Aussie Wildlife Show

In this episode we chat with conservationist Ross Oke about ways we can encourage native wildlife to live sustainably within the urban environment. Ross Oke is the General Manager at the Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Association.

Peter Mirtschin has published over 70 scientific papers on venom research, snake ecology, conservation and snake behaviour, as well as several books on Australian dangerous snakes. He is also the founder of Venom Supplies, which supplies both Australian and exotic snake venoms for research, antivenom and therapeutic applications.  

Emma McKenzie has worked with many species of threatened marsupials such as Tiger Quolls, Eastern Quolls, Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies and Squirrel Gliders and has also been involved in ecotourism, education and habitat restoration. Emma is the wildlife manager at Wildlife Wonders in the beautiful Otway Ranges, just 5 minutes out of Apollo Bay. Wildlife Wonders offer guided walks through lush tree fern gullies, Eucalypt woodlands and spectacular ocean vistas. All the profits from Wildlife Wonders go directly to the Conservation Ecology Centre, working to conserve the unique Australian plants and animals across the Otways.

We were joined again by Dr John Read the Pragmatic Ecologist who tells us about one of the biggest threats to Australian biodiversity. Is it cats, rabbits, cane toads or something else? Have a listen to find out. We also asked john about the pushback ecologists receive regarding the culling of native animals. Make sure you also check out our previous interview with John when he launched his book 'Among the Pigeons: Why Cats Belong Indoors'. Photo Cathy Zwick

Kristen Messenger, owner of Bugs n Slugs, tells us why mangroves matter and gives a passionate plea for mangrove conservation. Click here to sign the petition to save the St Kilda mangroves :)  Image by Bishnu Sarangi from Pixabay 

John Gitsham is the Senior Park Ranger in charge of the Coorong National Park, the former president of Birds SA, and is a skilled and passionate wildlife photographer. We chat with John about one of his favourite groups of birds, the ducks. The below image is of Australian Shovellers. Photo credit: John Gitsham.

We recently had a visit from Dr Cheryl Wilson to learn about the science behind the benefits of connecting with the natural world. Cheryl specialises in Lifestyle Medicine and has a life-long passion for wildlife and nature. Follow Dr Wilson's Facebook page, Living Well with Dr. Wilson for more heath tips.

David Mclelland is a wildlife veterinarian at the Adelaide Zoo. We chat about some of David's experiences working with wildlife, from devils to dragons and everything in between. Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

ANiMOZ Creator, Joel Howland, is a student studying Animal Science at Flinders University in Adelaide. He designed ANiMOZ - a trading card game - as a way to engage kids and people of all ages in Australia’s incredibly unique, but endangered native fauna. Every card features a different native Australian animal, from the powerful Wedge-tailed Eagle to the critically endangered Mountain Pygmy Possum. Click here to buy the ANiMOZ starter pack.

After 54 years of dedicated service to the veterinary care, wellbeing, conservation and research of wildlife, Dr David Schultz, former Zoos SA veterinarian, has been awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to veterinary medicine, to zoological societies, and to philanthropy. We chat about rock-wallaby cross-fostering, wildlife reintroduction projects and we get David's advice on how to get involved in the conservation industry.