Women in Wildlife

For October's episode, we were joined by conservation educator and popular podcast host, Kirsty Costa! Kirsty is currently the senior manager of conservation impact at Zoos Victoria, where she combines her love for both education and conservation. Kirsty is also the host of the popular podcast "Weekend Birder", a birding podcast for people of all levels and interests (not to mention it is also the no.1 nature podcast on Apple Podcasts). Kirsty chatted us through her journey in discovering her love for nature, conservation, education, and science communication, and how she has utilised the transferable skills that she has developed along the way to curate a successful career combining many of her passions. We delve into how Kirsty would like to see educators approach conservation in a more holistic way, and the importance of using an inclusive approach when it comes to conservation science communication. Finally, Kirsty very generously opened up about her struggles with early menopause, and the impact that has had on her career and personal life. Kirsty was a breath of fresh air and an absolute delight to chat to, we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did!Tune into the intro to hear about our upcoming WIW trips in 2025, and updates on our new merchandise.You can find Kirsty on instagram at @kirsty_costa, and Weekend Birder at @weekend.birderAny questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

For our September episode, we were joined by conservation biologist Kate Sheridan! Kate is originally from the UK, however, her work as taken her to all corners of the globe. She initially moved to South Africa to complete her Masters, which looked at recreationist perceptions of lethal and non-lethal management of sharks, and has recently left her job as a marine biologist in the Maldives. Kate has a large social media presence, and like she is with her own audience, she was very open with us on the  struggles that she has faced with breaking into the industry, as well as imposter syndrome. Since leaving her in the Maldives, we hear all about her recent trip to South Africa and the de-horning conservation work that she was involved with, as well as some insight into her next moves. This is a long one- we could have kept chatting for hours!As mentioned in the episode, here is the link to her published research from her masters:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X2100244X?via%3DihubYou can keep up with her adventures on instagram @conservation_kate Any questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

In August's episode we were fortunate enough to chat to wildlife biologist Janice Vaz! Janice shares with us her groundbreaking research in big cat animal welfare, as well the hardships & hurdles that she had to navigate through her PhD, particularly with moving to a new country during COVID-19. We hear all about the differences she has noticed in research between her home country in India, compared to Australia where she completed her PhD.  Janice has done a significant amount of work in the science communication spaces, through her not-for-profit organisation "Project Monkey", as well as her fantastic artwork (which we have shared on our social media pages). Janice was an absolute pleasure to have on the podcast, and was very open and vulnerable with us about the challenges that she has faced in her career so far- we hope that you get as much out of this chat as we did! You can connect with Janice through her Instagram @janice_vaz_Any questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

We are back after a short winter break! Who better to kick things back off with, than the very inspiring Amy Robbins. Amy is the currently the Deputy Curator of Mammals at Auckland Zoo, as well as the founder of the Sumatran Ranger Project. Amy shares her extensive journey in the zoo industry, particularly with orangutans and carnivores. She delves into the changes that she would like to see within the zoo industry, as well as what she believes the roles that zoos have in wildlife conservation. We learn all about the incredible work that Amy does with the Sumatran Ranger Project in mitigating human-wildlife conflict in North Sumatra, as well as her experiences as an eco-adventure guide. Amy was so generous in sharing advice from her very successful career with our listeners- so tune in!Any questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

In May's episode we were fortunate enough to chat with Tamara Qabazard, who is a very experienced wildlife veterinarian. Tamara was the first female veterinarian to graduate in Kuwait, and shared some incredible stories on her involvement in the wildlife trafficking space, along with wildlife rehabilitation. Tamara is an inspiring ambassador for up and coming wildlife conservationists, and shared some of her pieces of advice to other women in the industry. She captivated us with her perspectives and the breadth of her work, we highly recommend tuning in to finding out more about her! Follow Tamara's work on instagram: @qabazardAny questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

April's episode of the WIW podcast was a bit different- co-hosts Maddy & Eliza were in the hot seat! We thought that we would take this opportunity to delve deeper into some topics that come up for us regularly within this industry, including imposter syndrome, job rejections, and experiences in trying to figure out which pathway to go down within this diverse industry. We chatted about our journeys in getting to our current roles, and shared our biggest learnings along the way. This one is a long one- strap yourself in!Any questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

For our March episode we were able to hear from Kat Best, who is a wildlife ecologist in Australia. Kat has had some incredible experiences working remotely around Australia with a variety of conservation organisations. Kat chatted about the challenges getting your foot in the door of ecology, and the changes that she would like to see in the industry to make it an accessible and inclusive space for all. We also spoke about stakeholder engagement, and particularly the changes that Kat would like to see in how scientists collaborate with first nations people within the ecology space. Kat gave some amazing advice to our listeners on how to pursue a similar career path.Any questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

February's episode features the incredible Tahnee Barnes, who is a wildlife veterinary nurse, conservationist, and founder of End Extinction International. Tahnee talks us through her journey navigating her way to landing her dream job at 35  years old, and some of the lessons she's learnt along the way. Tahnee shares her experience with imposter syndrome, and provides our listeners with some invaluable advice in tackling this challenging voice in our heads. Finally, Tahnee expands on her role as founder of End Extinction International, and about EEI's future goals. Tahnee is a bright light and a wealth of knowledge! You can find Tahnee on instagram at @tahneevictoria and @endextinctionintlAny questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

Happy New Year to our listeners! We kicked off the first episode of 2024 with Roxy Rogan. Roxy is a conservationist and award winning wildlife filmmaker, and has recently started her new role as a producer at Australian Geographic, after closing down her business "Wild Education". We were able to chat about her unique journey in getting to this dream position, and learnt more about her two films; Keepers of the Forest (Sumatra) and Person of the Forest (Borneo). We delved into the lessons she's learnt along the way, choosing to leave university to start her business at 19 years old, and her difficult decisions in stepping away from this role. We covered topics such as burn out, adjusting between self-employment and full time employment, and Roxy was generous enough to share lots of advice to listeners wanting to pursue a similar career path. You can follow Roxy's journey @roxyrogann!Any questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

In our final episode of the year, we were lucky to chat to Dr Prishani, who is a Conservation Vet at WWF-International. Prish shares her journey getting to where she is today, delves into how she believes that collaboration is an invaluable tool in solving conservation problems. Prish has some insightful advice for listeners, and talks us through her transition from clinical work focusing on individual animals, to solving veterinary conservation issues on large scale population levels. Tune in to find out more, and check out @doctor.prish to continue following Prish's work.Any questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

Olly Pitt is a marine biologist that has spent the past 9 years working at the Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue (NSW), with the last 6 years holding the position of the general manager. In this episode we were able to delve deep into the toll that working in the wildlife industry has on our mental health. Olly runs us through her decision in taking a step back from the industry, as well as her future plans for her fresh start. She also provides us with advice with networking, as well as advice for managers in mitigating gender issues within the workplace. You can follow Olly's work @biologist_ollypitt.Any questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

We were lucky enough to have the incredibly experienced and insightful Dr Phoebe Meagher on for our second episode. Phoebe is a Wildlife Conservation Officer at Taronga Conservation Society Australia, and manages the conservation recovery for Australian aquatic species including Platypus and Marine Turtles. She has a PhD in Marine Biology specialising in reproductive biology of rays, but also has a special interest in combating illegal wildlife trade and promoting women in science and science communication. In this episode we delved deep into Phoebe’s extensive experience in wildlife conservation. Phoebe ran us through all the curve balls she had to navigate while doing her PhD (including a ship exploding in Antarctica), her incredible work in the illegal wildlife trade industry using trace elements to determine whether an animal is wild vs captive born (including arrests by the Federal Government), her time spent tracking Pangolins, juggling family with a field work and SO much more!We covered a LOT in this episode and were completely blown away by Phoebe’s experiences and the advice she had for our listeners. Any questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

Any questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX