Women in Wildlife
Women in Wildlife is a podcast that amplifies and connects women and non-binary people working in the wildlife industry. Co-hosts Eliza and Maddy explore topics related to women, wildlife, and gender equality in STEM. The show provides a platform for conversations about careers, experiences, and challenges in conservation and related fields. It aims to build community and visibility for underrepresented voices in wildlife work.
Episodes
Parenthood & Writing a New Chapter in Wildlife with Tina Strachan
For September’s Women in Wildlife podcast episode, we are joined by wildlife professional, mother and published author Tina Strachan to talk about building a career in wildlife, navigating motherhood, and finding unexpected opportunities along the way.With more than 20 years in the wildlife industry, Tina shares how becoming a mother changed the shape of her career without bringing it to
Two Women, One Vision: Challenging Expectations in Conservation Leadership
In this episode, joint CEOs of Lion Landscapes Amy Dickman and Alayne Cotterill open up about what it really takes to lead together as women in conservation. They share how Lion Landscapes was built not just on a shared passion for wildlife, but on a deliberate decision to work differently; more collaboratively, more openly, and with a leadership model that reflects their strengths. The c
Transforming Lion Conflict Into Coexistence with Amy Dickman and Alayne Cotterill
Welcome back to the Women in Wildlife Podcast! In this episode, joint-CEOs Alayne and Amy share how their charity 'Lion Landscapes' came to life and why their work goes far beyond protecting lions alone. These two powerhouses of conservationists talk about building conservation models that respond to human-wildlife conflict in East Africa, and how the real starting point is understanding
How to cope with empathetic distress in the wildlife industry with Olivia Oginska
This episode explores the idea of empathetic distress and why it can be so draining for people who work in caring, high-emotion roles, including those within the wildlife industry. We have emotional intelligence Olivia Oginska as our guest on this episode, who explains the difference between compassion and the kind of emotional exhaustion that comes from taking on the suffering of others,
Community, one health, and leading the path for women wildlife vets with Dr. Sharon Mulindi
In this month's episode of the WIW podcast we explore the journey of Dr. Sharon Mulindi, a dedicated wildlife veterinarian from Kenya. She shares her experiences working in remote areas, facing challenges as a woman in the field, and engaging local communities in conservation efforts. Dr. Mulindi's story highlights the importance of representation, community involvement, and a holistic On
What can wildlife evolution teach us about human cancer?
In this month's topic-focused episode, science communication expert and author Zoe Kean shares insights from her book "Why We Like This", delving into the fascinating parallels between wildlife health and human diseases, particularly cancer. She explores the paradoxes of evolutionary biology related to aging, sex, and cancer, and how cancer is an ancient and universal phenomenon in multic
A vet without borders-insight into life as a sailing vet with Dr Sheddy
This month's episode is adventure packed, with the very inspiring Dr Sheddy, a veterinary professional redefining conservation and animal care through innovative projects through sea and land. From working in Australia to sailing across Central America and Asia, Sheddy is making a tangible difference in animal welfare and community health. The main topics of this episode include the trans
Turning wildlife stories into conservation impact With Akanksha Sood Singh
In this episode we’re delighted to be joined by Akanksha Sood Singh, a natural history filmmaker from India who has spent over 25 years telling powerful stories about lesser-known species and underrepresented voices in conservation.We explore Akanksha’s journey into wildlife filmmaking, from her beginnings in science to building a career in natural history filmmaking. Akanksha shares the
The real impact of close contact wildlife photos on welfare and conservation with Connie Needham
Who can post, and who can't? Welcome back for part 2 of our conversation with Connie Needham, which is a topic-based episode where we delve into the profound effects of social media on wildlife welfare and conservation. While social media can be a fantastic tool for bringing awareness and support for wildlife conservation, we openly discuss how close contact photos and sensationalized con
Ethical wildlife tourism: why closeness does not equal connection with Connie Needham
We are so thrilled to have Connie Needham on the podcast for a two part series! Connie is a passionate wildlife storyteller shares her journey from the Scottish countryside to becoming a dedicated advocate for ethical wildlife tourism. Connie discusses her journey from studying philosophy to her work in wildlife advocacy. She emphasises the importance of recognizing red flags in wildlife
5 things to consider before doing a PhD
This episode dives into the realities of doing a PhD in Australia. Co-host Eliza, now in the final year of her PhD, reflects on the best and worst parts of the journey so far, while co-host Maddy opens up about her decision to walk away from her PhD in 2022, and how she feels about that choice four years later.We unpack the constant uphill learning curve of a PhD, toxic academic culture,
Narau's fight for Masaai women's education
In our (slightly belated) December episode, we delve into the remarkable journey of Narau Kimani Laizer, a Maasai woman from Tanzania who defied cultural expectations to pursue education and empowerment. Growing up in a community where education for girls was not prioritized, Nara bravely escaped an arranged marriage at the age of 12 to seek a different life. With the support of a compass
WIW Pod Turns TWO!! A look back with Maddy, Eliza, and producer Taylor
For our November episode, we celebrated our two year podcast birthday! We combined this celebration and look back of two years of trailblazing guests, with our yearly wrap-up (a tad early). We finally introduced our amazing producer, Taylor, and got to hear about her extensive background in communications and incredible new job at Free The Bears. We chatted about the ways in which our gue
Sea turtle movement ecology and ecotoxicology research with Dr Liberty Boyd
For our October episode we were joined by the delightful Dr Liberty Boyd. Liberty is a marine biologist, science communicator, and educator. With a PhD in marine biology, her work bridges academic research, wildlife conservation, and storytelling to drive meaningful change for coastal ecosystems and the communities that rely on them. Dr. Boyd currently runs the social media page Libertyol
The critical importance of indigenous voices in conservation with Dr Rosa Vásquez Espinoza
For our September episode, we were beyond thrilled to have Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza as our podcast guest. Rosa is a Peruvian chemical, National Geographic Explorer, and award-winning artist whose work bridges indigenous knowledge and modern science to protect the Amazon rainforest and its communities Rosa was awarded Peru’s Order of Merit (2025)—the country’s highest state recognition fo
Drivers of shark phobia and the consequences on conservation with environmental psychology scientist Dr Brianna Le Busque
For our August episode we were joined by environmental psychology scientist Dr Brianna Le Busque. Bri is the program director of environmental sciences at The University of South Australia, along with being science and technology Australia Superstar of STEM. Her research focuses on biophilia (connections to nature) and biophobia (fear/dislike of nature), especially in the marine context.
Lighting the path for the next generation of rangers with Louie Andersen
We were thrilled to have Ranger Louie on for our July podcast episode, in celebration of world ranger day (July 31st) and all the incredible women rangers on the front line of conservation! Louie is an absolute firecracker- currently working as a ranger in Western Australia, and bringing us on her adventures through her Youtube and Instagram channels. From starting studying paramedicine,
Pivoting and perseverance with wildlife guide Unathi Makwange
We were fortunate enough to have Unathi Makwange join us for our June episode! Unathi is a wildlife projects coordinator in training from Pretoria, South Africa, with a deep-rooted passion for nature, storytelling, and making a difference in the conservation space. We learn all about Unathi's journey in getting to this role at the age of 20 years old, including rejection, pivoting, and ul
Zookeeping, wildlife rescue, and endometriosis with Ellesha Veness
Welcome back with the WIW podcast listeners!For our May episode we were joined by Ellesha Veness, who is an experienced zookeeper and professional wildlife rescuer. Ellesha shared her career journey with us from breaking into the industry, to working as a zookeeper in some of Australia's most iconic zoos; The Australian Reptile Park and Australia Zoo, to her role as a wildlife rescuer at
Exploring the world of technology in conservation with Dr Debbie Saunders
April's episode of the WIW podcast is with Dr Debbie Saunders, who is the Founder, CEO & Chief Remote Pilot, as well as the resident Conservation Ecologist at Wildlife Drones. We chatted through Debbie's journey, including founding Wildlife Drones (building radio-telemetry sensors for use on drones), which was inspired after work she did in her early career with the migratory bird 'Sw
Empowering women in the environmental sector in Africa with Dr Dami Pikuda
For March's podcast episode, we were privileged enough to chat to Dr Dami Pikuda, a seasoned researcher and program evaluator with extensive experience in designing, executing, and managing environment-related projects and programs. Dami fuses qualitative and quantitative work to propel meaningful action. Fittingly, Dami is part of the delivery team at Women for the Environment (WE) Afri
Throwing us back to move us forward; Paleontology conservation with Astrid O'Connor
Welcome back to the WIW podcast! We couldn’t be more excited to talk to Astrid O’Connor for our February episode. Astrid is a paleobiologist, science communicator, and second year PhD student. We learnt all about Astrid’s PhD, and how she fused her two passions in paleontology and zoology to answer modern conservation problems. Astrid is a huge advocate for accessibility in science, and u
Breaking down the mental health crisis in the veterinary industry with the NOMV executive director Gigi Tsontos
Happy New Year to our wonderful Women in Wildlife Community! We are kicking off the podcast in 2025 covering an extremely important topic- mental health in the wildlife industry. Who better to delve into this topic with than the executive director of "Not One More Vet", which is an important not-for-profit organisation focusing on tackling suicide and mental health in the veterinary profe
Year in review on the WIW podcast
Our final episode of the year is a yearly wrap up and our major highlights of the podcast in 2024. Co-hosts Maddy and Eliza talk through some of our largest take-home messages from our guests this year, who were very generous in sharing their wealth of knowledge and insights with us. Thank you to all our listeners for your support his year. We cannot wait to bring you more in 2025! Hope e
Implementing a holistic approach to conservation education with Kirsty Costa
For October's episode, we were joined by conservation educator and popular podcast host, Kirsty Costa! Kirsty is currently the senior manager of conservation impact at Zoos Victoria, where she combines her love for both education and conservation. Kirsty is also the host of the popular podcast "Weekend Birder", a birding podcast for people of all levels and interests (not to mention it is
How to break into the conservation industry and overcome imposter syndrome
For our September episode, we were joined by conservation biologist Kate Sheridan! Kate is originally from the UK, however, her work as taken her to all corners of the globe. She initially moved to South Africa to complete her Masters, which looked at recreationist perceptions of lethal and non-lethal management of sharks, and has recently left her job as a marine biologist in the Maldive
Big cat welfare research and the importance of science communication with Janice Vaz
In August's episode we were fortunate enough to chat to wildlife biologist Janice Vaz! Janice shares with us her groundbreaking research in big cat animal welfare, as well the hardships & hurdles that she had to navigate through her PhD, particularly with moving to a new country during COVID-19. We hear all about the differences she has noticed in research between her home country in
Forming a successful zoo & conservation career with Amy Robbins
We are back after a short winter break! Who better to kick things back off with, than the very inspiring Amy Robbins. Amy is the currently the Deputy Curator of Mammals at Auckland Zoo, as well as the founder of the Sumatran Ranger Project. Amy shares her extensive journey in the zoo industry, particularly with orangutans and carnivores. She delves into the changes that she would like to
Wildlife trafficking & rehabilitation with Kuwait's first female veterinarian Tamara Qabazard
In May's episode we were fortunate enough to chat with Tamara Qabazard, who is a very experienced wildlife veterinarian. Tamara was the first female veterinarian to graduate in Kuwait, and shared some incredible stories on her involvement in the wildlife trafficking space, along with wildlife rehabilitation. Tamara is an inspiring ambassador for up and coming wildlife conservationists, an
Deep dive with your co-hosts Eliza & Maddy
April's episode of the WIW podcast was a bit different- co-hosts Maddy & Eliza were in the hot seat! We thought that we would take this opportunity to delve deeper into some topics that come up for us regularly within this industry, including imposter syndrome, job rejections, and experiences in trying to figure out which pathway to go down within this diverse industry. We chatted abo
Navigating a career in wildlife ecology with Kat Best
For our March episode we were able to hear from Kat Best, who is a wildlife ecologist in Australia. Kat has had some incredible experiences working remotely around Australia with a variety of conservation organisations. Kat chatted about the challenges getting your foot in the door of ecology, and the changes that she would like to see in the industry to make it an accessible and inclusiv
Finding your pathway in the wildlife industry with wildlife vet nurse and conservationist Tahnee Barnes
February's episode features the incredible Tahnee Barnes, who is a wildlife veterinary nurse, conservationist, and founder of End Extinction International. Tahnee talks us through her journey navigating her way to landing her dream job at 35 years old, and some of the lessons she's learnt along the way. Tahnee shares her experience with imposter syndrome, and provides our listeners with
Wildlife film production, presenting, and founding a business in the wildlife industry with Roxy Rogan
Happy New Year to our listeners! We kicked off the first episode of 2024 with Roxy Rogan. Roxy is a conservationist and award winning wildlife filmmaker, and has recently started her new role as a producer at Australian Geographic, after closing down her business "Wild Education". We were able to chat about her unique journey in getting to this dream position, and learnt more about her tw
The value of multi-sectoral and transdisciplinary collaboration in solving conservation issues with Dr Prishani Vengetas
In our final episode of the year, we were lucky to chat to Dr Prishani, who is a Conservation Vet at WWF-International. Prish shares her journey getting to where she is today, delves into how she believes that collaboration is an invaluable tool in solving conservation problems. Prish has some insightful advice for listeners, and talks us through her transition from clinical work focusing
Episode 3: Mental health in the wildlife industry and knowing when to take a break, with marine biologist Olly Pitt
Olly Pitt is a marine biologist that has spent the past 9 years working at the Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue (NSW), with the last 6 years holding the position of the general manager. In this episode we were able to delve deep into the toll that working in the wildlife industry has on our mental health. Olly runs us through her decision in taking a step back from the industry, as we
Episode 2: Utilising science in the illegal wildlife trade, reproductive marine biology, and how to succeed in wildlife conservation with Dr Phoebe Meagher
We were lucky enough to have the incredibly experienced and insightful Dr Phoebe Meagher on for our second episode. Phoebe is a Wildlife Conservation Officer at Taronga Conservation Society Australia, and manages the conservation recovery for Australian aquatic species including Platypus and Marine Turtles. She has a PhD in Marine Biology specialising in reproductive biology of rays, but
Episode 1: Threatened species ecology, koala spatial dynamics, and what it takes to be a woman in the wildlife industry with Dr Kita Ashman
Any questions or queries contact womeninwildlife@outlook.comLinks to our resources:Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077369770841Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninwildlifeMusic by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX
