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Stuart Mabbutt can recall the first time he engaged with the natural world and wanted to know more. He was in primary school, came across a dead magpie, and wondered why someone had ringed it. His teacher, meanwhile, was trying to persuade Stuart to leave it alone.
And so began a lifelong involvement, not only in nature, but in being something of a contrarian.
If you've heard of Stuart, it's likely to be through his podcast or Wildman Environmental Learning.
His sensory nature workshops enable people to connect with the natural world, sometimes an unlikely beginning leads to a life revelation.
And when he's not doing that, Stuart is a wildlife sound recordist and producer, an author, public speaker, radio host and a wildlife gardening consultant.
After years helping other people find themselves through the great outdoors, a decline in Stuart's health and a need to use a wheelchair prompted him to lead the Oxfordshire campaign The Genuine Disabled Countryside Access Task Force. His YouTube videos are eye-opening, highlighting the issues encountered by people with different disabilities. These include how to get a wheelchair through a kissing gate, how to read a map with vision impairments and many other barriers.
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Wildman Environmental Workshops
The People's Countryside Podcast
YouTube @WildmanEnvironmentalLearning
AccessAble accessibility guide
Season 1 Episode 9: Sanjukta Jitendhar, architect, Mikhail Riches
Season 1 Episode 5: Sarah Kessell CEO of The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales
Season 1 Episode 1: Rae Wilkinson, award-winning sustainable garden designer
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