Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science

It is another in the series of solo episodes that I’m going to publish this year. In those I present the views that I have developed after many years of making this podcast which include not only conversations with experts but also attendance at conferences and reading countless books on these subjects. You can treat those as bonus episodes. The episodes where I interview scientists, conservationists and people with a love for natu...

Join me for a conversation with Saoirse McHugh who is running as an independent candidate for the European Parliament to represent the Midlands-North-West constituency. During our discussion, we delve into a wide array of topics such as the connection between agriculture and environmentalism, sustainable land management practices and agricultural subsidies within the EU. We also talk about politics in general and why being politica...

The paper that we discuss in this episode describes how an invasive species of ants disrupts lion hunting behaviour. There are also acacia trees, elephants, zebras and buffalos involved in the whole chain of interactions between species. To talk about this incredibly interesting research I invited an Associate Professor, Adam Ford, Canada Research Chair in Wildlife Restoration Ecology at the University of British Columbia in Kelown...

Finnish SOTKA is a large-scale habitat restoration project and a part of a larger Helmi Habitats Programme aimed at restoring Finland’s biodiversity. It is run by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of the Environment. SOTKA’s objective is large-scale habitat restoration through wetlands rehabilitation, restoration of mires and catchments, non-native (i.e. invasive) predator control and building a network of r...

Many people claim they are conservationists. But are they really? Inspired by your comments and some discussions that I had in the past, I decided to talk about this subject.

This episode was recorded outdoors, on the beautiful Irish coast of county Kerry. So, don’t be surprised to hear chough calling in the background or some occasional gusts of wind.

It is another in the series of solo episodes that I’m going to publish this year. ...

I have been waiting for Tom Opre’s new film “The Last Keeper” since I learned in July 2022 that he and his team are working on it. Well, the wait was over for me at the beginning of February 2024, as I was the only person in Ireland to screen the film. The wait will soon be over for you as well since the film premieres in mid-April in Edinburgh. While you are still waiting, you can listen to my conversation with Tom about the film ...

This episode is slightly different than usual when it comes to its subject. However, working with technology by day and creating digital content by night, I spend substantial time thinking about and grappling with this subject. So when I learned that a long-term supporter and a friend of the podcast, Emanuel Rose, wrote a book about it, I decided to have him on for a chat.

The subject in question is our unhealthy addiction to our ph...

It has been a considerable time since the last time we spoke about rewilding on the podcast. I feel that the discussion around the practice as well as understanding of the term has moved on in the last three to four years. So, I decided to get an update on the state of rewilding. To do so, I invited the Director of the Wildland Research Institute at the School of Geography, University of Leeds, Dr Steve Carver who is also a Profess...

Currently, a lot is going on in the European Union concerning regulations that can impact nature and nature restoration. To get a better understanding of the current state of nature in the European Union and the future of nature conservation and restoration I talk with Frank Vassen. Frank works in the Nature Unit in the General Directorate for the Environment at the European Commission. That might sound a little dry but worry not. ...

Species reintroductions, often in the context of rewilding, is a topic that we frequently discuss on this podcast. It is also fiercely debated on social media. I have been asked more than once about my views and opinions on this topic. Do I support species reintroductions? Well, it depends. In this episode, I’m going to break down my take on species reintroductions, the good, the bad and the ugly - as the saying goes. 

It is an...

On my podcast, we talk a lot about coexistence with large carnivores and the challenges it poses. Some of those challenges might seem insurmountable to some. To shed some light on overcoming these hurdles, I contacted Helen Arusoo, an Estonian nature journalist and the leader of the National Animal Working Group. In this conversation, we talk about how Estonia overcame these hurdles and created something that I would consider the g...

When we talk about dogs and conservation, it is usually in the context of wildlife disturbances caused by pet dogs and their inconsiderate owners. However, a specially trained dog can be an invaluable asset in conservation projects that require searches or detection. The subjects can vary from searching and finding carcasses to detecting nests and chicks of birds nesting in burrows. That includes a dog indicating what species was f...

The new year has just started and I’m quick to treat you to yet another episode of the Conservation and Science podcast. Since it is this early in the year, it’s a good opportunity to give you an update about my plans for 2024 and what you can expect from the podcast. Listen to find out about changes to the episode release schedule, my writing and speaking efforts, and my future social media presence.

In the second part of this epis...

A Flicker in the Water is a book about fishing I wish someone had written a long time ago. I gotta admit that due to its small size, I initially underestimated it. However, as I started reading it, I was immediately drawn to the series of fishing stories and captivated by original, real-life photos. In fact, reading this book was so pleasurable that I ended up reading it twice over, back to back. I’m not kidding you!

During my conve...

The story of Brant MacDuff, the author of the book under the title “The Shotgun Conservationist: Why Environmentalists Should Love Hunting” is in many ways similar to mine. We were both born and raised in the city without any contact or access to hunting. We overcame not insignificant obstacles to get into hunting later in life and both of us decided to share this experience with others who might want to do the same but don’t know ...

The European Commission is deliberating on lowering the protection status of wolves in the EU. It seems like this decision has been taken after the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen’s pony was killed by wolves. Is this really the reason for what many have dubbed “a new European wolf hunt”? To unpack this issue I talked to environmentalists, farmers, top-tier scientists and last but not least, hunters.

Our guests ar...

The impact of farming on nature is one of the most contested subjects. The negative impact on biodiversity and soil health is juxtaposed with food security and benefits to certain species of wildlife. But does it have to be one or the other? Join me for the conversation with Suzanna Crampton who is one of the most recognisable figures in Irish agriculture. She graduated from Sterling College in Vermont, where she studied agricultur...

This episode is a real treat for all those who are interested in bowhunting, bowhunting culture and the ethics of bowhunting compared to rifle hunting. Everything sprinkled with a healthy dose of hunting stories.

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It feels like I’m one of the only very few who talks about bowhunting with European listeners in mind. Indeed, I would like to see hunting with archery tackle being legalised and popularised on t...

Today, we continue the exploration of the public perception of hunting, the issue of social license to hunt and some current topics related to hunting. Certain issues such as the use of lead in hunting ammunition or the attempts to ban the import of certain animal parts, aka trophy import ban, often hit the headlines. And there is no better person to talk about it than Ben Cassidy who is the Executive Vice President for Internation...