PROTECT

As travel borders begin to open post pandemic, some of us might be planning our first holiday in quite a while. On that itinerary might be a wild animal attraction and today we discuss how to ensure we are travelling responsibly when it comes to animal livelihood. Animals globally are suffering at the hand of the tourism industry through degrading entertaining, living conditions, cruel training me...

It can be hard to find a green retreat in a concrete-laden city but never before has it been so critical to invite nature back in. Urban temperatures are rising at an alarming rate, air pollution continues to wreak havoc on our health and our biodiversity is dying. Our built environment is actually a very suitable foundation to rewild our cities by implementing green walls, rooftop gardens, tree c...

Food Forests are responding to food security and local food production in cities across the globe. Today, I've reached out to The Conservation Fund and one of their community projects which is the Urban Food Forest at Browns Mill, Atlanta. It is currently one of the largest food forests in the US spanning 7.1 acres and is only a few kilometres from the city centre. This wonderful project is descri...

What would you sacrifice to stand up for nature?  Imagine liquidating everything you owned, leaving where you live, the people you know and love to respond to nature's desperate call in the African wilderness.  This is the story of Damien Mander, the Founder and CEO of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation . Damien was born in Australia and is now based in Zimbabwe, and is an Iraq War Veteran...

Today on the podcast Angela is flying solo and discussing ways you can be a daily activist for the environment.  She details her own routine and things she's learned and adopted from guests on PROTECT during its last three seasons.  From animal activism, veganism, zero waste and treading lightly and resourcefully every day.  Activism looks different for everyone and it's important to remember when...

When COVID-19 forced the world to stop, our natural world breathed a sigh of relief. Cities were quiet, air pollution dropped and birdsong could be heard outside an apartment window. Bodies of water tarnished by human activity returned to their beautiful blue hues. However, it was also the change in people during the pandemic who found a new respect for Mother Nature and the climate crisis was as...

Wildlife conservation, protecting forests, fighting off poachers and armed militia is just a day in the life for a wildlife ranger.  Except many of them don't have the training, the equipment, the remuneration or the protection to do their job safely and successfully.  From homicides, to animal conflict to natural disasters, some of the rangers die on the frontline protecting the animals and space...

NASA recently recorded low Arctic sea ice, which is declining at a rate of 13.1% per decade. And today's guests aptly describe the Arctic as the ground zero of global warming, as three quarters of our planet's freshwater is frozen, and it is melting fast. So I'm honoured to introduce you to the Arctic's two biggest activists, Melissa Schäfer and Fredrick Granath, who are photographer and producer...

Sustainable communities can help slow the effects of climate change while lowering your carbon footprint.  A sustainable community is an area made up of healthy buildings, active green spaces, local engagement and a sharing economy.  Sounds like a nice place to live, right?  Well, unfortunately in Australia we're severely lacking in them as we continue to build homes that perform poorly and public...

From high energy use to poor indoor air quality, many of us are living in homes that don't perform very well to our health or the external environment.  Imagine instead, living in an airy, light-filled space with mild temperatures all-year-round.  Well, Architect Jane Cameron Finlay is here today to introduce us to the world of passive house - a voluntary ultra-low building standard developed in E...

A story that is so inspiring, so actionable and so kind - Animals Asia is an organisation that is devoted to ending bear bile farming and improving the welfare of animals across Asia. Today, I speak to the founder and CEO of Animals Asia, Jill Robinson, who has been a pioneer of animal welfare in Asia since 1985 and she founded the organisation in 1998 five years after an encounter with a cage bea...

Plastic is mother nature's non-renewable resource, time is ours. Let's not waste either one ~ Anita Vandyke Today's guest is Anita Vandyke aka @rocket_science who is passionate about living a zero waste lifestyle. She is an advocate for making simple switches to reduce plastic consumption and being an environmentalist in everyday life.  From stopping plastic pollution to stripping the climate of n...

Life for captive whales and dolphins is nothing like the ocean. In artificial captivity, these highly intelligent animals battle with mental and physical health, social isolation, aggression and much shorter lives.  Today I have a fascinating conversation with a lifetime advocate for the protection of these beautiful animals, Lori Marino who is a world renowned neuroscientist and expert in animal...

As the climate crisis continues to deepen, today's podcast will  look into one of the world's largest industries for overconsumption- fashion.  From draining water sources to fossil fuels and the exploitation of workers, the fashion industry and its loyal consumers are accountable for some disastrous environmental statistics including sending 85% of clothing to landfill.  Today I speak to one of A...

In our final episode for Season 1, we are talking about what the world urgently needs for positive environmental progress and happy human health. The future of entrepreneurship, the need for common good and encouraging creativity in an economic world that is sometimes cautious to change.  To help me with this topic is the wonderful Gunter Pauli, the entrepreneur, global speaker and author of The B...

The sharing economy is in full swing but you may not know just how good it is for the environment and for our physical and mental health. There is so much opportunity in getting the design right in our public parks, community squares, gardens and our neighbourhood streets. And we're now moving from a place of accessibility to inclusivity ensuring everyone from a toddler to an elderly person can fi...

Our oceans are in a severe state with the  Australian Marine Conservation Society  reporting that 8 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into our oceans every year. Today I speak to Dr Michelle Blewitt on microplastics (defined as plastics less than 20mm in length) and the damage they're creating in our oceans and beyond. Dr Blewitt is the Program Director of AUSMAP (Australian Microplastic Assess...

Orangutans are highly intelligent creatures that share 97% of human DNA. But these beloved primates are also critically endangered and so are the habitats they live in.  Today's episode is a conversation with world-renowned orangutan expert Leif Cocks who is also the founder and president of The Orangutan Project and has 30 plus years experience working with orangutans and advocating for rainfores...

Zero-waste is a goal for so many of us who want to lower our carbon footprint as we rethink consumption, single-use plastics and developing more eco-friendly habits. Today, I speak to Zero-waste advocate Erin Rhoads who is sought-after speaker and community activist, on a mission to engage with individuals, business, and government to redefine what waste is and how we can create less of it. She is...

Sharks and rays are critical to healthy oceans and protecting them is key as they are under threat due to shark finning, fisheries, outdated culling programs and ocean pollution. So let's learn how we can help. In today's extended episode, we talk all things sharks and rays with Lawrence Chlebeck , a marine biologist and science communicator with Humane Society International and Dr Leonardo Guida...

From a meatless Monday, to a pescatarian or a full vegan diet, any reduction of animal products can positively help the environment. Today I speak to Ondine Sherman who is the Co-founder and Managing Director of Voiceless, the animal protection institute.  She is a life-long animal advocate, passionate about promoting respect and compassion for all creatures. Ondine is a director of conservation N...

Concrete and steel have a rising competitor warming up the built environment - mass timber. I speak to Nick Hewson who is a chartered structural engineer specialising in the field of mass timber construction and is currently the Head of Design for XLam . Nick lends his expertise to discuss the environmental, health and structural benefits of building with timber. I've also created a transcript of...

Ever feel helpless or depressed by the current state of the climate? Dr Susie Burke is here to normalise those feelings and provide you with some strategies to help you navigate this anxiety. She is a psychologist, climate activist and parent who has developed resources on coping with climate change, raising children for a climate altered world, and disaster preparedness and recovery.