Back from the Brink - The Podcast

Episode 23 sees the Natura Pacific team exploring Queensland's Granite Belt; a unique landscape in the state's south. Here, ancient geology and rich biodiversity have resulted in some intriguing relationships between endemic plants and insects. One such relationship is that linking the Border Boronia (Boronia repanda) and its heliozelid moth pollinators. The teeny-tiny moths are the subject of increasing research looking at how their population is directly correlated with the population of the beautiful boronias they support. Without each other, they'd both go extinct. But how is farming in this highly productive region impacting on these kinds of reciprocal connections and what can people do to ensure they persist together, in harmony? We find out as we meet Secretary of the Stanthorpe Rare Wildflower Consortium, Liz Bourne, and University of New England PhD student, Peter Pemberton.    To find out more about the amazing Border Boronia and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 5 Episode 3 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://youtu.be/OR0FkYAj-2Y?si=YpC3hNbDHcucMqlI   Visit our new Action Hub webpage: www.natura-pacific.com/actionhub 

Episode 22 heads into the remote dry, vine-thickets of South East Queensland to meet a remarkable reptile. With Australia's commitment to the 30 by 30 pledge (a worldwide initiative for governments to designate 30% of Earth's land and ocean area as protected areas by 2030), we look at what protected areas do for threatened species. The Nangur Spiny Skink (Nangura spinosa) is one such species. With its entire global population occurring in just a handful of national parks, this species is just hanging on at the mercy of climate change, disease, weeds, feral animals and more. With so few places left, and so many threats, these parks are quite literally saving this little lizard from extinction. We meet with Dan Ferguson from the Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science to learn what his team are doing to keep this friendly skink, and its protected areas, safe.   To find out more about the amazing Nangur Spiny Skink and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 5 Episode 2 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://youtu.be/5vzwapxrYYc    Visit our new Action Hub webpage: www.natura-pacific.com/actionhub 

Episode 21 takes a look at an exciting project taking place across a series of South East Queensland correctional centers. Named the Connecting Communities Native Seed Project, Natura Pacific have helped create a green production-line that is buzzing away behind the scenes to help protect threatened plants like the beautiful Plunkett Mallee (Eucalyptus curtisii) along with their respective vegetation communities. Native plant seeds are collected, processed and delivered to prisons, where prisoners grow the seed into young plants called tubestock, obtaining skills development and certified training in the process. The plants are then planted out at a variety of important conservation areas and given away to landholders and schools at special events. The result? A connected community working together despite adversity, for a common environmental good. Find out more as we join the project's founder, and director of Natura Pacific, on a visit into Borallon Training and Correctional Centre.    To find out more about the amazing Plunkett Mallee and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 2 Episode 1 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://youtu.be/s6-ehkIHwWc   www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 20 celebrates National Bird Week 2022 with a story of enduring passion for a rather cryptic little brown bird, or LBJ - little brown job, as they're lovingly known in the birding world! The Eastern Bristlebird is an incredibly rare bird in Queensland these days, found only in a tiny slice of grassy upland woodland on the border with northern New South Wales. Even in the species' stronghold, further south in Jervis Bay, it is struggling against the pressures of climate change, introduced feral animals and development. We join a panel of three remarkable women in science, who have dedicated much of their careers to helping support this bird: Liz Gould, Principle Scientist at Healthy Land and Water, Kelly Roche, Senior Threatened Species Officer at NSW Department of Planning and Environment and Shannon Maguire, a consulting ecologist on the project. These three have one thing on their minds, to bring the Eastern Bristlebird back from the brink!   To find out more about the amazing Eastern Bristlebird and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 5 Episode 1 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://youtu.be/lJHSTDbsA0A   www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 19 celebrates National Threatened Species Day 2022; a day when Australians come together to remember extinct species, and put thought to curbing future biodiversity loss. We look at celebrating one of Australia's conservation success stories, the Nest to Ocean Program which sees thousands of people across Queensland's coasts working together to support nesting sea-turtles. For the Loggerhead Sea-turtle, who's South Pacific population is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, it's especially vital to maximise nest and hatchling survival rates. We join Dr Col Limpus (OAM), Chief Scientist at the Queensland Department of Environment & Science and Associate Professor of the University of Queensland. He takes us on a remarkable journey of the last 50 years of his life spent researching, teaching and empowering people to save Loggerhead Sea-turtles, and other species, from extinction. To find out more about the amazing Loggerhead Sea-turtle and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 4 Episode 5 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://youtu.be/mFQqLR9Bm8c  www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 18 brings us the story of one of the Gold Coast's best-kept secrets. Hidden deep in the rainforest valleys of Ormeau and Kingsholme is a myterious giant that not many people know about. The Ormeau Bottle-tree is a monster of a plant, growing to 35m tall in the wild and bearing a similar bottle-shaped trunk to its closest relative, the Queensland Bottle-tree found in our drier regions. Until relatively recently, this magnificent tree was unknown to science; its still so new in fact that it lacks a formal scientific name! Join legendary Queensland amateur botanist Glenn Leiper as we delve into a world of discovery, recovery and the art of taxonomy! To find out more about the amazing Ormeau Bottle-tree and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 4 Episode 4 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikdOyh7xbKg  www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 17 looks at the amazing success citizen science can have when tailored towards the monitoring of threatened species. For the Glossy Black-cockatoo, the smallest of Australia's black-cockatoo species, one particular NGO has been working tirelessly to help understand and protect its dwindling populations. For years, the Glossy Black Conservancy has worked with community and policy-makers across Queensland, NSW and Victoria, to map, report and put pressure on politicians, to ensure this charismatic bird doesn't get left behind. We join Sam Morris, events-coordinator extraordinaire, to learn more about the Glossy Black Conservancy and its annual birding day that takes place each year to support this awesome species! To find out more about the amazing Glossy Black-cockatoo and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 4 Episode 3 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXEt_du1Ysk  www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 16 takes a trip through time as we recount the awe-inspiring conservation success story of the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat. For conservation to be successful it requires a cross-disciplinary approach, drawing on the skills and abilities of society as a whole. This has been the strategy of Queensland's Department of Environment and Science which has worked closely with numerous partners to save this large marsupial from extinction. For over 50 years, the project has played out in central Queensland working hard to save the last population of this Critically Endangered animal. Dr Alan Horsup has been at the project's helm for 30 years and has played a pivotal role in its success. Join us as we learn from him about the trials and tribulations of quite literally bringing this species back from the brink. To find out more about the amazing Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 4 Episode 2 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH_hAGkn_SI&t=12s www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 15 submerses us in the cool waters of Queensland's southern rivers to meet a living fossil. The Australian Lungfish has survived as a relatively unchanged species for about 145 million years, which means it's not only out-lived the dinosaurs, but it also pre-dates many of them! This incredible fish, having survived for so long in Australia, is facing an uncertain future as we dam our waterways and pollution from run-off causes underwater eelgrass reserves to die off. We meet with Dr David Roberts, a fisheries scientist working with Seqwater, to learn more about this remarkable fish, its incredible adaptations to life in our rivers and what we can all do to ensure this oldest of creatures remains a part of our Australian heritage for generations to come.  To find out more about the amazing Australian Lungfish and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 4 Episode 1 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fcEPHM2uW4 www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 14 zooms into the world of insects. Despite being often poorly-known and out-of-sight, the value of insects to society, and the environment globally, is immeasurable. Some species have, in recent years, been given a shred of limelight, allowing people to understand the amazing life-cycles and ecosystem services these animals perform. For one species, the large and gaudy Southern Pink Underwing moth, only recently discovered, scientists are now appealing to the community in an effort to raise its status as a flagship species and to celebrate its beauty. Join retired eminent CSIRO scientist Dr Don Sands as we delve into a lifetime of adventure and discovery and learn just how an increased focus on insect conservation may be a saving grace for the rest of our living planet. To find out more about the amazing Southern Pink Underwing and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 3 Episode 5 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKktUTJLhP4 www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 13 takes us on a journey into the ocean. Sharks after often feared creatures, but are all of the more than 1,000 species of sharks and rays, deserving of such a bad rap? For the Scalloped Hammerhead and other species of hammerhead shark, dispelling myths and misinformation is vitally important if we are to reverse their worrying population declines. We join with Dr Johan Gustafson from the Shark Ecology Australia lab based at Griffith University to learn more on the amazing things they're discovering about the ecology of hammerhead sharks and why their 400 million years of existence on planet Earth is not to be underestimated.  To find out more about the amazing Scalloped Hammerhead and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 1 Episode 2 available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bGClK-qh5Q&t=29s www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 12 celebrates the week that saw World Wildlife Day take to the social media platforms. While the United Nations' focus this year was on the importance of global forests and forest wildlife, we too dive into a story of one of our own forest-dwellers here in South East Queensland. The stunning Richmond Birdwing butterfly is a large insect that is now a rare sight in its home-range. Due to poisonous weeds and severe land-clearing, this dazzling emerald and jet-black butterfly has lost out in the past. But thanks to some inspiring business owners and a network of citizen scientists, the butterfly is making a slow comeback.  To find out more about the amazing Richmond Birdwing and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 2 Episode 5 available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoBc_-bGaQI  www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 11 looks at a subject very close to home. Koalas are one of those icons of Australia that are inextricably linked with our national identity. However, while we marvel at Koalas in captivity or in books, their wild populations are experiencing a massive decline. Will the notion of wild Koalas be but a token of the past, or can the future Australia be a place where we can make room for them? Join us as we meet with expert ecologist Dr Steve Phillips from Biolink on an emotional journey through the history of the Koala and what we have to do to ensure it's survival. To find out more about the amazing Koala and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 1 Episode 3 available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eynjEXZDke8&t=59s www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 10 takes a look at the impacts the 2020 bush-fires had on our most secretive Aussie mammals. The Greater Gliders, now split into 3 new species (Petauroides volans, P. armillatus and P. minor) are obligate hollow-dwelling gliding marsupials closely related to possums but distinguished by a special flying membrane called a petagium that allows them to glide from tree to tree. Join Dr Teresa Eyre from the Queensland Government and Matt Cecil from Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland to learn how this remarkable creature is faring after the devastating bushfires, and what you can do to lend a hand.  To find out more about the amazing Greater Gliders and how you can help save them from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 3 Episode 3 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMNtmWeOmiU&t=2s www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 9 is about pandemics. A topical issue of 2020, disease pandemics have affected not just our human communities, but those of plants too. Belonging to the Myrtaceae plant family, the Angle-stemmed Myrtle (Gossia gonoclada) is thought to have always been a rare tree. But since 2010, the Angle-stemmed Myrtle along with dozens of other Aussie natives like it have fallen foul to the myrtle rust disease (Austropuccinia psidii) which arrived in Australia by unknown means and is destroying our flora. We learn from Dr Louise Shuey, Dr Alice Hayward and Dr Anne Sawyer about how this disease spreads and how we can cure it.  To find out more about the amazing Angle-stemmed Myrtle and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 3 Episode 4 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1EHXW-YkdA&t=3s Natura Pacific wishes to thank Dr Geoff Pegg and Dr Alistair McTaggart for their contributions to this research. www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 8 examines the concept of keystone species and why they are so important in keeping our ecosystems from collapsing. The Weeping Paperbark (Melaleuca irbyana) is one such keystone. It is a small tree that provides ecosystem services for a wide array of special birds, insects and plants, as well as humans, but is sadly in serious decline. We learn from Dr Eleanor Velasquez, who did her PhD on these trees, about what is happening to them, and how important private land and community involvement is in rescuing them from extinction. To find out more about the amazing Weeping Paperbark and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 3 Episode 2 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPwOlijBdYQ&t=1s www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 7 celebrates Australian Pollinator Week (8 - 15 November 2020) focusing on the fascinating world of Stingless Bees and other native bees. The world over, bees are declining due to a range of impacts, but we learn from Dr Tim Heard, author of the Australian Native Bee Book, how we can do our bit to keep these important pollinators going. From bee-hotels to garden bee fuel-stations, you'd be surprised how much you can do to help!  To find out more about the amazing Stingless Bee and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 2 Episode 3 available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NADWlVRlQ1k&t=1s www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 6 takes a look at Australia's biggest owl with Dr Rob Clemens from Birdlife Australia. In the last few years the scientific understanding of these large yet secretive birds has increased dramatically, thanks to a regional project headed-up by Rob and his team. Learn more about what makes these owls so special and how you can be part of the team by training up to become an owl spotter! To find out more about the amazing Powerful Owl and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 1 Episode 5 available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrY3xaYH4o4&t=2s www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 5 focuses on the continuing controversy around flying-foxes, as we meet with Dr Ali Sammel from Griffith University to understand why these ancient flying mammals are so important for our planet. While the Grey-headed Flying-fox is the most threatened of the three flying-foxes in our region, all of these species are vital in maintaining the health of our forests, parks and gardens. Oh...and don't be afraid, they're actually really cute! To find out more about the amazing Grey-headed Flying-fox and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 2 Episode 2 available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xhrAg4TzMo&t=69s www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 4 takes a look at the current pandemic of chytridiomycosis, or in short, chytrid, which is a fungal disease killing the world's frogs at an unprecedented rate. We meet with Dr Mariel Familiar-Lopez, a researcher at Griffith University, who studies tiny mountain-top frogs such as the Red and Yellow Mountain Frog, looking into their secretive lives high up in the cloud forests of South East Queensland. Join us to find out more about these tiny frogs' struggle for survival. To find out more about the amazing Red and Yellow Mountain Frog and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 1 Episode 1 available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgv2Sp9ruzc&t=2s www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 3 looks at Dr Clare Morrison's work in the conservation of lowland frogs like the Cascade Tree-frog across South East Queensland. Life for frogs in our urban parks and gardens is not easy, but you'll be surprised at how easily we can all get involved in making a frog-friendly pond or frog hotel, or how we can take part in fun, hands-on frog surveys.  To find out more about the amazing Cascade Tree-frog and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 2 Episode 4 available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaVEgmNHEzc&t=1s www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 2 looks at Professor Catherine Pickering's tales of orchid hunters, orchid conservation and how the plight of our region's largest and arguably most beautiful native orchid, is something we can all learn from. While growing native plants is so important to help support biodiversity in our homes and gardens, we need to be ensuring we source our plants from responsible nurseries. Join Professor Pickering to learn about how you can help fight illegal poaching of our most beautiful flora.  To find out more about the amazing Swamp Orchid and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 1 Episode 4 available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCx7ouyk8tI&t=55s www.natura-pacific.com

Episode 1 looks at Rosalinde Brinkman's story of platypus conservation, working for Watergum, a not-for-profit organisation that helps local communities engage in on-ground activities to restore and maintain protected natural environments. She manages the PlatypusWatch program which is a long-term data monitoring project surveying platypus populations across the City of Gold Coast. From the Coomera River in the city's north to Currumbin Creek in its south, the team engage volunteers with dedicated monitoring schedules, supporting events and resources to make real-life conservation of the platypus as fun as it is important.  To find out more about the amazing Duck-billed Platypus and how you can help save it from extinction, search for Natura Pacific Back from the Brink - Season 3 Episode 1 available on YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV and the Natura Pacific Facebook Page, or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw0vr22bd2M&t=67s www.natura-pacific.com