How better data and operations can help nature restoration projects grow, and how to bring your skills into conservation, with our guest Bernat Fortet.

Picture a tree nursery manager in Panama, raising thousands of tree seedlings - and never finding out what happened to them once they left for the field. Did they survive? Which species did best? It's a gap that runs right through nature restoration, where much of the data still lives on paper, in messaging apps and in scattered spreadsheets.

Today's guest is Bernat Fortet, founder and CEO of Restoration Scope, which builds the digital infrastructure behind restoration projects around the world - from tens of thousands of farmers in Africa to thousands of hectares in Latin America. A designer by trade, Bernat spent 12 years building start-ups in Silicon Valley before switching his skills to nature.

In this episode, we explore why supporting the teams on the ground matters more than chasing reports for funders, why every restoration project is different, and what it means to work at "tree time". We also discuss carbon and biodiversity credits - how they work, why projects need to be so large to make them pay, and why the knowledge gained shouldn't be lost when projects fail. Finally, Bernat shares his journey from designing children's video games to reforestation, and practical advice for anyone looking to bring their skills into conservation - including why you shouldn't wait to start helping.

It's a trees, tech and transparency pod chat. Enjoy.

How can we restore woodlands to maximise biodiversity? What makes conservation research genuinely useful for the people working to protect nature? And how can you build a successful career in conservation science?

Today we're speaking with Professor Kirsty Park, Professor of Conservation Science at the University of Stirling, where she's worked for nearly 30 years.

Kirsty's research focuses on understanding how human activities affect biodiversity, and finding practical solutions to help nature recover.

She's also co-lead of the fascinating WrEN Project, which uses 150 years of woodland restoration to understand what works best for biodiversity.

In this episode, we explore what makes woodland restoration successful, the challenges posed by deer overpopulation, and how scientists can work with conservation organisations to turn research into real-world impact.

We also explore Kirsty's career journey, what it takes to become a conservation scientist, the skills and experiences that matter most, and her advice for students, career switchers and aspiring academics.

Finally, we discuss the state of conservation, the importance of communicating our successes, and why there's still plenty of reason for hope.

It's a woodlands, wildlife and wisdom episode. Enjoy.

How curiosity, experience and an openness to different paths can help you build a fulfilling career in conservation, with wildlife conservationist Iris de Winter.

What does a career in conservation actually look like?

For some people, there isn't one simple answer. You might be a scientist, lecturer, conservation practitioner and nature guide - combining different roles into a career that's uniquely your own.

Today's guest is Iris de Winter, an Assistant Professor in Wildlife Conservation at Utrecht University and Director of the Apenheul Primate Conservation Trust. She's also a nature guide, leading wildlife and conservation-focused trips to places including Madagascar and Uganda.

In this episode, we explore Iris's fascinating career journey - from an early interest in marine conservation and research on green turtles, through to studying lemurs in Madagascar and ultimately shifting her focus from understanding conservation problems to helping solve them.

We also explore what Iris has learnt from teaching the next generation of conservationists, the skills and qualities she sees in successful students, and why careers don't need to follow a perfectly linear path. We discuss the importance of curiosity, cultural sensitivity, collaboration, gaining experience and building a strong reputation in what is ultimately a very small conservation world.

And we discover another fascinating conservation career path - nature guiding - including how Iris turned her love of wildlife and travel into opportunities to lead conservation-focused trips around the world.

It's a conservation science, career exploration and wildlife adventure podcast.

Enjoy.