Conservation Realist

Power to the People

I've long gone on about how we need to learn from other sectors, so I'm super excited to share this illuminating conversation with Dr. Meghan Kumar, expert in Global Heal

From conflict to alliances in the Galápagos

Carolina Paez shares the history of conflict between conservation and communities on the Galapagos, as well as how the Charles Darwin Foundation has worked to repair brok

Myanmar's "Young Futures" at the World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress

The podcast is back, and it's a little different, but also, pretty much the same. This episode primarily features the voices of the Myanmar Coastal Conservation Lab team

A Willingness to do Something Different

To close out 2025, I'm happy to share this conversation with Alexis Rife, a colleague & friend whose insights I've long appreciated through her work with fisheries and in

And how do you feel about that?

2025 is almost over, and so is season 2 of Conservation Realist! In the penultimate episode, I invite you to join me in thinking about how our work makes us feel. I've be

We Could Be Heroes

A lot of great learning on conservation (really, any) leadership from Dr. Eric Kaufman, expert of leadership-in-practice based at Virginia Tech. We chat about eco-leaders

Hello again + thoughts on Conservation Mindsets

Back from my unplanned little break! Sharing some intriguing thoughts and questions from the Conservation Mindsets pilot course, related to: how we frame "conservation",

"Implications for Management"

Thoughts on the role of peer-reviewed literature in conservation, and related issues/implications. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this, too! This is a public

Finding Common Ground

A chat with Wint Hte of IUCN Myanmar on his experiences engaging communities in Fisheries Conservation Zones and supporting youths - urban and rural - in accessing opport

Confidence

Well, it's time for a positive mindset to feature in this preview of my Conservation Sense trainings on conservation mindsets. So, let's talk about confidence, and how im

"Humans suck"

Another "mindset to avoid" preview from the Conservation Sense trainings on mindsets. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribe

Moral licensing in conservation

In this installment of the Conservation Sense series on mindsets, we'll cover moral equilibrium and moral licensing. Why does it not occur to many of us to be more concer

Critical Thinking & Mindfulness

In this installment of the Conservation Sense training series previews, we'll briefly cover critical thinking and mindfulness. These, plus systems thinking, are the "big

Finding wonder in muddy waters

A "notes from the field" post sharing the wonder of exploration and learning in the Gulf of Mottama. I know many of you have similar experiences, and I hope this post rem

Systems Thinking for Conservation

Back to the Conservation Sense series! Time to dive into conservation mindsets. Today I introduce "the big three" that have been central to how I train researchers and co

Revitalizing Local Seafood Culture

A lovely chat with Emily Miller (California Sea Grant and Fishful Future) who works to build community around local seafood in San Diego. Key points include: the importan

Natural Science Privilege

Post 2 in the Conservation Sense series! Since conservation is a human process, why does natural science remain such a dominant force in the conservation sector? And what

About those "Human Dimensions" of Conservation

This is the foundation of how I approach conservation - understanding it as a human process, and not a process that involves some "human dimensions" on the side. This is

Women in Conservation

This is the first of a few episodes on how to better incorporate women in conservation activities, based on one of my favorite consulting outputs: a training for Critical

Why conservation must care about Global Inequality

Main point: read "The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions" (published 2017) by Jason Hickel, especially if you're from the Global North. The Glob