Just Ecology

Environmental law is meant to protect nature—but how well does it actually work? In this episode, I sit down with Brendan Sydes to unpack the realities behind the legal frameworks shaping conservation in Australia. Brendan is an environmental lawyer and policy expert with decades of experience across the sector. He is currently with the Australian Conservation Foundation, where he works on environmental advocacy and legal reform, and has previously held senior roles with the Environmental Defenders Office. He is also President of Connecting Country and Chair of the Biolinks Alliance, bringing a strong focus on community-led conservation and landscape-scale restoration. We trace the evolution of environmental law over the past century—from its early focus on resource use to the rise of threatened species protections and national parks from the 1970s onwards. We dig into the limitations of the current system, including how legal frameworks can sometimes enable development rather than prevent it, and the uncomfortable reality that it’s often the community trying to protect nature from government. Brendan also walks us through the proposed reforms to the national EPBC Act—changes that have been on the table for years but remain largely unimplemented. A key theme throughout the conversation is that laws, on their own, don’t protect the environment—they create the framework. Their effectiveness ultimately depends on how governments apply and enforce them - and how communities hold them to account. I hope this podcast is useful for anyone who is trying to protect their local patch.

In this episode I speak with ecologist and musician Sean McConnell, who also performs his song Baarka Ballad, written about the plight of the Baarka (Darling River). We talk about Sean’s experiences growing up in the Riverina through cycles of drought and flood, and the extraordinary biodiversity of the region’s floodplain forests and wetlands. We discuss the evidence of Barapa villages across the floodplain, documented in Koondrook State Forest on the NSW side of the river, including extensive pond systems that were used to harvest fish. Our conversation reflects on the profound changes that have occurred since colonisation: river regulation, widespread land clearing, the early land grabs by squatters and selectors and the short-lived economic booms that were so often accompanied by long-term environmental degradation. Sean shares what inspired him to write Baarka Ballad: the heartbreaking mass fish kill on the Baarka in 2021, the remarkable voyage of Tuesday Browell down the river in an Egyptian-style handmade wooden boat to draw attention to its plight and the ongoing illegal extraction of water across the Murray–Darling Basin. Finally, we talk about the power of music to help us process and transmute feelings of helplessness in the face of ongoing environmental destruction, and how the ancient practice of singing to Country has long been part of maintaining life and relationship. A research paper on Barapa villages and constructed ponds can be found here. Listen to some of Sean's music here. For comments, feedback or requests for future content on Just Ecology, please email karljust3@gmail.com

In this episode I sat down with botanist and ecologist Kate Bennetts to explore the floodplain forests and wetlands of the Riverina. With more than two decades of experience at the forefront of wetland restoration, Kate brings deep insight into how water — and the loss of it — shapes these great riverine landscapes. As Principal of Fire, Flood & Flora, she has dedicated her career to understanding how these ecosystems function, decline and recover. We begin by exploring what makes floodplain forests and wetlands so ecologically rich and distinctive. From there, the conversation turns to the profound changes these landscapes have undergone — the displacement of First Peoples, widespread tree clearing and the alteration of natural flooding regimes. Kate explains how environmental water allocations work in practice, and why carefully timed flows are critical to sustaining River Red Gum forests and the diverse wetland plant communities beneath them. We also delve into history, reflecting on observations from the 1850s Blandowski Expedition, and discuss recent research Kate has been involved in examining the allelopathic effects of Red Gum leaf litter on wetland vegetation. The episode finishes with a discussion about Kate’s on-ground restoration — including collaborative work with Traditional Owners — and what it will take to ensure these floodplain ecosystems remain resilient in a drying and highly regulated river system. If you have time before the 1st of May 2026, please make a submission for the updated Murray Darling Basin Plan, calling for more environmental water for our rivers wetlands: https://getinvolved.mdba.gov.au/2026basinplanreview Links to the 1970's research on the allelopathic effect of Red Gum leaves can be found here: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2424020 Links to the the recent research on the allelopathic effect of Red Gum leaves that we discussed can be found here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/emr.70031?af=R Some of the books mentioned in the podcast: Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life by William Blandowski The Victorian Bush: its Original and Natural Condition by Ron Hateley

It was a real honour to interview Emeritus Professor Stuart Hill. Stuart began studying ecology in the 1960s, and his PhD research conducted in a cave in Trinidad in the late1960s was among the first whole-ecosystem studies to examine community and energy relationships. His career spans decades of research, teaching and active engagement across multiple disciplines. Over the years, Stuart has taken a particular interest in soil biology, entomology, social ecology and organic agriculture, and he brings a rare additional perspective through his formal training in psychology. In our conversation we covered a wide range of topics, beginning with insights into his extraordinary understanding of life in soils, before exploring the role of human psychology in the ecological crisis. We also discussed several of Stuart’s ideas from his paper ‘10 Common “Mistakes” to Avoid, and “Needs” to Meet, When Seeking to Create a Better World’. I’m deeply grateful that Stuart took the time to share his knowledge and reflections, and I hope you enjoy the conversation. Stuart has an amazing collection of his resources on his website: https://www.stuartbhill.com/ For comments, feedback or requests for future content on Just Ecology, please email karljust3@gmail.com

In this episode I speak with Kai Lane, a proud Yorta Yorta and Barapa Barapa man who serves as an ecologist at Ecology & Restoration Australia (ERA) and as a board member for Eco Warriors Australia. In 2025, he was awarded the National prize for Indigenous Led Science at the Ecological Society of Australia conference for his innovative Yedabila habitat pods, which are traditional woven huts used to protect turtle nests and provide aquatic wildlife shelter. Beyond his technical field work, Kai leads Cultural Heritage sessions for the Habitat Warriors program, where he uses storytelling and traditional practices to teach schoolchildren how to "care for Country" from an Indigenous perspective. He is also an author, recently releasing a book through Habitat Warriors that explores the traditional First Nations' uses of Australian flora for food, medicine and tools. I speak with Kai about the Yedabila habitat project, the inspiring work of Habitat Warriors, Indigenous football (Marn Grook), Indigenous astronomy, seasonal calendars and cultural plant knowledge. To learn more about the Yedabila Habitat Pods and Habitat Warriors visit: https://habitatwarriors.com.au/ Email comments, feedback or content suggestions to karljust3@gmail.com

In this episode I meet with Suzan Muir, who spent 63 days surviving in the wilds of southern New Zealand on the show Alone. She and her husband John, one of Australia’s most experienced explorers, live on the property Inanna surrounded by the Grampians NP, where they provide nature connection experiences for visitors. Suzan’s skill as a nature guide has developed through decades of wilderness adventures; guiding both adults and children. We talk about Suzan’s experience on the show Alone, including the bush skills and relationship to place which are essential to surviving alone on Country. We then talk about the 2025 bushfire in the Grampians, including an 7000 ha back burn that was deliberately lit with the apparent aim to reduce risk to human communities. Suzan reflects on the immense toll the backburn took on native wildlife and the unresolved questions around whether it was necessary. Finally, we explore a project we’ve been working on together to monitor biodiversity and fuel loads in the years following the fire. You can visit Suzan's website at: https://www.grampiansnatureprograms.org/ Email comments, feedback or content suggestions to karljust3@gmail.com

In this episode, we talk to Stuart Inchley about his role in discovering the largest known population of Slender Tree-ferns in Australia, and the work of the Gippsland Forest Guardians to protect these remarkable plants from forestry operations. We also discuss the ecology of rainforest ecosystems, the pitfalls of environmental policy and some recent inspiring wins for the environment. To follow the work of Stuart and the Gippsland Forest Guardians, visit these two websites: https://www.gippslandforestguardians.org.au/ https://tarwinriverforest.com.au/ Email comments, feedback or content suggestions to karljust3@gmail.com

Pete McCurly is a craftsman and custodian of Scots-Irish and Ngarabul-Gumbaingirr lineage. He lives and works in southern Djaara Country. In this episode, Pete and I meet at the Rock of Ages in central Victoria, to explore the concept of time — delving into both ancient and contemporary systems and the ways they shape our world and approach to custodianship. Check out Pete's work on Instagram: @curlytimbers Email comments, feedback or content suggestions to karljust3@gmail.com