95bFM: The Green Desk

Have you ever thought about what happens to all the food, which, while perfectly edible, simply doesn't make it to the table? This week, the Green Desk delves into the growing issues of food waste, food insecurity and social isolation, and discusses how they can all be remedied by making better use of the perfectly good food that would otherwise end up in the bin.  Everybody Eats is an organisation founded in 2017 which rescues surplus food items from charities and businesses and converts them into restaurant style food. They have a pay-what-you-can mode, with the aim of making this food accessible to all.  Ahead of Earth Day 2025, Green Desk Producer Liam spoke to Amanda Butland, the Systems and Support Manager at Everybody Eats, about the current food waste crisis and what we could all learn from the Everybody Eats ethos. Thanks to EcoFest!

Donna Kerridge (Ngāti Tahinga, Ngāti Mahuta) is a Kaumatua with more than twenty years of experience sharing matauranga and wisdom on rongoā Māori.  She holds a strong belief in the importance of building connections and learning from our environment as essential to maintaining and restoring our own health. As part of EcoFest 2025, Donna will be facilitating an introductory workshop to Māori medicine, inviting participants to explore health through an Indigenous lens and learn more about the relationship between our taiao and the whenua.  Green Desk Producer Sara spoke with Donna this week to talk more about the workshop, and how rongoā Māori can benefit health outcomes in Aotearoa. Here is that interview. Thanks EcoFest!

BirdCare Aotearoa is a wild, native bird hospital that works to rehabilitate sick and injured birds back into the wild. For their upcoming event: ‘Bird Heros,' a part of EcoFest 2025 on the 6th of April, the workshop will look at the best practices on rescuing wild native birds, and will include a tour of their bird hospital, which is not usually open to the public. For this week's Green Desk, Producer Leilani spoke to the Hospital Manager at BirdCare Aotearoa, Pooja Dorle, about the rehabilitation processes of birds within their hospital ahead of their next workshop. Fellow Green Desk Producer Liam, and News and Editorial Director Joel, went to the previous workshop over the weekend, and spoke to the Chair of the organisation, Kevin Furgeson, and volunteer Marina, and had a tour of their facilities. Thanks EcoFest! BirdCare Aotearoa also has a fundraiser running to shed light on seabirds affected by street lights and brightly lit buildings across the city, affecting their migration patterns and causing birds, such as the protected Petrels, Shearwaters, and Prions, to fall and injure themselves. To support their clinical rehabilitation practices, you can support their campaign on givealittle.

Ever wondered what it would be like to bike in an Art Gallery? Well now you can, for the city is your gallery. In collaboration with EcoFest 2025 and various New Zealand artists, Bike Hubs have set up a Street Art Bike Challenge. Now, anyone can ride around the city, discover amazing works of art and win great prizes.  This week, Green Desk Producer Liam speaks to Brent Bielby, manager of EcoMatters' Bike Hubs, a community project aimed at encouraging more people to take up cycling. He explains the goal behind the challenge, as well as how cycling can contribute to a healthy lifestyle and provide a source of freedom and fun.   You can take part in this challenge yourself. All you need to do is take out your bike, pedal over to the artworks, and upload a photo of you and your bike. The challenge will run until the 22nd of April, and you can find a map of all the locations and trails on the EcoMatters website.

Ellen, who operates under the pseudonym ‘Chronically Ellen', is a digital creator, photographer and visual storyteller who utilises her skills to uplift sustainable brands through her own online business. As part of EcoFest 2025, she is facilitating two workshops centred around developing skills around sustainable practices and building connections with others. The first involves upcycling old magazines, ‘waste' and second hand materials to create artworks, and the second is a beginner-friendly gardening workshop which teaches participants how to grow food in containers. Drawing on her experiences as a disabled wāhine and eco-friendly creative, Ellen speaks with Producer Sara about the importance of environmentalism and community, her workshops at EcoFest and how listeners can take small steps to make a big difference in the face of the climate crisis. Thanks EcoFest!

You've heard of houses made of straw, sticks, and bricks, but what about earth, chalk, and lime? The piggies have announced – rammed-earth houses are in! To kick off Green Desk for 2025, Producer Leilani speaks to Paul Geraets, New Zealand's most prolific rammed earth designer and builder, about the benefits and history of these sustainable houses. You can catch Geraets' upcoming event, 'Hands on With Rammed Earth Building' as a part of EcoFest 2025; a month-long celebration of our unique environment and sustainable living across Tāmaki Makaurau from the 22nd of March to the 22nd of April. Thanks EcoFest!

Repairing is something of a lost art form. Appliances are built to be replaced rather than repaired. In the age of outlets like Temu and fash fashion houses - Who repairs things anymore? On today's Green Desk, we're heading to The Shed — a workshop hiding in Sandringham's GribbleHurst Park where woodworkers and tinkers spend hours fixing broken things and building new ones from scratch.

On this week's Green Desk we have part two of a special on The State of Wellington, recorded down in the capital inside Parliament's cafe. If you've read the news in the past month, the capital is being buffeted by gnarly headwinds. Not off the Cook Straight but rather from pesky employees working from home. But are sunny days ahead for Wellington?

This week on The Green Desk we have part one of a special on The State of Wellington, recorded inside Parliament's cafe with the Spinoff Wellington Editor Joel MacManus. He talks about infrastructure, cycleways and tunnels. If you've read the news in the past month, the capital is being buffeted by gnarly headwinds. Not off the Cook Straight but rather from pesky employees working from home. Journalists talking to retail operators and cafe owners have painted a bleak picture of the city. But are sunny days ahead for Wellington?

We all need to eat, but climate change is changing the world in which food grows. So what will a warmer climate mean for agriculture? This week on the Green Desk reporter Jack Marshall speaks with Principal Scientist Linda Lilburne, from Manaaki Whenua - Land Care Research. Lilburne's been involved in research exploring what a changing climate will mean for New Zealand food producers. It seems our farmers will have to rethink what they choose to grow.

This week on the Green Desk we spoke with lecturer of sustainable architecture, Priscila Besen from Auckland University of Technology. New Zealand is facing an energy crisis, and quick solutions are needed. Large manufacturing businesses are shutting doors around the country, with an Auckland Mill in Penrose announcing its permanent closure last week, which adds up to hundreds of job losses because of the price of power. Here's reporter Jack Marshall:

This week on the Green Desk, Jack Marshall spoke with freshwater scientist Ian Kusabs about a breakthrough in monitoring kōura, New Zealand's freshwater crayfish.   Kusabs, of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, is a busy man, working with The University of Waikato, iwi groups, and NIWA as a freshwater scientist.  This week Kusabs told the Green Desk about whakaweku, which are bundles of bracken fern, that have proved exceptional at monitoring kōura compared with other methods. 

This week on The Green Desk things get shitty — New Zealand has a poo problem: An estimated 100 million tonnes of cow and sheep manure fall onto New Zealand pastures each year, causing an environmental and economic stink.  Reporter Jack Marshall went to see a man about a dung beetle. Dung Beetle Innovations's Dr. Shaun Forgie is a specialist in dung beetle reproduction, ecology and evolution. And if he has his way, every farm in New Zealand will have these bugs following around their animals.

After some time away from 95bFM, reporter Jack Marshall made his triumphant return to the bFM newsroom where he's taking up his role as host of The Green Desk.  This week on the Green Desk, Jack goes spotlighting with Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust at an Auckland golf course to find nature thriving in its waterways.

Welcome to The Green Desk, the podcast that explores innovative approaches to tackle the pressing issue of climate change. In today's episode, we explore a new technique that offers a fresh perspective on combating the climate crisis. Professor Racheal James, an expert in Geochemistry from the University of Southampton in England talks about enhanced rock weathering as a form of carbon capture.

This week on The Green Desk reporter Jack Marshall speaks with researcher Ella McCallum about her research into the toutouwai, the north island robbin.

This week on The Green Desk we speak look at Rua Bioscience, an East Coast company led by CEO Paul Naske, as they embark on a mission to supply Germany with medical cannabis. When more rules are coming in to potentially phase out some pine trees on the East Coast, could a different kind of "tree" hold the answer to sustainable employment? Listen in with Paul Naske, and gain insights into their mission and genetic-centric approach. 

On the Green Desk, Jack Marshall speaks to Remy Lasseur from AgResearch about VR technology that could help farmers determine where and what trees they should plant.

On the Green Desk Jack Marshall speaks to Amanda Thomas, lecturer in environmental studies at the University of Wellington about stopping oil and gas exploration in Aotearoa. 

  A world-first holistic framework for assessing the mental and psychological wellbeing of wild animals has been developed by Dr Andrea Harvey, a veterinarian and animal welfare scientist from the University of Technology Sydney. The Green Desk's Jack Marshall spoke with Dr Harvey about how this study could potentially revolutionise conservation efforts.

Researchers investigating data from commercial fishing vessels have found that bottom trawling activity increases sharply near newly established marine protected areas. The Green Desk's Jack Marshall spoke with Tai Lohrer about his research into the protected areas to find out why.

On the Green Desk for this week, Jack Marshall speaks to the Department of Conservation's Chief Science Advisor Mike Bunce about the role that new and developing technologies have in solving Aotearoa's biodiversity threats.

On the Green Desk, Jack Marshall speaks to Sarah Bealing, a Restore Passenger Rail supporter from Wellington, about why causing traffic chaos and delays in the Wellington CBD is good for their cause.

Ninety percent of New Zealand's original wetlands have been destroyed by agricultural and urban development and are still disappearing. This week on the Green Desk Jack Marshall spoke with Julie Deslippe, Senior Lecturer in Plant Ecology at Victoria University, looking at the positive effects of restoration in the lower north island.

Frances speaks to Tairāwhiti Emergency Manager Ben Green about a new flooding report.

Today on Green Desk, Joel Armstrong spoke to Professor Craig Stevens from NIWA and the University of Auckland about the state of Aotearoa's marine environment.  

Today on The Green Desk, Joel Armstrong speaks to University of Canterbury Master of Urban Resilience and Renewal student Emily Ward about barriers preventing people from cycling, walking, or taking public transport like the bus or the train.

Today, Stella hosts The Green Desk, as Frances is away. She speaks to one of the authors of a global study about the role that termites may play in climate change. Cate Macinnis-Ng is an associate professor in the school of biological sciences at the university of auckland, and has a particular research interest in plant responses to climatic conditions and the impacts of climate change on biodiversity more broadly.  

This week on The Green Desk, Frances speaks to CEO Heather Saunderson from Keep New Zealand Beautiful about Clean Up Week!

This week on The Green Desk, Frances catches up with Jess from Reparation Studio to talk about her mahi and vision for the future of fashion in Aotearoa. 

Frances brings us The Green Desk, today speaking to PhD candidate from the University of Otago Nick Foster, about his research on pest eradication.

Frances brings us The Green Desk, today speaking to PhD candidate from the University of Otago Nick Foster, about his research on pest eradication.

Frances speaks with Shane Cunis from Watercare about their Central Interceptor project- which just might be the biggest wastewater infrastructure project in Aotearoa.  

This week on The Green Desk, Frances talks to Ellie Hooper about Greenpeace's call to back the strongest possible Global Ocean Treaty.

This week Frances talks to Predator Free Rakiura's Project Director, Campbell Leckie about the project's recent funding and the predator eradication plan down there.  

This week Frances covers the changing climate and mental health, speaking with Gabrielle Feather, a climate anxiety PhD student at the University of Tasmania.   

This week Frances speaks to Jamie Hoare of Nocar Cargo in Wellington about their cargo delivery service on bikes.

The Green Desk is back! This week Frances spoke with Megan Williams, a sustainability advocate from the TIA, about the Sustainability Tourism Commitment.

Winter is upon us, which means that tree planting season is too. Apart from being quite huggable, trees are one of our best bets at mitigating climate change and our native wildlife depends on them for shelter and food. This week on the Green Desk Frances Wright caught up with Robyn Haugh, the CEO of Trees That Count, a native tree planting initiative that works through a gifting and planting system. They spoke about how Trees That Count came to be, and what it's doing for our planet and Aotearoa's biodiversity. Whakarongo mai!  

This week on the Green Desk, Frances Wright speaks with Sarah McFadden, the General Manager at Kelmarna Gardens. They speak about the growth of the Kelmarna farm space over the years, local food systems, and how keeping it local keeps waste as low as possible. Whakarongo mai!

The Green Desk is back! Join Frances at her metaphoric green desk as she brings you all the latest green news. This week she looks at funding from the Government's Jobs for Nature Mahi mō te Taiao programme. Predator Free 2050 Limited has announced $4.8 million in funding for seven companies developing predator eradication tools and ‘best practice' for their use, while creating and supporting jobs. The funding is being invested through the ‘Products to Projects' initiative, launched in 2019 to accelerate development and commercialisation of new tools that will help groups working to achieve mainland eradication of possums, rats and mustelids at landscape scale without the use of fences. Now, three years on, a number of new tools are already available to buy and are successfully in use, with many more only months away. Frances speaks to the Science Director for Predator Free 2050, Professor Dan Tompkins, about why it's crucial to be continually innovating New Zealand's 2050 national eradication goals.   

This week on Dear Science, Marcus and Bronwyn talk about the recently announced nobel prizes in medicine and physics. The first was to three scientists for their discoveries around hepatitis C. The physics prize was split in two between mathematician Roger Penrose and astronomers Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez for their research on black holes.