The Nature Recovery Podcast

Human societies and their use of land have transformed ecology across this planet for thousands of years. As a result, the global patterns of life on Earth, the biomes, can no longer be understood without considering how humans have altered them. Anthromes, or anthropogenic biomes, characterise the globally significant ecological patterns created by sustained direct human interactions with ecosystems, including agriculture, urbanisation, and other land uses. Anthromes now cover more than three quarters of Earth’s ice-free land surface, including dense settlements, villages, croplands, rangelands, and semi natural lands; wildlands untransformed by agriculture and settlements cover the remaining area In this podcast we discuss the relationship of humans and nature with Professor Erle Ellis. We look at how since the dawn of humanity we've been impacting the land. Now as these impacts gather pace and lead to undesirable outcomes we discuss how we can reframe the role of the human species as being an intrinsic part of nature and possessing the power to shape the world to more desirable outcomes. Professor Erle C Ellis is Professor of Geography and Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) where he directs the Anthroecology Laboratory. His research investigates the ecology of human landscapes at local to global scales to inform sustainable stewardship of the biosphere in the Anthropocene. https://anthroecology.org/anthromes The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.

What role does the state have to play in nature recovery? If we are serious about halting the decline in biodiversity do we need to lay out a more ambitious agenda that can unify the currently fragmented aspects of private nature finance, state intervention and the role of public sector institutions. This is part of the argument raised buy Dr. Sophus zu Ermgassen and a team of experts in a recent pre-print: https://osf.io/preprints/osf/td4qj We talk to him about this mission-driven approach and what types of changes need addressing if we are to see fair and inclusive nature recovery that can actual deliver a restoration of our natural environments and not just the creation of functioning biodiversity markets. Find out more here The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.

This week we look at Rewilding from the social perspective. Most of the challenges currently facing nature can be linked to human activity and more specific human prioritizations of one type of land use over another. So when we come to look at solutions to biodiversity loss (Rewilding being one of the most well known) its essential that we understand the role of people in making these solutions work.. It's hoped that Nature Recovery projects supported by local communities are likely to be more durable, inclusive and ultimately more sustainable. We explore this fascinating topic with three experts: Dr. Calum Brown is a land system scientist interested in how land management affects ecosystems and societies. He uses a range of methods to investigate how people’s use of land might change in the future, and the potential for nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss. Calum has worked in research and conservation in Scotland, the US, Slovakia and Germany, most recently as a Senior Researcher in Land Use Change & Climate at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. He was raised and educated in the Highlands and holds a Masters from the University of the Highlands and Islands and a PhD (funded by a Microsoft Research Scholarship) from the University of St Andrews. Josh Davis is a researcher at the Countryside and Community Research Institute. His research focuses on shifts in skills and behaviour in the transition from agriculture to nature-based recovery across England. H examines the underlying motivations, incentives, and barriers to local practitioners (farmers, land managers and agricultural advisers) involved in promoting landscape-scale, nature-based recovery. Dr. Caitlin Hafferty is a researcher at the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery at the University of Oxford. Caitlin is an expert in participatory, democratic and inclusive decision-making, particularly in planning and environmental decision-making. She campions the contributions of the social sciences to understanding sustainability transformations, and currently work on the social dimensions of nature recovery and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) initiatives in the UK. Links for further reading Short brief on Recipes for Engagementhttps://www.naturerecovery.ox.ac.uk/events/event/unlocking-the-power-of-engagement-for-nature-recovery-and-nature-based-solutions-join-our-webinar/https://www.highlandsrewilding.co.uk/communityhttps://www.highlandsrewilding.co.uk/s/Highlands-Rewilding-Engagement-Roadmap.pdfhttps://www.nattergal.co.uk/boothby-wildland The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.

On this podcast we are joined by guest host Alena Goebel as we talk to Professor Christina Hicks about the impact of fishing on our oceans. We examine the differences in scales of fisheries and the important nutritional role fish plays in numerous communities. We look at what is meant by sustainable fisheries and the differences between large scale fish production verus community governed artisanal fishing. Christina is an Environmental Social Scientist interested in the relationships individuals and societies form with nature; how these relationships shape people’s social, environmental, and health outcomes; and how they create sustainable livelihood choices. Christina is a professor within the Political Ecology group at Lancaster University’s Environment Centre. She gained her PhD in 2013 from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University; after which she held an Early Career Social Science Fellowship at the Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University. Christina main source of research funding conmes from an ERC Starting Grant: FAIRFISH, and she was awarded the 2019 Philip Leverhulme Prize for Geography. Christina’s work is global with particular field sites on the east and west coasts of Africa and in the Pacific. You can also watch the talk she gave to the Leverhulme Centre here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfCjzXpMlV8 The author reccomended was Daniel Pauly https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Vanishing_Fish/rHKPDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.

In this episode Dr Alix Dietzel and Dr. Caitlin Hafferty discuss 'Just Transitions' and discuss different approaches to societal change whether it be decarbonization or recovering nature. If we only focus on the technical aspects we will eliminate the voices of those who are directly impacted. For change to be effective and purposeful, it's essential that people get a say and participate from every sector of society. You can find out more about their work here: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/people/person/Alix-Dietzel-de568c8f-8312-4465-a8e3-be4d44d607dc/ https://caitlinhafferty.co.uk/ And the papers and blog posts referenced are here https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/politics-voice-and-just-transition-who-has-a-say-in-climate-chang https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2023/06/05/who-has-a-voice-and-who-does-not-in-local-discussion-about-climate-change/ The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.

The ash tree plays a huge role in Europe's culture and ecology. From Yggdrasill, the giant ash world tree of Norse Mythology to the Guardian trees of Ireland; the ash tree has been a central part of European folklore and mythology. It can be a prolific natural regenerator making it an excellent species for timber and its flexible, white wood is still in high demand today and is used in the manufacture of Morgan cars, Irish hurling sticks and numerous items of furniture and carpentry. However, the European ash tree is now facing the most significant modern threat to its survival. Ash Dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) was common in China and Asia (where native ash species have obtained tolerance over time). In a globalised world, where timber and plant material are constantly being transported; this has sped up the spread of infectious tree diseases and pests. Ash dieback has ripped through Europe and was identified in the UK in 2012. Many UK ash woodlands have since been decimated by this disease which resulted in some very gloomy headlines: https://news.exeter.gov.uk/diseased-trees-to-come-down-amid-safety-concerns/ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/16/ash-tree-dieback-uk-woodlands It is unequivocally a monumental threat to our woodlands and will have major impacts for our ash trees and the species that associate with them. In this podcast, we take a closer look at ash and the effects of Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. We discuss the threat without hyperbole of some headlines and look at the ecology of ash and what will happen to our woodlands as we lose large numbers of these trees to disease. We also offer signs of hope, the living ash project from the Future Trees trust is working with nature to speed up the ash trees ability to fight back. While there's no doubt that ash dieback is a major economic and ecological threat and will dramatically change the nature of our woodlands; we try to take the longer view and understand the likelihood of the ash species to become tolerant over time and take a more nuanced look at the ecology. There is no 'good' or 'bad' only change. The more we can understand the science and the effects of tree diseases, the better placed we will be to manage the threats and identify strategies to resist threats or adapt our ecosystems to a rapidly changing future. This podcast was co-hosted by Dr Cecilia Dahlsjo who is studying the effects of ash dieback through her work at Oxford University and Dr. Jo Clark who is the head of research for the Future Trees Trust. They run the Living Ash Project which is leading the way in the UK in developing ash dieback tolerant species to help nature rebound from this new threat. The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.

In this taster episode we speak to the award -winning writer Emma Marris who offers a fresh and challenging view on some of the issues around conservation and nature recovery. We'd really encourage you to check out more of Emma's writing. You can find links to her articles and books at: https://www.emmamarris.com/ The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.

In this podcast we take a look at Ghana, where landscapes are changing as mining and industrialisation affect traditional ways of managing the land. We look at the impact on cocoa and the effectiveness of global regulations on preventing deforestation and contrast these with traditional community methods. The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.

We were lucky enough to have a short conversation with Sandra Diaz, where we find out more about here involvement with the COP 15 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. If you enjoy what she has to say, you can find a full lecture from her here: https://youtu.be/oe2dKpudS4s as well as numerous articles like this: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-04154-w and https://royalsociety.org/blog/2023/01/biodiversity-cop15-sandra-diaz/ We'd love to hear from you and answer any questions you habe or repsond to suggestions, so if you want to contact the show, please message us on Twitter @naturerecovery or email us at: naturerecovery@ouce.ox.ac.uk You can also find us on linkedin for all the serious stuff like job postings, event news and more The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.

Nature recovery isn't just about biodiversity; it has real implications for our health and wellbeing. In this episode Joseph Gent joins the podcast to talk to Emeritus Prof Michael Depledge CBE DSc FRSB FRCP who is one of the founding members of the European Centre for the Environment and Human Health. (www.ECEHH.org). The ECEHH was the first Centre of its kind in Europe and pioneered much of the early work on fostering health and wellbeing using the natural environment (from around 2008 onwards). Michael has a distinguished background as a marine biologist and has been Visiting Professor at the Department of Zoology, Oxford University and at University College, London. He is a former Commissioner of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution and former Chief Scientist of the Environment Agency of England and Wales. In this episode we talk more about the link between nature and human health, the importance of our oceans and rivers to our health and the complexity of understanding and prescribing nature to improve wellbeing. You can also find Michael's talk to the Centre here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YibF3k8tWX8&ab_channel=OxfordBiodiversityNetwork The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.

Patrick Greenfield is a biodiversity and environment reporter for the Guardian and the Observer. In January 2023, a joint investigation by the Guardian, Die Zeit and Source Material found that the forest carbon offsets approved by the world’s leading certifier and used by major corporations for climate claims are largely worthless. In this podcast we discuss some of the implications and dive into the challenges and complexities of wanting to do the right thing in a world where conservation for profit now exists. You can hear more from Patrick at his Leverhulme Talk here: https://youtu.be/YpuFaU99mQ8 The original article referenced is here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/revealed-forest-carbon-offsets-biggest-provider-worthless-verra-aoe The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.

In this espisode we speak to Nat Duffus to find out the good and the bad about Biodiversity Net Gain which is a major driver of the UK's policy to improve the state of biodiversity whilst still allowing for development. Some of the things mentioned in this podcast include: Kidbrooke Village: https://www.berkeleygroup.co.uk/news-and-insights/news-and-features/2020/kidbrooke-village-wins-attenborough-awards Lye Valley http://www.friendsoflyevalley.org.uk/about/index.html and of course the bombadier beetle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3sxJNt8CYw&ab_channel=BBCEarth The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.

In this episode we have a debate between Kate Raworth, Bob Costanza and Eric Gòmez-Baggethun on Monetary Valuation of Nature: pragmatic conservation or unhelpful commodification? This is an edited version of a debate that took place at the Oxford Martin School in February 2023. You can find the fill video of it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl7wSuAuKyQ&ab_channel=OxfordBiodiversityNetwork Notes: The valuation of nature and ecosystem services in monetary units plays a central role in many forms of environmental governance, including in carbon and biodiversity markets and offsetting schemes which are increasingly under scrutiny. The idea of using monetary units to value nature has precipitated significant debate, with proponents contending that it represents a pragmatic and realist approach to accounting for the environment in decision-making processes, unlocking substantial funding for conservation, while others argue that it can lead to a commodification of nature that ultimately proves inequitable and ineffective in addressing environmental challenges. In the spirit of developing a constructive dialogue on the issue, Kate Raworth will moderate a discussion between two ecological economists, Robert Costanza and Erik Gomez-Baggethun, who will explore the debates and tensions associated with using monetary units to value nature and ecosystem services and role such valuations play in contemporary environmental governance. Kate Raworth Kate is an economist focused on making economics fit for the 21st century. Her best-selling book Doughnut Economics: seven ways to think like a 21st century economist has been translated into 20 languages. She is co-founder of Doughnut Economics Action Lab, working with cities, business, communities, governments and educators to turn Doughnut Economics from a radical idea into transformative action. She teaches at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute and is Professor of Practice at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Robert Costanza Robert (PhD, FASSA, FRSA) is a professor of Ecological Economics at the Institute for Global Prosperity, University College London and an Adjunct Professor at the College of Business and Economics, University of Tasmania. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, an Honorary Professor at the Australian National University, an Affiliate Fellow at the Gund Institute at the University of Vermont, and a deTao Master of Ecological Economics at the deTao Masters Academy in Shanghai, an Overseas Expert in the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and an Ambassador of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll). He is co-founder and past-president of the International Society for Ecological Economics, and founding editor of Ecological Economics. He is founding editor-in-chief of Solutions and editor in chief of The Anthropocene Review. Professor Costanza’s transdisciplinary research integrates the study of humans and the rest of nature to address research, policy and management issues at multiple time and space scales, from small watersheds to the global system. His areas of expertise include: ecological economics, ecosystem services, landscape ecology, integrated ecological and socioeconomic modelling, energy and material flow analysis, environmental policy, social traps and addictions, incentive structures and institutions. He is the author or co-author of over 600 scientific The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.

In this episode we talk to Dr. Joseph Bull, Associate Professor in Climate Change Biology at the University of Oxford and find out what is meant by the term Nature Positive. We look at reasons for pragmatic optimism in the face of biodiversity decline and find out more about his work in the Aral Sea and why deserts are not as deserted as you might think. You can see a full version of Jo speaking at the Leverhulme Centre at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLSWXIb2ycM The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this podcast are those of the speakers alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers. The work of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is made possible thanks to the support of the Leverhulme Trust.