A Saving Nature Conversation

In this episode of Eyes in the Rainforest, Dr. Stuart Pimm and Andy Schiffer speak with Fernando Arbeláez, Director General of Fundación Biodiversa Colombia, about the remarkable restoration of El Silencio Natural Reserve in Colombia’s Middle Magdalena Valley.

Discover how community-led reforestation, advanced biodiversity monitoring, and AI-powered tools like Project SPARROW are helping bring jaguars, tapirs, and other threatened species back to recovering forests and what this means for the future of conservation.

THE PROJECT AND THE BIRD | Saving Colombia’s Cundinamarca Antpitta with Dr. Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela

In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most targeted and hopeful conservation efforts in the Colombian Andes: the strategic protection of 43 new acres that extend forest habitat from Refugio del Tororoi, reconnecting isolated patches into a functioning corridor for the Critically Endangered Cundinamarca Antpitta (Grallaria kaestneri).

Dr. Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela, conservation scientist and Assistant Professor at UC Santa Cruz, joins Dr. Stuart Pimm and Andy Schiffer to unpack the science, strategy, and stories behind this land purchase—and why this tiny bird urgently needs continuous cloud-forest to survive.

🌿 In this episode we explore:

• How the Antpitta corridor project came about and why these 43 acres were the critical missing piece.
• How connecting forest from 1,700–2,300 meters strengthens protection from Refugio del Tororoi.
• Why the Cundinamarca Antpitta is so vulnerable—and what makes unbroken habitat absolutely non-negotiable.
• What the first 12–24 months of restoration look like once cattle leave and natural regeneration begins.
• The human story: families, birdwatching tourism, and how local livelihoods and conservation win together.

• Which species will benefit first from the new connection—and how early ecological “wins” will be tracked.
• The spatial tools and datasets Natalia uses to decide where land purchases matter most.
• What thresholds, risks, and ecological signals tell conservationists “buy here, not there.”

• Current deforestation pressures in the Eastern Andes and where setbacks are most likely.
• Why fragmentation remains the Antpitta’s biggest long-term threat.

• Which critical data gaps still exist for Andean birds—and how missing information amplifies extinction risk.
• How new monitoring tools help close those gaps.

• Natalia shares the field moment in the Eastern Andes that changed how she thinks about forest corridors.

📌 Event Hosted By:
Dr. Stuart Pimm & Andy Schiffer, Saving Nature
In partnership with Fundación Camaná

🔗 Watch Natalia’s TEDx talk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVBDf0rYYbQ

👍 Subscribe for more conservation stories, science-driven solutions, and on-the-ground wins for biodiversity.

THE PROJECT & THE BIRDSCIENCE TO MAPS TO LANDRISKS & PRESSURESDATA, GAPS & TOOLSA FIELD STORY YOU WON’T FORGET

In this conversation, Dr. Stuart Pimm and Andy Schiffer speak with Malcolm Kobak, a Papuan-born conservation leader and co-founder of YAPPENDA. Malcolm reflects on his upbringing among the Yali people in the Papuan Highlands and how his family heritage and name shaped his identity. He also shares how twenty-five years in Canadian law enforcement influenced his perspective before returning home to help build an Indigenous-led conservation organization.

The discussion explores how YAPPENDA works with communities to secure land rights and support the protection of more than one million hectares of rainforest. Malcolm describes the connection between culture, land tenure, and forest stewardship in Tanah Papua and offers stories from YAPPENDA’s restoration sites, where nearly 10,000 trees were planted in 2024, including more than 3,000 mangroves.

A major focus is the rediscovery of Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna in the Cyclops Mountains. Malcolm explains how the expedition was developed, the importance of trust with Indigenous landowners, and what this conservation breakthrough means for Papuan communities and for science.

Additional topics include education partnerships with UNCEN, UNIPA, and Oxford; efforts to provide elementary and adult conservation training; the integration of Indigenous knowledge with emerging tools such as AI-assisted wildlife monitoring; and the importance of livelihoods, women’s empowerment, and cultural resilience in designing effective conservation programs.

Malcolm concludes by sharing his long-term vision for the future of Tanah Papua and what meaningful support from the global community looks like.

What Maps Tell Us: A Conversation with Dr. Clinton N. Jenkins

In this interview, we dive deep into the science and stories behind protecting one of the planet’s most complex and vital systems, the Amazon Basin. Dr. Clinton N. Jenkins reveals how biodiversity maps connect distant ecosystems and communities, serving as living indicators of the Amazon’s health.We explore the importance of the Andes–Amazon–Atlantic “water pathway,” a continental-scale system that sustains biodiversity, cultures, and climate stability across South America. From forests to floodplains, we unpack how human pressures, like oil palm expansion, are transforming rivers, and how innovative tools like biodiversity mapping and Area of Habitat modeling are changing the way conservation decisions get made.What you’ll learn:-How unknown species can be identified using maps-Things you never knew about the Amazon River-Saving Nature’s origin storyJoin us for a powerful look at how technology, local action, and science-based policy can redefine the future of freshwater conservation in the Amazon and beyond.#Amazon #Conservation #Biodiversity #Freshwater #Mapping #ScienceForNature

Saving Nature presents a live conversation with Dr. Luis Mazariegos, founder of Fundación Bioconservancy and a pioneer in conserving Colombia’s Western Andes.

In this episode, Luis shares his story of rediscovering rare hummingbirds, building the Mesenia-Paramillo Nature Reserve, and restoring cloud forests tree by tree with the support of local communities.

Highlights include:
• How hummingbirds connect ecosystems and inspire conservation
• The challenges of planting native trees on steep Andean slopes
• Extraordinary discoveries of new and endangered species
• Why local community leadership is key to protecting biodiversity

This conversation is a deep dive into one of the world’s most vital biodiversity hotspots and the inspiring work being done to reconnect the wild.

Learn more at https://savingnature.com

We’re excited to share an inspiring conversation between Dr. Trevor Jones (Southern Tanzania Elephant Program) and Dr. Stuart Pimm (Founder, Saving Nature).

What began as a discussion about the Udzungwa Mountains, often called Africa’s Galápagos, quickly became a deep dive into elephants, their survival, and a historic win for conservation: the creation of the Nyerere–Udzungwa Wildlife Corridor, Tanzania’s first legally recognized wildlife corridor.

This corridor is a lifeline for reconnecting vital elephant habitats, reducing human-wildlife conflict, and safeguarding one of Africa’s most extraordinary landscapes.
Together, we can reconnect the wild. Stay tuned for more and we appreciate your support! 

Every bird has a song.
Some are being silenced—forever.

In this episode, Andy Schiffer of Saving Nature sits down with Dr. Ben Mirin, a scientist who doesn’t just study birds—he listens to them. Ben’s work tracks the global songbird trade and the cultures, sounds, and species it threatens.

We talk about what it means to chase vanishing voices across the world. What it’s like to stand in a forest and hear a call no one may ever hear again. And how that sound becomes data, art, activism—and hope.

This isn’t a science talk. It’s a wake-up call.

🔊 Topics we cover:

• Why birdsong matters more than you think

• What the illegal trade is doing to soundscapes and species

• Ben’s travels, and the moments that haunt him

• Why Sumatra is a front line in this fight

• How community and culture are conservation’s greatest tools

• What we can still save—and how

🟢 Take action:
We’re working in Sumatra to replant lost forest and rebuild wildlife corridors.
Your support helps protect the last homes of these birds—and the sounds of the wild.
Donate at https://savingnature.com/donate-sumatra/ or scan the code in the episode.

🎥 Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Please watch. Please share. These songs are running out.

🌎 Join us for a powerful conversation with Dr. Terry Root, renowned climate scientist, conservation pioneer, and a lead author of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning IPCC reports. Hosted by Andy Schiffer, Director of Marketing at Saving Nature, this event takes us deep into Dr. Root’s journey from a young girl captivated by nature to a global voice for climate action and wildlife conservation.In this wide-ranging discussion, Dr. Root shares:• How her love for nature first took root• Groundbreaking insights on how climate change is transforming ecosystems• Why birds are powerful indicators of global warming• The connection between plastic pollution and climate change• Her experience contributing to the Nobel Peace Prize-winning IPCC report• The alarming risk of mass extinction—and how we can fight back• What gives her hope in the face of these challenges💚 Whether you’re passionate about wildlife, climate solutions, or taking real action, this conversation will leave you inspired to be part of the solution.💥 Want to take action right now? Visit Saving Nature’s website to offset your carbon footprint with our easy-to-use calculator: https://savingnature.com/offset-carbo.... Every ton of carbon you offset helps restore ecosystems, protect biodiversity, and create a livable future for us all.💬 We’d love to hear from you:🌿 Where are you joining us from today?🌿 What’s one of your favorite places you’ve traveled to—or a dream destination you’d love to visit?#SavingNature #ClimateAction #WildlifeConservation #Biodiversity #ClimateChange #NatureRestoration #HopeForNature #EnvironmentalScience #ProtectBiodiversity #EcoWarrior #GlobalConservation #Rewilding #NobelPeacePrize #ClimateSolutions #BirdsAndClimate #PlasticPollution #OffsetYourCarbonFootprint #NatureLovers #ScienceForChange

In this episode of Roots of Recovery, we journey through time with three remarkable trees — each a living witness to history, resilience, and quiet strength. From the 4,800-year-old bristlecone pine of California’s high desert to a Civil War-era oak in Gettysburg, and the towering Queens Giant hidden in New York City, these trees are more than just survivors — they are storytellers.

Their rings hold wisdom. Their bark remembers. And their roots ground us in something larger than ourselves.

This is a story about legacy — and what it means to plant something that may outlive us.

🌲 Plant trees where they matter most: savingnature.com/tree-planting

In this episode of Roots of Recovery, we journey through the rainforests of Cameroon and Belize to discover two legendary trees: ebony and mahogany. Known for their deep resonance and rich tone, these trees shaped the sound of music across centuries—but at a steep environmental cost. Now, a new harmony is being written. From Taylor Guitars’ replanting efforts in Africa to reforestation hopes in Central America, we explore how conservationists, luthiers, and communities are working to bring music and forests back into balance.

🎵 Trees once silenced are beginning to sing again.

To help restore these forests, visit: savingnature.com/tree-planting

#RootsOfRecovery #TreePlanting #MusicForests #EbonyProject #Reforestation