In this episode, I am joined in the studio by Melika Baghooe, an early career researcher working at the intersection of AI, computer vision, and ecology. Currently a PhD fellow at the Centre for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics at Aarhus University in Denmark, Melika shares her journey from biosystems engineering to insect biodiversity research, and how she went from being afraid of insects to caring deeply about their future.

We explore how computer vision and multimodal AI can support insect identification, address the taxonomic impediment, and improve how we measure biodiversity through traits such as size and biomass. Melika explains her work using Entoscan, a modified flatbed scanner, alongside malaise trap samples, and why standardised data collection is essential for understanding insect decline.

We also discuss the importance of interdisciplinary science, the challenges faced by early career researchers, and what gives her hope, from collaborative research communities to the growing momentum around AI for biodiversity.

Protecting biodiversity matters for people, planet, and profit. And, as Melika reminds us, for engineering ecosystems in space.

This episode features Dr Ivón Hassel, founder of ®StoryBranch, an initiative combining science, art and education to bring the magic of nature to life.

Ivón shares her background, from growing up in northern Argentina surrounded by forests, to studying in Japan, where she deepened her connection with trees, biodiversity, and cultural traditions. She explains what inspired her to write "The Magic Within a Tree" a children’s book that takes young readers inside the anatomy of a tree, blending scientific detail with creative storytelling.

We hear about her collaborations with schools, including how her book is now being used in Mexico to teach biodiversity and respect for nature, and her hopes to reach more children around the world. Ivón also discusses the challenges of social entrepreneurship, from funding to distribution, and the difficulties of promoting sustainability education in places where basic needs remain unmet.

Despite these hurdles, she describes her motivation — seeing children light up with curiosity, respect, and care for the natural world. Looking to the future, Ivon highlights the need for cross-disciplinary projects that link science, engineering, and society, reminding us that education and creativity are vital for building a more sustainable and hopeful future.

Find out more: www.thestorybranch.com

In this episode, I speak with Associate Professor Dr. Fiffy Saikim, Director of the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation at Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Fiffy shares her journey from aquatic resource management into ecotourism and conservation, and why she believes that protecting biodiversity in Borneo can only succeed when local communities are at the center.

She discusses her work living alongside hunter and fishing communities, highlighting indigenous traditions like tavol and tagal that show how conservation is deeply rooted in generations of knowledge and culture. Fiffy also unpacks the challenges of balancing development and conservation, the urgent need to fund fundamental research in universities, such as taxonomy and biodiversity monitoring, and the lessons she’s learned from the resilience and wisdom of local people.

Her message is clear: achieving true sustainability requires harmony between people, planet, and economy. Or, as she puts it, “Don’t be ego — be eco.”

Recorded at Borneo’s Danum Valley field station, this episode features Dr Caroline Dingle, an evolutionary ecologist and programme coordinator at Capilano University in Vancouver, Canada. Caroline shares her research into how environments shape species, from the duetting birds of the Amazon to songbirds traded in Asia and the critically endangered helmeted hornbill. Her work combines field observation, passive acoustic monitoring, and genetic analysis to understand biodiversity and tackle the illegal wildlife trade.

Reflecting on her path into tropical research, Caroline discusses the influence of early female mentors, the challenges of fieldwork in remote rainforests, and the balancing fieldwork with family life. She highlights the role of collaboration with local communities, governments, and NGOs, and the need to make biodiversity data more accessible and impactful.

Looking ahead, she emphasises the promise of education, innovation, and new technologies - from drones to bioinformatics - in training the next generation and strengthening global conservation efforts one species at a time.

Recorded at Borneo’s Danum Valley field station, this episode features Dr. Anna Goldman, a Naturalist and Biodiversity Scientist currently working as the lead natural history museum curator at California Polytechnic University in Humboldt, USA.

Anna shares her unconventional teaching methods, from using roadkill river otters in necropsies to explaining the vital role of flesh-eating beetles in preparing museum specimens. For her, these museum collections are not dusty relics but living archives of biodiversity, essential for tracking environmental change, identifying new species, and inspiring future generations. Reflecting on her own journey, from childhood curiosity with insects and animal remains to a PhD on pangolins in Hong Kong, Anna discusses the challenges of being a woman in science, the importance of collaboration over competition, and the value of clear, engaging science communication.

Looking ahead, she emphasises the need to combine field-based learning with modern research techniques, and to ensure natural history collections, biodiversity data and expertise are passed on.

Recorded at Borneo’s Danum Valley field station, this episode features Dr. Martha Ledger, an Earth Observation Scientist and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Hong Kong. From a childhood fascination with maps to detecting penguin colonies from space, Martha shares her journey into remote sensing and why fieldwork is crucial for validating satellite data. We dive into the often-held view of Earth Observation data as the gold standard for business and government decision-making — but Martha is on a mission to ensure it’s always paired with ground-truthed, field-validated data to ensure responsible inferences.

Together, we explore how Earth Observation tackles urgent environmental and social issues, from monitoring carbon loss in tropical peatlands to mapping forced labor risks. Martha also discusses the role of AI in managing vast datasets, the environmental footprint of satellites, and her vision for a more open and connected future in science.

In this episode, I speak with global change and tropical conservation biologist Professor Tim Bonebrake, recorded in the primary tropical rainforest at Danum Valley Conservation Area, Malaysian Borneo. Now Director of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Hong Kong, Tim shares how childhood adventures in national parks sparked a lifelong passion for biodiversity.

With over 20 years of experience in the field researching birds, butterflies, pangolins and tropical ecosystems, Tim reflects on the challenges of studying global change, especially the urgent need for more biodiversity data from the tropics. He also shares what gives him hope:from emerging technologies like computer vision-assisted species identification, to the energy of collaborating with curious, committed people working toward the same conservation goals: for people, planet, and profit.

We also discuss his new book, Crime andPangolins: Conservation and Public Health Lessons from a Mammalian MurderMystery, a true crime-inspired exploration of public health linked to wildlife trade of pangolins, what are the conservation issues and how do we address them?

Explore Tim’s work at https://tropicalconslab.com.

In this episode, marine biologist Dr Julio A Díaz shares his fascinating research into sponge taxonomy. Currently based at the Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University, he reflects on what drew him to describing new species, the challenges he’s encountered in the field, and what gives him hope for the future of marine biodiversity. We explore why ocean conservation must be grounded in evidence, the urgent need for continued exploration, and why protecting our oceans matters, for people, planet, and profit.