In this episode, we speak to Richard Duncan, CEO of NIUE Honey, based in New Zealand and on the Pacific Island of Niue. We explore the importance of bee conservation and its socio economic benefits, the impact of colony collapse disorder, the company’s link to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and how we can all help with the declining bee population epidemic.

In this episode we are joined by Vikki Rose and George Allen, PhD students from the University of Reading. Their expertise in Apoidea Taxonomy (Bees) and Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths) provides an insightful discussion into the important and varied role of pollinators in our ecosystems, to highlighting the challenges affecting pollinator populations and the resulting consequences. We explore the complex relationship between the (often) small but mighty creatures, humans, and the environment.

Mahnoor Kamran is a 19-year-old student and climate justice advocate who advises energy providers, regulators, and charities on youth perspectives. Mahnoor's focus on environmental policy is informed by her experience living in several different global regions, and working with marginalized groups. As an activist, Mahnoor brings a youth voice to major global discussions on the environment, and works to establish support networks for other youth seeking climate justice.

Jennifer Hong is a policy analyst with the Canadian Forest Service, whose unconventional career path led to her current work on international trade and commitments in sustainability and biodiversity. In our discussion, Jennifer outlines what a forestry education involves, and discusses her history in a number of sectors in forestry. Jennifer was a youth delegate at the UN COP26 and COP27 conferences, and is currently a Global Ambassador with Youth4Nature. Listeners interested in Youth4Nature can find out more at https://www.youth4nature.org/ and consider contributing to the group’s storytelling map.

In the latest episode of our Green Jobs series, we investigate the world of opportunities in environmental engineering with Laura MacDonald, Managing Director of the Mortenson Center at the University of Colorado Boulder.   Laura explains the Center’s work and partnerships with local expertise and organizations in projects involving water and sanitation, bridge-building, and other environmental engineering skills that almost two hundred graduates have helped with over the Mortenson Center’s history.  Those interested in learning more about The Center’s mission can find it at  https://bit.ly/3KWEYA1, and more information on its new online certificate program is at https://bit.ly/41xUfgl.

In this episode we speak to Arnau Teixidor, Programme Officer for the Ecosystem Resilience and Spatial Planning Programme at the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation. We explore the importance of being open to opportunity, the challenges of how to match urgent timescales with meeting stakeholder needs, policy development and funding availability and how sometimes inspiration and motivation comes from unexpected people and places. 

In episode 6 we talk to Emma Vehvilainen, Chief Commercial Officer at TreebuddyEarth, a Finnish eco tech organization with a mission to tackle climate change, promote biodiversity and support local communities. We discuss nature-based solutions, the importance of transparency and community engagement and education.  Emma's also shares her experiences as a women in STEM and advice on the importance of finding career mentors.

In episode 3 of our Green Jobs series, we talk to Martin Broderick, Principal Sustainability Consultant in the Galago team at global consultancy Ramboll. He shares his advice on how young people can better understand and follow their passions, his experience of the benefits of graduate and intern programs in exploring sustainability career options and the importance of being inquisitive, no matter how annoying it might be! We also discuss how the technology Galago uses, such as remote sensing and artificial intelligence are helping him to support his clients understand their environmental impacts, and work to achieve sustainable land and biodiversity management on a landscape scale.  

In episode 2 of our Green Jobs series we speak to Matthew Simpson, Director of Ecological Consultancy 35%, who are working to conserve, restore and raise awareness of one of our most globally threatened ecosystems, wetlands. Matthews discusses the value of stakeholder engagement and local knowledge, as well as the need for a holistic approach to sustainability and conservation projects. He shares his tips on how to make contacts and get involved through societies and professional bodies (whatever your age and career stage), and some of the key skills that have helped him along the way, including humility, and recognising that you aren't always the only expert!

In episode 1 of our ‘Green Jobs’ series, we speak with Ingrid Henrys who shares her experiences of working with both Governments and NGO’s in Haiti and The Gambia on International Agro-Development Engineering, Tropical Area Biodiversity Management, and circular economies. Ingrid discusses the challenges of engaging people with new ideas and opportunities around developing circular economy solutions in the waste management sector. We also learn more about the people who inspired Ingrid on her sustainability journey, and hear about the skills that have helped her along the way.