Closer to Nature

In scenes akin to an action film, the Parks Victoria Biodiversity Science team, led by Dr Mark Antos, were flown on a military helicopter to a remote location in Gippsland to save an endangered bird from extinction before the devastating 2020 Black Summer bushfires swept through. Meanwhile Parks Victoria's Chief Scientist Dr Mark Norman explains a new decision making tool called the RAD Frame...

The lovable wombat is an iconic species at Wilsons Promontory National Park, but could it also be spreading an invasive weed that has rarely been seen in Australia before? Hear from Invasive Species Project Coordinator Ruby Wicks about the fight to keep the landscape pristine. Over at Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary, Marine and Coastal Sciences and Program Manager Michael Sams and his team are doi...

Victoria's national parks and reserves are here to preserve unique ecosystems and wildlife. But they’re also spaces for us humans to visit and enjoy nature and outdoor recreation. In this episode we speak to Dr Kelly de Bie, Manager of Evaluation Information and Social Sciences, about what behaviours make a good visitor to a national park. We also chat to three inspiring volunteers from the F...

Parks Victoria ranger Clinton Morton talks about the impacts of climate change on important tangible cultural heritage sites, like the loss of ancient middens through coastal erosion at Wilsons Promontory National Park, and the hard decisions Parks Victoria and Traditional Owners are having to make to decide what can be saved. Click here for more information about this episode. To stay up to date...

The tiny Mountain Pygmy Possum lives high up in the Victorian Alps, where the Bogong Moth migrates to for spring. And without the Bogong Moth’s migration, the Mountain Pygmy Possum’s survival would be at risk - because in nature, everything is linked. From animals, to trees, plants and fungi - all living creatures are connected and incredibly vulnerable to things like changing weather patterns, ca...

Welcome to Closer to Nature, a new podcast from Parks Victoria which delves into how climate change is affecting our national parks and reserves, and what we're doing to help nature adapt. Closer to Nature is hosted by Dr Mark Norman, Chief Scientist Conservation and Climate Action at Parks Victoria. Join Dr Norman as he visits some of the state's nature strongholds, while speaking to ex...