217: Canopy of Titans – Greenwashing and the Great North American Temperate Rainforest with Paul Koberstein

This image shows the Great North American Temperate Rainforest with its characteristic massive old-growth trees covered in vibrant green moss and lichen. The forest floor is carpeted with ferns and fallen logs in various stages of decomposition, whilst thick moss drapes the deeply furrowed bark of towering conifers. Filtered light penetrates through the dense canopy, creating a misty, ethereal atmosphere typical of this rare coastal ecosystem. The abundant moisture is evident in the lush vegetation coating nearly every surface, from standing trunks to fallen branches, demonstrating the remarkable biodiversity and ecological richness of this ancient temperate rainforest habitat.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MRkeeGgobbUiiyeW5C23y?si=Ohb6gma9S924KTAN2UUKOA What if the world's most powerful climate solution is being logged away while politicians and industry groups feed us misinformation? How can an ecosystem store three times more carbon per acre than the Amazon rainforest? Why has the international science community remained largely silent about the destruction of temperate rainforests? Our conversation with Paul … Continue reading 217: Canopy of Titans – Greenwashing and the Great North American Temperate Rainforest with Paul Koberstein →

216: EU Wolves and the Conservation Success Conundrum with Hanna Pettersson

Winter landscape showing a snow-covered alpine valley with traditional wooden chalets scattered across rolling hills. Dramatic snow-capped mountain peaks rise in the background beneath a cloudy sky with soft golden light. Bare trees dot the foreground of the pristine white valley.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4oeCe6ki4rstiNJjSAveCH?si=6ZBMYXCvQByzGbOMvo-oNg Can we find a middle ground between those who see the EU's wolf downlisting as a catastrophe and those who celebrate it as good news? The debate around wolf conservation in the EU has become frustratingly polarised, with both sides 'crying wolf' about the consequences of changing protection status. It's time to step back … Continue reading 216: EU Wolves and the Conservation Success Conundrum with Hanna Pettersson →

215: Just Earth with Tony Juniper

Book cover for 'Just Earth: How a Fairer World Will Save the Planet' by Tony Juniper, published by Bloomsbury. The cover features a cream-coloured background with the title in large serif typeface. Above the title is an illustration of brass balance scales, with a green tree on one side and golden coins on the other, symbolising the balance between environmental and economic concerns.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4EqpJ3litKRJYtGlA0qBBe?si=A8Pki3aLQIKSSxrT__RAVg Why are we failing to make progress on climate change and biodiversity loss despite fifty years of environmental campaigning? What changed in recent years that made it so difficult to rally support for nature? Could social inequality be the root cause undermining all our conservation efforts? These are the questions Tony Juniper addresses in … Continue reading 215: Just Earth with Tony Juniper →

214: Bringing Back the Wild with Mike Arnold – A Hunter’s View of Global Conservation

A hunter in camouflage clothing and glasses kneels beside a harvested nyala antelope in a grassy field. The hunter holds a rifle and poses with the animal, which displays distinctive white vertical stripes on its dark brown coat and long spiral horns. Dense vegetation is visible in the background.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2pc7FMa9DZhL5wKzFlcaQt?si=4UTk4PlfTQWE8wqSRAmq8A Can hunting truly support conservation? Does fortress conservation offer a sustainable solution for protecting wildlife in the long term? And how do we balance the needs of impoverished communities with the preservation of fragile ecosystems? Our guest today is Mike Arnold, a Distinguished Research Professor and Head of the Department of Genetics at the … Continue reading 214: Bringing Back the Wild with Mike Arnold – A Hunter’s View of Global Conservation →

213: Ferret Eradication from Rathlin Island with David Tosh

Dramatic coastal cliffs with columnar basalt formations stretching along a rugged Irish coastline, where steep grass-covered slopes meet dark volcanic rock faces plunging into turquoise Atlantic waters with white wave breaks, under partly cloudy skies with rolling moorland plateaus in the background.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7M4KsOTy6OZpPfYYVqbL0z?si=5cb93c306a9f4ae0 What are the ethical considerations when eradicating invasive species from an island? How do you develop wireless technology to monitor hundreds of traps across difficult terrain? Why do conservation projects like this cost so much more than people expect? These are some of the questions we explore in our conversation about the LIFE Raft … Continue reading 213: Ferret Eradication from Rathlin Island with David Tosh →

212: Snow Leopard Trail with Jonny Hanson

A dramatic mountain valley landscape showing snow-capped Himalayan peaks in the background with a glacial river winding through a broad valley floor below, surrounded by steep, barren mountainsides covered in sparse vegetation.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1HY2nv8B4dKyOCgLX9k09u Can communities in Ireland and Britain learn to share landscapes with apex predators again after centuries of their absence? What does coexistence actually look like when people, livestock, and large carnivores occupy the same territory? How might wisdom from Himalayan communities inform debates about lynx reintroduction closer to home? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmNmi-ZW6Hw Our conversation takes us … Continue reading 212: Snow Leopard Trail with Jonny Hanson →

211: When Reintroductions Cause De-wilding with Alex Lees

A large pelican with distinctive dishevelled, cream-coloured plumage rests on weathered wooden logs. The bird displays its characteristic enormous pale yellow bill and bright orange eyes, with wispy feathers creating an almost comical 'bad hair day' appearance atop its head. The pelican's posture is relaxed as it sits amongst the timber, with its substantial body and wings folded naturally. The wooden logs show signs of age and weathering, creating interesting textures and lines that frame the bird. The background is softly blurred in dark tones, making the pale pelican stand out prominently in the composition.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6mrrImy0I4FvZqKCVVb5zP Can species reintroductions harm biodiversity rather than help it? Why might bringing back wolves or lynx create more problems than solutions? Are we using reintroductions as a distraction from the real drivers of our nature crisis? In conversation with Alex Lees, Reader at Manchester Metropolitan University, we explore these questions and cut through popular … Continue reading 211: When Reintroductions Cause De-wilding with Alex Lees →

210: The Culling Conundrum with Ryan Davy

A wildlife researcher or veterinarian kneels beside a sedated rhinoceros in an African savanna setting. The rhino is lying on its side with white bandaging wrapped around its head area where its horns have been removed as part of anti-poaching conservation efforts. The person, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, dark shirt, and shorts, appears to be monitoring the animal during the dehorning procedure. The scene takes place during golden hour with expansive grasslands stretching to the horizon under a partly cloudy sky, creating a dramatic backdrop for this crucial wildlife conservation work aimed at protecting rhinos from poachers.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4lQrHB9lkIWzArwCA6h2Qc Why are elephants dying slow deaths from starvation in African parks? Can contraceptives really solve wildlife overpopulation in fenced reserves? What happens when international animal rights organisations influence conservation decisions from thousands of miles away? These are the uncomfortable questions at the heart of one of conservation's most contentious debates. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BCi3d_eWH4 Ryan Davy spent … Continue reading 210: The Culling Conundrum with Ryan Davy →

209: Beavers vs Salmon – Balance the Scales with Rob Needham

This image shows a beaver dam in a natural woodland setting. The dam is constructed from intricately woven branches, twigs, and logs that the beavers have gathered and arranged to block the flow of a small stream or creek. You can see how the structure has created a pond on one side, with calm, reflective water, whilst on the other side there's still flowing water continuing downstream.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2K6kymjt1W2diGncubxAil Can beavers save Britain's dying rivers? Are these ecosystem engineers the key to reversing the catastrophic decline of Atlantic salmon, or do their dams create impassable barriers for struggling fish populations? With salmon numbers plummeting by 70% in just 20 years and predictions they could vanish entirely within two decades, the stakes couldn't be … Continue reading 209: Beavers vs Salmon – Balance the Scales with Rob Needham →

208: Encounters with Corvids – Fionn Ó Marcaigh

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Pht7RD2TdqzZEnx0n8EYz Are corvids overabundant pests or are they simply survivors in landscapes we've shaped? Why do these birds seem to look at us as intently as we look at them? What can ravens teach us about intelligence that might humble our sophisticated intelligence tests? This episode explores the world of corvids, from the familiar rooks … Continue reading 208: Encounters with Corvids – Fionn Ó Marcaigh →