Tag: Conservation Biology

231: How to Think Like an Ecologist with Amy McEuen

Book cover for 'How to Think Like an Ecologist: A Non-Scientist's Guide to Saving Our Planet' by Amy B. McEuen, part of the Routledge Studies in Conservation and the Environment series, published by Earthscan from Routledge. The upper half of the cover is deep blue with the title in white serif type. The lower half is a painting looking straight up through a broadleaf woodland canopy, with green foliage and brown branches framing an opening of pale sky and a single distant bird. The cover sits against a blurred background of dark green leaves.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Hpvxc01B4Z69XaszXkgu2 How do you tell solid science from something dressed up to look like it? Are we living through the sixth mass extinction? And why is the climate crisis not the worst of the planetary boundaries we have crossed? My guest today is Amy McEuen, a professor of Biology at the University of Illinois Springfield, … Continue reading 231: How to Think Like an Ecologist with Amy McEuen →

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 →

211: When Reintroductions Cause De-wilding with Alex Lees

A large pelican with distinctive dishevelled, cream-coloured plumage rests on weathered wooden logs. The bird displays its characteristic enormous pale yellow bill and bright orange eyes, with wispy feathers creating an almost comical 'bad hair day' appearance atop its head. The pelican's posture is relaxed as it sits amongst the timber, with its substantial body and wings folded naturally. The wooden logs show signs of age and weathering, creating interesting textures and lines that frame the bird. The background is softly blurred in dark tones, making the pale pelican stand out prominently in the composition.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6mrrImy0I4FvZqKCVVb5zP 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 … Continue reading 211: When Reintroductions Cause De-wilding with Alex Lees →

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 →