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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, and the wide range of skills you can gain along the way. Eliza also shares five key things to consider before starting a PhD. This episode also marks the launch of our new segments, Wildlife Wins and Field Fails, featuring listener-submitted stories and podcast-specific questions from our community. Want to be involved? You can submit a story via our website for future episodes! Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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 compassionate teacher and a nonprofit organization, she pursued her education in wildlife conservation. Today, Nara is the co-founder of the Enduata Community Initiative Organization (ECIO), dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in her community. Through ECIO, Nara empowers women with education and economic opportunities, challenging traditional roles and fostering a new generation of leaders. Her work extends to wildlife conservation, where she educates her community on the importance of preserving nature, demonstrating how conservation and community development can go hand in hand. Her story is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of education and conservation. You can follow the work of ECIO here: https://ecio.or.tz/ Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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 guests and the conversations we have had on the podcast has changed the way we look at wildlife and conservation, and the impact we hope that it has had on our listeners. We each looked back at a message from guests that really stood out to us this year, and changes that we made in our lives/careers as a result. Finally, we each chose a women-led conservation success story from this year, from anywhere in the world, and shared how the empowerment of women has led to a successful wildlife outcome. We haven't quite wrapped up for the year though- we will be back in your ears in December! You can follow producer Taylor at @taylor.jamii  Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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 Libertyology — a platform dedicated to ocean advocacy, youth empowerment, and innovative marine conservation. As a current postdoctoral researcher at Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch, she is working on a sea turtle ecotoxicology study related to loggerhead exposure to harmful algal bloom biotoxins in the Indian River Lagoon. Dr. Boyd also works closely with a non-profit organization, the National Save The Sea Turtle Foundation, as an affiliate researcher, conducting hawksbill sea turtle research in South Florida. Between research, teaching, and science communications, her efforts aim to make the marine science fields more inclusive, creative, and impactful. In this episode we delved into all things sea turtle research- from sea turtle movement ecology to ecotoxicology. We spoke about the importance of being a responsible tourist, and some of the red flags to look out for in 'eco-tourism'. Liberty shared her passion of science communication, and the importance of scientists being able to communicate their work to the public. Liberty was such a pleasure to have on the podcast, you can continute following her work on her Instagram channel @libertyology Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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 for environmental protection. She has also been named one of the BBC’s 100 Women (2024), received the American Chemical Society CAS Leadership Award, and was recognized as one of "50 People Changing the World" and a recipient of the “New Explorer Award” (The Explorers Club). In this chat we learnt about Rosa's journey in becoming a chemical biologist, from discovering her passion for the environment, to becoming a global advocate for our natural world. Much of Rosa's work now focuses on bridging indigenous knowledge and modern science, and we delved deeply into this topic, and were left with advice the changes that need to be made at all levels of conservation to bring indigenous people into conservation conversations and action. We also heard about Rosa's incredible research organisation "Amazon Research Internacional”, and the important work that it covers. Finally, we hear about Rosa's impressive book, "The Spirit of the Rainforest". We were only really able to scratch the surface of Rosa and her exceptional career in this episode, so I don't think this will be the last you will be seeing of her on the WIW podcast! You can follow Rosa on instagram: @rosavespinoza Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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. Her main area of research is understanding fear of sharks- including children’s fear, the media representations of sharks and tourism experiences of sharks. Bri is also involved in work exploring health benefits of nature connection for students, whale tourism experiences, impacts of the algal bloom in South Australia. We heard all about Bri's research in biophilia/biophobia, where human's fear of sharks tend to stem from, and how this in turn affects marine conservation. We learnt about Bri's pathway into getting into environmental psychology, and heard about Bri's passion for advocating that you don't need to wear a white lab coat to work in STEM. Bri also spoke about the algal bloom crisis in her home state of South Australia, and the effects it is having on both the ocean, but also the community. Maddy and Eliza were absolutely enthralled in this chat- we hope you love it as much as we did! You can follow Bri on instagram @drbriannalebusque_  Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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, to firefighting in her role as a ranger, we heard all about Louie's journey in getting to where she is today. We gained insight into the extremely diverse role that is being a ranger, and what a typical (well, as learn there is no such thing) day as a ranger entails. Louie talks us through what it is like being a woman in the ranger field, which is still largely dominated by men, and how she aims to bring light to this important role and inspire future Ranger Louie's through her Youtube channel.  You can find Louie on Instagram @ranger_louie and on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@ranger_louie Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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 ultimately finding her calling in the South African bush. In this chat Unathi was wise beyond her years, and provides listeners with insights into life as a young woman in wildlife in South Africa, along with offering some very important pieces of advice for those wanting to pursue a similar path.  You can find Unathi on instagram at @shivagonewild Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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 the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. In the latter role, Ellesha undertook some seriously unique and exciting wildlife rescues of our native animals, and we were lucky enough to gain insight into a few of these rescues. Ellesha was also generous enough to talk us through her long battle with endometriosis. We heard about the hurdles she has been faced with dealing with menstrual health within the wildlife industry, as well as what changes she would like to see to better accommodate other women working in the industry. This episode is not only for women dealing with menstrual health issues, but anyone dealing with chronic health problems, and further to all people in the workplace (particularly leaders) who can help support the large percentage of women who are battling these often invisible diseases. Our listeners were left with some fantastic advice from Ellesha- we cannot wait for you all to hear! You can follow Ellesha on instagram at @elleshaveness, and access her blog post about endometriosis here:https://lifeofellesha.wordpress.com/2025/03/09/another-endometriosis-story/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKmWDJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFySVYzSzJqMHVEaXhvbFVrAR56ib0ouE3_327ICU-kZ6HeRRIkvsvwqV8VkvNpfiRStwZKfSr3XGU97fF8QQ_aem_HmAA1vK5GkYtw-A2ETzYbg  Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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 'Swift Parrot', which extended into her PhD.  She found a lack of technology in the area of tracking these smaller, migratory species, which implored her to look further into technology development, which is where Wildlife Drones was born. Debbie has also founded the organisation 'NatureHelm' (a biodiversity data platform for corporations and their supply chains) which has been an evolution of her work in wildlife conservation. We delved into the barriers that Debbie has faced being in the male-dominated technology space, as being a boss and founder of two successful organisations. Debbie was so open in sharing her wide-ranging experiences, we hope you enjoy this episode! You can learn more about Wildlife Drones here: https://wildlifedrones.net/ Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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) Africa; an organisation that sparks a movement of women leaders in Africa and beyond, who are role modelling a more effective way to do conservation. WE Africa puts women at the heart of transforming Africa’s environmental movement, and are an integral part of transforming women's experiences within the industry. We learnt about all the amazing work that WE Africa does, and Dami outlines the changes that she would like to see for women working within the space. We are currently running a fundraiser for WE Africa- you will hear all about the incredible work that they do, and would love for you to consider donating: https://www.gofundme.com/manage/iwgs-day-fundraiser-for-we-africa.  You can learn more about WE Africa here: https://womenforenvironment.org/ Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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 uses her strong communication skills to convey science in different and palatable ways. Astrid also generously shared her experiences in some big personal changes in recent years, and we discuss further the changes that she would like to see in academia to make it a more inclusive space for all genders. Thank you Astrid! You can follow Astrid on Instagram: @paleoastrid. We have also posted the artwork mentioned in the episode on our social media post for this episode! Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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 profession. Outside of her role at NOMV, Gigi is a therapist, leadership coach, and consultant. Gigi talked us through the crisis that veterinary professionals are facing, and the multitude of factors that contribute to it. Gigi shares some strategies on how to cope with the pressures that all animal workers face, including but not exclusive to; compassion fatigue, eco-anxiety, and imposter syndrome. We also hear all about the incredible resources that NOMV provide, which you can learn about through their website: https://nomv.org/. *Disclaimer*: We do cover sensitive topics in this episode, which includes the mention of suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a crisis, please reach out immediately to the suicide prevention hotline in your country: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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 everyone has a safe and happy New Years. Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX

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 also the no.1 nature podcast on Apple Podcasts). Kirsty chatted us through her journey in discovering her love for nature, conservation, education, and science communication, and how she has utilised the transferable skills that she has developed along the way to curate a successful career combining many of her passions. We delve into how Kirsty would like to see educators approach conservation in a more holistic way, and the importance of using an inclusive approach when it comes to conservation science communication. Finally, Kirsty very generously opened up about her struggles with early menopause, and the impact that has had on her career and personal life. Kirsty was a breath of fresh air and an absolute delight to chat to, we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did! Tune into the intro to hear about our upcoming WIW trips in 2025, and updates on our new merchandise. You can find Kirsty on instagram at @kirsty_costa, and Weekend Birder at @weekend.birder Any questions or queries contact [email protected] Links 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/womeninwildlife Music by Thomas Hagen from SLAUX