Conservation and Science

Why do we feel so hopeless about the future of the natural world? Is nature really collapsing everywhere we look or have we simply been told a one-sided story? And what if our lack of control over ecosystems turns out to be our greatest strength? In this episode I welcome back expert ecologist and author Simon Mustoe to talk about his new book, ‘How to Survive the Next 100 Years: Lessons from Nature’. It picks up where his previous book left off, building on the idea that we are not separate from nature but central to it. Simon explains how we sit right in the middle of the trophic pyramid and depend entirely on the animals around us to keep energy moving through the systems that sustain life. It is a perspective that quietly reframes how we think about our place on this thin, living veneer of the planet.Much of our conversation focuses on balance, both in nature and in how we talk about it. Simon points to a reanalysis of the Living Planet Index suggesting the picture is closer to fifty-fifty than the widely reported three-quarters decline, with many animals, including large ones like humpback whales, recovering on their own. We get into why bad news spreads so easily while good news gets buried and how our understanding of the world often lags decades behind reality. From novel ecosystems and so-called invasive species to the misuse of words like 'pest' and 'overabundance', Simon makes the case for caution, humility and a kind of Hippocratic oath for conservation: first, do no harm. He argues that forcing outcomes rarely works, because the forces shaping ecosystems are far more powerful than we are.We also explore why blanket solutions so often fail, using examples from Australian farming, koala conservation and a single burrowing animal that increased the profitability of a sheep farm. Simon believes communities, not top-down policy, hold the key to lasting change, and that real progress comes from enabling people to act locally rather than shouting at politicians or each other. He leaves us with simple, practical advice: get outside, pay attention to the nature on your own doorstep, support what others are doing nearby, and step back from the relentless flow of negative news. It is a refreshingly balanced, middle-of-the-road conversation that gives you something rare these days, a genuine sense of agency.Subscribe to Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science NewsletterSupport the Podcast and Buy Me a Coffee.Follow Tommy's Outdoors on Bluesky, Instagram or YouTube

What if the world's most powerful climate solution is being logged away while politicians and industry groups feed us misinformation? How can an ecosystem store three times more carbon per acre than the Amazon rainforest? Why has the international science community remained largely silent about the destruction of temperate rainforests? Our conversation with Paul Koberstein, co-author of "Canopy of Titans - The Life and Times of the Great North American Temperate Rainforest" tackles these urgent questions head-on. The Great North American temperate rainforest stretches 2,500 miles from northern California to Alaska, making it the largest intact temperate rainforest on Earth. Yet this carbon-dense ecosystem faces ongoing threats from industrial logging, greenwashing campaigns, and policy decisions that prioritise short-term profits over long-term climate stability.Paul shares his journey from camping beneath old-growth Douglas firs as a child to becoming an investigative environmental journalist covering forest issues for over 40 years. Our conversation examines the troubling parallels between the timber industry's tactics and those employed by fossil fuel and tobacco companies. We discuss how scientists like Dr Beverly Law faced persecution for publishing research on how forests benefit the climate. Paul explains the "global blind spot" that has allowed temperate rainforest logging to continue largely unchallenged, even as the international community rallies to protect tropical rainforests. The book reveals how industry-funded research has shaped policy debates and obscured the true climate impact of logging these ancient forests.Despite the sobering realities, Paul offers hope through examples of successful grassroots activism. When thousands of people raised their voices against Drax's expansion into California, the project was cancelled. Our conversation also touches on the dramatic shift in US climate policy under different administrations and what this means for forest protection efforts globally. Paul's advice is clear: to save a forest, you must work at it every day, but to destroy it, you only need to do it once. This episode is essential listening for anyone who cares about climate action, forest conservation, and cutting through corporate greenwashing.Subscribe to Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science NewsletterSupport the Podcast and Buy Me a Coffee.Follow Tommy's Outdoors on Bluesky, Instagram or YouTubeTommy’s Outdoors is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk The guest featured in this episode paid a nominal guesting fee. This fee did not directly influence the content of the episode. The guest had no editorial control, did not review the episode before publication, and did not influence the questions asked during the interview.

On my podcast, we talk a lot about coexistence with large carnivores and the challenges it poses. Some of those challenges might seem insurmountable to some. To shed some light on overcoming these hurdles, I contacted Helen Arusoo, an Estonian nature journalist and the leader of the National Animal Working Group. In this conversation, we talk about how Estonia overcame these hurdles and created something that I would consider the gold standard of coexistence with large carnivores.Unsurprisingly, the majority of our time was spent discussing wolves as they seem to be the most difficult carnivore species to coexist with, at least in the northern hemisphere. However, we did discuss other large carnivores like bears too. Our conversation focused mostly on social and cultural factors. We also touched on the European Commission's proposal to lower the protection status of wolves, something we’ve discussed extensively in one of the previous episodes.It was a wonderful conversation and I enjoyed speaking with Helen. Her profound understanding of the challenges of coexistence is impressive. She presented a deeply thought-out perspective and I can only wish that more people who care about wolves could learn from her experience and the Estonian model of coexistence with large carnivores.Subscribe to Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science NewsletterSupport the Podcast and Buy Me a Coffee.Follow Tommy's Outdoors on Bluesky, Instagram or YouTubeMentioned in this episode:This is the Conservation and Science podcast Replay series, a curated collection of best episodes from last year. If you are new to the show, this is an excellent opportunity to catch up with the most popular episodes from the back catalogue. And if you’re a regular listener, maybe you missed one of those or want to listen to one of them again. Don’t worry! The new episodes are being published on the regular fortnightly schedule, so keep tuning in for the new content every other Tuesday.

What is sustainable agriculture? Does regenerative farming mean focusing primarily on the soil biome? Is farming a leading cause of biodiversity loss? …and do we really have only 60 harvests left? To get the answers to those and other questions about farming and biodiversity, join me for a conversation with an agricultural management and policy specialist, an economist, a writer and an advisor, Stuart Meikle.In this episode, Stuart shares with us the history of his education in farming and later his work in different farming environments across the world. Then we switch gears and talk about issues specific to Irish agriculture, which also has some relevance in the UK context. And so, we discuss the use of nitrogen fertilisers, soil health and whether the cuts to the size of the national cattle herd are inevitable. I also ask Stuart about his thoughts on the recently passed Nature Restoration Law.After you listen to this episode, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter so as not to miss more farming episodes that are due in the coming weeks. Being a subscriber also gives you an excellent opportunity to send me your feedback and suggestions about past and future episodes. It’s as easy as replying to an email! Finally, newsletter subscribers are first to be informed about live events and can avail themselves of substantial discounts on exclusive content.Subscribe to Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science NewsletterSupport the Podcast and Buy Me a Coffee.Follow Tommy's Outdoors on Bluesky, Instagram or YouTubeMentioned in this episode:This is the Conservation and Science podcast Replay series, a curated collection of best episodes from last year. If you are new to the show, this is an excellent opportunity to catch up with the most popular episodes from the back catalogue. And if you’re a regular listener, maybe you missed one of those or want to listen to one of them again. Don’t worry! The new episodes are being published on the regular fortnightly schedule, so keep tuning in for the new content every other Tuesday.

Is the resumption of commercial whaling inevitable? What hidden geopolitical forces are shaping international whale conservation efforts? Let's dive (pun not intended) into the complex world of whale conservation with marine scientist Dr Peter Corkeron. In our conversation, Peter uncovers the surprising connections between military bases, national security, and the fate of the world's largest mammals.From the history of industrial whaling to the current state of whale populations, our guest provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges facing whale conservation today. He explains how some whale species are making an impressive comeback while others teeter on the brink of extinction. But the real story goes beyond biology! Learn how US military interests in Japan may be influencing whaling policies, and why anti-whaling efforts that seemed successful for decades may now be faltering.As commercial whaling threatens to resume, we argue for a new approach to whale protection. We discuss the limitations of current conservation strategies, the complex motivations behind pro-whaling interests and why simply allowing whaling to "fizzle out" is no longer a viable option. Finally, Peter offers his perspective on potential solutions, addressing underlying geopolitical factors and advocating for policy changes to protect whale populations more effectively.Further reading:Losing the Whales: How the Anti-Whaling Narrative Has FailedThe Return of WhalingWhat US Militarism Has to Do With Japan's Quest to Slaughter More WhalesSubscribe to Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science NewsletterSupport the Podcast and Buy Me a Coffee.Follow Tommy's Outdoors on Bluesky, Instagram or YouTubeMentioned in this episode:This is the Conservation and Science podcast Replay series, a curated collection of best episodes from last year. If you are new to the show, this is an excellent opportunity to catch up with the most popular episodes from the back catalogue. And if you’re a regular listener, maybe you missed one of those or want to listen to one of them again. Don’t worry! The new episodes are being published on the regular fortnightly schedule, so keep tuning in for the new content every other Tuesday.

Is rewilding truly mainstream now, or does it remain mired in misunderstanding? Can we finally agree on what the term actually means? And is it really an anti-rural movement that seeks to empty the countryside of people? These questions have dominated conservation debates for years, and our conversation today tackles them head-on with refreshing clarity. Our guest is Dr Steve Carver, Director of the Wildland Research Institute at the School of Geography, University of Leeds, and Professor of Rewilding and Wilderness Science.In our conversation we explore how rewilding differs fundamentally from traditional conservation and regenerative farming. We examine the crucial role of scale, the problematic nature of fences in rewilding projects, and why the Oostvaardersplassen experiment in the Netherlands offers important lessons. Steve introduces his concept of 'nature-led versus human-led' approaches and explains why giving nature the space and time to determine its own trajectory remains the core principle. We also discuss the controversial question of whether projects like Knepp Estate truly qualify as rewilding or represent something else entirely.Throughout our discussion, Steve emphasises that rewilding is deeply context-specific and requires genuine local community engagement to succeed. He unpacks the relationship between wilderness and rewilding, explores why species reintroductions aren't mandatory, and shares his measured optimism about lynx returning to the UK (though wolves remain a more distant prospect). We also examine how the European interpretation of rewilding has evolved differently from its North American origins, and what this means for future conservation efforts. This episode offers a balanced, scientifically grounded perspective on where rewilding stands today and where it might be heading.Further reading:Guiding principles for rewildingSubscribe to Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science NewsletterSupport the Podcast and Buy Me a Coffee.Follow Tommy's Outdoors on Bluesky, Instagram or YouTubeMentioned in this episode:This is the Conservation and Science podcast Replay series, a curated collection of best episodes from last year. If you are new to the show, this is an excellent opportunity to catch up with the most popular episodes from the back catalogue. And if you’re a regular listener, maybe you missed one of those or want to listen to one of them again. Don’t worry! The new episodes are being published on the regular fortnightly schedule, so keep tuning in for the new content every other Tuesday.