Shows
Mongabay NewscastAlan Weisman’s ‘Hope Dies Last’ weaves stories of environmental hopeOn this week’s episode of Mongabay’s podcast, best-selling author Alan Weisman details the people and places he visited in reporting his new book, Hope Dies Last, a chronicle of miraculous accomplishments and resilience of the book’s protagonists, many of whom are working to solve humanity’s most intractable ecological problems. The book’s impetus was an accumulation of despair at the state of the world and how humanity treats it. “I started this book because I was really, really, really depressed about how I saw systems breaking down,” Weisman says. But as he uncovered e...2025-08-0555 minMongabay NewscastAlan Weisman’s ‘Hope Dies Last’ weaves stories of environmental hopeOn this week’s episode of Mongabay’s podcast, best-selling author Alan Weisman details the people and places he visited in reporting his new book, Hope Dies Last, a chronicle of miraculous accomplishments and resilience of the book’s protagonists, many of whom are working to solve humanity’s most intractable ecological problems. The book’s impetus was an accumulation of despair at the state of the world and how humanity treats it. “I started this book because I was really, really, really depressed about how I saw systems breaking down,” Weisman says. But as he uncovered e...2025-08-0555 min
Mongabay NewscastHow to change harmful narratives about nature and societyNarratives help shape our society, culture and environment, entrenching beliefs that can help — or harm — our planet and human rights. Tsering Yangzom Lama, story manager at Greenpeace International, joins Mongabay's podcast to explain how dominant narratives — stories shaped by existing power structures and institutions — often undergird destructive industries and favor the powerful and the wealthy, and to discuss what people can do to counter such narratives. In this interview, she expands upon thoughts shared in the essay “How to Reject Dominant Narratives,” from the new book Tools to Save Our Home Planet, published by Patagonia Books. "A dominan...2025-07-1537 minMongabay NewscastHow to change harmful narratives about nature and societyNarratives help shape our society, culture and environment, entrenching beliefs that can help — or harm — our planet and human rights. Tsering Yangzom Lama, story manager at Greenpeace International, joins Mongabay's podcast to explain how dominant narratives — stories shaped by existing power structures and institutions — often undergird destructive industries and favor the powerful and the wealthy, and to discuss what people can do to counter such narratives. In this interview, she expands upon thoughts shared in the essay “How to Reject Dominant Narratives,” from the new book Tools to Save Our Home Planet, published by Patagonia Books. "A dominan...2025-07-1537 min
Mongabay NewscastCash for community conservation is tight, but this nonprofit unlocks itJean-Gaël "JG" Collomb says community-based conservation organizations know best how to tackle the complex conservation challenges unique to their ecosystems. However, they’re also among the most underserved in terms of funding of all stripes. On this week's episode of Mongabay's podcast, Collomb explains how his nonprofit, Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN), is working to change that. When it comes to funding conservation," it's really difficult to know who to give your money to besides a handful of organizations that a lot of people are familiar with," Collomb says. WCN facilitates partnerships between community-based conservation group...2025-07-0145 minMongabay NewscastCash for community conservation is tight, but this nonprofit unlocks itJean-Gaël "JG" Collomb says community-based conservation organizations know best how to tackle the complex conservation challenges unique to their ecosystems. However, they’re also among the most underserved in terms of funding of all stripes. On this week's episode of Mongabay's podcast, Collomb explains how his nonprofit, Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN), is working to change that. When it comes to funding conservation," it's really difficult to know who to give your money to besides a handful of organizations that a lot of people are familiar with," Collomb says. WCN facilitates partnerships between community-based conservation group...2025-07-0145 min
Mongabay NewscastThe impact-driven success of Mongabay’s nonprofit news modelMedia outlets are downsizing newsrooms and the audience for traditional news is in decline, but Mongabay continues to grow thanks to its impact-driven, nonprofit model. Mongabay's director of philanthropy, Dave Martin, joins the podcast this week to explain the philosophy behind Mongabay's fundraising efforts, why the nonprofit model is essential for impact-driven reporting, and how the organization ensures editorial independence. " Those who fund us and read us, they're really expecting real-world impact and high-quality journalism. So, people are coming back to Mongabay because they're interested in what we're reporting on. There's a really high level of quality th...2025-04-0837 minMongabay NewscastThe impact-driven success of Mongabay’s nonprofit news modelMedia outlets are downsizing newsrooms and the audience for traditional news is in decline, but Mongabay continues to grow thanks to its impact-driven, nonprofit model. Mongabay's director of philanthropy, Dave Martin, joins the podcast this week to explain the philosophy behind Mongabay's fundraising efforts, why the nonprofit model is essential for impact-driven reporting, and how the organization ensures editorial independence. " Those who fund us and read us, they're really expecting real-world impact and high-quality journalism. So, people are coming back to Mongabay because they're interested in what we're reporting on. There's a really high level of quality th...2025-04-0837 min
Mongabay NewscastWhy has Australia paused key environment commitments?The Australian government recently shelved key environmental protection commitments indefinitely, including the establishment of an environmental protection agency, and a robust accounting of the nation’s ecological health via an environmental information authority. The latest suspension was announced by the Prime Minister just ahead of a federal election. Australia initially proposed these “nature positive” reforms in 2022 and hosted the first Global Nature Positive Summit in 2024 to great fanfare, but has not implemented any substantial domestic legislation to overhaul its old environmental laws. Joining the podcast to explain this situation is Adam Morton, the environment editor at The Guardia...2025-03-2530 minMongabay NewscastWhy has Australia paused key environment commitments?The Australian government recently shelved key environmental protection commitments indefinitely, including the establishment of an environmental protection agency, and a robust accounting of the nation’s ecological health via an environmental information authority. The latest suspension was announced by the Prime Minister just ahead of a federal election. Australia initially proposed these “nature positive” reforms in 2022 and hosted the first Global Nature Positive Summit in 2024 to great fanfare, but has not implemented any substantial domestic legislation to overhaul its old environmental laws. Joining the podcast to explain this situation is Adam Morton, the environment editor at The Guardia...2025-03-2530 min
Mongabay NewscastWhat environmental history says about our current ‘planetary risk’Recent and major shifts in international environmental policies and programs have historical precedent, but the context of global environmental degradation and climate change presents a planetary risk that’s new, say Sunil Amrith. A professor of history at Yale University, he joins this week’s Mongabay Newscast to discuss the current political moment and what history can teach us about it. " When we look at examples from the past, [societies’ ecological impacts] have tended to be confined to a particular region, to those states, and perhaps to their neighbors. Because of where we are in terms of anthropo...2025-03-1827 minMongabay NewscastWhat environmental history says about our current ‘planetary risk’Recent and major shifts in international environmental policies and programs have historical precedent, but the context of global environmental degradation and climate change presents a planetary risk that’s new, say Sunil Amrith. A professor of history at Yale University, he joins this week’s Mongabay Newscast to discuss the current political moment and what history can teach us about it. " When we look at examples from the past, [societies’ ecological impacts] have tended to be confined to a particular region, to those states, and perhaps to their neighbors. Because of where we are in terms of anthropo...2025-03-1827 min
Mongabay NewscastHow ‘ecological empathy’ can shape a better worldA new framework for considering the needs of the “more-than-human world” when designing human-made systems is “ecological empathy,” the focus of Lauren Lambert, founder of Future Now, a sustainability consulting firm. Her research, Ecological empathy: Relational theory and practice, was published in the journal Ecosystems and People in late 2024, when she was at Arizona State University. She joins the podcast to detail the concept and its potential for reconnecting humans with nature for mutual benefit. "Ecological empathy as I define it [is] essentially a framework of practice for how to use empathy as a guide to conne...2025-03-1154 minMongabay NewscastHow ‘ecological empathy’ can shape a better worldA new framework for considering the needs of the “more-than-human world” when designing human-made systems is “ecological empathy,” the focus of Lauren Lambert, founder of Future Now, a sustainability consulting firm. Her research, Ecological empathy: Relational theory and practice, was published in the journal Ecosystems and People in late 2024, when she was at Arizona State University. She joins the podcast to detail the concept and its potential for reconnecting humans with nature for mutual benefit. "Ecological empathy as I define it [is] essentially a framework of practice for how to use empathy as a guide to conne...2025-03-1154 min
Mongabay NewscastJustice for people, animals and environment are closely linkedBryan Simmons, the vice president of communications for the Arcus Foundation, joins the Mongabay Newscast this week to share the philosophy behind the 25-year-old foundation, which funds grantees that work on LGBTQ rights and great apes and gibbons conservation. In this conversation with co-host Mike DiGirolamo, Simmons explains the link between economic development and justice for people and how this is correlated with conservation outcomes. “When people are not able to have their economic needs met, conservation begins to pay the price right away,” says Simmons. He encourages listeners to review recent reports rega...2025-01-2848 minMongabay NewscastJustice for people, animals and environment are closely linkedBryan Simmons, the vice president of communications for the Arcus Foundation, joins the Mongabay Newscast this week to share the philosophy behind the 25-year-old foundation, which funds grantees that work on LGBTQ rights and great apes and gibbons conservation. In this conversation with co-host Mike DiGirolamo, Simmons explains the link between economic development and justice for people and how this is correlated with conservation outcomes. “When people are not able to have their economic needs met, conservation begins to pay the price right away,” says Simmons. He encourages listeners to review recent reports rega...2025-01-2848 min
Forest BuildersRhett Ayers Butler - Building a conservation news mediaIn this episode of Forest Builders, we are listening to Rhett Ayers Butler, the founder of Mongabay. Mongabay is an independent non profit media reporting on conservation, and is basically the top of mind conservation news media. It’s been named by the Time magazine as one of the best "green websites".Rhett founded Mongabay back in 1999 when he was still a student, out of passion for the tropical rainforests. 25 years on, Rhett still operates today as Mongabay’s CEO, and received several awards recognizing his work as an environmental journalist. In to...2025-01-0953 min
Mongabay NewscastA new tropical forest conservation fund with great potentialA new forest finance fund known as the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) will work like an investment portfolio (unlike the familiar – and often ineffective – forest conservation loan or grant funds), and if enacted as intended, it will reward 70 tropical nations billions in annual funding for keeping their forests standing. Co-host Mike DiGirolamo speaks with three people who have analyzed the fund: Mongabay freelance reporter Justin Catanoso, Charlotte Streck – co-founder of Climate Focus – and Frédéric Hache, a lecturer in sustainable finance at the Paris Institute of Political Studies. They tackle the critical questions regarding what the propos...2024-12-1737 minMongabay NewscastA new tropical forest conservation fund with great potentialA new forest finance fund known as the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) will work like an investment portfolio (unlike the familiar – and often ineffective – forest conservation loan or grant funds), and if enacted as intended, it will reward 70 tropical nations billions in annual funding for keeping their forests standing. Co-host Mike DiGirolamo speaks with three people who have analyzed the fund: Mongabay freelance reporter Justin Catanoso, Charlotte Streck – co-founder of Climate Focus – and Frédéric Hache, a lecturer in sustainable finance at the Paris Institute of Political Studies. They tackle the critical questions regarding what the propos...2024-12-1737 min
Mongabay NewscastConservation is key for planetary health & preventing pandemicsNeil Vora MD is a former epidemic intelligence service officer with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with experience combating outbreaks of the deadly Ebola virus and running the New York City contact tracing program for COVID-19. He advocates supporting public health infrastructure to respond to diseases. He much prefers preventing outbreaks before they occur instead of rushing to respond to them, though, and the best way to do this, he says, is by investing in nature. On this episode of the Mongabay Newscast, Vora shares his knowledge of why the “sp...2024-11-2639 minMongabay NewscastConservation is key for planetary health & preventing pandemicsNeil Vora MD is a former epidemic intelligence service officer with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with experience combating outbreaks of the deadly Ebola virus and running the New York City contact tracing program for COVID-19. He advocates supporting public health infrastructure to respond to diseases. He much prefers preventing outbreaks before they occur instead of rushing to respond to them, though, and the best way to do this, he says, is by investing in nature. On this episode of the Mongabay Newscast, Vora shares his knowledge of why the “sp...2024-11-2639 min
Mongabay NewscastJane Goodall and Rhett Butler celebrate Mongabay’s 25th anniversaryThe Mongabay Newscast recently traveled to San Francisco to join an event hosted by the popular radio show and podcast, Climate One, reflecting on both Mongabay’s 25th anniversary and Jane Goodall’s 90th birthday, for a live audience of 1,700. First, Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett Ayers Butler discusses the news outlet’s biggest successes and impact over a quarter of a century, and then Climate One founder and host Greg Dalton engages Butler and Goodall in conversation about the state of environmental news, the biggest issues they’re working on, their inspirations, and what Goodall wants more peop...2024-10-151h 19Mongabay NewscastJane Goodall and Rhett Butler celebrate Mongabay’s 25th anniversaryThe Mongabay Newscast recently traveled to San Francisco to join an event hosted by the popular radio show and podcast, Climate One, reflecting on both Mongabay’s 25th anniversary and Jane Goodall’s 90th birthday, for a live audience of 1,700. First, Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett Ayers Butler discusses the news outlet’s biggest successes and impact over a quarter of a century, and then Climate One founder and host Greg Dalton engages Butler and Goodall in conversation about the state of environmental news, the biggest issues they’re working on, their inspirations, and what Goodall wants more peop...2024-10-151h 19
Protect The World15. Journalism for People and the Planet with Rhett Butler (Mongabay)In this episode of Protect The World, I speak with Rhett Butler – founder and CEO of Mongabay.
Mongabay is a not-for-profit conservation news service that covers the intersection of people and nature. With bureaus in Latin America, India, Africa, Indonesia and the US, plus a network of journalists from across the globe, Mongabay shares stories relating to tropical forests, oceans, wildlife, the conservation sector, and frontline communities.
During this conversation, Rhett and I discuss bridging the gap between research and reporting, the benefits of a non-profit model in journalism, and how the failure to price in...2024-09-301h 07
The Ecoflix PodcastsEcoflix Podcast with Rhett Butler: Founder of Mongabay on Raising Awareness for Wildlife and Wild Lands ConservationRhett Butler founded Mongabay.com in 1999 with the mission of raising interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife. For the first ten years of the project, he operated Mongabay on his own, publishing thousands of stories and tens of thousands of photos.
Today Rhett Butler serves as editor-in-chief of the web site as well as president of Mongabay.org, Mongabay's non-profit arm. Rhett Butler is also Mongabay's senior writer and photographer, continuing to create much of the site's content.2024-09-2558 min
Mongabay NewscastThe rights of nature, legal personhood & other new ways laws can protect the planet“Legal personhood” and laws regarding the “rights of nature” are being trialed in nations worldwide, but whether they lead to measurable conservation outcomes is yet to be seen, says environmental economist Viktoria Kahui. Still, she says on this episode of the Mongabay Newscast that she’s very hopeful about them. There’s a global debate surrounding these laws’ efficacy as a tool for conservation, and growing uneasiness about how they may impose a Western viewpoint upon something as inherently complex and extralegal as nature. Some critics argue that such a concept not only transcends the legal system but also canno...2024-09-0345 minMongabay NewscastThe rights of nature, legal personhood & other new ways laws can protect the planet“Legal personhood” and laws regarding the “rights of nature” are being trialed in nations worldwide, but whether they lead to measurable conservation outcomes is yet to be seen, says environmental economist Viktoria Kahui. Still, she says on this episode of the Mongabay Newscast that she’s very hopeful about them. There’s a global debate surrounding these laws’ efficacy as a tool for conservation, and growing uneasiness about how they may impose a Western viewpoint upon something as inherently complex and extralegal as nature. Some critics argue that such a concept not only transcends the legal system but also canno...2024-09-0345 min
Mongabay NewscastWhat's unique about Canada's environment? 'The Narwhal' brings top news and viewsOn this episode of Mongabay’s podcast, we speak with a co-founder of the award-winning Canadian nonprofit news outlet ‘The Narwhal,’ Emma Gilchrist. She reflects on Canada’s unique natural legacy, her organization's successes, the state of environmental reporting in the nature-rich nation, how she sees ‘The Narwhal’ filling the gaps in historically neglected stories and viewpoints, and why something as universally appreciated as nature can still be a polarizing topic. She also details a legal battle her organization is involved in that could have significant implications for press freedom in Canada. If you enjoy the Newsca...2024-05-0847 minMongabay NewscastWhat's unique about Canada's environment? 'The Narwhal' brings top news and viewsOn this episode of Mongabay’s podcast, we speak with a co-founder of the award-winning Canadian nonprofit news outlet ‘The Narwhal,’ Emma Gilchrist. She reflects on Canada’s unique natural legacy, her organization's successes, the state of environmental reporting in the nature-rich nation, how she sees ‘The Narwhal’ filling the gaps in historically neglected stories and viewpoints, and why something as universally appreciated as nature can still be a polarizing topic. She also details a legal battle her organization is involved in that could have significant implications for press freedom in Canada. If you enjoy the Newsca...2024-05-0847 min
Mongabay NewscastJane Goodall on turning 90 and building empathy for natureOn today's episode of the Newscast, world-renowned primatologist and conservation advocate Dr. Jane Goodall sits down with Mongabay founder and editor-in-chief, Rhett Butler. Goodall is celebrating her 90th birthday this week and reflects upon her long (and continuing) career, sharing reflections, lessons, stories and inspirations that guide her philosophy toward protecting the natural world. Widely recognized for her pioneering work on animal behavior, she explains the importance of having empathy for animals and why it is crucial for meeting conservation goals now and into the future. The iconic conservationist also shares why she thinks that, despite 'doom & g...2024-04-0235 minMongabay NewscastJane Goodall on turning 90 and building empathy for natureOn today's episode of the Newscast, world-renowned primatologist and conservation advocate Dr. Jane Goodall sits down with Mongabay founder and editor-in-chief, Rhett Butler. Goodall is celebrating her 90th birthday this week and reflects upon her long (and continuing) career, sharing reflections, lessons, stories and inspirations that guide her philosophy toward protecting the natural world. Widely recognized for her pioneering work on animal behavior, she explains the importance of having empathy for animals and why it is crucial for meeting conservation goals now and into the future. The iconic conservationist also shares why she thinks that, despite 'doom & g...2024-04-0235 min
Mongabay NewscastCultural survival through reclaiming language and land, with author Jay GriffithsToday’s guest is Jay Griffiths, award-winning author of several books, including the acclaimed Wild: An Elemental Journey. She speaks with co-host Rachel Donald about the importance of language for preserving communities and their cultures, the impact of colonization and globalization on Indigenous communities, and the innate human connection with the natural world in the land of one's birth. Roughly 4,000 of the world’s 6,700 languages are spoken by Indigenous communities, but multiple factors (such as the decimation of human rights) continue to threaten their existence along with their speakers’ cultures. The guest also explores parallels between hu...2024-03-1255 minMongabay NewscastCultural survival through reclaiming language and land, with author Jay GriffithsToday’s guest is Jay Griffiths, award-winning author of several books, including the acclaimed Wild: An Elemental Journey. She speaks with co-host Rachel Donald about the importance of language for preserving communities and their cultures, the impact of colonization and globalization on Indigenous communities, and the innate human connection with the natural world in the land of one's birth. Roughly 4,000 of the world’s 6,700 languages are spoken by Indigenous communities, but multiple factors (such as the decimation of human rights) continue to threaten their existence along with their speakers’ cultures. The guest also explores parallels between hu...2024-03-1255 min
Mongabay NewscastIn the biodiversity hotspot of Raja Ampat, ecotourism underpins conservationOn this episode of the Mongabay Newscast, host Mike DiGirolamo takes you on a journey through the most biodiverse marine region in the world, Raja Ampat. He speaks with three guests about how ecotourism has provided stable incomes through conservation, including documentary filmmaker Wahyu Mul, veteran birding guide Benny Mambrasar and resort owner Max Ammer, whose biological research center trains and employs local people in a variety of skills. Please invite your friends to subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast wherever they get podcasts, from Apple to Spotify, or download our free app in the Apple App...2024-02-2054 minMongabay NewscastIn the biodiversity hotspot of Raja Ampat, ecotourism underpins conservationOn this episode of the Mongabay Newscast, host Mike DiGirolamo takes you on a journey through the most biodiverse marine region in the world, Raja Ampat. He speaks with three guests about how ecotourism has provided stable incomes through conservation, including documentary filmmaker Wahyu Mul, veteran birding guide Benny Mambrasar and resort owner Max Ammer, whose biological research center trains and employs local people in a variety of skills. Please invite your friends to subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast wherever they get podcasts, from Apple to Spotify, or download our free app in the Apple App...2024-02-2054 min
Mongabay NewscastWhen independent journalism exposes crimes against people and planetIn 2015, independent journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown and Sarawak Report uncovered the beginnings of what is now considered the world’s biggest money-laundering scandal. The crime resulted in billions stolen from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund. While former prime minister Najib Razak is now facing a 12-year prison sentence for his role in the crime, Rewcastle Brown herself has also faced legal actions against her, including an arrest warrant and an attempt to place her on Interpol’s Red Notice list of wanted fugitives. Mongabay podcast co-host Rachel Donald speaks with Rewcastle Brown, the founder of t...2024-01-0949 minMongabay NewscastWhen independent journalism exposes crimes against people and planetIn 2015, independent journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown and Sarawak Report uncovered the beginnings of what is now considered the world’s biggest money-laundering scandal. The crime resulted in billions stolen from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund. While former prime minister Najib Razak is now facing a 12-year prison sentence for his role in the crime, Rewcastle Brown herself has also faced legal actions against her, including an arrest warrant and an attempt to place her on Interpol’s Red Notice list of wanted fugitives. Mongabay podcast co-host Rachel Donald speaks with Rewcastle Brown, the founder of t...2024-01-0949 min
Mongabay NewscastDeforestation decline in the Amazon and other positive newsDeforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has declined by 22% for the year ending July 31, 2023, according to data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE). On this episode of the Mongabay Newscast, CEO and editor-in-chief Rhett Butler tells us what the data show and what Mongabay will be looking for in the future. Butler also details more exciting news, such as the 2023 Biophilia Award for Environmental Communication, given to Mongabay for its “outstanding track record” in communicating issues related to nature and biodiversity, and the launch of an all-new bilingual bureau in Africa. Related Reading: D...2023-11-2132 minMongabay NewscastDeforestation decline in the Amazon and other positive newsDeforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has declined by 22% for the year ending July 31, 2023, according to data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE). On this episode of the Mongabay Newscast, CEO and editor-in-chief Rhett Butler tells us what the data show and what Mongabay will be looking for in the future. Butler also details more exciting news, such as the 2023 Biophilia Award for Environmental Communication, given to Mongabay for its “outstanding track record” in communicating issues related to nature and biodiversity, and the launch of an all-new bilingual bureau in Africa. Related Reading: D...2023-11-2132 min
Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcastPlants of the Gods: S5E3. How to Save the Rainforest with Mongabay’s Rhett ButlerIn this episode of Plants of the Gods, we hear from Rhett Butler, editor-in-chief and CEO of Mongabay. Mongabay is a nonprofit environmental science and conservation news platform that produces original reporting by leveraging over 800 correspondents in 70 different countries. With a main focus on forests, wildlife, oceans, and the conservation sector, Mongabay reports on many regions that POTG host Dr. Mark Plotkin has spent his career working in. Today, join us in conversation with Dr. Plotkin and Rhett Butler to hear about everything from Mongabay’s origins, Rhett’s inspiration for his work, and how best to save the rain...2023-11-1538 minThe Plants of the Gods podcastPlants of the Gods: S5E3. How to Save the Rainforest with Mongabay’s Rhett ButlerIn this episode of Plants of the Gods, we hear from Rhett Butler, editor-in-chief and CEO of Mongabay. Mongabay is a nonprofit environmental science and conservation news platform that produces original reporting by leveraging over 800 correspondents in 70 different countries. With a main focus on forests, wildlife, oceans, and the conservation sector, Mongabay reports on many regions that POTG host Dr. Mark Plotkin has spent his career working in. Today, join us in conversation with Dr. Plotkin and Rhett Butler to hear about everything from Mongabay’s origins, Rhett’s inspiration for his work, and how best to save the rain...2023-11-1538 min
Mongabay NewscastProtecting the Amazon requires fresh thinkingTim Killeen is a top conservation biologist and author whose book is a straight-shooting, non-naive dive into "everything you need to know about the Amazon if you want to save it," he says on this episode. With 30 years of experience living in the Amazon, his wealth of knowledge springs from having guided the first environmental impact study there, pioneering satellite mapping of deforestation with NASA, and traveling extensively throughout the region, so Killeen has unique insight into the drivers of – and solutions for – Amazon deforestation. On this episode he shares key insights from the second edit...2023-08-0847 minMongabay NewscastProtecting the Amazon requires fresh thinkingTim Killeen is a top conservation biologist and author whose book is a straight-shooting, non-naive dive into "everything you need to know about the Amazon if you want to save it," he says on this episode. With 30 years of experience living in the Amazon, his wealth of knowledge springs from having guided the first environmental impact study there, pioneering satellite mapping of deforestation with NASA, and traveling extensively throughout the region, so Killeen has unique insight into the drivers of – and solutions for – Amazon deforestation. On this episode he shares key insights from the second edit...2023-08-0847 min
Mongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: Cheetahs bring vultures back from the brink in MalawiIn a national park in southern Malawi, the reintroduction of cheetahs (and lions) is bringing four critically endangered vulture species back to the skies, after a 20-year absence: the big cats' kill sites have increased the food supply, encouraging the birds to return in a conservation 'win-win.' A project of African Parks and the Endangered Wildlife Trust begun in 2017, the team has since observed tagged vultures in parks outside Malawi, too. Read or share this popular article by Ryan Truscott here: Cheetah reintroduction in Malawi brings vultures back to the skies ...2023-02-1409 minMongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: Cheetahs bring vultures back from the brink in MalawiIn a national park in southern Malawi, the reintroduction of cheetahs (and lions) is bringing four critically endangered vulture species back to the skies, after a 20-year absence: the big cats' kill sites have increased the food supply, encouraging the birds to return in a conservation 'win-win.' A project of African Parks and the Endangered Wildlife Trust begun in 2017, the team has since observed tagged vultures in parks outside Malawi, too. Read or share this popular article by Ryan Truscott here: Cheetah reintroduction in Malawi brings vultures back to the skies ...2023-02-1409 min
Mongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: Protecting forests on a budget? Here's how.It's tough to fund conservation, and deciding exactly how (and where) funding gets used is even trickier. However, researchers recently identified where and when to “get the most bang for our buck,” in a newly published study. Many of the highest-conservation-priority areas identified fall within lower-income tropical countries. While substantial international funding is likely needed to conserve and restore forests, securing Indigenous peoples' land rights could be a low-cost, and equitable solution, since 80% of the planet's biodiversity lies within Indigenous peoples' territories. Listen to the popular article from Liz Kimbrough: Protecting global forests with a limited...2023-01-3107 minMongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: Protecting forests on a budget? Here's how.It's tough to fund conservation, and deciding exactly how (and where) funding gets used is even trickier. However, researchers recently identified where and when to “get the most bang for our buck,” in a newly published study. Many of the highest-conservation-priority areas identified fall within lower-income tropical countries. While substantial international funding is likely needed to conserve and restore forests, securing Indigenous peoples' land rights could be a low-cost, and equitable solution, since 80% of the planet's biodiversity lies within Indigenous peoples' territories. Listen to the popular article from Liz Kimbrough: Protecting global forests with a limited...2023-01-3107 min
Mongabay NewscastAre botanists disappearing just when we need them the most?A decline in botany degree programs, paired with a growing lack of general plant awareness, has scientists concerned about society's ability to tackle existential threats like biodiversity loss and climate change, so Leeds University Ph.D. researcher Sebastian Stroud is our guest on this episode of the Mongabay Newscast. While humans depend upon plants for many critical everyday needs, our ability to identify them seems to be decreasing as fewer educational programs continue to study them. Stroud joins us to discuss a recent study he co-authored about this and how we can combat the lack of plant aw...2023-01-2427 minMongabay NewscastAre botanists disappearing just when we need them the most?A decline in botany degree programs, paired with a growing lack of general plant awareness, has scientists concerned about society's ability to tackle existential threats like biodiversity loss and climate change, so Leeds University Ph.D. researcher Sebastian Stroud is our guest on this episode of the Mongabay Newscast. While humans depend upon plants for many critical everyday needs, our ability to identify them seems to be decreasing as fewer educational programs continue to study them. Stroud joins us to discuss a recent study he co-authored about this and how we can combat the lack of plant aw...2023-01-2427 min
Mongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: Sky Bridges for Sloth SafetyOn Costa Rica's Carribbean coast, sloths are losing their habitat to houses and roads, forcing them to cross between forest patches on the ground, making them vulnerable to traffic incidents and dog attacks. However, the Sloth Conservation Foundation, created by British zoologist Rebecca Cliffe, is trying to change that by building rope bridges to allow these famously slow-moving animals to safely cross cleared patches of forest. Read the popular article written by Monica Pelliccia and translated by Maria Angeles Salazar here: Bridges in the sky carry sloths to safety in Costa Rica Ple...2022-11-0810 minMongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: Sky Bridges for Sloth SafetyOn Costa Rica's Carribbean coast, sloths are losing their habitat to houses and roads, forcing them to cross between forest patches on the ground, making them vulnerable to traffic incidents and dog attacks. However, the Sloth Conservation Foundation, created by British zoologist Rebecca Cliffe, is trying to change that by building rope bridges to allow these famously slow-moving animals to safely cross cleared patches of forest. Read the popular article written by Monica Pelliccia and translated by Maria Angeles Salazar here: Bridges in the sky carry sloths to safety in Costa Rica Ple...2022-11-0810 min
Mongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: A "game changing" ecological restoration playbookNine leading forest and climate experts defined 10 principles for equitable and transformative landscapes in a "playbook" for ecosystem restoration. The playbook authors say these steps could be game changing if followed. The plan outlines climate change and forest loss as political, economic and social problems, not just biophysical or environmental. Hear more about the playbook by listening to this reading of the original popular article by Liz Kimbrough, New restoration “Playbook” calls for political, economic, and social change. Please invite your friends to subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast wherever they get podcasts, or down...2022-10-1107 minMongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: A "game changing" ecological restoration playbookNine leading forest and climate experts defined 10 principles for equitable and transformative landscapes in a "playbook" for ecosystem restoration. The playbook authors say these steps could be game changing if followed. The plan outlines climate change and forest loss as political, economic and social problems, not just biophysical or environmental. Hear more about the playbook by listening to this reading of the original popular article by Liz Kimbrough, New restoration “Playbook” calls for political, economic, and social change. Please invite your friends to subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast wherever they get podcasts, or down...2022-10-1107 min
Mongabay NewscastCould Brazil's election decide the fate of the Amazon?Tropical forest news is coming fast lately, and we've got a top expert to discuss it with, beginning with the deforestation rate of the Brazilian Amazon in 2022 which is on pace to match the dismal heights of 2021; however, the upcoming Brazilian presidential election between incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and former president Luis Inacío Lula da Silva (Lula) could change forest conservation prospects. Mongabay's CEO and sought after tropical forest news commentator, Rhett Butler, joins the Mongabay Newscast to share his analysis of how former president Lula could (once again) significantly decrease deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, like h...2022-09-2027 minMongabay NewscastCould Brazil's election decide the fate of the Amazon?Tropical forest news is coming fast lately, and we've got a top expert to discuss it with, beginning with the deforestation rate of the Brazilian Amazon in 2022 which is on pace to match the dismal heights of 2021; however, the upcoming Brazilian presidential election between incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and former president Luis Inacío Lula da Silva (Lula) could change forest conservation prospects. Mongabay's CEO and sought after tropical forest news commentator, Rhett Butler, joins the Mongabay Newscast to share his analysis of how former president Lula could (once again) significantly decrease deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, like h...2022-09-2027 min
Mongabay ExploresSumatra, Bonus: Can young Indonesians help their iconic elephants survive?Leif Cocks returns to the podcast to discuss the status of the Sumatran elephant, a critically endangered species that we discussed with him in season 2, which is estimated to have less than 10 years to find a conservation solution or face extinction: he says the ranks of passionate, young Indonesian conservationists he's recently met that are working for the iconic animals' future gives him great hope. He also shares an update on the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan, whose land is threatened by a controversial hydroelectric project in North Sumatra, which has also claimed the lives of 16 workers in le...2022-09-1423 min
Mongabay NewscastBitcoin, blockchain, and burgeoning energy use Blockchain is an increasingly popular technology with quite a few applications and iterations, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), but can they aid conservation? The answer is complicated. Some conservation groups are trying to use them for fundraising. Other conservationists are exploring the technology for the ability to track and trace payments for ecosystem services. However, downsides abound and depending on which form of the technology you use, they can be impractical, environmentally damaging, or both. Author, Brett Scott, joins the Mongabay Newscast to discuss these complicating factors, some of which he writes about in...2022-08-0949 minMongabay NewscastBitcoin, blockchain, and burgeoning energy use Blockchain is an increasingly popular technology with quite a few applications and iterations, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), but can they aid conservation? The answer is complicated. Some conservation groups are trying to use them for fundraising. Other conservationists are exploring the technology for the ability to track and trace payments for ecosystem services. However, downsides abound and depending on which form of the technology you use, they can be impractical, environmentally damaging, or both. Author, Brett Scott, joins the Mongabay Newscast to discuss these complicating factors, some of which he writes about in...2022-08-0949 min
BETTER with Mark BrandRhett Butler - DEFENDING NATURERhett Butler is an award-winning journalist whose reporting is actively saving rainforests. I met him at a climate conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, and immediately felt pulled to the sense of hope and action that exists in his work as the founder and CEO of Mongabay—a non-profit Conservation & Environmental Science news platform that has been raising human awareness of both wild lands and wildlife for 20+ years. “I didn’t have a big vision,” he said. “I just achieved little things along the way. Then you wake up 20 years later and…” I jumped in to finish his sente...2022-07-3156 min
Mongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: New Guinea has the most plant species of any islandA report published in the journal Nature concludes that New Guinea is the most floristically diverse and speciose island on the planet. In addition to being the second largest island in the world, New Guinea is the world's largest tropical island. More than two-thirds of its 13,634 plant sepecies are endemic, occurring nowhere else in the world. New Guinea is not without its conservation challenges. If you are a regular listener of the Mongabay Explores Podcast you'll recall our third season, which explains the historical context, challenges, and drivers of deforestation on the island over seven episodes. Despite the...2022-07-1907 minMongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: New Guinea has the most plant species of any islandA report published in the journal Nature concludes that New Guinea is the most floristically diverse and speciose island on the planet. In addition to being the second largest island in the world, New Guinea is the world's largest tropical island. More than two-thirds of its 13,634 plant sepecies are endemic, occurring nowhere else in the world. New Guinea is not without its conservation challenges. If you are a regular listener of the Mongabay Explores Podcast you'll recall our third season, which explains the historical context, challenges, and drivers of deforestation on the island over seven episodes. Despite the...2022-07-1907 min
Mongabay NewscastConvention on Biological Diversity: progress, hope and hard work aheadAfter many delays due to the pandemic, final negotiations on the UN Convention on Biological Diversity are happening this year in Kunming, China, and preparations for it just ended in Geneva, so we are pleased to speak with Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations & Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Elizabeth Mrema, about the outcomes in Switzerland, why the world failed to meet the previous Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and how COP15 can provide a roadmap to actually halting biodiversity loss and safeguarding nature. Because the roles and rights of Indigenous communities are widely agreed to be...2022-04-201h 06Mongabay NewscastConvention on Biological Diversity: progress, hope and hard work aheadAfter many delays due to the pandemic, final negotiations on the UN Convention on Biological Diversity are happening this year in Kunming, China, and preparations for it just ended in Geneva, so we are pleased to speak with Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations & Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Elizabeth Mrema, about the outcomes in Switzerland, why the world failed to meet the previous Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and how COP15 can provide a roadmap to actually halting biodiversity loss and safeguarding nature. Because the roles and rights of Indigenous communities are widely agreed to be...2022-04-201h 06
Mongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: Degraded forests still provide immense valueA recent study conducted in Malaysian Borneo shows that degraded forests can still provide immense value. The study details five key ecological services provided by degraded forests to Indigenous communities. Yet a government effort aims to convert degraded forests in Malaysian Borneo into timber plantations, despite the fact that researchers say these ecological services cannot be replaced with plantations. This episode features the popular article, "Even degraded forests are more ecologically valuable than none, study shows," by Sheryl Lee Tian Tong: https://news.mongabay.com/2022/02/even-degraded-forests-are-more-ecologically-valuable-than-none-study-shows/ Please invite your friends to su...2022-03-3006 minMongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: Degraded forests still provide immense valueA recent study conducted in Malaysian Borneo shows that degraded forests can still provide immense value. The study details five key ecological services provided by degraded forests to Indigenous communities. Yet a government effort aims to convert degraded forests in Malaysian Borneo into timber plantations, despite the fact that researchers say these ecological services cannot be replaced with plantations. This episode features the popular article, "Even degraded forests are more ecologically valuable than none, study shows," by Sheryl Lee Tian Tong: https://news.mongabay.com/2022/02/even-degraded-forests-are-more-ecologically-valuable-than-none-study-shows/ Please invite your friends to su...2022-03-3006 min
Mongabay NewscastThe 411 on forests and reforestation for 2022What are the main global forest conservation trends for 2022? Though deforestation is declining, how much forest is the world still losing? Host Mike G. speaks with Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett Butler about the year in forests, forest-related storylines to watch, and Mongabay’s expanding coverage of topics like these all around the world. He also speaks with Swati Hingorani, a senior program officer at the IUCN and Global Coordinator for the Bonn Challenge, one of the world's most important reforestation programs. Hingorani discusses reforestation trends and the Bonn Challenge’s newly revamped and relaunched Restoration Barometer that...2022-01-2659 minMongabay NewscastThe 411 on forests and reforestation for 2022What are the main global forest conservation trends for 2022? Though deforestation is declining, how much forest is the world still losing? Host Mike G. speaks with Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett Butler about the year in forests, forest-related storylines to watch, and Mongabay’s expanding coverage of topics like these all around the world. He also speaks with Swati Hingorani, a senior program officer at the IUCN and Global Coordinator for the Bonn Challenge, one of the world's most important reforestation programs. Hingorani discusses reforestation trends and the Bonn Challenge’s newly revamped and relaunched Restoration Barometer that...2022-01-2659 min
Mongabay NewscastMongabay Explores New Guinea: Protecting unparalleled biodiversityMongabay Explores is an episodic podcast series that highlights unique places and species from around the globe. Subscribe to the show wherever you get podcasts and stay tuned for subsequent episodes in this season. New Guinea is one of the most most biodiverse regions on the planet and also the world's largest tropical island. It makes up less than 0.5% of the world’s landmass, but is estimated to contain as much as 10% of global biodiversity. To unpack the vast biodiversity of New Guinea, conservation policy, and NGO efforts to protect land, culture and Indigenous rights, we spoke wi...2022-01-051h 15Mongabay NewscastMongabay Explores New Guinea: Protecting unparalleled biodiversityMongabay Explores is an episodic podcast series that highlights unique places and species from around the globe. Subscribe to the show wherever you get podcasts and stay tuned for subsequent episodes in this season. New Guinea is one of the most most biodiverse regions on the planet and also the world's largest tropical island. It makes up less than 0.5% of the world’s landmass, but is estimated to contain as much as 10% of global biodiversity. To unpack the vast biodiversity of New Guinea, conservation policy, and NGO efforts to protect land, culture and Indigenous rights, we spoke wi...2022-01-051h 15
Mongabay ExploresNew Guinea, Part 1: Protecting unparalleled biodiversityNew Guinea is one of the most most biodiverse regions on the planet and also the world's largest tropical island. It makes up less than 0.5% of the world’s landmass, but is estimated to contain as much as 10% of global biodiversity. To unpack the vast biodiversity of New Guinea, conservation policy, and NGO efforts to protect land, culture and Indigenous rights, we spoke with Rodrigo Cámara-Leret, of the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Zurich, Charlie Danny Heatubun, head of the research and development agency of the provincial government of West Papua, and Mir...2022-01-051h 15
Mongabay ExploresSumatra, Part 1: A land like no other"Sumatra is like a fossil relic of rare species...a giant, rhino horn-shaped island blanketed in the richest rainforest you can imagine...there's nothing like it," one of our guests declares. The 6th largest island in the world and the 2nd largest economy in Indonesia, Sumatra is the only place in the world where you can you find tigers, elephants, rhinos and orangutans all living together in an incredibly rich landscape of rainforests that, until recently, were largely untouched by human activities. But that's changing rapidly, and this series from Mongabay Explores dives into what's s...2021-10-2748 min
Mongabay NewscastThe evidence for successful nature conservationThe scientific evidence for what kinds of nature conservation programs actually work is always changing, and the use of such evidence should be standard practice when creating new programs, our two guests on this episode argue. Hiromi Yamashita & Andrew Bladon with the Conservation Evidence Group join us to discuss their massive new “What Works In Conservation 2021” report, which evaluates scientific evidence for the success of conservation initiatives. Yamashita shares her work on how traditional and local knowledge benefit conservation initiatives--especially around coastal conservation projects--while Bladon provides a broad overview and details about the newest sections adde...2021-09-0157 minMongabay NewscastThe evidence for successful nature conservationThe scientific evidence for what kinds of nature conservation programs actually work is always changing, and the use of such evidence should be standard practice when creating new programs, our two guests on this episode argue. Hiromi Yamashita & Andrew Bladon with the Conservation Evidence Group join us to discuss their massive new “What Works In Conservation 2021” report, which evaluates scientific evidence for the success of conservation initiatives. Yamashita shares her work on how traditional and local knowledge benefit conservation initiatives--especially around coastal conservation projects--while Bladon provides a broad overview and details about the newest sections adde...2021-09-0157 min
Mongabay NewscastCan Biden's 30x30 plan put the U.S. back on a positive conservation track?The U.S. has been M.I.A. on many environmental issues for the last few years, but the new Biden Administration has been announcing positive policies regularly. Among the most important is the “America The Beautiful” plan, laying out a vision for conserving 30% of its lands and waters by 2030, making it the latest country to release what’s called a 30×30 plan. But is it enough? Despite a lack of specifics, many are celebrating renewed American leadership on this front, which can encourage other countries to get aboard the 30x30 bandwagon, in addition to other green p...2021-06-0353 minMongabay NewscastCan Biden's 30x30 plan put the U.S. back on a positive conservation track?The U.S. has been M.I.A. on many environmental issues for the last few years, but the new Biden Administration has been announcing positive policies regularly. Among the most important is the “America The Beautiful” plan, laying out a vision for conserving 30% of its lands and waters by 2030, making it the latest country to release what’s called a 30×30 plan. But is it enough? Despite a lack of specifics, many are celebrating renewed American leadership on this front, which can encourage other countries to get aboard the 30x30 bandwagon, in addition to other green p...2021-06-0353 min
Mongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: How many trees are on the Earth?When it comes to the world’s forests, two commonly asked questions are “How many trees are on Earth?” and “How many are cut down each year?” A study in the journal Nature proposed answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. Mongabay Reports is a new series that shares evergreen articles like this from Mongabay.com, read by host Mike DiGirolamo. This episode features one of our most read stories of the last several years: "How many trees are cut down every year?" Though it was published in late 2015, the information is quite relevant today. Please invite your friends to...2021-05-2704 minMongabay NewscastMongabay Reports: How many trees are on the Earth?When it comes to the world’s forests, two commonly asked questions are “How many trees are on Earth?” and “How many are cut down each year?” A study in the journal Nature proposed answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. Mongabay Reports is a new series that shares evergreen articles like this from Mongabay.com, read by host Mike DiGirolamo. This episode features one of our most read stories of the last several years: "How many trees are cut down every year?" Though it was published in late 2015, the information is quite relevant today. Please invite your friends to...2021-05-2704 min
Foreign CorrespondenceRhett Butler - Mongabay - Founder/EICReporting in jungles isn't for the faint of heart. Rhett Butler, founder and editor-in-chief of environmental news website Mongabay, talks about getting stranded in a dangerous situation in Suriname, the many jungle diseases he has gotten, and some tips for getting phone signal in the rainforest. He also tells us the origins of Mongabay go back to books he started writing as a teenager and ended with an empire of sites in a dozen different languages.
Countries featured: Madagascar, Indonesia, Brazil, Suriname, Ecuador, USA
Publications featured: Mongabay
Rhett discusses his fascination with animals...2021-05-231h 13
Mongabay NewscastReforestation vs deforestation: Forest losses and gains this past yearOn this episode we discuss how newly released data shows deforestation rose in 2020, even while tree planting initiatives took root all around the planet. Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett Butler joins us to discuss the 2020 deforestation data, how that fits into broader trends affecting the world’s forests, and what good news there is to take from last year’s deforestation numbers. We also welcome Mongabay staff writer Dr. Liz Kimbrough to the program to discuss our new database of hundreds of reforestation projects from around the world she helped assemble that aims to help dono...2021-05-2057 minMongabay NewscastReforestation vs deforestation: Forest losses and gains this past yearOn this episode we discuss how newly released data shows deforestation rose in 2020, even while tree planting initiatives took root all around the planet. Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett Butler joins us to discuss the 2020 deforestation data, how that fits into broader trends affecting the world’s forests, and what good news there is to take from last year’s deforestation numbers. We also welcome Mongabay staff writer Dr. Liz Kimbrough to the program to discuss our new database of hundreds of reforestation projects from around the world she helped assemble that aims to help dono...2021-05-2057 min
Mongabay NewscastWhat's in store for the world's forests in 2021?From fires to COVID, 2020 was a *bit* of a rough year for forest conservation efforts. But what’s in store, and hopeful, for 2021? On this episode, we catch up with Mongabay's founder and CEO Rhett Butler to hear what's on his radar for the year--from the Amazon to Africa and Indonesia--plus for a forest focus on Africa, we ask Joe Eisen, the executive director of the NGO Rainforest Foundation UK, for his take on the past year and the major issues and events likely to impact Africa’s tropical forests over the course of 2021. Here's Rhet...2021-01-1355 minMongabay NewscastWhat's in store for the world's forests in 2021?From fires to COVID, 2020 was a *bit* of a rough year for forest conservation efforts. But what’s in store, and hopeful, for 2021? On this episode, we catch up with Mongabay's founder and CEO Rhett Butler to hear what's on his radar for the year--from the Amazon to Africa and Indonesia--plus for a forest focus on Africa, we ask Joe Eisen, the executive director of the NGO Rainforest Foundation UK, for his take on the past year and the major issues and events likely to impact Africa’s tropical forests over the course of 2021. Here's Rhet...2021-01-1355 min
Mongabay NewscastMongabay Explores Sumatra, Episode 1: A landscape like no other"Sumatra is like a fossil relic of rare species...a giant, rhino horn-shaped island blanketed in the richest rainforest you can imagine...there's nothing like it," one of our guests declares. The 6th largest island in the world and the 2nd largest economy in Indonesia, Sumatra is the only place in the world where you can you find tigers, elephants, rhinos and orangutans all living together in an incredibly rich landscape of rainforests that, until recently, were largely untouched by human activities. But that's changing rapidly, and this new biweekly series from Mongabay Explores dives i...2020-10-2248 minMongabay NewscastMongabay Explores Sumatra, Episode 1: A landscape like no other"Sumatra is like a fossil relic of rare species...a giant, rhino horn-shaped island blanketed in the richest rainforest you can imagine...there's nothing like it," one of our guests declares. The 6th largest island in the world and the 2nd largest economy in Indonesia, Sumatra is the only place in the world where you can you find tigers, elephants, rhinos and orangutans all living together in an incredibly rich landscape of rainforests that, until recently, were largely untouched by human activities. But that's changing rapidly, and this new biweekly series from Mongabay Explores dives i...2020-10-2248 min
Mongabay NewscastFrom parks to payments, which conservation methods work best?For the 100th episode of the Newscast, we revisit Mongabay's groundbreaking Conservation Effectiveness series which asked a simple question: How can we know if conservation methods are working if we don't test their effectiveness? From marine protected areas to parks and certification schemes like 'green' labels on lumber, our team reviewed published studies and evaluated the evidence for each method. On this episode we speak with Mongabay's founder and editor-in-chief Rhett Butler about the Conservation Effectiveness series & the ongoing need to test conservation outcomes, and with Sven Wunder, a principal scientist at the European Forest Institute in Barcelona, who...2020-08-0449 minMongabay NewscastFrom parks to payments, which conservation methods work best?For the 100th episode of the Newscast, we revisit Mongabay's groundbreaking Conservation Effectiveness series which asked a simple question: How can we know if conservation methods are working if we don't test their effectiveness? From marine protected areas to parks and certification schemes like 'green' labels on lumber, our team reviewed published studies and evaluated the evidence for each method. On this episode we speak with Mongabay's founder and editor-in-chief Rhett Butler about the Conservation Effectiveness series & the ongoing need to test conservation outcomes, and with Sven Wunder, a principal scientist at the European Forest Institute in Barcelona, who...2020-08-0449 min
Mongabay NewscastForest fire season 2020: what will it look like and what can we do?Australia’s fire season may have just ended, but most of the world’s tropical forest regions will soon enter their own. We look at what’s driving the intense fires in the Amazon, Indonesia, and elsewhere in recent years with three guests, who discuss what we can expect from the 2020 tropical fire season while sharing some solutions to this problem, which has huge effects on biodiversity, indigenous peoples, forests, and climate change. Joining us are Rhett Butler, Mongabay’s founder and CEO, who provides a global perspective; scientist Dan Nepstad, who worked in the Brazilia...2020-05-1346 minMongabay NewscastForest fire season 2020: what will it look like and what can we do?Australia’s fire season may have just ended, but most of the world’s tropical forest regions will soon enter their own. We look at what’s driving the intense fires in the Amazon, Indonesia, and elsewhere in recent years with three guests, who discuss what we can expect from the 2020 tropical fire season while sharing some solutions to this problem, which has huge effects on biodiversity, indigenous peoples, forests, and climate change. Joining us are Rhett Butler, Mongabay’s founder and CEO, who provides a global perspective; scientist Dan Nepstad, who worked in the Brazilia...2020-05-1346 min
Conservation Careers PodcastRhett Butler | MongabayRhett Butler is the founder and CEO of Mongabay, one of the largest, longest running and most important environmental news sites online. Rhett started the site just 20 years ago when an area of rainforest he had visited and enjoyed in Borneo was cut down just eight weeks later, logged down for woodchips to supply a paper pulp plant. He spent the first ten years of the project operating Mongabay entirely on his own, publishing thousands of stories and tens of thousands of photos. Today, Rhett serves as editor-in-chief and CEO of Mongabay, which is a non-p...2019-09-1632 min
Escape The ZooRhett Butler - MongabayRhett Butler is the founder of Mongabay, one of the most popular environmental science and conservation news sites in the world.
He has such an interesting background and some wild stories. We talk about rainforests, deforestation, climate change, bioacoustic monitoring, close encounters with elephants and gorillas, and what it is like to be friends with Jane Goodall.
Rhett’s work:
https://www.mongabay.com/
https://news.mongabay.com/author/rhettbutler/
https://twitter.com/rhett_butler
www.instagram.com/rhettbutler
So...2019-06-171h 01
Mongabay NewscastMongabay founder discusses major trends for rainforests and bioacousticsMongabay founder and CEO Rhett A. Butler joins the podcast to discuss the biggest rainforest storylines to watch in 2019, and a major new paper he co-authored in Science that looks at how bioacoustics can monitor forests for greater assessment of conservation goals and corporate responsibility commitments. This year marks the 20th anniversary since Rhett founded Mongabay, and subscribers to our new Insider Content already know the story of how it happened after travels to places like Madagascar, Ecuador, and Borneo. So overseeing this global environmental news service has provided him with a wealth of insight int...2019-01-0825 minMongabay NewscastMongabay founder discusses major trends for rainforests and bioacousticsMongabay founder and CEO Rhett A. Butler joins the podcast to discuss the biggest rainforest storylines to watch in 2019, and a major new paper he co-authored in Science that looks at how bioacoustics can monitor forests for greater assessment of conservation goals and corporate responsibility commitments. This year marks the 20th anniversary since Rhett founded Mongabay, and subscribers to our new Insider Content already know the story of how it happened after travels to places like Madagascar, Ecuador, and Borneo. So overseeing this global environmental news service has provided him with a wealth of insight int...2019-01-0825 min
Mongabay NewscastJane Goodall on being proven right that animals have personalitiesMongabay is lucky to have Jane Goodall on its Advisory Board, and just before founder and CEO Rhett Butler was scheduled to speak with her most recently, research came out that vindicated her contention, which she’s held for nearly 60 years, that animals have personalities, so we recorded her thoughts about that for the Mongabay Newscast. “Quite honestly I think almost everybody recognized that animals have personalities, whether they were in the wild or whether they weren't,” she says. Other topics discussed include trophy hunting, activism, and hope for the future (a full transcript will be available at Mongabay.com on...2017-11-1541 minMongabay NewscastJane Goodall on being proven right that animals have personalitiesMongabay is lucky to have Jane Goodall on its Advisory Board, and just before founder and CEO Rhett Butler was scheduled to speak with her most recently, research came out that vindicated her contention, which she’s held for nearly 60 years, that animals have personalities, so we recorded her thoughts about that for the Mongabay Newscast. “Quite honestly I think almost everybody recognized that animals have personalities, whether they were in the wild or whether they weren't,” she says. Other topics discussed include trophy hunting, activism, and hope for the future (a full transcript will be available at Mongabay.com on...2017-11-1541 min
Mongabay NewscastE.O. Wilson talks about global biodiversity, Trump, Half-Earth, and hopeOn this episode, we feature excerpts from a conversation with author and biologist E.O. Wilson, one of the greatest scientists of the last 100 years, who was recently interviewed by Mongabay senior correspondent Jeremy Hance about the Half Earth biodiversity initiative, the Trump Administration, and how he maintains hope for the future. We also welcome back Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett Butler, who answers a listener question about the natural sounds heard in the background at the start of every episode of the Newscast (the image that illustrates this episode is from the spot where that recording...2017-01-2540 minMongabay NewscastE.O. Wilson talks about global biodiversity, Trump, Half-Earth, and hopeOn this episode, we feature excerpts from a conversation with author and biologist E.O. Wilson, one of the greatest scientists of the last 100 years, who was recently interviewed by Mongabay senior correspondent Jeremy Hance about the Half Earth biodiversity initiative, the Trump Administration, and how he maintains hope for the future. We also welcome back Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett Butler, who answers a listener question about the natural sounds heard in the background at the start of every episode of the Newscast (the image that illustrates this episode is from the spot where that recording...2017-01-2540 min
Mongabay NewscastCarl Safina discusses marine conservation under a Trump administration, and Rhett Butler shares the origins of MongabayNoted ecologist and author Carl Safina appears on this episode of the Mongabay Newscast to discuss the current state of marine conservation and its future under the Trump presidency. His latest book is "Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel," which is now out in paperback. We also welcome to the show Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett Butler, who fills us in on the origins of Mongabay and where it’s going in 2017. (There are many more answers to questions you might have about Mongabay here.)2016-11-2936 minMongabay NewscastCarl Safina discusses marine conservation under a Trump administration, and Rhett Butler shares the origins of MongabayNoted ecologist and author Carl Safina appears on this episode of the Mongabay Newscast to discuss the current state of marine conservation and its future under the Trump presidency. His latest book is "Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel," which is now out in paperback. We also welcome to the show Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett Butler, who fills us in on the origins of Mongabay and where it’s going in 2017. (There are many more answers to questions you might have about Mongabay here.)2016-11-2936 min
Jungle Deep - The Tropical Lifestyle Podcast- Pet Life Radio OriginalJungle Deep - Episode 26 Mongabay's Rhett ButlerWhen you want information about the tropical rain forest, maybe diverse information like, the effects of rainforest destruction on climate change, the mining practices for gold in Brazil, the breeding behavior of jaguars, or of the use of drones in monitoring wildlife in Borneo - where would you go? Online, for sure - but to which website? Well, teachers, students, company CEOs, academic PHDs, environmental NGOs, and government officials have been going to the most visited website on the subject of Tropical Rainforests in the world: Mongabay.com. Mongabay was started 14 years ago by a college student and is today...2013-10-1032 min