Driven by Nature

PART TWO: In this episode(s), we’re thrilled to be joined by Dr. Rosie Willacy, a invasive species ecologist based in Tasmania. Rosie has spent years dedicating her research and work to the understanding the ecosystems on Christmas Island and developing decision making frameworks for managing invasive species. Yanti and I were stoked to be in the same place at the same time, and absolutely loved g...

PART ONE: In this episode(s), we’re thrilled to be joined by Dr. Rosie Willacy, a invasive species ecologist based in Tasmania. Rosie has spent years dedicating her research and work to the understanding the ecosystems on Christmas Island and developing decision making frameworks for managing invasive species. Yanti and I were stoked to be in the same place at the same time, and absolutely loved g...

Peter Stronach has spent his life in local, grassroots conservation, and is now CEO of Landcare Tasmania. For the past 30 years he has been based in Tasmania, and coincidentally, Landcare Tasmania is also celebrating its 30th birthday this year. In this conversation Pete shares his reflections on three decades of experience in community-based conservation in Tassie. We discuss how valuable it is t...

Dailan Pugh is a forest activist based on Bunjalung country in Byron Bay. Dailan is one of Australia’s most dedicated and longstanding forest activists, and has been working both on the frontlines and behind the scenes to prevent the logging of forests in north-east NSW for over forty years. We take a deep dive into the goals and strategies of the North East Forest Alliance and the ongoing failure...

Megan Langridge is a social scientist interested in environmental sociology - the way that people relate to, and are informed by, their environment. Meg cast her sociologist's eye on people within the forestry industry for her honours thesis at the University of Tasmania, and in this interview we discuss what she learnt from a practice of listening to people within the industry. Something Meg...

In this episode, Carla talks with Nadia de Souza Pietramale from the Organic Landcare group, based in Mullumbimby NSW. Nadia has been working in Bush Regeneration for almost 30 years, and for the last 14 years, she has not used chemicals. In this episode Nadia and I discuss how big chem companies have set the narrative about the management of weeds in Australia, and explore how the organic approac...

Rosie Fuggle is a microbial ecologist at the University of Sydney. She started her research career questioning why seagrass transplantations around the world were failing - what were we overlooking? Could it be to do with microorganisms in the sediment? This research led her to ask broader questions about resilience in microbial communities. In this conversation she introduces us to the vast world...

Mbak Nova Ruth Senyaningtyas is an artist, musician and environmental advocate. She and her partner Grey Filastine perform stories of ecological crisis and hope around the world from aboard their boat the Arka Kinari. Their shows mix the traditional music of east Java, Nova's home, and electronic music. In our conversation, Nova shares her insights on the role of art in activism, climate chang...

Ella Roles is a keen bird watcher who is passionate about sharing experiences of the natural world with others through guiding and events. She is the coordinator for this year’s Bruny Island Bird Festival, held in March, which brings together science, conservation, community and creativity on the little island of the east coast of Tasmania. We explore the many facets of the role she takes facilita...

Carla and Yanti are excited to be back with a second season of Driven By Nature. In our first interview of 2024, Carla interviews Harry Hackett, who is working to conserve Glossy Black Cockatoos on Bundjalung country in north-east NSW. Harry, affectionately nicknamed-named after 70s TV presenter and naturalist Harry Butler, works with environmental NGO Wildbnb Wildlife Habitat on The Glossies Nort...

Jason Smith is a palawa man and cultural fire practitioner based in the Huon Valley of Lutruwita Tasmania. Join us as we chat about the ancient and evolving practice of cultural burning. This episode was recorded around the campfire on melukerdee land in the Huon Valley. Along with our conversation is audio from a cultural burning workshop Jason held in June. Let the crackling of the fire, the rus...

Dr Holly Bradley is a conservation scientist based in Perth. She recently completed a PhD on the ecology of the meelyu, the Western Spiny-tailed Skink, using novel techniques such as plasticine models and lidar imaging. During her research, Holly collaborated with a local traditional owner from the Badimia community, to share knowledge on this threatened species. Together, they are writing a pictu...

This episode was recorded to the land of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and produced on the land of the Muwinina people. We extend our deepest respect to the people of these lands, their ancestors, and their care of Country. The Merri Creek is a 70 km long creek which runs from the Great Dividing Range through the northern suburbs of naarm, where it joins the Yarra. Ann McGregor has been active in res...

Dr David Paton is an ornithologist in tarntanya/Adelaide. After a long career of researching South Australian ecosystems through birds, feral predators, fire and pollination, Dave and some colleagues founded BioR, a not-for-profit that aims to restore 150,000 hectares of functional habitat. In this episode, Dave and I chat about the decline of birds in our landscape and how community-driven restor...

Have you ever noticed the green, diamond ‘land for wildlife’ signs that brand the fronts of many bush blocks across Tasmania, and wondered what the heck they are? In this episode, we interview Phil Wise, coordinator of Tasmanian Land Conservancy’s Land For Wildlife program, that aims to help land holders protect, restore and understand the natural values of their properties. We chatted with Phil o...

Short tailed shearwaters, eastern quolls, tawny frogmouths, galahs and noisy minors - you name a Tasmanian native species and Evie has probably given one a few stitches or a drop of medicine. Evie is a wildlife vet who grew up nipaluna Hobart. After moving to naarm Melbourne to study veterinary  science, and practicing there on horses and farm animals for some years,  she is now back on...

Emily Sheppard is a musician and scientist  based in lutruwita / Tasmania. She is classically trained as a violinist, and her music now ventures broadly across many genres and collaborations. After completing a bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies, she researched nutrient cycling in seaweed for her honours thesis. She spends much of her time free diving in the rich underwate...

lutruwita / Tasmania is home to the tallest flowering trees in the world, growing in her vast but diminishing old growth forests. Dr Jen Sanger shares her love of these places and tells us about their enormous capability to capture and store carbon. We hear some mind blowing figures, discuss exciting alternatives and delve into the murky world of bias in science. Jen environmental scientist, tree...

Carla and Yanti give a quick introduction of who we are and what to expect in our podcast.