out.

But that was a close call for Roo.

When Christopher Robin asked Pooh where he got the pole, Pooh said that he had found it, and Christopher Robin proclaimed it the North Pole, planting it in the ground to mark the discovery.

Today, you won't find the pole at the North Pole, but the stream where Roo fell in is still here.

There's even a little bridge for modern explorers to cross without having to take a tumble like Roo did.

After successfully crossing the stream, I begin to climb the opposite bank.

Although it's not extremely steep, my calves are aware that we're going uphill.

At the top, I pause to catch my breath and take in the lush woodland behind me and the open grassland leading towards the heath.

Suddenly, a swift bird in flight catches my eye.

These small raptors are among the most agile and acrobatic birds of prey, able to snatch swallows and swifts right out of the air.

They can also catch dragonflies, damselflies and other flying insects whilst they're on the wing.

They're only about the size of a kestrel.

These raptors arrive in spring and summer to breed in the uk.

Rather than build their own nests, they'll lay two to three eggs in corvid nests between late May and early June.

And before summer ends, the fledglings are ready to return to Africa.

If you haven't already guessed, I'm describing the hobby.

Its distinctive red trousers caught my eye as it chased a meal through the air.

After dining mid flight, it circled the hilltop, its long pointed wings and streaked white breasts confirming my identification.

After that unexpected excitement, I continued towards the open grassland of Ren's Warren, which will be known to story lovers as Eeyore's Sad Place.

In the stories, Eeyore is the ever melancholy donkey, so it's fitting he would have a sad and gloomy place.

In real life, Wren's Warren is far from gloomy.

In reality, it's a lovely open grassland merging into heathland, a place of solitude and peace.

Yes, perfect for quiet reflection.

And perhaps that's what drew Eeyore to this tranquil spot.

Eeyore, the old grey donkey, stood by the stream and looked at his reflection.

Pathetic, he said.

That's what it is.

Pathetic.

He walked slowly along the stream, crossed it and looked again.

As I thought, he said, no better from this side.

But nobody minds because nobody cares.

Pathetic, that's what it is.

Eeyore is often seen as a character struggling with depression or persistent sadness.

His constant negativity, lack of enthusiasm and melancholic outlook reflect these traits.

And some suggest he shows signs of dysthymia, a chronic form of depression.

These are complex and challenging issues to cover in a children's storybook, but Milne was able to make the messaging clear whilst the reader remained in love with the character.

From here, I begin to head back to my camper Van Raven.

But the day's adventure isn't over yet.

The next stop will be afternoon tea at Pooh Corner, a Winnie the Pooh themed cafe in Hartfield.

In the stories, Christopher Robin often visited Sackville Cottage, which was once a sweet shop and a bakery.

This charming cottage is now a Winnie the Pooh themed cafe and offers indoor and outdoor eating even on a midweek day, it was bustling with visitors.

The cafe serves a range of treats, but the afternoon tea, which comes in a yellow teapot with Pooh's face on the body of it, is especially popular.

They offer vegan cream tea and oat cream, which suited me perfectly.

I couldn't resist a jam sandwich as the bread is shaped like Winnie the Pooh's face and served with a locally made blackcurrant jam.

Satisfied, I decided to stroll over to the Winnie the Pooh Museum next door.

Entry to the museum is free, and its collection of toys, games, books and teddy bears spans a hundred years of Winnie the Pooh's history.

Although small, it's well worth a visit while Winnie the Pooh and his friends live on in our hearts.

Milne's writing is full of humour and wordplay, blending whimsy with genuine emotional depth.

After the birth of his only child, Christopher Robin Milne began writing the beloved Pooh stories when we were very young.

Milne worked with the illustrator E.H. shepherd, whose drawings, which began as simple pencil sketches, evolved into the colorful, iconic characters we know and love today.

And we can't finish without mentioning Tigger.

Tigger, the famously bouncy tiger, is known for his boundless energy and memorable catchphrases like bouncing is what tiggers do best.

And Buddy, if you're gonna pounce, you have to do some bounce.

Of course, Tigger also gives his new friends nicknames like Buddy Boy for Pooh and Longears for Rabbit.

So it feels fitting to end our 100 acre wood adventure with Tigger's classic line, the wonderful thing about Tiggers is Tiggers are wonderful things.

I can hear you singing along already.

As the sun begins to dip behind the trees, casting long golden shadows across the paths of Ashdown Forest, I take one last long look back at the Hundred Acre Wood.

The laughter of children and the distant call of birds lingers in the air, mingling with memories from stories I'd loved since childhood.

Every step of this journey have woven together wildlife, wonder, storytelling and just a touch of magic.

A reminder that adventure and friendship are never far away when you're willing to explore with curiosity and the enthusiasm of a child in your heart.

Thank you for joining us on our adventure around Winnie the Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood.

If you enjoy our adventures, then please like and subscribe so that you never miss a new story.

And thanks for listening to this week's Wildlife Matters main feature around Winnie the Pooh's 100 acre wood, also known as the Ashdown Forest.

I hope you enjoyed our journey through Winnie the Pooh's 100 acre wood in its centenary year.

It was a remarkable adventure and one of the most fun and delightful stories that I've had the pleasure of to share with you.

Ashdown Forest is a wild and wonderful place, especially in summer when the paths are dry and the woodlands are inviting.

You can visit to relive your own childhood or share the magic of the stories and the wild places with your own children, or maybe even your grandchildren.

If today's adventure made you smile or sent you on a wonderful trip down memory lane, then please like and subscribe so that you never miss an episode.

And if you have a moment, leave us a review Wherever you listen, it really can help other nature lovers find our little wild corner of the podcast world.

Wildlife Matters will return in two weeks when I will be leading a bat walk through an ancient woodland and joining my first summer moth survey.

I can't wait to share these new adventures with you, and as always, thank you for spending time with us today.

Stay curious, wild ones.

This is Wildlife Matters signing off.