Nature Insight: Speed Dating with the Future

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.