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 →

143: Emergent with Miriam Kate McDonald

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1dFGDPogQaVxPMLt1BXxww?si=d2e3469535b84c7d In conversations about nature and wildlife, we often observe an ideological divide between two groups: farmers and rewilders. This divide can be seen in their different approaches to conservation and land management. Farmers tend to prioritise the production of food and other resources, while rewilders focus on restoring natural habitats and ecosystems, with a … Continue reading 143: Emergent with Miriam Kate McDonald →

142: Treated Like Animals with Alick Simmons

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1FyIICqk7ii3cT7TKq9gNe?si=983b84ba80874b3e The subject of the humane treatment of animals is not an easy one. As hunters, anglers, conservationists, farmers and pet owners we like to think that we instinctively know which interactions with animals are humane and okay, and which are not. And when someone questions our actions or intentions we often tend to get … Continue reading 142: Treated Like Animals with Alick Simmons →

126: The Saviour Fish with Mark Weston

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5EFjiJ9fltI5hmxRJrcDNw?si=R8CXOCmKSQm1nxZNP81dJw In this episode, our guest is Mark Weston, the author of “The Saviour Fish: Life and Death on Africa's Greatest Lake”. It is always fun talking with authors and exploring details of events described in their books that didn’t make the cut to the final version. And so, I had the pleasure to talk … Continue reading 126: The Saviour Fish with Mark Weston →

Episode 121: Cries of the Savanna with Sue Tidwell

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5HxaFqNcltM1E2NAQOVD7G?si=f2686540950645c9 In this episode, once again, we’re going to take on the subject of hunting in Africa. Our guest is Sue Tidwell, the author of a wonderful book titled “Cries of the Savanna” that I reviewed in last week’s blog post. And since I really liked the book I was itching for the opportunity to … Continue reading Episode 121: Cries of the Savanna with Sue Tidwell →

Cries of the Savanna by Sue Tidwell – A Book Review

Hunting in Africa is a controversial subject that I have discussed with expert guests a few times on my podcast. I also follow related social media discussions. Unfortunately, I get the impression (confirmed on many occasions) that people taking part in these discussions have very limited, or purely theoretical, experience. This often leads to ridiculous … Continue reading Cries of the Savanna by Sue Tidwell – A Book Review →

Episode 114: The Implausible Rewilding with Steve Cracknell

https://open.spotify.com/episode/17KE1Q8ctDRIdBAREzViTY?si=cc739ef7c41547ab It’s no exaggeration to say that this was the most anticipated book of the year for me. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since, as regular listeners know, I’m keenly interested in rewilding and the conflict surrounding it. Therefore, it was my pleasure to chat with the author, Steve Cracknell, about the book, how … Continue reading Episode 114: The Implausible Rewilding with Steve Cracknell →

Episode 107: Remarkable Creatures with Aga Grandowicz

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2iYVF81IQMdJP3vGPZQfO2?si=fC6VCViLRmuaQwJKq02Shg&dl_branch=1 In many conversations on my podcast, we have observed that long-term success in nature conservation will be impossible without engaging and educating future generations. Today kids, like their parents, are more and more disconnected from the natural world. Even the children’s dictionary has replaced words about nature with newer words. And so acorn has … Continue reading Episode 107: Remarkable Creatures with Aga Grandowicz →

Episode 105: Human, Nature with Ian Carter

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4W4vPFwkEkeKL67NjbykPL?si=kHe6TUOnTdCfHIc4Yq3xAA&dl_branch=1 Keeping a diary can be a useful thing. Especially if the diarist focuses on events and experiences pertaining to their area of expertise. Ian Carter, naturalist, ornithologist and author, has kept his wildlife diary for over three decades. Ian worked for Natural England, a governmental advisory body, for twenty-five years. He has written articles … Continue reading Episode 105: Human, Nature with Ian Carter →

Episode 101: Beak, Tooth and Claw with Mary Colwell

https://open.spotify.com/episode/75AmzAo5GiHu4VZunRAe4i?si=GgA4ZcCLSre0MFKiorWU1A&dl_branch=1 Last month, I wrote a review of an excellent book titled “Beak, Tooth and Claw: Living with Predators in Britain” by Mary Colwell. At the end of that blog, I said that I would really love to have an opportunity to talk with Mary on my podcast. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait too … Continue reading Episode 101: Beak, Tooth and Claw with Mary Colwell →