Maria Hodson
Maria Hodson is production editor at BBC Countryfile Magazine, alongside Margaret Bartlett. Since moving to Bristol in 2014, Maria has made every effort to escape into nature and loves all things wild and watery, from surfing and swimming to paddle-boarding and kayaking. Her adventure highlight in recent years was sea kayaking around remote St Kilda, off the coast north-west Scotland, in 2016. Most weekends, however, are spent exploring the great outdoors with her small child and doing accessible walks. Favourite family adventures are bird-watching at Slimbridge Wetland Centre and exploring the Forest of Dean, as well as an annual pilgrimage to see the starling murmuration on the Somerset Levels.
Recent articles by Maria Hodson
The rising threat of wildfires in the UK: Why Britain is completely unprepared for a warming climate
The army has been deployed in Wales; the Cairngorms were ablaze for weeks. Why does the UK seem to be going up in smoke this summer?
How many cat years is one human year? We explain how old your cat really is...
A cat at 18 months is a wild teen - by seven years old, it might be having a midlife crisis
The world's 7 most popular cats, including multi-millionaires, war heroes and talking felines
These are the top cats of the internet, with huge online followings and heaps of charisma
The world's most popular dogs revealed (number 2's net worth is $23 million)
These are the mega-dogs, who have taken the internet by storm with their canine charisma
Can cats and dogs become friends? The answer may surprise you
Many cats and dogs can form calm, happy relationships when trust is allowed to build at their own pace
Beneath the surface: 7 creatures that might bite you in UK waters
Splashing about in open water is one of life's great joys - but which animals might sink their teeth in?
Weather Photographer of the Year 2026 opens to entries
Photographers are encouraged to submit their most spectacular pictures of weather
A human badger, a windy court jester and Isaac Newton – meet the 7 most eccentric Brits of all time
There's a fine line between madness and genius, and these seven maverick individuals truly committed to that line
The 9 weirdest natural phenomena in the UK – from glowing seas to magical pavements – and where to see them
Often viewed as pretty, pastoral and predictable, Britain's landscape also has some downright strange natural oddities
Cotswolds A-List: spot the Hollywood icons, royalty and rock stars among the sheep and stone walls
What do Kate Moss, Jeremy Clarkson and Princess Anne have in common? They all live in the Cotswolds. And they're not alone...
The incredible history of the Titanic's little sister – from ferrying millionaires to their doom to wartime minesweeping and Charlie Chaplin
The SS Nomadic carried film stars, millionaires and Olympians - and ferried some to their doom
From paparazzi to pastures: 9 superstars who ditched Hollywood for country life
These stars prefer a relaxed rural life to the razzledazzle of Tinseltown
This year’s Countryfile Calendar Photographic Competition is underway!
Could your photograph become one of the 12 images to feature in the new Countryfile Calendar?
Killer rats were eradicated on this beautiful British island in 2006. Something remarkable has been happening to the seabird populations ever since
Puffins and Manx shearwaters are thriving since removal of predators
13 fantastical beasts and where to find them – the mythical sea creatures that inspired Rowling and Tolkien (number 11 is terrifying)
Who knew there was so many mythical creatures swimming in UK waters? Meet these 13 strange and supernatural beasts
Shocking new study reveals sheer scale of dolphins, seals and seabirds killed due to fishing each year
First study of bycatch reveals scale of destruction, warning that issue is widespread and underreported
Britain's Chernobyl: the deadly nuclear accident that could have turned the Lake District into a radioactive wasteland
At least 100 people are estimated to have died due to the disaster
The River Wye recognised as living ecosystem in UK first: here's why it matters
The charter recognises the River Wye as a single living entity with distinct rights
Where is Springwatch filmed? A guide to the new series' filming locations
Springwatch returns to our screens for 2026, landing in a brand new location...
Wimbledon as a pig farm? Wembley an evacuation centre? 11 iconic sports venues that transformed during the Second World War
From prisoner-of-war camps to barrage balloon sites, our stadiums and sports grounds militarised during WW2
This popular garden feature can seriously raise the risk of local flooding. And many of us are 'sleepwalking' into disaster
Paved gardens raise the risk of flooding
"Horrific, shocking" rise in fatalities makes farming the most dangerous industry in Britain
33 agricultural workers have been killed in Britain in the last 12 months – an alarming rise on the previous year
Quest to save Britain's most famous apple tree
The original Bramley apple tree is at risk but fans are rallying round to save its life
England’s red squirrels at serious risk of extinction due to North American invader
The beloved red squirrel could disappear from England within a generation, warn campaigners
