Conservation Realist

An illuminating conversation with human rights expert Dr. Daniel Aguirre, who is the Global Head of Secure Rights at Blue Ventures. He shares how he and his team are working to make a "rights-based approach" more than a promotional buzzword, and discusses specific examples as well as larger philosophical questions related to the challenges and opportunities of bringing human rights into conservation work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit conservationrealist.substack.com

I've long gone on about how we need to learn from other sectors, so I'm super excited to share this illuminating conversation with Dr. Meghan Kumar, expert in Global Health. Key concepts include: epistemic justice, co-creation, agency, power dynamics, and living your values. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit conservationrealist.substack.com

Carolina Paez shares the history of conflict between conservation and communities on the Galapagos, as well as how the Charles Darwin Foundation has worked to repair broken trust and build alliances with fishing communities, to support local stewardship and to strengthen partnerships against emerging larger-scale threats. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit conservationrealist.substack.com

The podcast is back, and it's a little different, but also, pretty much the same. This episode primarily features the voices of the Myanmar Coastal Conservation Lab team on their impressions of the 5th World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress, as first-time international conference participants (for two of them) and a first-time full-length presenter (for one of them). The point? We need to make these sorts of opportunities more accessible (for real), because they are powerful experiences for those who can join them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit conservationrealist.substack.com

To close out 2025, I'm happy to share this conversation with Alexis Rife, a colleague & friend whose insights I've long appreciated through her work with fisheries and in facilitation. She shares wonderful thoughts on systems change, relationship building, and what we as individuals can strive to do - and how conservation needs more of us to be willing to do something different. Thanks for being with me, and I'll be back in February 2026! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit conservationrealist.substack.com

2025 is almost over, and so is season 2 of Conservation Realist! In the penultimate episode, I invite you to join me in thinking about how our work makes us feel. I've been going through some existential career musings, and it's helped me get back to the the "roots" of how I'd like to engage in conservation. Please share your thoughts on your own "roots"! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit conservationrealist.substack.com

A lot of great learning on conservation (really, any) leadership from Dr. Eric Kaufman, expert of leadership-in-practice based at Virginia Tech. We chat about eco-leadership as a decentralized paradigm of leadership (more focused on community than individual heroes), Inner Development Goals, and cultivating conditions that allow leadership to emerge and thrive! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit conservationrealist.substack.com

Back from my unplanned little break! Sharing some intriguing thoughts and questions from the Conservation Mindsets pilot course, related to: how we frame "conservation", social dynamics and notions of obligation, and tricky issues related to implementing more ethical, equitable conservation. Many thanks to the participants who shared their insights with me! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit conservationrealist.substack.com

Thoughts on the role of peer-reviewed literature in conservation, and related issues/implications. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this, too! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit conservationrealist.substack.com

A chat with Wint Hte of IUCN Myanmar on his experiences engaging communities in Fisheries Conservation Zones and supporting youths - urban and rural - in accessing opportunities in the conservation field This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit conservationrealist.substack.com