Latest episodes and posts
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216: EU Wolves and the Conservation Success Conundrum with Hanna Pettersson
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 and look at the evidence. When dealing with controversial subjects like this, it is important to be factual and follow the evidence. So I was delighted…
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215: Just Earth with Tony Juniper
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 his latest book ‘Just Earth: How a Fairer World Will Save the Planet‘ and in our conversation today. Tony has been campaigning for nature for nearly…
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214: Bringing Back the Wild with Mike Arnold – A Hunter’s View of Global Conservation
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 University of Georgia and a lifelong hunter. Mike has published over 220 articles in outdoor magazines and hundreds of research papers on conservation biology. He’s also…
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213: Ferret Eradication from Rathlin Island with David Tosh
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 project on Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland’s only inhabited offshore island. Our guest is David Tosh, a Lecturer in Terrestrial Ecology at the School of Geography and…
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212: Snow Leopard Trail with Jonny Hanson
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? Our conversation takes us from the remote mountains of Nepal to potential lynx habitats in Scotland and Ireland. Jonny Hanson travelled to the Annapurna Conservation Area to document how local communities…
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211: When Reintroductions Cause De-wilding with Alex Lees
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 assumptions about rewilding. Alex argues that many reintroduction projects might cause ‘de-wilding’ rather than rewilding, particularly when we rush to move species around instead of letting…
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210: The Culling Conundrum with Ryan Davy
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. Ryan Davy spent 30 years working in African conservation, starting as a 16-year-old volunteer in KwaZulu-Natal’s remote game reserves. From those early days confronting poachers and negotiating with local communities,…
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209: Beavers vs Salmon – Balance the Scales with Rob Needham
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 higher. The reintroduction of beavers to British waterways has sparked heated debate about their impact on our most threatened migratory species. In this episode, our guest…
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208: Encounters with Corvids – Fionn Ó Marcaigh
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 and jackdaws to the acrobatic choughs and elusive jays that call Ireland home. Dr Fionn Ó Marcaigh, author of “Encounters with Corvids,” joins us to unpack…
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207: Land Access and Irish Trails with John Smyth
Why are no trespassing signs appearing on Irish mountains that hikers have accessed for decades? Can walkers really sue farmers when they injure themselves on private land? What happens when busloads of tourists arrive at remote trailheads with no permission from landowners? Our guest John Smyth, a hiker with 20 years’ experience in Connemara and volunteer with Mountain Meitheal Ireland, reveals how Ireland’s hiking landscape has transformed from quiet trails to crowded mountains – and the growing tensions this creates.…