Category: Podcast
Conservation and Science is a podcast about human-wildlife interactions and our relationship with nature. I talk with world-class scientists, members of environmental organisations, practical conservationists, farmers, nature writers, and last but not least, hunters and anglers. My conversations cover biodiversity, conservation, hunting and fishing, rewilding and more. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
-
171: Rewilding with Steve Carver
It has been a considerable time since the last time we spoke about rewilding on the podcast. I feel that the discussion around the practice as well as understanding of the term has moved on in the last three to four years. So, I decided to get an update on the state of rewilding. To do so, I invited the Director of the Wildland Research Institute at the School of Geography, University of Leeds, Dr Steve Carver who is also…
-
170: EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 with Frank Vassen
Currently, a lot is going on in the European Union concerning regulations that can impact nature and nature restoration. To get a better understanding of the current state of nature in the European Union and the future of nature conservation and restoration I talk with Frank Vassen. Frank works in the Nature Unit in the General Directorate for the Environment at the European Commission. That might sound a little dry but worry not. The conversation was joyful and funny at…
-
169: Species Reintroductions
Species reintroductions, often in the context of rewilding, is a topic that we frequently discuss on this podcast. It is also fiercely debated on social media. I have been asked more than once about my views and opinions on this topic. Do I support species reintroductions? Well, it depends. In this episode, I’m going to break down my take on species reintroductions, the good, the bad and the ugly – as the saying goes. It is another in the series…
-
168: Coexistence with Wolves in Estonia with Helen Arusoo
On my podcast, we talk a lot about coexistence with large carnivores and the challenges it poses. Some of those challenges might seem insurmountable to some. To shed some light on overcoming these hurdles, I contacted Helen Arusoo, an Estonian nature journalist and the leader of the National Animal Working Group. In this conversation, we talk about how Estonia overcame these hurdles and created something that I would consider the gold standard of coexistence with large carnivores. Unsurprisingly, the majority…
-
167: Conservation Detection Dogs with Caroline Finlay
When we talk about dogs and conservation, it is usually in the context of wildlife disturbances caused by pet dogs and their inconsiderate owners. However, a specially trained dog can be an invaluable asset in conservation projects that require searches or detection. The subjects can vary from searching and finding carcasses to detecting nests and chicks of birds nesting in burrows. That includes a dog indicating what species was found! To explore the use of dogs in research and conservation…
-
166: Conservation and Science in 2024 – Housekeeping
The new year has just started and I’m quick to treat you to yet another episode of the Conservation and Science podcast. Since it is this early in the year, it’s a good opportunity to give you an update about my plans for 2024 and what you can expect from the podcast. Listen to find out about changes to the episode release schedule, my writing and speaking efforts, and my future social media presence. In the second part of this…
-
165: Flicker in the Water with Bob Gonzalez
A Flicker in the Water is a book about fishing I wish someone had written a long time ago. I gotta admit that due to its small size, I initially underestimated it. However, as I started reading it, I was immediately drawn to the series of fishing stories and captivated by original, real-life photos. In fact, reading this book was so pleasurable that I ended up reading it twice over, back to back. I’m not kidding you! During my conversation…
-
164: Shotgun Conservationist with Brant MacDuff
The story of Brant MacDuff, the author of the book under the title “The Shotgun Conservationist: Why Environmentalists Should Love Hunting” is in many ways similar to mine. We were both born and raised in the city without any contact or access to hunting. We overcame not insignificant obstacles to get into hunting later in life and both of us decided to share this experience with others who might want to do the same but don’t know where to start.…
-
163: The EU Review of Wolf Protection Status
The human-wildlife conflict with wolves has been brewing on the ground in the EU for some time. On the one hand, it has been fueled by a remarkable recovery of wolves across the continent, and on the other, by politicians trying to hijack it for their political gains. In September 2023 the European Commission invited “local communities, scientists and all interested parties” to submit the latest data in order to review the conservation status of wolves and decide whether to…
-
162: Sheep, Soil and Biodiversity with Suzanna Crampton
The impact of farming on nature is one of the most contested subjects. The negative impact on biodiversity and soil health is juxtaposed with food security and benefits to certain species of wildlife. But does it have to be one or the other? Join me for the conversation with Suzanna Crampton who is one of the most recognisable figures in Irish agriculture. She graduated from Sterling College in Vermont, where she studied agricultural and environmental sciences and learned about farming…