Ken Thompson is a renowned plant ecologist and author of several well-regarded books on gardening and popular science, such as Where Do Camels Belong? and Darwin's Most Wonderful Plants. His works are published by notable publishers, and he has received awards like the Royal Horticultural Society’s Veitch Memorial Medal. Expect to learn how you can boost biodiversity and why saving individual species isn’t effective, and much more!

Why are conservation and biodiversity issues so complex? Why is most of Earth’s biodiversity unknown? What are the challenges of conservation efforts, and the importance of reintroducing species to restore ecosystems?

Expect to learn the ineffectiveness of traditional conservation criteria like rarity and nativeness, evolving public attitudes towards species reintroduction, the myths about dangerous wildlife, the significance of soil health in agriculture, the role of gardens in preserving biodiversity, the potential impacts of climate change on wildlife and much more.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Biodiversity

09:48 The Challenges of Conservation

19:58 Reintroducing Species: A Path to Ecosystem Restoration

29:57 The Future of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

46:03 Wildlife Myths and Realities

50:22 The Importance of Soil and Agriculture

58:47 Biodiversity in Gardens

01:01:29 Adapting to Climate Change

01:27:35 Future of Wildlife and Conservation

Best Quotes

* "Biodiversity is the whole of life."

* "We know almost nothing about biodiversity."

* "Conservation is a nightmare."

* "Rarity is a waste of time."

* "The natural world doesn't belong to us."

* "Reintroducing lynx is a no-brainer."

* "Big things start small."

* "Wolves are not a danger to people."

* "Bears are dangerous."

* "Birds are a real indicator."

* "Gardens have preserved a lot of biodiversity."

* "Just garden in a garden with wildlife in mind."

* "Climate change, you could see it in action."

* "It's happening and we're not going to stop it now."

#conservation #biodiversity #rewilding #megafuna

Dr Ken Thompson’s books, a must read for anyone trying to understand the natural world:

Why do we need pandas? https://amzn.to/3RP4KsH

Where do camels belong? https://amzn.to/3SlUd8u

Why do we need pandas? https://amzn.to/3RP4KsH

Common or Garden: Encounters with Britain's 50 Most Successful Wild Plants https://amzn.to/4k4f7oG

Darwin's Most Wonderful Plants: Darwin's Botany Today https://amzn.to/3YtgTr8

BREAKING: Jacob J. Watson-Howland Triumphs in British Wildlife Photography Awards, Beating 13,000 Entries (Featured on BBC)

Learn More: https://www.jacobwatsonhowland.com/winning-image.html

View my best limited-edition prints https://www.jacobwatsonhowland.com/featured-fine-art-photography-prints.html

Instagram– keep updated for future episodes. www.instagram.com/jacobwatsonhowland