176: Invasive Ants Impact Lion Predation on Zebras, with Adam T. Ford

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3mbU23q3H125O4N6d8i51b?si=308ecea0530f4d16 If you are a regular listener to the podcast or you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I read a fair number of scientific papers on subjects of conservation and ecology. Some of them are related to topics I’m investigating for the podcast and some others are just interesting for me. … Continue reading 176: Invasive Ants Impact Lion Predation on Zebras, with Adam T. Ford →

175: SOTKA Wetlands with Veli-Matti Pekkarinen and Heikki Helle

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5HmxkYJTJHmC3Jj5bjWBrO Finnish SOTKA is a large-scale habitat restoration project and a part of a larger Helmi Habitats Programme aimed at restoring Finland’s biodiversity. It is run by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of the Environment. SOTKA’s objective is large-scale habitat restoration through wetlands rehabilitation, restoration of mires and catchments, non-native (i.e. … Continue reading 175: SOTKA Wetlands with Veli-Matti Pekkarinen and Heikki Helle →

174: Not A Conservationist

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0lxXEgNPDaAcFB5TEPC8nw Many people claim they are conservationists. But are they really? Inspired by your comments and some discussions that I had in the past, I decided to talk about this subject. This episode was recorded outdoors, on the beautiful Irish coast of county Kerry. So, don’t be surprised to hear chough calling in the background … Continue reading 174: Not A Conservationist →

173: The Last Keeper with Tom Opre

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0N8epa2TaWtSa7vTf5h1nB I have been waiting for Tom Opre’s new film “The Last Keeper” since I learned in July 2022 that he and his team are working on it. Well, the wait was over for me at the beginning of February 2023, as I was the only person in Ireland to screen the film. The wait … Continue reading 173: The Last Keeper with Tom Opre →

171: Rewilding with Steve Carver

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5jy7XUjBB0uXfATqC63IHa?si=5208c8bad3084769 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. … Continue reading 171: Rewilding with Steve Carver →

169: Species Reintroductions

https://open.spotify.com/episode/64pJp4xAbRfKSyrKYbkp2s 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 … Continue reading 169: Species Reintroductions →

168: Coexistence with Wolves in Estonia with Helen Arusoo

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SacXgnHbTR90b9C9AIjJQ 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, … Continue reading 168: Coexistence with Wolves in Estonia with Helen Arusoo →

163: The EU Review of Wolf Protection Status

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3TIXgTU3Rd1Lcn2moMsz0l 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 … Continue reading 163: The EU Review of Wolf Protection Status →

159: Polar Bears in a Warming World with Andrew Derocher

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3rOZNGaXFN6UUkz4sdrvby?si=5fxRZMCzSZCr7Lrn9BJOmQ Last week I published a blog post where I set out to answer the question of whether polar bears are facing impending extinction due to climate change or are they, in fact, doing better than ever. Around the time when I was investigating this question, I got in touch with Professor Andrew Derocher from … Continue reading 159: Polar Bears in a Warming World with Andrew Derocher →

Are Polar Bears Going Extinct or Are Their Populations Doing Better Than Ever?

Lately, a few listeners sent me links to blogs and videos suggesting that polar bears are thriving, which, some argue, is concealed by environmental groups to avoid undermining public action on climate change. This is something I've heard before, so I decided to do some digging. Disclaimer: I'm not a polar bear biologist, so I'm … Continue reading Are Polar Bears Going Extinct or Are Their Populations Doing Better Than Ever? →