POPULARITY
6 episodes with Malagasy
13 episodes with Malagasy
10 episodes with Malagasy
5 episodes with Malagasy
4 episodes with Malagasy
4 episodes with Malagasy
4 episodes with Malagasy
3 episodes with Malagasy
2 episodes with Malagasy
Throughout 2025, a massive youth protest movement took shape across the world. From Bangladesh, to Nepal, to Morocco, to Kenya, to the Maldives, young people were taking to the streets to demand, among other things, job security, improved standards of living, and the toppling of corrupt regimes. And in a number of cases their ambitious demands were met.Today we speak to the BBC's social media investigations correspondent, Marianna Spring, about how social media helped spark a movement that transcended borders, and where the so-called, 'Gen Z Revolution' goes from here.Producers: Xandra Ellin and Cat FarnsworthSound engineer: Travis EvansSenior news editor: China Collins(Photo: A protester carries a banner featuring a Malagasy version of the logo of the popular Japanese manga One Piece, during a nationwide youth-led demonstration over frequent power outages and water shortages, in Antananarivo, Madagascar, October 13, 2025. Credit: Siphiwe Sibeko/ Reuters)
(image source: https://www.irishnews.com/lifestyle/2023/05/17/news/new_series_of_prehistoric_planet_brings_dinosaurs_back_to_life-3281275/) In this fifth episode of Paleo Paleo Bites, where the show takes a month off releasing new episodes so Matthew Donald can rebuild a backlog of episodes to release later (I've got holiday plans, okay?! Leave me alone, you Krampus!) and digs up older episodes to rerelease and keep the demons I sold my soul to in order to keep this show running satisfied, host Matthew Donald and co-host Ben O'Regan discuss Rapetosaurus. It's a big longneck. What do you expect? It's actually not even that big compared to other longnecks. Boy, I'm sure selling this hard, huh? See with you new episodes in 2026! Want to further support the show? Subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdXnbmbdvKBVoUexcFBgMNQ for ad-free episodes, and sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content at Patreon.com/MatthewDonald. Also, you can get links to follow Matthew Donald and purchase his books at https://linktr.ee/matthewdonald. His latest book, Teslamancer, just released August 27th! And mild spoiler alert... there are kind of dinosaurs in it... mwuahahaha. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, we are joined by Oscar Scafidi, a Guinness World Record–holding adventurer, author, and expert on some of the most remote regions of Africa. Oscar recently released his new book, Kayak the Mangoky, which chronicles his expedition to paddle the length of Madagascar's longest river. Oscar shares how a “random” decision to take a teaching job in Sudan changed the entire direction of his life, sparking a 20-year journey living, working, and traveling across 35 African countries. He opens up about misconceptions that keep travelers away from places like Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Madagascar — and why those stereotypes are outdated and unfair. Oscar also tells the full story behind the Mangoky expedition: navigating bureaucratic obstacles, trekking through remote mountain ranges, facing immense portages due to rapids and croc-filled canyons, and hiking for nine days without water resupply. With satellite maps from the 1980s, confusing tributaries, and no agreed-upon “official” river source, finding where to start the expedition was an adventure in itself. Through this intense journey, Oscar reflects on resilience, teamwork, risk, and why community support — not macho heroics — is what makes expeditions succeed. The episode also highlights Oscar's charity work supporting Malagasy children in rural education.
Send us a textWelcome back to Next Stop Africa!
Francesca Raoelison has spoken at Brown University, Harvard, Princeton, UNICEF, the Preventing Child Abuse in America Conference, and the Clinton Global Initiative, addressing the global crisis of emotional trauma among youth. She is the founder of Omena, a survivor-led movement dedicated to educating and mobilizing young people to identify and end emotional abuse.Active in 13 countries with 315 educators and ambassadors, Omena has reached more than 1.5 million people through online campaigns. As a Malagasy survivor herself, Francesca brings a powerful perspective on breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma, beginning in her home country of Madagascar.In This EpisodeFrancesca's websiteBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.You can learn more about what I do here:The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa———If you'd like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.Thank you to our Sponsors:Incogni - Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapistJane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demoJourney Clinical - visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membershipTherapy Wisdom - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/
Welcome back to another episode of Help Me Abide. Today we are honored to welcome a very special guest, Mrs. Ashley Anglea, a faithful missionary serving alongside her husband, Benjamin Anglea, in the beautiful country of Madagascar.For the past 18 years, the Anglea family has poured their lives into the people of Madagascar, raising their five children there, sharing the gospel, and building a lasting ministry. Their journey began with a bold step of faith, and through God's grace, they were able to purchase land and build a church building, establishing Faith Baptist Church. Over the years, they have seen the Lord raise up local leaders, ordaining four men, three of whom have gone out to plant new churches of their own.In 2016, Ashley's husband Ben started the Faith Baptist Bible Institute, a ministry that has equipped many men and women to grow in their knowledge of God's Word and serve in their communities. Their work has also expanded to launching a missions program within their church, multiplying the reach of the gospel far beyond their own hands.Early on, Benjamin also founded an NGO that opened doors for their family and many other missionary families to serve legally and effectively in Madagascar. And since 2017, the Angleas have faithfully hosted teen camp each year, creating an environment where young people can experience the love that only God can provide and learn the truth of the gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ.Ashley is a woman of deep wisdom and compassion, someone who pairs her sharp mind with a heart that longs to serve. Her favorite Malagasy dish is Varyam-anana, a comforting seasoned rice soup with greens and pork, or as she describes it, a sweet and salty fried rice biscuit.Are you ready to be encouraged and equipped to abide in Christ? Let's get into the heart of today's episode.RESOURCES:Bob Sorge Video - YouTube VideoThe Joyful Women Leadership Manual - Book by Joy Rice MartinTo Cross the Widest Ocean - Book by Becky MartingTEAM:Podcast Facilitator - Mrs Tammy Goddard Host - Jennifer BeilSocial Media Director - Lisa Grubb Music Coordinator - Lindsey Osgood Resource Promoter - Connie MarrujoFOLLOW US:InstagramFacebookWebpageYouTube
In this inspiring episode of Robin's Nest, Dr. Robin Ganzert sits down with Prof. Jonah Henri Ratsimbazafy, a world-renowned primatologist, conservation leader and lifelong champion for Madagascar's extraordinary wildlife.As President of the Madagascar Primate Research Group (GERP) and the first African President of the International Primatological Society, Prof. Ratsimbazafy has spent more than 30 years leading groundbreaking efforts to protect endangered lemurs and safeguard biodiversity through science, education and community empowerment.From discovering new lemur species to mentoring the next generation of Malagasy conservationists, his work blends cultural pride, environmental stewardship and global collaboration. Together, Dr. Ganzert and Prof. Ratsimbazafy explore the urgent threats facing Madagascar's wildlife, the power of community-driven conservation and the hope that drives his mission to protect one of the most unique ecosystems on Earth.If you care about the future of animals and our planet, this conversation will leave you inspired — and ready to take action.
Lester Kiewit gets the Africa Report with Simon Allison, co-founder and International Editor at The Continent. They discuss the deadly mudslide in Sudan which has killed at least 1000; Burundi is running out of fuel; and France has formally returned the skull of a Malagasy monarch who was killed in 1897. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Donald Trump has sacked a Federal Reserve governor for alleged mortgage fraud, as he steps up attempts to exert control over the US central bank. In a statement, Mr Trump accused Lisa Cook of gross negligence. He has said he will only appoint governors who support his position.Also, the head of a Malagasy king killed by French troops during a colonial-era war has been formally returned to Madagascar, Australia has accused Iran of directing antisemitic attacks in Melbourne and Sydney, and is expelling Tehran's ambassador, and the fight in Florida over Alligator Alcatraz.(Photo: Cook is one of seven members of the Fed's board of governors and the first African American woman to serve in the role. Credit: Reuters)
There are fears that the mass starvation cult in Kenya is still active after the discovery of new bodies in fresh graves near the site of the Shakahola forest massacre. So far, eleven people have been arrested in connection with these new exhumations. We hear from a Rapid Response Officer, working with a human rights organisation, who has been helping people track down missing relatives.Why are African students ending up on the battlefields of Ukraine after applying to study in Russia?And France returns the remains of a Malagasy king who was beheaded during the colonial era. Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Sunita Nahar, Alfonso Daniels, Tanya Hines, and Nyasha Michelle in London. Charles Gitonga in Nairobi Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne Technical Producer: Pat Sissons Editors: Maryam Abdalla, Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
There are fears that the mass starvation cult in Kenya is still active after the discovery of new bodies in fresh graves near the site of the Shakahola forest massacre. So far, eleven people have been arrested in connection with these new exhumations. We hear from a Rapid Response Officer, working with a human rights organisation, who has been helping people track down missing relatives.Why are African students ending up on the battlefields of Ukraine after applying to study in Russia?And France returns the remains of a Malagasy king who was beheaded during the colonial era. Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Sunita Nahar, Alfonso Daniels, Tanya Hines, and Nyasha Michelle in London. Charles Gitonga in Nairobi Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne Technical Producer: Pat Sissons Editors: Maryam Abdalla, Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
rWotD Episode 3025: Antsirabe Sahatany Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Friday, 15 August 2025, is Antsirabe Sahatany.Antsirabe Sahatany is a town and commune (Malagasy: kaominina) in Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Maroantsetra, which is a part of Analanjirofo Region. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 11,000 in 2001 commune census.Only primary schooling is available. The majority 93% of the population of the commune are farmers. The most important crops are rice and cloves, while other important agricultural products are coffee and vanilla. Services provide employment for 5% of the population. Additionally fishing employs 2% of the population.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:21 UTC on Friday, 15 August 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Antsirabe Sahatany on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Salli.
Most of the food on the space station is standard packaged fare, full of goodness, no doubt, but lacking that culinary je ne sais quoi which any self-respecting French astronaut so badly needs. But astronauts can bring with them a certain quantity of their own food.国际空间站上的大部分食物都是标准的预包装食品，毫无疑问，营养丰富，但是缺少那种让人回味无穷的美食风味，这是任何一位体面的法国宇航员都迫切需要的。不过，宇航员们可以携带一定数量的自备食物。And so, Sophie Adenot has teamed up with the multi-Michelin-starred Anne-Sophie Pic to draw up a list of items to help her through those long, dawnless days in weight-free orbit.因此，宇航员索菲·阿德诺特与多次获得米其林星级的名厨安妮·索菲·皮克联手，精心制定了一份美食菜单，来帮助她自己度过那些在失重的太空轨道中漫长而无晨昏的日子。One day over the Atlantic, it could be chicken with Malagasy wild pepper, tonka beans and a creamy polenta. The next day, over the Pacific, pulled beef with black garlic and smoked vanilla. And for dessert – how about a chocolate cream with crushed hazelnut?也许在某天飞越大西洋时，她的餐盘里是鸡肉配马达加斯加野胡椒、零陵香豆和奶油玉米糊。在第二天，飞越太平洋时，可能吃的就是黑蒜熏香草手撕牛肉。至于甜点的话，来一份榛子碎巧克力奶油蛋糕怎么样？Sophie Adenot says she will share the haute cuisine with her colleagues on board. It is, after all, an important moment. French gastronomic culture becoming, for the first time, extraterrestrial.索菲·阿德诺特表示，她会将这些高级菜肴与空间站上的同事们一同分享。毕竟，这是一个重要的时刻，法国的美食文化首次 “走出地球”。
Was Queen Ranavalona I really the “Mad Queen of Madagascar”… or just a brilliant ruler smeared by colonial propaganda? In this episode of For the Love of History, we dive headfirst into one of the most misunderstood figures in African history—and it gets spicy. Queen Ranavalona has long been labeled a tyrant, a murderer, even a monster. But when you follow the paper trail (and by paper, we mean wildly biased missionary records), it becomes clear that the real madness was colonialism. You'll hear about: The actual history behind her so-called reign of terror How Eurocentric historians rewrote her legacy with a misogynist, colonialist pen Her fight to protect Malagasy sovereignty during the height of European imperialism And why context is everything when judging historical figures (especially women) So grab a bevvy, hop in the time machine, and prepare to rethink everything you thought you knew about Queen Ranavalona I.
Welcome to the new month! In this episode of AfriCan Geopardy, we explore “Building an Equitable Blue Future in Madagascar” with Dr Paubert Mahatante, Madagascar's Minister of Fisheries and BlueEconomy. Dr Mahatante, who holds a PhD in applied oceanography and lectures at Toliara University on oceanography, fisheries, and climate change, brings a rare blend of scientific insight and policyleadership to the discussion.We open with the Malagasy proverb: “A tree becomes a canoe because of the goodness of the land where it took root”—a fitting reflection of Madagascar's deep connection to its oceans and coasts. With over 5,000 km of coastline and some of the world's richest biodiversity, Madagascar's blue economy has vast potential yet faces pressing governance and sustainability challenges.Our conversation explored seabed mining, unlocking ocean economy opportunities, and addressing maritime security, highlighting how technology, strategic partnerships, patrol vessels, and even drones are transforming enforcement capacity. We also raised provocative questions on how to balance international donor interests with local priorities, and whether emerging ocean opportunities risk repeating extractive patterns of the past.Dr Mahatante responded with candour, sharing his vision of a just and inclusive blue economy, one where ocean benefits reach the people who depend on them, and where sustainability and equity are at the core.This is a powerful conversation on technology, partnerships, andcommunity-driven solutions, and why Madagascar is on the path to becoming a model for inclusive ocean governance in Africa.You won't want to miss this one!#AfriCan!
We're back from the inaugural @marieclaireuk Fragrance Awards, where the room sparkled with excitement and the scent of creativity. As judges, we celebrated the winners across niche, luxury, designer and high street houses, and the ever-growing world of fragrant body care.This week's episode is a journey through summer's most evocative home scents, from the ultra-luxe to the beautifully affordable, including a spinning disco-ball aromatic mister!!@meadowfarmlifestyle Smoked Orange & Honey candle: Imagine golden honey drizzled over sun-warmed orange blossoms, with bergamot and ylang ylang weaving through gentle amber smoke. Bright yet intricate, a candle that glows all year.@tothefairestlondon Cécile candle: Bergamot and mandarin shimmer, melting into rose absolute, amber and clove bud. A candle of modern sensuality - seductive, layered, and utterly beguiling.@neomwellbeing Squeeze the Day reed diffuser: The scent of ripe citrus, sharp grapefruit, juicy mandarin, and a cool breeze of eucalyptus. Instantly uplifting, a burst of pure sunshine for your space.@ormondejayne Ambre Royale diffuser: A golden aura of amber, regal and enveloping, adored by Nicola (and her florist). For those who crave warmth and elegance.@ormondejayne Rosae diffuser: Damascene rose sparkles with pear, blackcurrant, and musk, touched by gourmand fruits. Fresh, shimmering, and temptingly effervescent—perfect for bedrooms and bathrooms.@baobabcollection FETY MILALAO: Mint and vetiver entwine with ylang-ylang, echoing the playful spirit of Malagasy craftsmanship. The striped raffia recalls Côte d'Azur deckchairs, the scent a sunlit celebration.@lordsfragrancehouse Monteverde mini room spray: Rain-soaked canopies, orchid and tuberose bloom in the mist, patchouli and woods grounding you in Costa Rica's lush cloud forest.Big Sur candle: Green herbs and cracked coriander ride the Pacific breeze, mingling with cedarwood and citrus peels. A breathless journey along sunlit coastline and towering redwoods.Pengelli Forest reed diffuser: Bluebells, hyacinth, lily of the valley, and orange blossom conjure springtime woods in Wales - mossy, violet, and alive with memory.#ad Sniff-along as we explore the last two scents in the @the_rac_on_teur Discovery Set II. Use code onthescent10 for an exclusive discount on Discovery Sets and full-size bottles at @bloomperfumery (code extended as sets sold out).Pavlova Kasanova: Bittersweet distance, a heart of cream and passionfruit, lime and meringue, musk and sandalwood. Sugar kisses and midnight guitars - impossible to forget, a hot summer dream.Lord Lamington: Rich layers of bergamot, strawberry, clary sage and coconut, cocoa and amber cream. Born for the crown, dipped in sweetness, a cologne for the ambitious - have your cake and eat it.Which scent calls to you? Tell us below, and look out for our poll on @onthescentpodcast soon.
IMAGE CREDIT MEDEF, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Philippe BARBARIN: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_barbarin_p.html Philippe BARBARIN on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvador Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2003.htm#Barbarin Cardinal Philippe BARBARIN on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/17 Cardinal Philippe BARBARIN on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbarbarin.html Archdiocese of Lyon on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/lyon0.htm?tab=info Archdiocese of Lyon on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dlyon.htm The Catholic Encyclopedia, “Primate” (via newadvent.org): https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12423b.htm Brittanca.com, “Lyon”: https://www.britannica.com/place/Lyon-France Zenit.org coverage of Cardinal Barbarin's 2013 heart attack: https://zenit.org/2013/07/24/cardinal-philippe-barbarin-suffers-heart-attack/ 2020 The Guardian reporting on the Preynat case: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/defrocked-french-priest-jailed-for-abusing-scouts-over-20-year-period 2019 France24 coverage of Cardinal Barbarin and the Preynat scandal as it stood at the time: https://www.france24.com/en/video/20190319-pope-refuses-french-cardinal-barbarins-resignation-over-abuse-cover-scandal 2020 La Croix interview with the early-retiring Cardinal: https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/cardinal-philippe-barbarin-begins-busy-early-retirement/12647 Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold! TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights. Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript. Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes. One of eleven children, Philippe Xavier Christian Ignace Marie Barbarin was born on October 17, 1950 in Rabat, Morocco, located right in the middle of the second big inward curve if you're following the coast coming up from south. Though Morocco is over 99% Muslim, Rabat has popped up on our radar before, thanks to recent Cardinal López Romero winding up as Archbishop of Rabat after his continent hopping journeys. Cardinal Barbarin hasn't gotten credit as Morocco's first Cardinal, when you Google that up you get lots of Lopez Romero. Granted, Philippe Barbarin wasn't born in the modern nation of Morocco, rather he was born in French Morocco, like Cardinal Mamberti, if you remember that. And it's fair to not count colonizers who never really lived the same lives as the locals. I don't know for sure that Philippe actually fits that description, but that's also not the only reason folks might not be in a rush to credit him as the first Moroccan Cardinal… but I'm getting ahead of myself. After Moroccan independence, Philippe wound up in France, experiencing the joys of military service while also studying a little theology and a lot of philosophy in Paris, getting a licentiate in the former from the Carmes Seminary and a doctorate in the latter from the Sarbonne. In 1977, Philippe Barbarin was ordained a priest for the young diocese of Créteil, centered on an eponymous suburb southeast of Paris. From 1977 till 1985, he served as Vicar in two parishes: Notre-Dame d'Alfortville and Notre-Dame de Vincennes, Notre-Dame of course being French for “Our Lady”, on the off chance that you got this deep without already knowing that. From ‘85 to ‘90, Father Barbarin served two parishes and a school simultaneously, as well as an ecumenical role in the diocese. The parishes, if you're wondering, were Saint François de Sales d'Adambille en Saint-Maur, and Saint-Hilaire de la Varenne. From ‘91 to ‘94, Father Barbarin served as the pastor of Saint Léger Parish and then transferred quite a ways, effectively being loaned out to the Archdiocese of Fianarantsoa in Madagascar, where he taught theology at the Major Seminary of Vohitsoa. Which explains the presence of Malagasy, the dominant language of Madagascar, on the list of languages Cardinal Barbarin Speaks, along with English, Italian, Spanish, German, and of course his native French. 1998 was white phone time, when Father Barbarin heard from Pope Saint John Paul the Second that he was going to be made Bishop of Moulins, back in France. As is so often the case, you can see why the three bishops that consecrated him were chosen for the task: his principal consectator was the Archbishop of Fianarantsoa, who he had been serving under in Madagascar, accompanied by his original bishop in France from Créteil, as well as the Bishop emeritus of Moulins who he was replacing. Physically located in pretty much the exact center of France, it's worth noting that I simply do not trust the demographic data Catholic-Hierarchy.org has for the Diocese of Moulins. I want to give them credit for their essential work, and it's entirely possible the error is in the sources they're relying on and not some issue on their end, but I don't see how you can have the shifts shown in the period recorded. I'm sure I've missed flagging bad data before, so don't take this as an indication that I'll point it out whenever there's something fishy floating around, but I do what I can and felt I should mention the oddity there. At some point when I get around to it I'll cross reference their source material since they're kind enough to cite it. In 2002, Bishop Barbarin was chosen as the next Archbishop of the ancient see of Lyon in southeasternish France. Allegedly, Lyon was the Capital of the Gauls back when the Gauls were a thing, and in any event it's pretty universally agreed that it's old enough one of its first bishops was a disciple of a disciple of Saint John, so basically Jesus' spiritual great-grandson, and that wasn't even the *first* bishop there. To this day, the Archbishop of Lyon also carries the title of Primate of the Gauls. In 2003, that is, at the next opportunity, Archbishop Barbarin was made a Cardinal, which is completely unsurprising given the status of Lyon: every Archbishop of Lyon in the 20th century was made a Cardinal. And as we know, the red hat gets you additional duties: he was made a member of the Congregations for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Of course the most famous duty of a Cardinal is the one he exercised in the conclave of 2005 that elected Pope Benedict, and again in the 2013 election that gave us Pope Francis. Later on in 2013, Cardinal Barbarin suffered a heart attack while in South America preparing for World Youth Day. An unsourced wikipedia entry states that he underwent a successful triple bypass surgery in Martinique a few days later, and I think it's safe enough to say something like that happened: in any event he did survive. In 2016, Cardinal Barbarin began to get asked questions about his handling–or lack thereof-of a bad priest, a certain Father Bernard Preynat. Content warning, I'm not going to go into graphic detail but yes we're talking about the abuse of minors here. From 1971 to 1991 Father Preynat abused some seventy minors he encountered principally through the scouting program. Obviously, and allow me to stress this emphatically, the charge against Barbarin was not the abuse itself, but rather his lack of disclosure of the situation to the authorities. This was very much a charge though, because his lack of reporting was apparently a crime, and as a victim myself- though not of clergy- rightly so. Apparently in 2019 when Cardinal Barbarin was originally convicted of failing to report and was given a six month suspended sentence, he offered his resignation to Pope Francis, who initially refused, speaking of the presumption of innocence, which seems an odd line to take given Barbarin had *just* been convicted, but hey what do I know. In any event, the next year Cardinal Barbarin's conviction *was* overturned on appeal, so it seems Pope Francis was perhaps wise to wait, but then in March his holiness turned around and accepted Cardinal Barbarin's resignation after all, making him the Archbishop Emeritus of Lyon. Cardinal Barbarin says he is available for whatever mission Pope Francis might entrust him with next. Barring a further change in his status, which to be clear I do not expect as I think it would have happened already if it was going to happen, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin remains eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2030. Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers. Stay tuned to see if today's Cardinal gets selected for a deeper dive in the next round! Thank you for listening; God bless you all!
Repaso libre a la Transglobal World Music Chart de este mes, confeccionada a través de la votación de un panel de divulgadores de las músicas del mundo de todos los continentes, del que los hacedores de Mundofonías somos cocreadores y coimpulsores. En este mes de abril del 2025, disfrutamos con inspiraciones musicales húngaras, cubano-mexicanas, persas, pakistaníes, malgaches, marroquíes, peruanas, malienses y franco-irano-palestinas. El número 1 es para el Trio Da Kali, desde Mali. Free review of the Transglobal World Music Chart for this month, compiled through the voting of a panel of world music broadcasters from all continents, of which we, the makers of Mundofonías, are co-creators and co-promoters. In this April 2025 edition, we enjoy Hungarian, Cuban–Mexican, Persian, Pakistani, Malagasy, Moroccan, Peruvian, Malian and Franco–Iranian–Palestinian musical inspirations. The number 1 spot goes to Trio Da Kali, from Mali. – Tatros Együttes – Kettős (de doi) – Pillanat – Rita Donte – Paseo de las Misiones – Ritual – Rastak – Havar havar – Tales of Earth and Sun – Muslim Shaggan – Rooth gayay moray baankay – Asar – Damily & Toliara Tsapiky Band – Lihy avaratsy – Fihisa – Aïta Mon Amour – Sidi Hmed – Abda – Novalima – La danza – La danza (Deluxe version) – Kankou Kouyate – Tien kagni – N’darila – Ensemble Chakâm – Tant qu’il y aura des vagues – Les vents brûlants – Trio Da Kali – Wara – Bagola – (Trio Da Kali – Nana Triban – Bagola) 📸 Trio Da Kali
Dr. Patricia Wright is a scientist and distinguished professor in the Department of Anthropology at Stony Brook University, NY. She has received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship (Genius Award) and three medals of honor from the Malagasy government. In 2014 she was the first woman to win the Indianapolis Prize for Animal Conservation (equivalent to the Nobel Prize in Conservation). Dr. Wright is the Founder and Executive Director of Stony Brook University's Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments, and is the Founder and Executive Director of the Centre ValBio, a research and training center in Ranomafana, Madagascar. After discovering a new species(spee-sheez) of lemur in 1986, she helped establish its habitat as a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. She continues to lead research expedition to remote places in Madagascar which make valuable contributions to science. Dr. Wright has published over 200 scientific papers, authored four books and has given hundreds of lectures to museums, universities and societies throughout the US and Europe. Her research and accomplishments have been featured in the award-winning documentary IMAX/Warner Brothers film “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar” narrated by Morgan Freeman, and most recently the documentary, “Ivohiboro(eev-wee-bore) - the lost forest”, which premiered in France in the fall of 2024. To learn more about Dr. Patricia Wright: https://www.instagram.com/patcwright/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-wright-5a15889/ To learn more about Centre Val Bio: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/centre-valbio/ https://www.instagram.com/centrevalbio/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy-ibXFhKs-UOpSlyKROj7A/videos https://www.linkedin.com/company/centre-valbio/
On an expedition to Madagascar, Matjaž Gregorič and his research team came upon a damaged termite nest that had a few other invertebrate visitors. When they experimentally damaged the nest again, they found two unexpected things: spiders ballooning in to prey on the termites as they rebuilt, and hopeful ants standing by to steal termites from those spiders. It created what the authors called “a perilous Malagasy triad”, a three-way predator-prey-kleptoparasite interaction that tells a very interesting story about chemical signaling and arthropod behavior. As a bonus, they identified the spider involved as a brand new genus and species, named Vigdisia praesidens to honor Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, Iceland's first female president. Listen in as researcher Matjaž Gregorič gives us the full story, as well as his thoughts on why it's important to pursue science for science's sake. Matjaž Gregorič's paper “A perilous Malagasy triad: a spider (Vigdisia praesidens, gen. and sp. nov.) and an ant compete for termite food” is in the July 14th issue of New Zealand Journal of Zoology. It can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2024.2373185 A transcript of this episode can be found here: Matjaž Gregorič - Transcript New Species: Vigdisia praesidens More on Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, the world's first democratically-elected female president (Iceland, 1980-1996): https://www.councilwomenworldleaders.org/vigdiacutes-finnbogadoacutettir.html An article about this paper: https://www.icelandreview.com/news/new-spider-species-named-after-icelandic-president/ Videos of the kleptoparasitic behavior: https://www.youtube.com/@ezlab7631/videos Episode image credit: Matjaž Gregorič Be sure to follow New Species on Twitter (@PodcastSpecies) and Instagram (@NewSpeciesPodcast) and like the podcast page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NewSpeciesPodcast) Music in this podcast is "No More (Instrumental)," by HaTom (https://fanlink.to/HaTom) If you have questions or feedback about this podcast, please e-mail us at NewSpeciesPodcast@gmail.com If you would like to support this podcast, please consider doing so at https://www.patreon.com/NewSpeciesPod
Send us a textWelcome back to Next Stop Africa!
Episode 464 - Dr. Sangita Swechcha - Pakhalieko Siundo A Novel about the trafficking of girls and women in NepalAbout the authorSangita Swechcha is a Nepali writer based in England. Her poems, stories, and articles have been published in various literary sites and international journals. Sangita wrote her first novel ‘Pakhalieko Siundo' at 18. ‘Pakhalieko Siundo' novel is about female tolerance for pain and suffering. It also tells the story of the trafficking of girls and women in Nepal. The novel received excellent reviews from literary critics. Sangita's story collection book ‘Gulafsangako Prem', published in 2019, comprises 20 stories set in the UK, Australia, and Nepal. Sangita was a Guest Editor for the ‘Nepali Literature Month–November 2019' for Global Literature in Libraries Initiative (GLLI), a USA based organisation working towards the visibility of world literature. She was featured in ‘Global Voices' in 2019. The interview, originally published in English, was also published in Greek, Russian, French, Italian, Chinese, Spanish, Romanian, Czech, Bangla, Malagasy, Arabic and Nepali languages, which gave her a recognition among literature lovers in various countries. Sangita currently is a contributing author at Global Voices. Book: Rose's Odyssey is a collection of short stories by Dr Sangita Swechcha. It comprises 20 stories set against the backdrop of Nepal, Australia, and the United Kingdom.“This collection features stories that eloquently depict the joys and sorrows within women's hearts. The stories illuminate the constricted mindset and ego of men, as well as feminist perspectives and selfishness, effectively conducting an incisive examination of our society.” - Krishna Bajgain, Samakalin Sahitya“The collection beautifully weaves together the tales of Nepali immigrants, exploring their complex mindset, nostalgia, challenges of living abroad, vulnerability, aspirations, conflicts, feminist perspectives, regrets, love, jealousy, repentance, sacrifice, dreams, and anxieties.” - Khusi Limbu, NepalBritain.com“Swechcha masterfully weaves her narratives and imaginations into a patchwork of words. Each story resembles a finely crafted sketch, brought to life through the art of words.” - Mani Lohani, Writer, Madhuparka literary magazine“The stories within the book defy the reader's initial assumptions. Numerous narratives hold unexpected twists that catch readers off guard, adding a layer of intrigue and highlighting the captivating essence of Sangita's storytelling.” - Shekhar Kharel, Writer and Documentary Filmmaker“The ebb and flow between stories was different every time, some leading straight into the next while others needing space to sit and linger. A wonderful insight into cultural differences on a highly personal and intimate level.” - Jessica Hayden, Editorhttps://a.co/d/2UAP1imSupport the show___https://livingthenextchapter.com/podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca
Send us a textWelcome back to Next Stop Africa!
Send us a textWelcome back to Next Stop Africa!
In this episode of the Creatures Podcast, we interview Dr. Abigail Ross, a leading primate behavioral ecologist and founder of the Dr. Abigail Ross Foundation for Applied Conservation. They discuss her background, the challenges she faces in conservation work, especially in Madagascar, and her research on primate behavior. Topics include habitat loss, wildlife trafficking, conservation efforts, and the impact of climate change on Madagascar's biodiversity. Dr. Ross also shares insights into mentoring young Malagasy scientists and the importance of local conservation efforts. The discussion concludes with advice for young conservationists and an overview of the work being done by her foundation. You can learn more about Dr. Ross and her work HERE Podcast Timeline 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 01:03 Early Life and Inspiration 02:22 Academic Journey and Key Experiences 03:53 Understanding Primate Behavioral Ecology 05:22 Conservation Success Stories 05:52 Challenges in Animal Conservation 08:11 Founding the Abigail Ross Foundation 12:25 Reforestation and Current Projects 14:20 Complexities of Conservation in Madagascar 21:42 Future Plans and Favorite Species 23:22 Primate Conservation Projects 24:34 Maternal Care in Calatrichids 26:55 Impact of the Pandemic on Conservation 29:08 Ecotourism in Madagascar 32:41 Local Conservation Efforts 35:51 Maternal Stress and Infant Survival 40:04 Climate Change in Madagascar 42:55 Supporting Conservation Efforts 45:01 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The late Budi Darma, one of Indonesia's most beloved writers, spent a formative chapter of his life far from home, studying at Indiana University in the 1970s. He wrote a series of strikingly lonely short stories that would go on to form the collection People from Bloomington, first published in Indonesian in 1980. A man befriends his estranged father only to control him and ends up controlled himself. Someone steals his dead roommate's poetry and enters it into a competition. Another character desperately tries to make contact with the old man across the street who may or may not be trying to shoot people from his attic room. With this absurd but oddly real little collection—and with his next novel, Olenka, also Indiana-inspired—Darma ascended into the pantheon of Indonesian literature, winning numerous awards, including the presidential medal of honor. Budi Darma may be barely known in the United States, but Tiffany Tsao—who has recently translated People from Bloomington for Penguin Classics—hopes that an English-language audience is ready to embrace this unparalleled Indonesian artist.Go beyond the episode:Budi Darma's People from Bloomington, translated by Tiffany TsaoRead Tsao's post in memory of Budi Darma, who died in August 2021Check out these other Indonesian writers mentioned in the episode: Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Umar Kayam, Chairil Anwar, Ajip RosidiWant to hear more about the art of translation? Listen to these conversations with German-English translator Susan Bernofsky, Bible translator Robert Alter, Malagasy writer Naivo and his translator Alison Cherette, and Tibetan-English translator Tenzin DickieTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek and sponsored by the Phi Beta Kappa Society.Have suggestions for projects you'd like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you worried that royal houses had gotten a little too genteel by the 19th century, the story of Ranavalona I of Madagascar will disabuse you of that pretty quickly. Seizing the throne in 1828 after the death of her husband, King Radama - despite not being the rightful heir to it - she immediately launched a campaign of murder against her political rivals and potential successors, and summarily ended friendly relations with European nations, including expelling missionaries who had established schools. She didn't merely promote the local customs and faith traditions of the Malagasy people; she eventually banned the practice of Christianity entirely and executed those who practiced it. In fact, she executed a lot of people, in a variety of creative ways, and historians believe that in her 33-year reign of terror, she depopulated Madagascar by about half. It's no wonder that she's considered Madagascar's Bloody Mary, and Madagascar's Caligula.Listen ad-free at patreon.com/trashyroyalspodcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
If you worried that royal houses had gotten a little too genteel by the 19th century, the story of Ranavalona I of Madagascar will disabuse you of that pretty quickly. Seizing the throne in 1828 after the death of her husband, King Radama - despite not being the rightful heir to it - she immediately launched a campaign of murder against her political rivals and potential successors, and summarily ended friendly relations with European nations, including expelling missionaries who had established schools. She didn't merely promote the local customs and faith traditions of the Malagasy people; she eventually banned the practice of Christianity entirely and executed those who practiced it. In fact, she executed a lot of people, in a variety of creative ways, and historians believe that in her 33-year reign of terror, she depopulated Madagascar by about half. It's no wonder that she's considered Madagascar's Bloody Mary, and Madagascar's Caligula. Listen ad-free at patreon.com/trashyroyalspodcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why the biggest score line ever happened? The Pro League Championnat de Football National Division 1 is the premier football league in Madagascar
The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: 인종간 입양인|The One with Christelle Pellecuer - Between Worlds: A Transracial Adoptee's Journey from Madagascar to France: Episode 2 (2024)In this episode, Christelle Pellecuer, a certified coach empowering black adoptees, joined us on The More Sibyl Podcast to share her journey of self-discovery and cultural identity. As a transracial adoptee (someone who has been adopted into a family of a different racial or ethnic background) from Madagascar raised in France, Christelle's narrative is one of resilience, growth, and the ongoing quest for identity.The conversation explored Christelle's experiences growing up in France, feeling disconnected from her Malagasy roots, and the complexities of transracial adoption. She shared poignant moments from her childhood, highlighting the challenges of navigating her identity in a predominantly white environment. Despite these hurdles, Christelle's story is one of hope and perseverance.One of the most powerful moments of the episode was when Christelle spoke about the joy of reconnecting with her African roots. She expressed the bittersweet realization of not fully embracing her heritage earlier in life, citing the "black tax" as a barrier to cultural understanding. However, she emphasized the importance of embracing one's identity and urged families to do better in fostering cultural connection. Christelle also shared her reflection on her journey as a mother. She candidly shared the challenges of raising her daughter while still grappling with her own identity. Through her experiences, Christelle learned the value of self-awareness and the importance of creating a supportive environment for her daughter's growth.Throughout the conversation, Christelle stresses the active involvement of adoptive parents in their child's cultural education, advocating for the incorporation of cultural elements into the home and participation in cultural events. She concludes by encouraging listeners to embrace self-awareness and explore their identities, highlighting the adoption journey as an opportunity for growth and self-discovery. Christelle's story serves as a powerful reminder that perseverance and self-reflection can lead to finding belonging despite the challenges of transracial adoption.
This is TRT World's Daily News Brief for Friday, April 5th *) Israel promises to open Gaza aid routes after US arm-twisting Israel has said it will allow ‘temporary' aid deliveries across its fence with northern Gaza, Prime Minister Netanyahu's office announced after a tense warning phone call from US President Joe Biden. The announcement coincides with increased international scrutiny of Israel after it accepted responsibility for a strike that killed seven employees of the US-based charity World Central Kitchen. The statement from the prime minister's office outlined that Israel will allow the temporary delivery of humanitarian aid through Asdood Port and Erez crossing, known as Beit Hanoun to Palestinians. *) Israel ramps up defence, fearing Iran's retaliation The Israeli military is bolstering its defences following a deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus that reportedly killed 16 people, including seven Iranian Revolutionary Guard members has led to threats of retaliation. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed the measures, which include suspending leave for combat units, blocking GPS signals in certain areas, and increasing manpower. *) Russia says destroyed over 40 airborne targets in Rostov-on-don The governor of Russia's Rostov-on-Don region has said air defence units destroyed more than 40 aerial targets, although an electricity substation was damaged. Writing on the Telegram messaging app, Vasily Golubev said the drone strikes had focused on the Morozovsk district, north-east of Rostov-on-Don, which lies on Ukraine's eastern border. *) Madagascar seeks removal of EU envoy who criticised law for child rapists Madagascar has demanded that the EU replace its ambassador to the island nation after she criticised a new law passed in February that allows child rapists to be chemically and surgically castrated. The request came after the EU's ambassador, Isabelle Delattre Burger, denounced the law contrary to international norms and Madagascar's constitution. The EU is evaluating the demand in consultation with the Malagasy government, with the regular rotation of ambassadors due in September. And finally… *) Missing dog found 2,000 miles from California home A dog that went missing in California has been found more than 3,000 kilometres away in suburban Detroit, leading to a dramatic reunion with her owners. Police picked up Mishka, a terrier mix who went missing last July, and took her to a shelter after a resident reported a stray dog near Harper Woods in the Midwestern state of Michigan. Staff at the Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society found that she had a microchip that identified her owners live 3,771 kilometres away in San Diego — making it unclear how she had travelled so far. After being alerted, her owner Mehrad Houman and his family will fly back to California Mishka after being examined by a veterinarian. And that's your daily news brief from TRT World. For more, head to trtworld.com
#india #folktale Welcome back listeners to Sandman Stories Presents, a folklore podcast where I read you to sleep or until the next story, I'm your host, Dustin. Today we are back in the book of Indian folklore written down in the Shimla Village tales recorded by Alice Dracott. In the first story, a prince is helped out by a monkey, who wants nothing more than to go home. And in the second story, the Jackal wants to be treated like a king, but there is confusion in his hoo ha. Source: SIMLA VILLAGE TALES OR, FOLK TALES FROM THE HIMALAYAS BY ALICE ELIZABETH DRACOTT Narrator: Dustin Steichmann Sound Effects: Frogs by Dustin Steichmann Music: Ghei Chhand Makarand - Jake Charkey | North Indian Cello | Hindustani Classical | Gayaki Ang Photo Credit:"Grand Cayman Blue Iguana" by o palsson is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Video by Headliner And the podcast shoutout is to the Teacher Think Aloud podcast. This is a wonderful podcast aimed at helping teachers do better. Hosts Anna and Shey do a great job of bringing classroom issues to the show and talking about how teachers can handle them. Really good folks and I'm so happy that they create content for my profession. And if you like their show as much as I do, give them a like, a rating, and a review. And the listener shoutout is to PohnPei Micronesia. Don't confuse it with the Roman city of yore. To visualize where it is at, think of Papua New Guinea and go north east about 2000 kilometers. For miles, um…. Have fun with that. It's a very wet island that has jungles in the interior and beautiful shores. The language, Phonpeien, is part of the Australnesian languages which includes Hawaiian and Maori and Malagasy. And of course I would love to visit this island some day. So to my listeners on Pohnpei, I say Kalahngan and Pwohng mwahu Thank you and goodnight --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sandman-stories/message
THIS WEEK's BIRDS: Oud based post-bop from Ahmed Abdul-Malik; new music from NIU RAZA; Congolese vocalist Youlou Mabiala; contemporary Gulf singer and oud virtuoso Adade al Johar; Egyptian vocal w. out from Waed Bouhassoun; vintage Taarab (Zanzibar) from Malika & Party; new Asher Gamedze; new NIU RAZA; Malagasy from Jojoba and Ny Malagasy Orkestra; going back to the luminaries: Dizzy Gillespie (w/ Lilian Terry); Thelonious Monk; from Burma/Myanmar Nai Htaw Paing Ensemble; latter-day poetry/music from New York Art Quartet; Tuareg guitar from Bibi Ahmed; much, much more!!!! Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI: 88.1FM Ithaca, 89.7FM Odessa, 91.9FM WINO Watkins Glen. and WORLDWIDE online at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN: https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com/ via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580 Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere. Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online: PLAYLIST at SPINITRON: https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/18406020/Conference-of-the-Birds and via the Conference of the Birds page at WRFI.ORG https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/ Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks FIND WRFI on Radio Garden: http://radio.garden/visit/ithaca-ny/aqh8OGBR Contact: confbirds@gmail.com
Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Kelly Molson, Founder of Rubber Cheese.Download the Rubber Cheese 2023 Visitor Attraction Website Report - the annual benchmark statistics for the attractions sector.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website rubbercheese.com/podcast.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcastCompetition ends on 29th March 2024. The winner will be contacted via Twitter. Show references: https://www.kew.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-willison-22347a10/ Julia Willison is Head of Learning and Participation for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. She is passionate about engaging people – young and old and from all walks of life - in learning about the importance of plants and fungi and the need for sustainable development. Julia is responsible for schools, communities and access, families and early years, outreach, youth and volunteers at Kew Gardens. She previously worked with botanic gardens internationally to advocate for and establish education programmes for the benefit of local communities and the environment. Transcription: Kelly Molson: Welcome to Skip the Queue, a podcast for people working in or working with visitor attractions. I'm your host, Kelly Molson. On today's episode I speak with Julia Willison, Head of Learning and Participation at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.We discuss Kew's inspiring manifesto - their 10 year strategy to end extinction crisis and protect nature. Julia shares with us the 5 key priorities, and we focus on Kew's desire to improve inclusivity and what initiatives have been formed to support the organisation in doing this.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue.Kelly Molson: Julia, it's really lovely to have you on the podcast today. Thank you for joining me. Julia Willison: My pleasure, Kelly. Thank you for inviting me. Kelly Molson: So we're recording this right at the beginning of January. It's the 9 January that we're recording it. So icebreakers have got a new year's resolution theme because I thought we should talk about this. I want to know, do you set them? If so, what have you set yourself for this year? Julia Willison: I do tend to set them in my own mind. I don't often share them, but I do set them. And this year I've set the resolution. I want to start learning to play the piano and I've actually had my first lesson. I'm really pleased with that. Kelly Molson: I love this. So we just had a little chat about this off air, because that was one of the other icebreaker questions I was going to ask you is, what's the one thing that you've always wanted to learn? And then we had this conversation and you're doing it already, and I was like, "Oh, this is great." So you've had your first lesson and how did it go? Julia Willison: Well, I found myself apologising to the teacher profusely because of my lack of ability to play the piano, but it went really well and he was absolutely delightful, very supportive, and I learned quite a lot in the first lesson, so I'm looking forward to the second lesson now. I've got a lot start playing and practising every day, which I'm enjoying doing. Kelly Molson: That's the thing about learning something new is that you've got to make it a habit, haven't you? So you need to kind of. This is the thing that I did about the gym, is that I had to diarize it, so I had to make sure that it was like in red in my diary, immovable. At the same time, on those days, that I could go so that you could do it. Are you going to do that with your lessons and your training? Julia Willison: Well, the lessons obviously will have to be in my calendar, but I have almost crossed the threshold where I made a decision to play the piano. I've got a long term goal that in maybe ten years time, I'll be able to play in a group or something like this. So I'm really committed to wanting to learn. So we'll see. You have to revisit this space. Maybe in five years time. See if I'm still doing it.Kelly Molson: Right. I'm popping you on the list for five years to make sure that I check in with you, that you've achieved your goals. Okay. What is the worst thing that you've ever eaten or drunk? Julia Willison: Well, eaten for me is mussels, because I'm allergic to them. Kelly Molson: Oh, wow. Julia Willison: I only learned that through, obviously, eating mussels and even just a small piece just made me incredibly sick. Drinking advocaat. How do you say it. Advocaat? Kelly Molson: Is that what goes into snowballs? Julia Willison: Yes. I can't think of anything worse actually. Kelly Molson: I love snowballs. I had one over Christmas. Julia Willison: You can have mine. Kelly Molson: I'll have your mussels. And your advocaat. What a mixture. And probably not at the same time either. Julia Willison: No. Kelly Molson: Yeah. My friends did a Christmas party and we had a snowball and it was, "This is so retro." I can remember my grandparents drinking these when I was a child. I remember if you ever come to my house for a Christmas party that you are not to have snowballs.Julia Willison: I'll bring my own, Kelly. Kelly Molson: Okay. Right. What's your unpopular opinion, Julia? Julia Willison: What I do feel, I suppose, strongly about is that, and I arrived at this opinion after talking to my children, after I had done this. And it says, I don't think that people should post pictures of their children and friends on social media without their consent. Kelly Molson: Yes. Yeah. This is an interesting one, isn't? Oh, ok. And actually, at what point do you ask their consent? Because I post pictures of my daughter. She might not be comfortable with me, she might not be happy with me, her face being over my Twitter account or my Instagram account. So, yeah, I guess at some point we'll have that conversation. If she says no, that's it. No more pictures go up. Julia Willison: Oh, sad. And the thing is, you can't take down the ones that you've already put up, can you? Kelly Molson: No. Well, I guess you can go back and delete them from an Instagram account or delete them from your Twitter account. So you could go back and delete, but then they're out there, so that doesn't mean that they're not elsewhere in the ether. Julia Willison: Interesting. Kelly Molson: It is interesting, yeah. But I think you're right, I think. Absolutely, for other people. I've definitely had this conversation with a friend of mine about. We've been out together with our children and we've both taken pictures and she's actually asked my permission if she can post the pictures on her social media, but her platforms are quite. Her Instagram is a private Instagram account, for example, so she's happy to post pictures of her daughter on that, but she's not happy for other people to post those pictures if they're not private account. It is a huge debate, isn't it? Well, it'll be interesting to see what people think. How do you feel about this? Kelly Molson: People on Twitter, which is where we do a lot of our talking about this podcast, how do you feel about posting pictures of your children or your friends and your family on social media without having their consent? Let us know. Could start a little Twitter debate there. Julia Willison: I'd be interested to read it. Kelly Molson: Right, Julia, tell us about your role at Kew and what a typical day looks like for you. Julia Willison: So, I'm Head of Learning and Participation at Kew Gardens and what I'm responsible for is providing leadership in this particular area at Kew and wanting to position Kew as a centre for excellence in plant and fungal science education. And under my remit comes formal learning. That's all the schools programmes and teacher training. So we've got about 90,000 school pupils that come on site each year and we engage with about 200,000 online. We have a youth programme which is growing. There's a lot of demand there for young people to get involved environmentally as well. Families, in early years, we run programmes for families, but up to seven year olds, specific sessions. Julia Willison: We run community engagement, and that includes community horticulture. I'm responsible for the access programmes across the site as well. That's for people who may have sensory needs or different access needs. We have a national outreach learning programme and then slight anomaly is that the volunteers also sit with me. So we've got 800 volunteers across Kew Gardens and Wakehurst, and the central function of that sits with my remit. So looking at some of the strategies around what we're doing with volunteers and diversifying our volunteers, et cetera, that's my remit.Kelly Molson: They're quite a bit. Julia Willison: Yeah. No, it's fantastic. I'm very lucky. And there's no one typical day, but you can imagine. Well, I get going with a cup of coffee every day and sometimes I'll spend one day a week working from home. Julia Willison: But the rest of the time, I like to be on site. Kew has got to be one of the most beautiful locations to work. Kew has got to be one of the most beautiful locations to work. I am so lucky. I know that.Julia Willison: And I've probably got the best office in Kew. If you come and visit Kelly, you'll see that the office I have looks out over the Palm House of Kew, which is the most iconic glass house. It was a glass house that was built between 1844 and 48 and it houses the tropical plants, so it is just the most amazing place to work. I attend a lot of meetings, as you can imagine, with my teams and staff across the organisation about operations sometimes, and strategy and new and exciting projects that we're looking at what we can do. I sit on cross organisational steering groups and committees that focus on public programmes. Julia Willison: We have a strong focus on equality, diversity and inclusion across the organisation. And safeguarding. Well, I still am the designated safeguarding lead for Kew, so I'm involved in that still. And I also lead the steering group for Kew on the outreach strategy and the schools learning strategy. And then, as well, I often work on preparing project proposals, because funding is a major issue for our organisation, and so funding and reporting and then talking to potential donors. So that's my sort of typical day, really. Kelly Molson: I feel quite privileged that I get to speak to so many incredible women that have these hugely varied roles and do so much in a day. Very capable people that I get to speak to. It's quite humbling. We're going to talk quite a lot today about a manifesto that Kew implemented. I'm just going to take you back. So I think it was in March 2021, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew launched a ten year strategy to end extinction crisis and protect nature. And it's a really bold and incredibly inspiring manifesto. I'm just going to read out the ethos of it. Kelly Molson: So, the mission of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is to understand and protect plants and fungi for the well being of people and the future of all life on earth. Our aspiration is to end the extinction crisis and to help create a world where nature is protected, valued by all and managed sustainably. So this was back in 2021. How has the manifesto been implemented within the organisation? How did it get created in the first place, and how does that kind of get explained and put into practise? Julia Willison: Good question. We started in the pandemic, looking at the need to build a new strategy, because our older strategy was coming to the end, and over the years has been a building of staff in Kew, talking about wanting to see more urgency in the work that we do, or to describe it in a more urgent terms, what we're trying to do at Kew. And so the pandemic, while it was a terrible time, it was a time that Kew took to step back and look at the bigger picture and then come together around this urgency of climate change and biodiversity loss. And there was a lot of consultation, a lot of iterations of the strategy that went out to staff to feed into this. Julia Willison: It was a significant job, and there was a team, a small team of people that were working on it, taking the consultation back in centrally. And then what emerged through the consultation were five key priorities that we then agreed, or was agreed then for the next ten years. And that was agreed then by the executive board and signed off by the board of trustees. I'll mention the five priorities, and I can give a few bits of examples of some of the work we do around those. The first priority is deliver science based knowledge and solutions to protect biodiversity and use natural resources sustainably. Kew is primarily a scientific and horticultural organisation, and we struggle sometimes that many people see Kew Gardens as the gardens and don't see the science behind the gardens. Julia Willison: The gardens are essential and they contain precious plant collections. There is also science and research behind that. We've got over 400 scientists and about 150 horticulturalists. And so it's the bedrock accused contribution to ending biodiversity and maintaining sort of healthy ecosystems. So there are lots of examples that I could give. People probably don't know this. We have a resource centre in Madagascar, scientific resource centre, and scientists there are working with the rural Malagasy people on food security and particularly on conserving yams that are native to Madagascar. We work in over 120 countries, working with partners in Ethiopia to reduce biodiversity loss. The Ethiopian economy depends very much on coffee, and something like 25% of the population rely directly or indirectly on coffee for their livelihood. And so Kew is working with partners to maintain traditional forest based areas where coffee grows natively. Julia Willison: And that is proving vital for sustainability, for livelihoods and also for biodiversity. Close to home. We have scientists here at Kew working on the chemistry of nectar and pollen, because many bee species in the UK, there are around 240 different species of bees in the UK. So honey bees are just one species. There's lots of different bumblebees, lots of different native bee species, and they're under threat because of climate change from disease and parasites. So what scientists here are identifying plants that have compounds in the nectar and pollen that could help bees themselves manage their own diseases more sustainably. So that's an important area of research. Kew is also, as part of manifesto, we're digitising our collections. We've got a wrap quarter a way through digitising 8.25 million preserved plants and fungal specimens. So it's an enormous task. And 200,000 botanical illustrations. What else we're doing? Julia Willison: We have a sister site. I don't know if you know this, Kelly. We have a sister site at Wakehurst. It's our wild botanic garden in West Sussex and it's a site of excellence, really, in conservation and science. It's home to the Millennium Seed Bank, where we've banked something like 2.4 billion seeds from more than 40,000 plant species. And so there's the project being run at Wakehurst called Nature Unlocked, and that's using the landscape of Wakehurst, which is about two kilometres squared, as a living laboratory. And the idea is to collect high quality scientific evidence of the value of biodiversity in the soil as well as in the landscape. This evidence to inform land management policies and practises, so that can then key develop. Decision makers can then use this evidence to make informed decisions about what they do around the land. Kelly Molson: That's just one point. Julia Willison: I'll be quicker with the other. Kelly Molson: Please feel free to share. Don't hold back. But it's quite mind blowing, isn't it, how much that you do that people just aren't aware of? Julia Willison: Yeah, this is just a very small snapshot. I mean, I could have taken any one of hundreds of examples of what scientists here at Kew are doing. The second priority is inspire people to protect the natural world, and that really is threaded through all our public engagement work. And that's going from our festivals, our exhibitions, all the interpretive panels we do, the website, our social media, all the learning and participation programmes we do. So we use this as a lens to look through and to make sure that the work we're doing is all checking ourselves, that we are inspiring people to protect the natural world. I mentioned earlier we have a national outreach programme and this programme is inspiring communities to take action for biodiversity, specifically through transforming their local spaces with UK native plants. Julia Willison: So community groups we know will grow other plants, but we also encourage them to focus also on UK native plants as well. Another plan in the manifesto is to create a carbon garden, and that's to communicate stories around how carbon is captured in plants and soil, and how we use this to mitigate climate change, for example, through planting trees and also looking at different carbon related services, such as biofuels. And we have the plans for the garden. It's in planning permission. It's gone for planning permission at the moment and we're waiting to hear. And as soon as we hear, it'll probably take us about a year or so to build the garden, but we'll use it then very much for learning and communicating about the importance of carbon, so people know. So that's priority two. Julia Willison: Priority three is train the next generation of experts, new scientists and horticultural is critical to the future of life on earth. And so Kew has accelerated its work in this. And we offer three month PhD placements for anybody across the UK who's doing a PhD. Part of their PhD often includes a placement. So we offer those placements at Kew and we're very keen to attract PhD students. We also are working in partnership with a couple of universities, Queen Mary, University of London and the Royal Holloway, University of London, to run in partnership master's courses. MSc courses. And we've got three courses that we run. MSc in biodiversity and conservation, an MSc in plant and fungal taxonomy, diversity and conservation. And then the newest MSc is on global health, food security, sustainability and biodiversity. Kelly Molson: I can imagine that the world that we're in now, there's actually a lot more demand for those courses as well. I imagine that they're oversubscribed multiple times. Julia Willison: Yes. And they're open to international students, so we get quite a lot of international students coming. So that's really good. We had 60 students starting this year on the courses, but on a master's course, taking 20 students, it's quite an intense course. And I know that Kew has, like you say, there's a demand to study further in this area, and so there are still developing the possibility of new courses with universities. That's good. Julia Willison: But one of the things for my remit that I'm very keen about is that there's a pathway and that Kew considers its pathway from very early years, attracting kids to become very interested in nature, and then going through and providing school programmes that then encourage children to then take science as a possible career choice, or be informed about science, which is one of the reasons why we launched the Endeavour Online programme to make our resources that focus on educational resources that focus on Kew, science and horticulture, but make them available to schools across the UK. Kelly Molson: That's phenomenal. And that's a lot of the things that we're going to talk about today. What point are we at? We've done point 3. Julia Willison: Okay. So extend our reach. Kelly Molson: Extend reach. That's right. Point 4. Julia Willison: That's about cubing a go to place for anyone and everyone to explore the importance of plants and fungi and how they add value to our lives. And we're working hard to expand our digital resources to make sure that we can engage with as many people as possible. But we also recognise that there are large numbers of the population that would love to visit Kew or either have never heard about us or don't see Kew as a place for them. So we've set down a target to increase tenfold the number of visitors from underrepresented communities to the gardens. And one of the ways that we've done this straight away is to introduce a one pound ticket for people who were on universal credit or pension credit, and that's to remove the economic barrier to visiting. Julia Willison: To date, around 50 - 60,000 people have taken advantage of the initiative in 18 months. However, we have a very ambitious director and he feels that we should be able to dial this up to about 100,000 per year. So that requires us then to go out specifically targeting people who are on universal credit and pension credit and say, "Look, we want you to come to Kew." But on top of this, we also run a range of programmes specifically for people who face barriers to Kew. And that's not only economic, that could be social barriers, psychological or physical barriers. That's priority four, which I think we're going to go into more about some of that. Kelly Molson: Three and four we're going to focus on. Julia Willison: Yeah. So the fifth one is influencing national and international opinion and policy. So in order to do that, we need to encourage debate and shape decision making. And Kew works with a lot of policymakers. Kew is a large institution. Julia Willison: We've got about 1400 staff that work at Kew and 800 volunteers. We have lots of different teams and departments. We do have a department that focuses specifically on working with government and policy makers. And the idea is to support them, to provide the evidence that Kew brings to the table so that people can make well informed decisions. One example is about Tropical Important Plant Areas, those TIPA for short. Kew is working with six countries across the globe and the idea is to work with partners in the countries to help them identify important plant areas so that these areas will then be conserved. That involves an enormous amount of negotiation, discussion, and to date there's three TIPAs that have already been established, so that's really important for conservation of those areas. Julia Willison: And, of course, we work closely with Defra, that's our sponsoring department in the UK government, and they've recently asked you to take the leading role as a strategic science lead for a new institution, I suppose, that has been set up. It's not a physical institution. It's a consortium. It's been called the Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate. So what Kew will do is write the research strategy that will define the key themes for funding calls that will be given money, and then the projects that will then provide the evidence to feed into policies that will then help make decisions about the impact of biodiversity on climate and people's livelihoods. So that's a really significant thing that Kew's done. Kelly Molson: This is such an eye opener for myself, having been a visitor to Kew, appreciated the beautiful gardens and the plants that you have there, but actually really having no idea about all of the things that happen in the background. So this is just like you say, the attraction is just one very small part of this huge organisation. There's so much that you do. I hope this is eye opening for people that are listening to this as well, because there's a lot going on here. The points from the manifesto, the key priorities for manifesto are, I mean, each one of them you could take and break down into a different podcast episode. What we're going to talk about is points three and four. We're going to focus on those today. Kelly Molson: So point 3 was to train the next generation of experts, and point 4 was to extend our reach. We're going to focus on them because there's a huge desire at Kew to improve inclusivity, and so we're going to kind of break down what is happening within those points to actually help support do that. So you said that one of the key changes that Kew has committed to achieving by 2030, I think this is to increase tenfold the number of visitors from the presently underrepresented communities to the gardens. And obviously the gardens facilitate the start of that learning journey. Right. That it's exposing people to, I guess, a world that they might not be familiar with, plants that they definitely won't be familiar with, or even just certain job roles that they might not have thought was for them. Kelly Molson: How do you begin to change the kind of views and attitudes from the general public who don't think that Kew is for them, a place for them in the first place? Julia Willison: Well, our aim is to break down that perception. So I think one of the things that has happened to be able to start on this journey is an organisational commitment to include everyone and bringing everybody on board, that we are really intent, we really want to do this. So that's involved training our visitor facing staff and our volunteers so that they provide a warm welcome to anyone, regardless of their background. We've trained our staff in accessibility and safeguarding and then diversity and inclusion. And this year we will roll out more diversity and inclusion training to staff across all areas of the organisation. So when people come here, it's making sure that they feel safe and they feel represented in the gardens. But just providing a welcome is not going to be sufficient. Julia Willison: We do need to reach out and connect with different communities to tell them that Kew exists. We have people visiting Kew from our local boroughs that have never heard of us, which is extraordinary, really. So we really try and encourage them to visit. So we have teams of staff who, in different teams, will visit the different groups and they'll run workshops with the groups at their venues so that groups can find out about Kew before they visit. They realise that the people that come to visit them are really quite friendly and really excited about them coming to Kew. And also, people have said that Kew is a very large place when you come here. I mean, people come and visit Kew, they come for a day, but you never see everything at Kew for a day. Julia Willison: So people feel that it can be a bit intimidating, especially if they've not visited before. So when we bring people on site for the first time, when we've made connections with community groups or other teams, what we do is we'll offer a programme or a tour, so that when they come to visit us, that they make them feel comfortable about returning on their own. Kelly Molson: Sure. So it gives them that level of familiarity by doing the tour that they can then come back and explore. They can do that again, or they could go and explore the different areas that were particularly appealing to them. Julia Willison: Yeah. So we have all sorts of different programmes and we have a community access scheme as well as the one pound ticket. We have community access scheme. So any groups that provide services to people who face barriers from visiting Kew, which I said earlier, sensory, psychological, social barriers, they can join our community access scheme and they can get 60 tickets for 36 pounds. So that works out about 60 pence a ticket and they can always top up as they go along. And then as part of the scheme, they all receive a newsletter and that informs them about the community activities that we run. So that's another way of connecting groups to feel that Kew is a place for them to come and visit. Kelly Molson: That's lovely. I was going to ask about the community access scheme and what initiatives have been formed to kind of support the organisations to do that, because I guess it's one thing the welcome is great, right. But that means that people have to come and get the welcome. So there's so much outreach that has to be done to bring the people to you in the first place. So the community access scheme, what kind of organisations would that be relevant for? Julia Willison: All sorts. We have about 350 members on our access scheme. When I first started at Kew, most of those groups, there were fewer number of groups, but most of those groups were, I would say, for third age people, different groups, but mainly servicing older people. Now we've got all sorts of groups, so we've got LGBT+ groups, we have deaf groups, asian women's groups. We have a whole different range of groups that see Kew as a place that they could join and come and bring with their members. And one of the things that we do run is continuing professional development training for group leaders, specifically for those leaders, so that they then feel confident to come to Kew with their groups on their own and will provide resources for them to use in the landscapes and enjoy with Kew. Kelly Molson: And that adds to that, I guess, like what you were saying earlier about, you want this to be the start of the journey. You need it to be the start of the journey for those groups as well, don't. You don't want to encourage them to come along once and that's like a box that they've ticked. They've done Kew. You want them to come back and keep reengaging with the environment there. So that's brilliant to then be able to train those leaders to take that bit on themselves. Julia Willison: I was just to say, a few years ago, we started a community open week, which is a free week for community groups, any community groups across London. In fact, some groups come from further afield, but we put on a range of workshops and tours during that week for groups to come and just experience Kew and the idea is, if we can, is to try and encourage them to sign up to the access scheme and continue, as you say, the journey and come back and find out more. Kelly Molson: I guess that's the community access scheme. And obviously you've got kind of partnerships going ongoing with kind of local community. What about national community groups? So how do you kind of expand your remit into the wider audience of people that aren't located near Kew?Julia Willison: Yeah. That's a good question because that costs money, doesn't it, for them to come to Kew. So we have had people come from Birmingham and people can join. We've initially contained it within the M25, so a lot of people coming within the M25, but we've just removed that barrier now, I mean, it didn't need to be there. And we have seen some people, some groups coming from outside. We don't have bursaries to be able to provide, sadly, to groups to come to Kew. They are, of course, very welcome. I think one of the things is that we've just brought somebody on board this year who is doing some more community outreach to going out and trying to connect with new groups to visit Kew and part of that will involve producing some marketing materials that can then travel further than just our confines. Julia Willison: So we'll see. We may then receive other groups in from much further afield, which would be great. And also Wakehurst, our sister site, has set up a community access scheme as well, so they will hopefully then encourage those organisations and groups in further south of London.Kelly Molson: Amazing. How is Kew helping to remove barriers and improve access to nature for children and families, both kind of on site and off site? Julia Willison: We've been running an early years programme since about 2018. Before that, we had a family programme and we've made connections with children's centres in our local boroughs. Every borough, every county in the UK will have a children's centre or multiple children's centres. And the aim of the children's centres is to try and help those families that may slip through the net to be able to ensure that they don't. And so what we have done is we have a recent project which is to work with children's centres in London and we're working in five boroughs with different about ten children's centres. And the team is going to the children's centres running nature based play sessions in the children's centres. And then over the summer, we invite the families to come to Kew. We give them funding to do that. Julia Willison: We refund their travel, we run activities on site and then later in the year, we've been running training sessions specifically for the children's centre leaders so that they can then take this work forward when Kew has to step back from going to the children's centres. And we've got this project running for about three or four years now, which is great. But on top of this, we also run on site sessions for early years and half of them are paid for sessions for those families that can afford to pay for earlier sessions. And then the money that we use from that, we then subsidise those families from children's centres, community groups that can't afford to pay. So we try and get a balance, because we don't ourselves have an endless pot of money and we're constantly looking for funding to try and support this work. Kelly Molson: It's really hard, isn't it, to get that balance right. There is a commercial aspect here, right. You have to make money to be able to do all of these incredible projects and initiatives that you have, but you also need the funding to be able to support the incredible initiatives that you're running, to be able to allow everybody access to it. So it's like a vicious circle. What about schools outreach? How are you kind of broadening your reach to engage all schools? And how does that become more inclusive against the manifesto? Julia Willison: So we've been very intent on saying that we want to extend our reach to embrace all schools, sort of all schools in different areas, but also, at the moment, we have about 60, 70. Well, it's now changed to 60% of pupils that come on site are from primary schools. We want to increase the number of secondary school pupils that we engage with. Children make career decisions around their GCSEs and their A levels, and many children from certain schools from more deprived areas will go for general science rather than triple science. And all the research shows that if children choose triple science, they're more likely to do science at a levels. So looking to try and influence those children in their career choices is important for us. And that means that we want to increase the number of secondary schools that we engage with. Julia Willison: And we also have an intent on increasing the number of schools that have higher pupil premium, because in London, pupil premium is, you probably know, is that those children who are generally on those children, on free school meals, the school will receive a bursary from the government to try and reduce the attainment gap between those children on free school meals and those children on not. Julia Willison: So we have had bursaries, we don't have any at the moment, but we have had bursaries then to attract specifically those schools on much higher pupil premium, and we've shifted the dial on this and we have higher numbers of schools with higher pupil premium students and those schools, then we try to influence and think about science as a possible aspect that they can consider further in their careers. So, in planning permission at the moment, we're looking at building a new learning centre at Kew, which would be really exciting. And we're going through ecology reports at the moment before we can get the planning permission through. Julia Willison: But part of the learning centre will include four science laboratories, and so pupils can come on site to Kew will be able to come on site to queue and do science experiments in the heart of a scientific organisation. And all pupils doing GCSE and A levels have to do practical science experiments. We know from all the research that teachers don't necessarily feel confident in teaching about plants. So this is something that Kew really can uniquely offer schools to come to Kew and bring their pupils and get hands on with plant and fungal science experiments. Kelly Molson: Oh my goodness. That would be incredible. Julia Willison: Yes. And also it will provide us with the facilities to be able to do CPD online as well. So that's something that we're really keen to do. Kelly Molson: That's a really interesting side of this, is because I know that one of your goals is to engage with all schools. Now, all schools aren't local to Kew. My school definitely wasn't local to Kew. So how do you do that? How do you make that jump from engaging with local schools that can actually access the site? What can you do digitally that can engage with more schools and more people, regardless of location? Julia Willison: And one of the reasons that we are committed to engaging with all schools is because Kew is a national institution and we are funded partly. About 28% of our funding comes from the government, so it's paid for by taxes by people all over the country. So our commitment is to make our resources as available as widely as possible. And so we have an online programme called Endeavour, and that's a bank of resources specifically for teachers on all sorts of different. It's strongly linked to the national curriculum, but all sorts of different activities that teachers can use then to teach about plant science and fungi. But it straddles the natural curriculum not only in science, but for the primary ages. Julia Willison: It will also look at history, it will look at geography, et cetera, so that we can try and make our resources as relevant as possible to teachers. Kelly Molson: Yeah, that is a phenomenal resource that maybe more teachers need to hear about that. I think I would have been really excited. I did do Science at school. I can remember. I'd have been really excited about doing something that was connected to Kew Gardens. There's quite a big buzz about that, you know what I mean? I don't know why there's a connection to that organisation that I think would have been really exciting to know that you were working on something that had been created by Kew.Julia Willison: That's nice to hear that. We have a youth programme, which I'm very proud of. I think that the youth team is phenomenal, as are all the teams, but we run a youth explainer programme and that's on site, and young people come for a training programme every Saturday for six months and they go behind the scenes. They meet the horticulturist scientists and they learn communication skills. And what they do is we bring a game designer on site and they learn how to design their own game to play with the public about endangered plants or habitats. And the young people have to work together in groups and they produce this game. And then six months after, once they've finished their training, they then become explainers in the glass houses. Julia Willison: And the public, actually, they love interacting with young people and they bring a real buzz about it. So that's been a very successful programme. And on the back of this, we've developed a young environmental leader award. And the idea is that young people will develop their project and they will evidence different dimensions of leadership through their project. So they'll keep a portfolio and they have to evidence how they've developed their leadership skills during this journey. And then we award them with a young environmental leader award, and that's something that we do in house. But then the possibility is then to scale that, to make that available to young people outside Kew as well. Kelly Molson: That would be incredible, wouldn't it? Yeah, that would be a really special thing to be involved in. Okay, so we said earlier we're recording this. It's January 2024. Wow. How is Kew delivering against the manifesto after its first full two years? Julia Willison: Well, Kew is nothing if not ambitious. There is a real strong commitment to ending the extinction crisis. I mean, we can't do this alone and we have to do it in partnership. But I would say that we're firmly on the way to achieving many of the deliverables in the manifesto. And there's a real. People have really bought into. The staff have really bought into the manifesto, and you see that through. We run a staff survey every year and ask for feedback about whether what people think about the manifesto, do they feel their work is contributing to delivering it? And we get very high scores on that consistently we have since the manifesto was published. One of the deliverables in there is to revision the Palm House that I sit opposite in my office. Julia Willison: And we want that to become net zero and engage new generations with science and conservation work and make our data available to everyone. So we are moving towards that. And we've got some seed funding to be able to do this. I'd say that the bricks are in place and the foundations have been laid, and much of the work requires external funding and partnerships. But we have a vision, and I think people and organisations recognise what Kew's work is as vital. And I don't think that's overstating it, but that helps to open doors for support. So I think we're moving forwards, and I think there's a very positive feel about the work that we're doing. We're very fortunate. Kelly Molson: Yeah, it sounds very positive. And like we said earlier, there's so much to cover in this, Julia, and thank you for coming on and just talking about a very small element of all of the incredible things that are actually happening at Kew. So we always end our podcast by asking our guests to recommend a book that you love, something that you love personally or something that's helped shaped your career in some way. What have you chosen for us today? Julia Willison: Well, I chose a book that is a phenomenal book and by a woman who is phenomenal, and it is related to my work. But I chose the book because I think it is so inspirational. It's a book called Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard. And we awarded her the 16th Kew International Medal for her work and her devotion to championing biodiversity in forests. She's worked in British Columbia all her life in Canada, and she was the pioneer of the theory that plants communicate with each other through a huge subterranean fungal network. And the book reveals how trees connect and cooperate with each other, and that each forest contains hub trees. So mother trees. And that these trees in the forest play a critical role in the flow of information and resources. Julia Willison: So I feel that the book will change the way people look at forests. They're not simply a source for timber or pulp, but they are really part of a complex, interdependent circle of life. And I think it's a magnificent book. Well, if one reader reads it and enjoys it, I think that will be brilliant. Kelly Molson: Do you know what? I have to read this book. So this is the second podcast, interestingly, where. Oh, not the book. The book has never been recommended before. No, this is a completely new one. So David Green, Head of Innovation at Blenheim, was on the podcast a couple of episodes ago, and he talked about how trees communicate with each other, and that was a new thing for me. I had no idea that trees talk to each other, and the way that he described it was really interesting. And now this has come up in this as well. And I feel like someone is sending me a message that I need to read this book. So that's going to go top of my list, right.Kelly Molson: Erveryboday, listeners, you know what to do if you want to win a copy of Julia's book, then head over to our Twitter account and retweet this episode announcement with the words, I want Julia's book and you could potentially be learning about how trees communicate with each other and are a vital part of an ecosystem. Thank you. That's fascinating. Everything that you've talked about today is so exciting, and I know that there's so much work still to be done. Thank you for coming on and sharing about all of the things that you do there and all of the things that you're hoping to achieve. I have no doubt that you will do them. It's been an absolute pleasure. Julia Willison: Yeah, it's a real privilege. Thank you very much, Kelly. Thank you. Kelly Molson: Thanks for listening to Skip The Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned. Skip the queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcriptions from this episode and more over on our website, rubbercheese.com/podcast. The 2023 Visitor Attraction Website Report is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsDownload the report now for invaluable insights and actionable recommendations!
In a betrayal of previous commitments to Madagascar, Britain revoked its recognition of Malagasy sovereignty in a deal with France, in exchange for French recognition of a British protectorate over Zanzibar. Soon after this deal, the French invaded Madagascar, landing troops in Mahajanga and Toamasina. The final war to conquer Madagascar had begun.
Charles and Jon meet conservation legend and primatologist Patricia Wright. Dr Wright is most famous for her work in Madagascar, including her discovery of the Golden Bamboo Lemur. She is Founder and Executive Director of Stony Brook University Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments, and Founder and Executive Director of the Centre ValBio, a research and training center in Ranomafana, Madagascar. Some of her many achievements during a very distinguished career include being the first woman to win the Indianapolis Prize (the 'Nobel Prize for Conservation'), won a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship (Genius Award) and had three medals of honor from the Malagasy government. During a fascinating chat we learn how a chance encounter with a night (owl) monkey in a Brooklyn pet store changed the course of Patricia's life from New York social worker to primatologist. She describes the thrill of discovering a new species - the Golden Bamboo Lemur - in 1986, and the daunting challenge of trying to establish its habitat as a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Ranomafana National Park. Patricia explains why she feels it is so important to get local people involved in conservation: the 'jigsaw puzzle' of an integrated approach. And how the community in Ranomafana were ready to support its protection in exchange for better access to health care, education and ... soccer balls! For more information visit www.mammalwatching.com/podcastNotes: Patricia Wright has published over 200 scientific papers, authored four books and has given hundreds of lectures around the world. Her work has been featured by the media many times, including in the award winning documentary "Island of Lemurs: Madagascar" narrated by Morgan Freeman; David Attenborough's Life of Mammals; and Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown.There are some great trip reports from Madagascar up on mammalwatching.com. The island is, in our opinion, one of the world's great mammalwatching destinations.Cover Art: Patricia Wright and Coquerel's Sifakas. Photo by Noel Rowe.Dr Charles Foley is a mammalwatcher and biologist who, together with his wife Lara, spent 30 years studying elephants in Tanzania. They now run the Tanzania Conservation Research Program at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.Jon Hall set up mammalwatching.com in 2005. Genetically Welsh, spiritually Australian, currently in New York City. He has looked for mammals in over 100 countries.
Rainilaiarivony makes a desperate bet to try and repair his nation's floundering economy following the end of the French blockade of Madagascar. His desperate solution: to open Madagascar's long dormant gold mines for business.
The founders 3 founders of Camp Fihavanana met in 2015 on the Semester at Sea Spring 2015 voyage, and competed as a team for the Resolution Project Social Venture Challenge. Jessica Razanadrakoto recruited Laura Patterson and Sophie Connot to support her vision for transforming the lives of Malagasy youth through sports and leadership development. Together, they created Camp Fihavanana — a summer camp program that would challenge traditional forms of education to equip students with the skills they need to become courageous leaders in their own communities. After winning seed funding and support, they launched the first Camp Fihavanana program in 2017. If you or someone you know wishes to apply please visit: APPLY to Semester at Sea To donate to this world shifting experience, please visit: DONATE to Semester at Sea To get involved with the show: alumni@semesteratsea.org
As Malagasy prime minister Rainilaiarivony tries to distance his kingdom from French commercial interests, the French strike back. Eager to avenge his country's recent defeat in Europe, the French head of state becomes increasingly invested in colonial conquest. In an effort to drum up international support, Malagasy diplomats make a trip to London, Paris, and New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We are wrapping up our sifaka season with Malagasy scientist and conservationist, Mamy Razafitsalama. Mamy's work in and around Ankarafantsika National Park, which serves as critical habitat for Coquerel's sifakas in the wild, recently earned him the 2023 Whitley Award for conservation. We were so honored to hear about Mamy's work studying sifakas in the […]
In the aftermath of the controversial coup against Radama II, the new head of state, prime minister Rainivoninahitriniony, was in a tumultuous position. He and the fellow orchestrators of the coup had committed the unprecedented act of overthrowing the mpanjaka Imerina. He attempted to legitimize the bureaucratic takeover by marrying one of Radama's wives, Rasoherina, as well as drafting a new constitution for Imerina. While the constitution would last, Rainivoninahitriniony did not, and he was himself overthrown by his brother in 1864. This brother was Rainilaiarivony, one of the top ranking generals in the Malagasy army, who proceeded to implement a de facto military dictatorship, overthrowing his brother and declaring himself prime minister. While Rasoherina remained the official head of state, Rainilaiarivony was the true power behind the throne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Avalanche expert Robert Hahn appeared on an earlier WanderLearn episode. In last week's show, he and his Malagasy wife discussed the difference between Malagasy and American culture. This week, we talk about: Pakistan Culture 00:00 Why Pakistan? 01:30 Where Robert went 04:30 Safety 07:00 India relations 12:12 Surprises Watch Video on YouTube! More info To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com. If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on: Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon Rewards start at just $2/month! Affiliate links Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free! In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees! For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.
Every few years, Malagasy communities hold joyful ceremonies where the remains of lost loved ones are exhumed, cared for and introduced to the newest members of the community. Also, although Tunisia was decades ahead of many other countries in giving women the right to choose whether to go ahead with pregnancies, taboos remain. Finally, we meet some hearing-impaired Beninese children thriving in specially adapted classrooms.
Ranavalona reluctantly begins to thaw the relations between her island kingdom and her long-time French adversaries. However, when a French businessman immediately tries to take advantage of the thaw, and prepares a coup to overthrow Ranavalona, place her son in power, and create a company with a monopoly on the Malagasy economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ranavalona hires a new group of foreign artisans like Jean Laborde and James Cameron to hasten the transformation of Madagascar into a modern, industrialized economy. Will the Merina Kingdom become the first industrialized country in Africa? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Radama I died without a clear heir, his wife, Ranavalona I, allied with a group of military officers to secure her place as the new queen of Madagascar. Almost immediately, she was faced with numerous challenges, including revolts from conquered peoples, criminal lynch mobs attacking Christians, growing resentment against missionary schools, a stumbling economy, and a French invasion of the largest Malagasy port. Not to mention she has to do it all while ruling as a woman - something which had never happened before in Merina history.
#georgia #folklore In this story, there is a terrible couple. The husband sets off to not be in the house any more and he comes across a wishing stone. This stone can get him all sorts of wonderful things. But what will his wife say? and what about the king who wants everything? Don't worry, the good for nothing has a plan. Source: Georgian Folk Tales by Marjory Wardrop Narrator: Dustin Steichmann Music: MUSIQUES DE TBILISI • ENSEMBLE MTZETAMZE Sound Effects: 10 Minute Rain by Dustin Steichmann Podcast Shoutout: Mamalyfe This podcast discuss the ups and downs of motherhood seen through the eyes of a stay at home mom ( me!) and also discuss the issues that us women face in our everyday lives. This is Motherhood at its best. We're not perfect but we're making it!!!! Listener Shoutout: Antananarivo, Madagascar. Antananarivo was originally the site of a town called Analamanga, meaning "Blue Forest" in the Central Highlands dialect of the Malagasy language. Music recommendation: Zior Park - BLACK FIN Video by Headliner Picture Credit: "Khvamli/Khomli Mountain cliff/massive from Gelaty monastery Kutaisi" by rost8668 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sandman-stories/message
If his father is the most remembered king in Madagascar, Radama is probably the best-known Malagasy king in the rest of the world. Radama is famous not only for leading the first major push to unify his home island but also for his later efforts to modernize and industrialize the Merina Empire. But how did this fascinating man come to power in the first place? Today, we track Radama's ascent from heir to the throne to the most powerful king in the history of Madagascar.Support the show
Andrianampoinimerina is the most famous monarch in Malagasy history, and for good reason.At a young age, Andrianampoinimerina, still then known by his birth name Rambosalamarazaka, quickly emerged as the favorite to inherit the kingdom of Ambohimanga. However, the kingdom was instead inherited by his uncle Andrianjafy. Throughout his rule, the king would enact several unpopular policies. His failed wars against the king of Antananarivo led to economic strife, as did growing tribute demands from Ambohimanga's Sakalava overlords. In order to cope with these growing demands, Andrianjafy made the unpopular decision to begin manufacturing criminal accusations against his own subjects to justify selling them into slavery. This unpopular decision justified a group of nobles in overthrowing Andrianjafy and placing Andrianampoinimerina into power.Support the show
Thanks to the Tracing Owls podcast for this week's suggestion. I'm a guest on that podcast so make sure to check it out (but while my episode is appropriate for younger listeners, most episodes are not, so be warned). Further reading: Huge Hippos Roamed Britain One Million Years Ago Kenyan fossils show evolution of hippos The Kilopilopitsofy, Kidoky, and Bokyboky: Accounts of Strange Animals from Belo-sur-mer, Madagascar, and the Megafaunal “Extinction Window” A sort-of Malagasy hippo: Actual hippo (not from Madagascar, By Muhammad Mahdi Karim - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=121282994): A modern hippo skull. There's a reason the hippo is more dangerous to humans than sharks are [By Raul654 - Darkened version of Image:Hippo skull.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=242785]: A pygmy hippo and its calf! Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I'm your host, Kate Shaw. This week we're going to learn about a topic suggested by the host of the podcast Tracing Owls, because I'm actually a guest on that podcast in an upcoming episode! I think the episode releases later this week. I'll put a link in the show notes, but be aware that while the podcast is interesting and often very funny, with topics that focus on weird stuff related to science, most episodes are not appropriate for younger listeners. (I think my episode should be okay.) Several years ago now there was a movie called Madagascar, which is about a group of zoo animals that end up shipwrecked on the island of Madagascar. I love this movie, especially the lemur King Julian, but one of my favorite characters is a hippopotamus named Gloria, voiced by Jada Pinkett Smith. The island country of Madagascar is off the southeastern coast of Africa, but as we talked about in episode 77, it's been separated from the continent of Africa for millions of years and the animals of that country have mostly evolved separately from the animals of Africa. That's part of why the movie Madagascar is so funny, since the main characters in the movie are all native to Africa—a lion, a zebra, a giraffe, and Gloria the hippo—and don't know anything about the animals they encounter on Madagascar. Like this guy: [King Julian clip] But it turns out that hippos did once live on Madagascar, and that's what we're going to learn about today. We're not sure when the first humans visited Madagascar, but it was at least 2500 years ago and possibly as much as 9500 years ago or even earlier. By 1500 years ago people were definitely living on the island. It's likely that hunting parties would travel to Madagascar and stay there for a while, then return home with lots of food, but eventually people decided it would be a nice place to live. Madagascar is a really big island, the fourth largest island in the world. It's been separated from every other landmass for around 88 million years, and has been separated from Africa for about 165 million years. Many of the animals and plants that live on Madagascar are very different from the ones living anywhere else in the world as a result. To put this into perspective, here's your reminder that the closest living relative of the hippopotamus is the whale, and 60 million years ago the common ancestor of both hippos and whales was a small semi-aquatic animal. That was about 28 million years after Madagascar was on its own in the big wide ocean, and 105 million years after the landmass that we call Africa broke off from the supercontinent Gondwana and began moving very slowly into the position it's in today. When Madagascar finally broke free of the landmass we now call India, dinosaurs were still the dominant land animal. So why are there remains of small hippos on Madagascar? How did the hippos get to Madagascar and why aren't they still around? Did the hippo originate in Africa or in some other place? So many questions!
© 2020-2026 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
