The 11 Best Nature Podcasts (2026)

BirdNote Daily is the podcast equivalent of a two-minute nature walk. Each episode clocks in at roughly 90 seconds to two minutes, narrated by Mary McCann and Michael Stein, and focuses on a single bird species or behavior. It sounds almost too simple, but with over 2,500 episodes and a 4.8 rating from more than 1,200 reviews, the formula clearly works.

The production quality punches way above its weight for such a short format. You get actual birdsong woven into the narration, clean scripting, and enough real science to feel like you learned something without needing to set aside your morning. One episode might explain why Pine Siskins suddenly flood your feeder every few years (irruptive migration, it turns out), while the next covers the strange courtship dances of grebes or how crows recognize individual human faces.

BirdNote operates as a nonprofit, and it shows in the mission-driven approach. There's no filler, no self-promotion, just a daily burst of ornithology that slots perfectly into that moment between pouring your coffee and starting your day. The show has been around since the mid-2000s, making it one of the longest-running nature podcasts out there. If you're even mildly curious about the birds in your backyard or the ones passing through on migration routes, this is the gentlest possible way to start paying attention. It won't take over your podcast queue, but it might change what you notice when you step outside.

Outside/In, produced by New Hampshire Public Radio and hosted by Nate Hegyi, takes the position that literally everything connects back to the natural world and then proves it, one story at a time. The show celebrated its 10th anniversary in late 2025, and across 378 episodes, it has built a reputation for environmental journalism that feels more like great storytelling than a lecture.

The format blends reporting, interviews, and narrative in a way that reminds you of the best public radio traditions. One week Hegyi might be in a forest in Ireland investigating why the country has so few trees, and the next he's unpacking the ethics of space junk. The range is surprising, but the thread always comes back to how humans interact with (or mess up) the natural systems around them. The production has a distinct musical quality to it, with thoughtful sound design that makes the listening experience feel intentional.

With a 4.7 rating from nearly 1,500 reviews, it has found a loyal audience that appreciates nuanced environmental storytelling. The show isn't afraid to sit with complexity or admit when the answers aren't clear-cut. If you want nature podcasting that treats you like an adult and doesn't shy away from the political and cultural dimensions of environmental issues, Outside/In delivers consistently. Episodes typically run 20 to 30 minutes, long enough to go somewhere interesting but short enough to finish on a commute.

Chris Morgan is the kind of host who makes you feel like you're crouching behind a bush with him, watching a grizzly bear fish for salmon, even though you're actually on a train staring at your phone. The Wild, produced in partnership between KUOW Seattle public radio and Chris Morgan Wildlife, puts you in wild places alongside the ecologists and researchers who know them best.

Morgan brings a background in wildlife ecology and filmmaking, and it shows in how the episodes are constructed. The sound design is immersive, capturing field recordings that transport you to forests, coastlines, and mountain ranges. Over 134 episodes, the show has covered everything from buffalo restoration projects with Indigenous tribes to the ethics of genetically modifying endangered species. The conversations go beyond simple nature appreciation into the messy, complicated reality of conservation work.

What sets this show apart is Morgan's warmth and genuine connection with his guests. He's clearly someone who has spent decades in the field, and the researchers he interviews seem to relax into a more candid, less rehearsed version of their expertise. With a 4.8 rating from 3,400 reviews, it's earned serious loyalty. Episodes drop weekly and typically run 30 to 50 minutes. If you care about wildlife and want to hear from the people actually doing the hands-on work of protecting it, The Wild is one of the best shows in the space right now.

The BBC Earth Podcast brings the production values you'd expect from the brand behind Planet Earth and Blue Planet into audio form. Currently hosted by zoologists Rutendo Shackleton and Sebastian Echeverri, the show runs weekly and covers the animal kingdom with a mix of expert interviews, rich sound design, and genuine enthusiasm for the weird and wonderful.

The format has evolved through five seasons and about 50 episodes. Each one typically picks a theme, like animal superpowers, death in the wild, or nocturnal behavior, and explores it through conversations with scientists, naturalists, and occasionally people from film and television. The production leans heavily on immersive audio, with field recordings and sound effects that give episodes a cinematic feel even without the visuals.

Shackleton and Echeverri took over hosting duties in Season 5, bringing a younger, more playful energy to the show. Some longtime listeners have noted the tonal shift from earlier seasons, but the duo's zoology backgrounds mean the science stays solid even when the conversation gets goofy. The 4.7 rating from 245 reviews reflects a smaller but appreciative audience. If you grew up watching BBC nature documentaries and want something that captures that same sense of awe in podcast form, this is about as close as it gets. Episodes run 30 to 45 minutes and arrive weekly, making it an easy addition to a nature-focused listening rotation.

Nature's Archive is one of those podcasts that feels like it was made by someone who genuinely can't stop learning about the natural world and wants to bring you along. Host Michael Hawk interviews ecologists, naturalists, botanists, and researchers in long-form conversations that give his guests room to actually explain their work in depth. With about 130 episodes releasing biweekly, it's built a modest but devoted following, earning a 4.9 rating from listeners on Apple Podcasts.

The topics range widely across the natural sciences. One episode might focus on the hidden world of soil fungi, while another tracks the migration patterns of monarch butterflies or the ecology of aphids. Hawk is a thoughtful interviewer who clearly prepares for each conversation, and he's good at steering technical discussions toward the details that non-specialists will find most interesting. Episodes vary in length from around 25 minutes to over an hour, depending on how deep the conversation goes.

The show is part of Jumpstart Nature, a broader environmental advocacy initiative, which gives it a sense of purpose beyond entertainment. But it never feels preachy. Hawk lets his guests' passion speak for itself, and the result is a podcast that consistently makes you want to go outside and look more carefully at whatever ecosystem is right in front of you. It's a quieter show without a massive marketing machine behind it, but the quality of the conversations makes it a real standout in the nature podcast space.

Mongabay is one of the most respected names in environmental journalism, and their podcast delivers the same level of rigor in audio form. Hosted and produced by Mike DiGirolamo, the Mongabay Newscast drops every other week and features in-depth interviews with scientists, conservationists, activists, and investigative reporters covering environmental stories from around the globe.

What makes this show valuable is its scope. While many nature podcasts stick to charismatic megafauna or North American ecosystems, Mongabay regularly covers tropical forests in Southeast Asia, mining conflicts in South America, wildlife trafficking in Africa, and ocean conservation everywhere. The show includes a "stop the tape" segment for fact-checking and context, which is a nice journalistic touch that sets it apart from more casual interview formats. With 344 episodes and a 4.7 rating, it has earned credibility over years of consistent output.

The tone is serious without being heavy-handed. DiGirolamo gives his guests space to explain complex environmental issues, and the conversations often reveal stories that get zero coverage in mainstream media. If you care about biodiversity loss, deforestation, or climate policy beyond just the headlines, this is essential listening. Episodes typically run 30 to 45 minutes and provide enough depth to genuinely inform your understanding of what's happening on the ground in critical ecosystems worldwide.

Living Planet comes from Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster, and it brings a genuinely global perspective to environmental storytelling that most English-language nature podcasts miss. Hosted by Neil King with producers Jennifer Collins, Kathleen Schuster, and Charli Shield, the show drops new episodes weekly on Fridays and covers the full spectrum of environmental issues through a documentary-style format.

The reporting has real range. One episode might investigate the hidden dangers of the recycling industry, while the next profiles nature-based education programs in Scandinavia or examines whether lab-grown leather can actually replace animal hides at scale. The show has also produced focused miniseries, like "The Switch," a three-part look at the clean energy transition. With over 100 episodes and a 4.4 rating from 135 reviews, it has built a steady audience that values its international lens.

What keeps this show interesting is its willingness to follow environmental stories wherever they lead, including into agriculture, consumer culture, and policy. The DW newsroom backing gives it access to correspondents and experts across multiple continents, which means you get perspectives from places that rarely make it into English-language environmental media. Episodes run around 30 minutes, packed with reporting rather than filler. If your interest in nature extends to how human systems interact with ecosystems on a planetary scale, Living Planet consistently delivers thoughtful, well-reported stories.

Wild Tales comes from the UK's National Trust, the organization that looks after hundreds of historic places and wild spaces across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Hosted by Rosie Holdsworth, Ajay Tegala, and Heather Birkett, the show releases episodes twice a month and covers the odd, surprising, and sometimes bizarre stories from the British countryside and beyond.

With 189 episodes, the show has built a wonderful catalog of nature stories. One episode might track the return of pine martens to areas where they'd been absent for decades, while another investigates the mating habits of spiders or the fossil record hidden in coastal cliffs. The hosts rotate based on the story, and each brings genuine field expertise rather than just reading scripts. The production has a warm, unhurried quality that suits the subject matter perfectly.

The UK focus is both a strength and a defining feature. If you want to know about hedgehog populations, chalk grassland restoration, or why certain British woodlands are ecologically irreplaceable, this is the show. The 4.9 rating from 98 reviews suggests a small but deeply loyal listener base. At its best, Wild Tales makes you appreciate the layers of natural history packed into seemingly ordinary places. It's the kind of podcast that will change how you look at a walk through the countryside, even if that countryside is six time zones away from yours.

For The Wild, hosted by Ayana Young, occupies a unique space where ecology meets philosophy, Indigenous knowledge, and social justice. Calling itself a "slow media organization," the show doesn't rush through topics. Instead, Young sits with her guests for extended conversations that ask fundamental questions about humanity's relationship with the land and each other.

The guest list reads like a who's-who of ecological thinkers, activists, and cultural workers. Over 395 episodes, Young has spoken with Indigenous language revitalists, Palestinian botanists preserving traditional plant knowledge, grief counselors working with climate anxiety, and land defenders on the front lines of extraction conflicts. The conversations are long, sometimes over an hour, and they reward patience. Young is a careful, thoughtful interviewer who creates space for her guests to think out loud.

This is not a standard nature podcast, and it won't be for everyone. The show centers voices and perspectives that are often absent from mainstream environmental media, and it approaches ecological crises as inseparable from questions of justice, colonialism, and cultural survival. The 4.8 rating from over 1,100 reviews reflects a dedicated community. If you're looking for something that goes beyond species counts and conservation success stories into the deeper questions of why and for whom we protect the natural world, For The Wild offers the kind of depth that stays with you long after the episode ends.

Chris and Angie are a husband-and-wife team who clearly cannot stop thinking about animals, and their enthusiasm is infectious across 575 episodes of the All Creatures Podcast. The format mixes species-specific deep dives with interviews featuring conservation specialists from around the world, and the show updates weekly with impressive consistency.

Each episode typically focuses on one animal or conservation topic. You might hear about the surprisingly complex social lives of prairie dogs one week and then get a conversation with a marine biologist tracking whale shark migrations the next. The hosts' chemistry is natural and unforced, and Angie brings her background in animal physiology (she holds a PhD from the University of Florida) to keep the science grounded. They're clearly passionate without being preachy, which is harder to pull off than it sounds when you're talking about mass extinction.

One thing that sets this show apart is the commitment to putting money where their mouth is: the hosts dedicate at least 25% of revenue to organizations featured on the show. The 4.7 rating from over 500 reviews includes listeners who credit the podcast with inspiring career changes toward conservation and wildlife filmmaking. If you want a show that introduces you to the full breadth of the animal kingdom while also connecting you with the people working to protect it, All Creatures delivers week after week without running out of fascinating creatures to talk about.

Inside NATURE on PBS is a companion podcast to the long-running PBS documentary series, and it offers something you can't get from the films alone: the stories behind the stories. Hosted by Fred Kaufman, the executive producer of the NATURE series, the show features conversations with the filmmakers, researchers, and conservationists whose work makes those documentaries possible.

The catalog is small, just 14 episodes released between 2016 and 2018, but the content holds up remarkably well. Episodes cover the crisis facing the Northern White Rhino, the desperate efforts to save the vaquita (the world's rarest marine mammal), the technical challenges of filming wildlife in extreme environments, and the emotional toll conservation work takes on the people doing it. Kaufman's insider perspective gives these conversations a depth you won't find in a typical interview format.

The show appears to have concluded, with no new episodes since March 2018, which is worth knowing before you invest. But if you've ever watched a NATURE documentary and wondered how they got a particular shot or what happened to the animals after the cameras left, these 14 episodes answer those questions directly. The 4.3 rating from 77 reviews is respectable for a niche companion podcast. Think of it less as an active show and more as a finite collection of excellent behind-the-scenes wildlife storytelling from one of the most trusted names in nature television.