In this episode of The Sieve, Karen is joined by writer, naturalist, photographer and wildlife rehabilitator Polly Pullar - a woman whose life and work are beautifully entwined with the wild landscapes of Scotland.

Polly has spent decades observing, rescuing, and writing about the natural world. Her stories from otters and owls to red squirrels and resilience remind us how deeply our human lives are woven into the land we live on.

In this conversation, Karen and Polly explore ...

🌿 How her early life and love of animals shaped her path as a writer and conservationist.

🦉 The deep connections between nature, grief, and healing.

🌾 The stories behind her memoir The Horizontal Oak and what it taught her about belonging.

🦊 What the wild can teach us about compassion, courage, and letting go.

🌼 How to stay hopeful in a world that can feel increasingly disconnected from nature.

This is a tender, thoughtful conversation about the comfort of wild places, the lessons held in loss, and the quiet wisdom that comes from paying attention.

🎧 Listen now and be reminded that the wild isn’t something outside of us, but something we’re part of.

📚 Connect with Polly Pullar

• Website: www.pollypullar.com
• Books: The Horizontal Oak, Fauna Scotica, A Scurry of Squirrels, and more.
• Instagram: @pollypullar

💬 Join the Conversation

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In this Sifting Session, Karen shares the story behind last week’s conversation with gardener and author Charles Dowding and a lesson that came from a rather humbling mistake.

When a technical error erased an entire interview (except for the final five minutes), what began as panic and embarrassment turned into an unexpected teacher ... one that spoke of humility, grace, and the quiet power of second chances.

In this reflective solo episode, Karen explores ...

🌱 How mistakes strip us back to what really matters.

🌿 Why grace and generosity often grow in the space where things go wrong.

🍂 What psychology and nature can teach us about failure, learning, and growth.

🌾 How to move from self-criticism to self-compassion and start again, wiser.

Rooted in real experience and gentle reflection, this episode is a reminder that every creative life, every meaningful project, and every season of growth is built on things that didn’t go to plan.

🎧 Listen now, and be reminded that mistakes don’t mean failure ... they mean you’re trying.

💬 Reflection Prompts

• What’s a recent mistake that still lingers in your mind and what might it be teaching you?
• Who has shown you kindness when you’ve stumbled, and how did it change how you saw yourself?
• Where in your life could you offer yourself (or someone else) permission to begin again?

🌾 Join the Conversation

Follow @thesievepod on Instagram ... a growing community where we can pause, exhale, and sift through the good stuff together.

in this episode of The Sieve, Karen speaks with renowned gardener, author, and teacher Charles Dowding, whose pioneering no dig method has inspired millions to see gardening, and life, differently.

Charles is known around the world for transforming the way we grow food, but at the heart of his work lies something deeper ... a philosophy rooted in trust, patience, and generosity.

In this thoughtful and quietly powerful conversation, Karen and Charles explore ...

🌱 What first drew him to the soil , and to Iona

🌿 The values that have shaped his lifelong approach to gardening and teaching.

🍂 How to work with nature’s rhythms rather than against them.

🌾 The importance of trust in the soil, in the process, and in ourselves.

🌻 How kindness, simplicity, and curiosity keep his work (and his life) in balance.

Together, they reflect on what it means to live by your values, to share knowledge freely, and to keep learning from nature’s quiet wisdom.

🎧 Listen now and be reminded that the best growth, in gardens and in life, often happens when we stop forcing, start trusting, and let things unfold in their own time.

🔗 Connect with Charles Dowding

• Website: www.charlesdowding.co.uk
• YouTube: Charles Dowding’s No Dig Gardening Channel
• Books: No Dig Gardening: From Weeds to Vegetables Easily, Organic Gardening, and more.

💬 Join the Conversation

Follow @thesievepod on Instagram ... a growing community where we can all pause, exhale, and sift through the good stuff together.