The Business of Biodiversity explores threatened species and the actions farmers, businesses, NGOs and everyday people are taking to protect them.
Our new podcast series is produced by Grow Love Project – a social enterprise start-up and finalist in the 2019 Wild Idea business incubator (also supported by SoS).
Each 30-minute episode features a mix of SoS partners, including landholders, threatened species experts and businesses, discussing the positive outcomes they have experienced through adopting biodiversity-friendly land practices in different settings.
Biodiversity is the variety of life forms or living organisms in our environment and how they interact. It is so important as the more variety, growth and security of those life forms, the more biodiversity we have and the healthier our ecosystem is. A loss of biodiversity can negatively impact air and water quality, pollination, pest control and even the economy, making it vital to conserve all our native species, great and small. The podcast explores why biodiversity is not just good for the environment but business, too, and provides us with an opportunity to communicate and raise awareness of threatened species conservation efforts in NSW.
Episode 12: Battling a plant disease pandemic
Episode 12 Saving our Species is excited to share an episode from the Royal Botanic Gardens’ fantastic ‘Branch Out’ Podcast on our ‘Business of Biodiversity’ series, in our first ever feed swap. It’s a very timely topic about a contagious disease, of pandemic proportions, that affects plants. In this episode you’ll hear about Myrtle rust: a plant disease threatening many of our iconic plant species. Listen and learn about this deadly and destructive disease, and the cutting-edge science being used doing to fight it.
Episode 11: Threatened connections
Episode 11 Threatened animals and plants may seem very remote and even irrelevant to some, but their wellbeing and survival affect us all – often in ways we can't even imagine. In this episode, learn about how we depend on and are connected to our biodiversity. You'll hear from an Ecologist an Astrophysicist who shed some light on some of the unexpected ways we rely on threatened species.
Guests featured include:
Dr. Matt Agnew – Astrophysicist
Dr. Heidi Kolkert – Ecologist & Bat Researcher
Dr. Matt Agnew is working with the Saving our Species program on the Threatened Connections awareness campaign mentioned in this episode.
Episode 10: Innovative ways to boost biodiversity in urban gardens
Episode 10 titled ‘Innovative ways to boost biodiversity in urban gardens’, explores businesses that are putting the ‘jungle’ back in the urban jungle to help communities and wildlife thrive. From recreating threatened native bushland environments in residential gardens, to cultural landscape and design, and vertical and rooftop gardens – these businesses will inspire you to do more for threatened species in your backyard.
Guests featured include:
Liz Smith and Erryn Blacklock – Bush regenerators, landscapers, and founders of Bushy Landscapes
Clarence Slockee – Director, Jiwah
Hisham Alameddine – Estimation and R&D Manager, Junglefy
Episode 9: Taxonomy – The benefits of naming nature
Episode 9 titled ‘Taxonomy – the benefits of naming nature’, explores the importance of taxonomy and how it can lead to an increase in society valuing nature – in all senses of the phrase.
Guests featured include:
Andy Austin – Emeritus Professor for the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity (and soon to be Director of Taxonomy Australia)
Episode 8: Twitcher Tales - The beautiful benefits of birds
Episode 8 titled ‘Twitcher Tales’ is all about the importance of our feathered friends. We talk to a range of passionate birdwatchers, or ‘twitchers’, about the various benefits of birds, the key threats they face, and how to create key habitat to ensure their future is bright.
Guests featured include:
Ben Humphries – Southern NSW Woodland Bird Project Officer for Birdlife Australia
Holly Parsons – Urban Bird Program Manager for Birdlife Australia
Episode 7: How can we care for our coastal creatures
Episode 7 is all about ‘Caring for our coastal creatures’, exploring native marine wildlife and the rescue and rehabilitation of these species. We talk to expert care givers to see what it takes to get threatened species back into the wild.
Guests featured include:
Holly West – Project Officer for NSW TurtleWatch
Olly Pitt – Manager of Australian Seabird Rescue
Stephen Van Mil – CEO of Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital
Episode 6: Taking to the sky with conservation drone technology
Episode 6 delves into the world of ‘conservation tech’, taking to the skies to see how drone technology is saving time and money for threatened species initiatives. Hear from three conservation ‘tech heads’ discuss their challenges, solutions, and vision for the future.
Guests featured include:
Blaise Porter – Head of Sustainability for Fujitsu
Aymeric Madous – Founder and CEO of Lord of the Trees
Debbie Saunders – Founder and Chief Remote Pilot of Wildlife Drones
Episode 5: Frogs, bees and wallabies, beating the drum for threatened species
Episode 5 is all about ‘connecting conservation’, including how engaging the community is essential to the survival of our endangered plants and animals. Hear from inspiring individuals who discuss some of the various ways the broader public can get involved in supporting biodiversity.
Guests featured include:
Dr Jodi Rowley – Australian Museum Research Institute/University of NSW’s Curator of Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology
Matt Blomfield – Gather By Founder and CEO
Darren Grover – Head of Healthy Land and Seascapes for WWF-Australia
Episode 4: Bring back the birds with Landcare
Episode 4 hears from a range of passionate people involved in the Australian-made Landcare movement, at all levels of the organisation. They talk about the secret to their success with biodiversity and threatened species conservation and explore what makes Landcare unique, how they are making an impact, and what still needs to be done to protect our natural world.
Guests featured include:
Adrian Zammit – CEO Landcare NSW
Kylie Durant – project officer Holbrook Landcare Network
Cindy and Steven Scott – farmers Scott Angus Stud
Episode 3: Biodiversity Entrepreneurs
Episode 3 hears from environmental entrepreneurs about developing businesses with a conservation focus and their journey of turning their environmental idea and passion into a viable business.
Guests featured include:
Sam Marwood – Wild Idea Business Incubator
Jessie Panazzolo – Lonely Conservationists
David Brook – Wildbnb
Kate Torgersen – Envirogolf
Aimee Bowman and Holly Newman – Planet Warrior Education
Episode 2: Innovative ways to promote the importance of biodiversity
Episode 2 delves into how growing awareness of the importance of biodiversity can help businesses make a real impact on conservation. The individuals in this episode all have a love of Australian plants and animals and are not shy to share their passion in order to encourage others to get involved.
Guests featured include:
Justin and Pip Jarret – Seesaw Wines
Sam Renzaglia – Renzaglia Wines
Lou Chalmers – Yume Wine
Luke Tilse – The Happy Wombat
Joe Slupik – Pokolbin and Hunter Distilleries
Episode 1: Investing in Biodiversity
Episode 1 hears from scientists, conservationists and farmers about their experiences and knowledge of the benefits of investing in biodiversity and discuss how plants and animals deliver significant ecosystem services on farm.
Guests featured include:
Nigel Sharp and Annette Rypalski – Odonata
Rich Gilmore – The Nature Conservancy