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Nature Insight: Speed Dating with the Future — Nature
Nature Insight: Speed Dating with the Future

Speed dating is about having a short time to communicate things that could change your life. That’s exactly what we’re doing on this podcast, by introducing you to people with unique insight into our relationship with nature.

Copyright: © IPBES Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.

Latest Episodes:

Avatars of Extinction: ‘Endlings’ and the protection of the species that remain Jan 29, 2025

George the Pinta Island tortoise and Martha the passenger pigeon achieved fame as 'endlings’ - the last individuals of their species. Their passing is tragic, but can their fate perhaps help us to protect other threatened species?

In this final episode of Season 4, Brit interviews Dr. Alexander Lees, from Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK, who has been working on Amazonian conservation issues for more than 20 years and has a particular interest in birdlife. Brit also hears from Joanna Lilley, a poet who uses verse to capture the beauty and tragedy of endlings.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Mobilizing Wider Science & Evidence: Unlocking Engagement with IPBES from Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Africa Jan 22, 2025

Global challenges require the most robust evidence for the best possible responses - which is also key to conserve, restore and sustainably use biodiversity. So, it is vital to include as many perspectives, from as many parts of the world as possible, to understand the full picture, and to ensure that the results are used in every part of the globe. In this episode, we explore why some regions are less engaged in the IPBES processes, and what is being done to address this challenge.

Rob talks to Dr. Axel Paulsch, Geo-Ecologist from the University of Bayreuth in Germany and Chair of the Institute of Biodiversity Network about the work they are doing in Eastern Europe and Central Asia; as well as to Dr. Isimemen Osemwegie – Programme Coordinator at CABES, an organization working to research and protect biodiversity in West, Central and East Africa.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

The ‘Beauty’ of Mr Blobby: Marketing ‘ugly’ species for nature Jan 15, 2025

We humans have our favourites in the natural world. Just consider the status accorded to pandas, lions, and elephants. Charismatic species get a lot of attention, and not only from the public, but also from scientists and policy makers. We spend significant resources on studying, conserving and telling their stories. But what about ‘ugly’ species? What kind of impact does our lesser interest in them have on their existence and conservation as a whole?

In this episode Rob hears from Simon Watt, a biologist and president of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, which crowned ‘Mr. Blobby’ as the ugliest animal in the world. Rob also talks to Professor Bob Smith at the University of Kent, about so-called ‘Cinderella’ species and how we can change things for ‘ugly’ species.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Pathways to a Just and Sustainable World: The Transformative Change assessment Dec 18, 2024

What does transformative change mean? Is it possible, and how can it be achieved and accelerated with so many imminent threats to the natural world? These are the burning questions at the heart of the IPBES ‘Transformative Change Assessment’, which offers tools and guidance for a more just and sustainable world.

In this episode, Brit talks to one of the co-chairs of the Assessment, Professor Lucas Garibaldi, from the Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, in Argentina. We also delve into the forests of Nepal with Dr. Janita Gurung, a programme lead for governance and rights at RECOFTC - an organisation working to ensure that resilient communities, with respected rights, thrive in forest landscapes.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

A Symphony of Solutions: How best to tackle our biodiversity, water, food, health and climate change challenges together Dec 11, 2024

The crises keep on coming – in food, in water, in health, in biodiversity, and in climate change. IPBES is launching its ‘Nexus Assessment Report’, which looks at how all of these crises are interlinked and often cascade and compound each other. It’s time to ‘tune up our instruments’ - to create greater harmony in tackling them together for a just and sustainable world.

In this episode, Rob hears from the two co-chairs of the Nexus assessment, Professor Paula Harrison, the Principal Natural Capital Scientist at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in the UK, and Pamela McElwee, a Professor of Human Ecology at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. The episode also features Professor Jason Rohr from the University of Notre Dame in the United States, who takes us to Senegal in his fight against the ancient curse of the pharaohs - schistosomiasis.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Hidden Layers: The vital importance of genetic biodiversity Dec 04, 2024

When it comes to biodiversity, you have probably heard of the importance of diverse species and ecosystems. But there is one more layer underlying our natural systems… genetic diversity.

To kick off the season, Brit gets back in touch with her former mentor, Dr. Sean Hoban, Tree Conservation Biologist at The Morton Arboretum in Chicago, USA. And we hear from Dr. Laura Bertola, Research Associate for the National Centre for Biological Sciences in India, about the importance of genetic diversity in big cats.

You can also watch the documentary that filmmaker Luca Cueni produced when he was part of the Leo Foundation in March 2022, here.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

We’re back for season 4! Nov 27, 2024

Nature Insight is back for a fourth season! Join Brit and Rob as they speed date with experts who offer unique insights into the values of nature and the world we all share – from the hidden layers of genetic biodiversity, to the beauty of ugly species. Subscribe now, it’s your backstage pass to better-informed choices about protecting all life on earth. Coming in December!

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Getting Things Done: Super-Charging Science Policy Through Youth Engagement Oct 03, 2023

Young leaders around the world increasingly use their voices and power to fight for the future of our planet and their own. In the final episode of this season, Rob opens a window on the important role young people play in the work of IPBES – and the growing number of opportunities for youth involvement in IPBES processes. With insights from one of the IPBES colleagues responsible for these activities, Diem Hong Thi Tran, and perspectives from a young Indigenous IPBES stakeholder, Kantuta Conde Choque, find out more about the tremendous contributions youth are making to strengthen science and policy for nature.

You can find the episode about the IPBES fellowship here: link.chtbl.com/TheIPBESFellowship

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Aliens on Your Doorstep: Invasive Species and You Sep 26, 2023

Did you know aliens live among us? IPBES just launched its landmark new Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control – the largest study ever of its kind. Join Brit as she speaks with one of the co-chairs of that Assessment, Professor Helen Roy, about her enthusiasm for addressing these risks and her optimism about our chances to reduce biological invasions and their very damaging impacts. Brit also interviews Dr. Maria Loreto Castillo about how the simple beaver has become the focus of some very complex opinions in different parts of the world.

You can listen to the playlist Helen mentioned here: open.spotify.com/playlist/2YvpQrvhQxvUm9AirBlcvW?si=MBXLr8Q8QIOdaOcwTmbFbA&nd=1

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

No Room for Hopelessness: Media Challenges and Opportunities Covering the Global Biodiversity Crisis Sep 19, 2023

We hear news about climate change every day in the media, but in contrast, biodiversity is often overlooked or relegated to minor mentions. In this episode, Rob ‘flips the script’ and puts journalists who normally report on biodiversity and nature into the spotlight. He talks to Patrick Greenfield from The Guardian and Observer, and Sahana Ghosh from Nature India, about the challenges and opportunities when covering biodiversity news. Find out more about the power and responsibility of the media in helping to get these messages out about the global biodiversity crisis – to audiences in both the global North and the global South.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Poles of Possibility: Values of Nature Beyond Use Sep 12, 2023

This week, we’re traveling to the South Pole. Brit finds out more about an epic expedition to Antarctica by one of the IPBES assessment co-chairs, Professor Mike Christie, and his Paralympian teammate, Karen Darke. Get the inside track on their phenomenal adventure, and find out how an extreme landscape, not known for its biodiversity, helped them to better understand the tremendous values of nature beyond use.

The sounds from Antarctica were recorded by Mike Webster, who followed Mike and Karen on their expedition.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Widening the IPBES Tent: Stakeholder Diversity for Better Science and Policy Sep 05, 2023

Stakeholders are an important part of every organization, but in IPBES, they are especially important. They are not only beneficiaries of the work, but are also active participants. Join Rob as he delves deep into why stakeholder engagement is a vital part of the IPBES DNA, and how important it is to bring into IPBES the widest possible range of voices, evidence and knowledge systems – for stronger science. You’ll hear from Flore Lafaye de Micheaux, former IPBES Stakeholder Engagement Officer; Joji Cariño, the coordinator of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IIFBES); and Dr. Håkon Stokland, main organizer of the Social Sciences and Humanities Network (SSH Network).

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Filling the Fungi Gap: Scaling Himalayan Heights for People and Nature Aug 29, 2023

Did you know that there are thousands of undiscovered species of fungi around the world? In Nepal alone, it is estimated we know only 1/10 of all species! What does this knowledge gap mean for science, nature and people? And why do fungi matter? In this episode, Brit speaks to a mushroom scientist from Nepal, Dr. Shiva Devkota, about climbing Mount Everest in search of new species and new knowledge.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Join Us for Season 3! Aug 21, 2023

Nature Insight is back for a third season! Join Brit and Rob as they give you behind-the-scenes access to the stories, perspectives and real-world experiences of people from the IPBES community on the frontlines of science policy and action for nature. Subscribe now for your backstage pass to making better choices about protecting all life on earth. Coming soon!

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Making the Invisible Visible: Nature and the Economy Mar 16, 2022

Nature, through Earth systems, provides almost all the vital infrastructure that we need to live, work, and thrive. Even business health depends on a healthy planet. In this episode, Rob talks to Professor Steve Polasky and Delphine Gluzman to better understand the links between nature and the economy, as well as how we can align our economic activity with nature. Steve is Professor of Ecological/Environmental Economics at the University of Minnesota, and has studied the links between nature and the economy for the past 30 years. Delphine is in charge of the environment section at the BNP Paribas Foundation, which currently aims to mobilize six million Euro in financing for the protection of biodiversity and climate change.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

“Apples, Oranges and Dinosaurs”: The Values of Nature Mar 09, 2022

In this episode, we catch up with the work of IPBES experts on the values of nature. Ahead of the publication of the IPBES Values Assessment in July 2022, we explore what those values are, why we should bother trying to understand them, and how we can pull all these different perspectives together into actions to protect nature and biodiversity.

This week’s guests are Professor Patty Balvanera and David Cooper. Patty is one of the co-chairs of the IPBES Values Assessment and works at the Institute for Ecosystem and Sustainability Research, at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. David is the Deputy Executive Secretary at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, a global treaty that protects the diversity of life on earth.

If you want to hear more about this topic, you can also listen to episode 6 from our first season, with Brigitte Baptiste, another co-chair of the IPBES Values Assessment.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Rethinking Law #ForNature: “A Whole Lot of Potential” Mar 02, 2022

The IPBES Global Assessment showed that governance is one of the major indirect drivers of global biodiversity loss. In this episode, we look at the power (and limits) of laws and regulations - important elements of governance. Is law an effective tool to tackle the nature crisis? What role can law play both nationally and internationally? Can we use law to bring about the transformative change needed to protect nature?

Rob talks to Dr. Michelle Lim, Senior Lecturer at the Macquarie Law School in Sydney, Australia and an expert on the intersection between nature and law.

Music: River Feeling by Kalaji (Mark Coles Smith)

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Your Challenge…and Mine: The Sustainable Use of Wild Species Feb 23, 2022

We may not realize it, but all of us use and benefit from wild species. Algae, fungi, plants and animals - from medicine to food, they’re important parts of our quality of life. But the IPBES Global Assessment identified over-exploitation of species as one of the main drivers of change in biodiversity. So how are we using wild species? Is there such a thing as sustainable use? How does illegal trade play into all this?

This week, Brit talks to two guests. Dr. John Donaldson is a biodiversity scientist and one of the Co-chairs of the IPBES Assessment of the Sustainable Use of Wild Species, due for release later this year. Ivonne Higuero is the Secretary-General of CITES, the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

How the ‘Sausage’ Gets Made: Inside an IPBES Assessment Feb 16, 2022

IPBES assessments are massive undertakings. The IPBES Global Assessment alone involved 150 experts from 50 countries, donating thousands of hours of time over three years. So how is one of these assessments put together? What’s it like in the late-night negotiations behind closed doors? What makes such a colossal process worth the effort? Rob is joined by his long-time colleague and friend, Hien Ngo, to answer all these questions. Hien was the Head of the technical support unit for the IPBES Global Assessment.

You can access and read all IPBES Assessments on the website, here.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Fast Forward #ForNature: The IPBES Fellowship Feb 09, 2022

To be an IPBES author, you need to be one of the very best in your field. Typically this means having decades of published research to your name. But making space for a variety of voices is at the heart of IPBES. Through its Fellowship Programme, IPBES offers exceptional early-career researchers a ‘seat at the table’. Dr. Lelani Mannetti is a Fellow on the IPBES Values Assessment, and speaks to Brit about the Fellowship as a ‘fast-forward’ mechanism.

Brit also talks to Juliette Prieur, from AXA’s Research Fund, which is making a significant financial contribution to IPBES - specifically to support the Fellowship Programme. She tells us about the importance of supporting young researchers and why an insurance company would finance biodiversity research.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

We’re back for Season 2! Feb 03, 2022

Brit and Rob are back for a second season of Nature Insight! Join them as they ‘speed date’ with experts with unique insights into the values of nature and the world we all share. Subscribe now to learn how to make better choices about protecting all life on earth.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Brigitte Baptiste: Show Me the Value(s)! Aug 11, 2020

Values drive behaviour and are at the heart of all decisions. So how do we value nature? Is it economic or aesthetic or cultural? IPBES recently launched a major expert assessment on values to answer all of these questions and more. This week, Brit talks to Brigitte Baptiste, one of the co-chairs of the values assessment. They explore the different ways of valuing biodiversity and nature's contributions to people.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Billy Offland, Dr. Anne Poelina: Wake up the Snake Jul 14, 2020

How do we incorporate different knowledge systems in the battle for biodiversity? Billy Offland set off on a 2-year journey to learn about conservation from as many different people as possible. In his travels, he met Dr. Anne Poelina in the Kimberley in Western Australia. Anne is a Nyikina Warrwa Traditional Owner and chair of the Mardoowarra Fitzroy River Council.

What can we learn from the Fitzroy River Council? How do we create "forever industries"? How can we use this knowledge in global policymaking?

Music: River Feeling by Kalaji (Mark Coles Smith)

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Dr. Peter Daszak: Disease X Jul 08, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic took most of us by surprise, but not Dr. Peter Daszak. As a zoologist and expert on emerging diseases, he has been training his entire life for this kind of crisis. He is the president of EcoHealth Alliance, a non-profit NGO that supports global health.

Should we blame nature for the virus? What are the root causes of pandemics? How does preserving biodiversity help us fight emerging diseases?

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Introducing Nature Insight Jun 26, 2020

Join Rob and Brit as they ‘speed date’ with the future! Each week, they will introduce you to people with unique insights into the values of nature and our relationship with it. Subscribe now to learn how to make better choices about protecting all life on earth.

This podcast is brought to you by IPBES, the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

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