Nature Solutionaries

When Ayesha Amin, a renowned Pakistani women’s rights activist, first saw a condom in a workshop, she refused to touch it. “I felt so embarrassed that I just wanted to disappear,” she says. Her shame, however, turned into curiosity and this moment helped Amin realize that talking about sex and reproduction shouldn’t be taboo. In 2018, Amin founded the nonprofit Baithak: Challenging Taboos, which has reached 300,000 women across Pakistan with workshops on family planning, menstrual health and gender-based violence. Having witnessed one of the worst climate disasters in Pakistan’s history, Amin has also been a fierce advocate for climate policies that address the needs of young girls and women. Together we talk about To learn more about Ayesha Amin’s work, check out Baithak’s website, Baithak’s Instagram account or Amin’s Linkedin profile. TIP: Help de-stigmatize menstruation by talking about it with your close ones.

Even though child marriage might seem like a thing of the past for some of us, one in five girls globally are still married off under the age of 18. This means that for millions of these child brides, their childhood, education and future have been stolen forever. Uneducated women often end up having worse health and economic outcomes and their families are more vulnerable to climate change. To free girls from this nightmarish practice, Ugandan activist Joan Kembabazi has been challenging traditional beliefs in her community and advocating for girls‘ education and empowerment. In this interview, Joan talks about why child marriage happens, what it‘s like to be a child bride and what needs to be done to eliminate this practice. Joan Kembabazi is the Founder & CEO of the Gufasha Girls Foundation. She campaigns against child marriage and advocates for girls‘ education in rural communities in central Uganda and beyond. Subscribe to future episodes of Nature Solutionaries on Spotify or on my website https://veronikaperkova.com/

If we truly want to liberate women, access to contraception is just the tip of the iceberg. We also need to feel comfortable talking about our bodies, our sexuality and sensuality, menstruation, post-partum depression, parental burnout and menopause. Because if we feel ashamed or embarrassed about these topics, we’re still being repressed. That’s just one of many life lessons that Nadine Goodman has learned over the last 40 years running CASA, an impactful nonprofit that helps 80,000 people in central Mexico push reproductive health and rights forward every year. In this revealing interview, we talk about what needs to happen for women to be truly liberated and why it’s a good idea to take a holistic view of the health and well-being of women, whole communities, and the environment.

To have a large family, and at least one son, are such strong cultural and religious norms in Nigeria that when women don’t meet them they’re often considered failures. Not only is this unfair to women, it’s also becoming nearly impossible to provide for a big family in Nigeria, where poverty is rampant and the cost of living has recently tripled. Chidera Benoit, a teacher and Executive Director of ⁠Population Explosion Awareness Initiative⁠, explains why it’s essential to change harmful patriarchal norms, broaden access to voluntary family planning and open up a conversation about sustainable population in Nigeria whose population is expected to double in the next two decades.

To have a large family, and at least one son, are such strong cultural and religious norms in Nigeria that when women don’t meet them they’re often considered failures. Not only is this unfair to women, it’s also becoming nearly impossible to provide for a big family in Nigeria, where poverty is rampant and the cost of living has recently tripled. Chidera Benoit, a teacher and Executive Director of ⁠Population Explosion Awareness Initiative⁠, explains why it’s essential to change harmful patriarchal norms, broaden access to voluntary family planning and open up a conversation about sustainable population in Nigeria whose population is expected to double in the next two decades.

Imagine that you were a 14-year old girl, and instead of chatting with friends or monitoring Instagram, you’d be married off to an elderly man and expected to run a household. Imagine that you gave birth to your first child, a cute baby girl, and instead of receiving cheerful reactions, people would start crying and feeling sorry for you. Imagine that throughout your lifetime you would have to give birth to 9 children, undergo several miscarriages and see a few of your children die. THIS is not just a bad dream. It’s a daily reality for many girls and women in the northwestern region of Pakistan where men rule with an iron fist and where women aren’t even aware of their rights. In this revealing interview, two human rights activists from The Awakening, Erfaan Hussein Babak and Neelum Rahim, share their experiences of breaking taboos and empowering women in a strictly patriarchal society.

800,000 native trees. This is how many seeds of hope conservationists from Brazilian nonprofit REGUA have planted on degraded lands in the Atlantic Forest over the last two decades – one of the biologically richest forests in the world. And that’s not all! The dedicated team managed to buy land that once used to be a farm and patch up fragmented pieces of forests to create an 11,000 hectare nature reserve. In this interview, Micaela Locke, the Research and Communications Coordinator at REGUA, talks about land restoration, native tree reforestation, building corridors for wildlife, reintroducing tapirs, and safeguarding a vital watershed for 2.5 million people in Rio de Janeiro.

Being able to make decisions about when or whether to have children is among the most fundamental human rights. Yet when it comes to women and their bodies, suddenly so many people – complete strangers – feel they have the right to tell women what to do, like, “Contraceptive use is against our religion! “Abortion is a sin!” And so on. And even though having bodily autonomy makes women healthier, happier, and wealthier, we’re still living in a world where we deny 44% of women autonomy over their options related to having sex, using contraceptives and seeking reproductive healthcare. An alarming number for sure! In this interview with Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, the CEO and President of PAI, we speak about the whole-societal benefits of providing women reproductive rights, the impacts of repressive reproductive policies and the impetus to join the sisterhood fight.

In Madagascar, where people depend on natural resources to survive, yet 75% live in extreme poverty, protecting nature is a big challenge. That's why conservation organizations are starting to realize that they can't only protect animals but must also address the well-being and health of communities living nearby protected areas. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust provides a wonderful example of the holistic approach to conservation. By improving food security, financial independence and reproductive health in local communities, Durrell achieved more widespread support for conservation and now, the populations of bamboo lemurs and Madagascar pochards (a rare duck species) are on the rise! Listen to my interview with Hanitra Rakotojaona (from Durrell) and Nantenaina Andriamalala (from the PHE Madagascar Network) about building powerful partnerships and integrated approaches to conservation.

Getting access to birth control — or any reproductive healthcare in a country in shambles — is harder than you can imagine. And that is especially true for families that live hand to mouth. But nothing is impossible, especially when there’s good will and a great team. Turimiquire Foundation has been able to help low-income women in northeastern Venezuela get better access to family planning as well as education and sustainable livelihoods. Steven Bloomstein, the co-founder, president, and only man in a fully women-run organization, talks about the needs of Venezuelan women and the global fight for women’s empowerment.

It’s not easy being a woman in Niger. The odds are especially high for women to drop out of high school, get married young (17 is the average age), or be displaced due to climate change, insecurity or humanitarian crisis! What happens to women in Niger, though, doesn’t stay in Niger alone. It impacts the whole region and ultimately, the global fight for women’s rights and climate justice. Together with Sani Ayouba Abdou (Director of Young Volunteers for the Environment in Niger) and Lou Compernolle (Advocacy Program Lead at Oasis), we talk about the solutions that will help women overcome barriers and live secure and healthy lives. More info about our guests: Lou Compernolle is a Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights expert with over two decades of experience. She currently works as Advocacy Program Lead at OASIS, a nonprofit promoting education and choice for women and girls in the Sahel. Sani Ayouba Abdou is a program manager with more than ten years of experience working with communities on education, youth development, and environmental issues. He’s the Executive Director of Young Volunteers for the Environment in Niger, a nonprofit focusing on sustainable development, climate change and youth leadership.

Uganda’s first wildlife vet and award-winning conservationist, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, shares her personal story about how her organization “Conservation Through Public Health“ has contributed to a steady growth of mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. That’s in addition to a major improvement in community health, a threefold increase in family planning use, and new opportunities for people living around the park to thrive in coexistence with gorillas and other wildlife. In this 30-minute interview, we touch on: How the nonprofit incorporates public health and family planning into conservation How to prevent the spread of diseases between humans and gorillas Why improving public health and hygiene helps communities and gorillas thrive How they achieved an increase of contraception from 22% to 67% Why ecotourism is great for local livelihoods but can’t be the only option Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka (1970) is one of the leading conservationists and scientists working to save the endangered mountain gorillas of East Africa. Her NGO Conservation Through Public Health promotes coexistence of gorillas, other wildlife, humans, and livestock. For her outstanding environmental and humanitarian work, Gladys has received a number of awards from the United Nations, Sierra Club and Edinburgh International Science Festival. Her memoir “Walking With Gorillas: The Journey of an African Wildlife Vet” came out in March 2023. Links: Conservation Through Public Health Walking With Gorillas: The Journey of an African Vet

Natural conservation and making improvements in the health and livelihoods of our communities are not at odds, although sometimes it feels this way. In reality, they are inherently connected. For example, in many rural communities where access to quality health services is low and jobs are few and far between, poverty-stricken people depend on exploiting natural resources to survive, which actually harms their quality of life long-term. Luckily, there is a better way of doing things that doesn't force communities to choose between their livelihoods and local flora and fauna. The Population, Health and Environment approach proposes a way to improve access to reproductive health, while also helping people find alternative livelihoods, sustainably manage natural resources and preserve ecosystems. The nonprofit PATH Foundation Philippines, which has reached hundreds of thousands of Filipinos with its programs, is one of the pioneers of this approach. Joan Castro, the Executive Vice President of this organization, talks about: Joan Castro is a licensed physician, who has more than 20 years of experience in sustainable and community development initiatives in rural and urban settings in the Philippines. Joan serves as the Executive Vice President of PATH Foundation Philippines. Links: PATH Foundation PhilippinesPopulation, Health, and Environment online course

Many people feel desperate about the state of the world today. It’s no wonder because the number of negative news we hear is endless – biodiversity loss, resource depletion, increasing inequality, wars, and so on. The more informed we are, the more helpless we feel, thinking, “How can I make a difference?” It turns out that all of us can make a difference if we take a solutionary approach to our work. No matter what you do - a biologist, a teacher, a gardener - you can tackle big issues and change your field so it is more just, humane and sustainable. In this episode, Zoe Weil, the co-founder of the Institute for Humane Education, explains: Links: Institute for Humane EducationThe Solutionary GuidebookHow to be a Solutionary: A Guide for People Who Want to Make a Positive Difference Zoe Weil is the co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education and author of seven books and multiple TEDx talks. Zoe speaks at universities, conferences, and schools globally about how our education should go far beyond just having good grades and a diploma. She’s convinced that in today’s world with so many pressing global problems, we should give people the knowledge, tools and motivation to become change-makers for a healthy and humane world for all.

When soap operas are designed in a way that they not only entertain people but also educate about social issues, they can have a huge positive impact on society and the environment. This type of approach is called entertainment education and is at the core of what Population Media Center does. Through hot TV soaps and radio dramas, this non-profit draws attention to family planning, gender equality, domestic violence, girls’ education, children’s health and education, and conservation. Since 1998, their 40 shows have helped more than 500 million people live healthier lives in more than 50 countries. In this episode, Bill Ryerson, Population Media Center’s founder, talks about: Links: Population Media Center

Even though people mostly view fish as tasty food on their plates, freshwater fish species are in desperate need of our attention and action. They are the world’s most threatened taxon, due to pollution, aquatic habitat loss, invasive species, overharvesting and water flow changes. Fish are at risk worldwide, but Southeast Asia is one of the key areas where fish are suffering with more than 80 different fish species currently on the brink of extinction. In this episode, Nerissa Chao (a conservation biologist who has been leading the IUCN SSC Asian Species Action Partnership), Mike Baltzer (founder of Shoal, an organization that strives to protect freshwater species) and Nathaniel Ng Shengrong (a fish conservation expert from Mandai Nature) talk about: Links: Asian Species Action PartnershipShoalMandai Nature

When Colombian conservationist Sara Inés Lara started helping women from rural communities access family planning and education and become guardians of their own environment, she got a lot of pushback from local men and conservation colleagues. After all, it was a taboo to address environmental protection, women’s empowerment and population. Seventeen years later, her NGO Women for Conservation has reached more than 2,000 women and helped the recovery of the yellow-eared parrot, which was downlisted from the IUCN Red List in 2021. More than ever, Sara is convinced that this is the correct way to do conservation. On this episode, Sara Inés Lara and Catriona Spaven Donn, Empower to Plan Coordinator from Population Matters, talk about: If you’d like to learn more about women's rights and environmental justice, listen to the interview “The Most Effective Conservation Strategy? Empower women”. Sara Inés Lara founded Women for Conservation which has empowered more than 2,000 women in rural communities through conservation education, environmentally sustainable livelihoods, and access to family planning. Sara has been recognized as One in a Hundred Great Latin American Women by Billiken Magazine. Catriona Spaven-Donn works for UK-based charity Population Matters, which supports Women for Conservation as part of their Empower to Plan Program. Cat is passionate about the intersection of women's rights and environmental justice and has worked on women’s empowerment and indigenous rights in Canada, Peru, Guatemala and Scotland. Links: Women for ConservationPopulation Matters

While in most places, we hear about rhinos and elephants being killed, in North Luangwa National Park in Zambia, one of the most untouched wilderness sanctuaries in Africa, the situation is quite the opposite. This little-known park is home to Zambia’s only black rhino population, which continues to show one of the highest growth rates in Africa, and Zambia’s largest, most stable and ever-increasing elephant population. On this episode, Claire Lewis, a British conservationist who manages the park, talks about: Conservationist Claire Lewis has been living and working in the park with her husband Ed Sayer and their three children since 2007. She is the Technical Advisor at the Frankfurt Zoological Society, a conservation organization which created the North Luangwa Conservation Programme with the Zambian Department of National Parks and Wildlife in 1986. Links: North Luangwa National Park

With fewer than 50 animals in the wild, saola is possibly the most threatened mammal on the planet. Even though it was discovered in 1992, very little is known about it, as no biologist has ever seen it in the wild and there are only a handful of photos of it from camera traps – last one from 2013. To save the animal from extinction, the Saola Foundation for Annamite Mountains Conservation wants to lead an intensive search for the last saolas in order to capture them for a breeding program. William Robichaud, the president of the organization, talks about: William Robichaud has been working on wildlife conservation in Laos and Vietnam for more than 25 years. In 2006, he co-founded the IUCN Saola Working Group, and served as its Coordinator until 2019. In 2015, the IUCN Species Survival Commission recognized Bill with its Harry Messel Award for Conservation Leadership, for his contributions to Saola conservation. Links: Saola Foundation for Annamite Mountains ConservationThe Saola Working Group

The impact of our growing population on nature is such a sensitive topic that nobody really dares talk about it. Better sweep it under the carpet and forget about it, right? Well, not necessarily. If you think it through, the solution is really simple and beautiful: give women full rights, opportunities and access to family-planning methods. In this interview with Paul R. Ehrlich, the Bing Professor Emeritus of Population Studies at Stanford University, we talk about: Paul Ralph Ehrlich (*1932) is an American biologist, best known for his warnings that population growth presents an extremely serious threat to the future of human civilization. The Population Bomb, a book that he co-authored with his wife, Anne, helped start a worldwide debate on the impact of rising population that continues today. Author of 50 books and thousands of articles, Ehrlich is the Bing Professor Emeritus of Population Studies at Stanford University, President of Stanford's Center for Conservation Biology and also president of the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere. Links: Paul R. Ehrlich on WikipediaThe Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere