Branch Out

In this episode of Branch Out, we investigate the massive issue of plastic waste in our environment. You’ll hear from scientist Dr Denise Hardesty and business owner Mitchell Taylor on new technologies like machine learning and engineering products transforming the way we use and think about plastic waste.

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Roughly 70% of all Australian species of plants, animals, fungi and other organisms have yet to be discovered, named and classified.

In this episode of Branch Out we’re featuring an episode from The Business of Biodiversity podcast: Taxonomy – the benefits of naming nature. You’ll learn about the fascinating and important field of taxonomy and how it's potentially worth billions of dollars to the Australian economy.

The Business of Biodiversity Podcast is produced by the Grow Love Project and Saving our Species program at the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water.

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Attention true crime junkies, you’re about to learn about one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in the botanical world… as we continue to uncover the global phenomenon of stealing rare and exotic plants. 

In this episode you'll hear from Richard Barley, Director of Gardens at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London, about the eerie disappearance of the African water lily - one of Earth’s rarest plants stolen from the biggest botanic garden in the world. 

You'll also hear from John Siemon, Director of Horticulture and Living collections at Botanic Gardens of Sydney, about why plant theft is a massive problem plaguing Botanic Gardens. John recalls some of the desperate measures avid plant collectors have resorted to over the years and explains why these green-fingered thieves are threatening the survival of many endangered species. 

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From a series of heists in Mexico, to law enforcement agents infiltrating a smuggling ring in South Korea... Get ready to explore the explosive illegal trade of succulents and cacti and learn why scientists are scrambling to discover new and rare species before poachers find them. In this episode you'll hear from Jared Margulies, an assistant professor of political ecology at the University of Alabama and the author of The Cactus Hunters. Jared ventured across seven countries and four continents to uncover a complex world where conservation and criminology crossover, discovering that sometimes, the smuggler and the conservationist are the same person. 

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Go behind the scenes with Senior Horticulturist Terra-Nova Sadowski at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney to discover what it takes to curate and care for the incredible display of over 20,000 plants inside The Calyx. The latest immersive horticulture display is called Love Your Nature. It celebrates and showcases the colourful, diverse, and fascinating world of plant reproduction and diversity. You'll learn about prehistoric plants that use clones, spores, and seeds to reproduce, and flowering plants that employ colours, shapes, and scents to attract animals. The Calyx is open daily from 10am to 4pm.

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Discover how the creator of the machete-wielding philodendron turned this harmless houseplant into armed greenery in this 'fast flora facts' edition of Branch Out.

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Branch Out host Vanessa Fuchs went to the Pint of Science event at the Keg & Brew in Surry Hills, Sydney to hear an awesome presentation from Dr Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez - a researcher from Western Sydney University known as the “tree detective.”

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An experiment in the 90's by two Russian artists revealed that people from various countries around the world all like the same kind of painting. Discover why and what the results of a new study using twins says about our love for nature.

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To help protect plant species from the impacts of climate change, scientists from the Australian Institute of Botanical Science and UNSW created a cutting-edge data framework for predicting seed germination using a thermogradient plate.

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