Latest episodes and posts
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Hunters for Conservation, Goals and Ambitions
“Hunters are conservationists” or “hunting is conservation” are phrases that we hear so often that they might sound clichéd. I have discussed whether such generalisations are true or not countless times on my podcast. Regardless of your opinion, it is undeniable that hunters and hunting organisations across the world can and do contribute to great conservation work. The results of such work are even better when hunting and non-hunting organisations join forces to achieve common goals for the environment. After…
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173: The Last Keeper with Tom Opre
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 will soon be over for you as well since the film premieres in mid-April in Edinburgh. While you are still waiting, you can listen to my…
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The EU Review of Wolf Protection Status – A Five-Episode Exclusive
An exclusive series of podcast episodes dedicated to the European Commission’s proposal to reduce the conservation status of wolves is here. Late in 2023, I published an episode titled The EU Review of Wolf Protection Status where I discussed this proposal with five guests from different backgrounds. While making it, I recorded far more material than I could possibly fit into one episode. So, I decided to release the full interviews with all the guests in the form of five…
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172: Antidote to Screen Addiction with Emanuel Rose
This episode is slightly different than usual when it comes to its subject. However, working with technology by day and creating digital content by night, I spend substantial time thinking about and grappling with this subject. So when I learned that a long-term supporter and a friend of the podcast, Emanuel Rose, wrote a book about it, I decided to have him on for a chat. The subject in question is our unhealthy addiction to our phones (mostly) and other…
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Deer Hunting Season 2024 Extended
As expected (albeit not as soon) the Minister of State Malcolm Noonan extended, with immediate effect, the deer hunting season to the end of March for female deer and to the end of April for male deer. Here are my thoughts on this.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…