Take me to the River
29 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago -Join social ecologist and river restoration expert Dr. Siwan Lovett in conversations about the ideas, issues and opportunities that relate to our connections with nature and each other. This podcast offers open, honest and practical insights for us to reflect on in our daily lives.
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Episodes
The Magic of Mentoring with Henry Cooper & Matt Bowler
March 13, 2024 23:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MBSiwan talks with Henry Cooper, Project Officer for Land and Catchment Health at the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, and Matt Bowler, Manager of Project Delivery at the West Gippsland CMA about their experience as mentee and mentor, respectively, in the Waterway Management Emerging Leaders Program. Siwan, Matt and Henry discuss the value of having a mentor or mentee by your side; the ways in which the program challenged and surprised them; and how their mentoring experience has im...
Senator David Pocock: Being part of a larger story
February 13, 2024 23:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBOn a crisp Friday morning by the banks of the Cotter river in January 2024, Siwan sat down with Senator David Pocock, the ACT's first independent senator and environmental advocate, to discuss what drives him and what he cares about; his journey towards and inside the world of politics and government; his life growing up in Zimbabwe and career in professional rugby, and more. This is a reflective and insightful conversation, one which reveals a down-to-earth and honest man who deeply cares a...
Meet the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Dr. Simon Banks — Episode 24
November 07, 2023 03:00 - 37 minutes - 26.1 MBIn today's episode, Siwan sits down with Australia's Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH), Dr. Simon Banks, to talk about his love of nature, his experience delivering eWater, and what it's like to be the CEWH. This conversation covers Dr. Banks' journey so far, some elements of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, whether Australia is a world-leader in environmental water management, and more. Dr. Banks has been the CEWH for over 12 months and manages water for the environment on behal...
Saving Australia's native fish with Dr. Wayne Koster — Episode 25
October 10, 2023 01:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBSiwan speaks with Dr. Wayne Koster of the Arthur Rylah Institute, at the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, to talk native fish recovery and research. Wayne leads research projects on native fish ecology and conservation across Victoria and more broadly in south-eastern Australia. The focus of much of Wayne’s recent work has been on the movement and spawning ecology and conservation implications for riverine fishes, particularly the development of flow regimes for fish in...
Country is crying out for good people with Richard Swain — Episode 23
September 22, 2023 04:00 - 34 minutes - 24.1 MBIn today's episode, Siwan talks with Richard Swain, a Dabee man of the Wiradjuri nation and a river adventure guide (Alpine River Adventures) in the Snowy Mountains, in Kozciuszko National Park. Richard grew up learning the history of the Australian landscape from his father, and his grandfather taught him how Aboriginal peoples moved through and respected country. Richard has a long history of volunteering on local environmental and community projects and has a first-hand understanding of ...
Country Speaks with Dr. Charles Massy — Episode 22
September 03, 2023 23:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBRegenerative Agriculture is revolutionising Australia's agriculture industry, and for good reason. Today, The Australian River Restoration's Managing Director Siwan Lovett sits down with Australia's foremost Regenerative Agriculture pioneer, Dr. Charles Massy, to discuss his life’s work, his experience implementing Regenerative Agriculture (Regen Ag) on his farm, Severn Park, and some of his recent work on the Snowy River. Dr. Charles Massy is a Monaro woolgrower, scientist, and renowned au...
Episode 21 — Why regenerative farming helps our waterways with Felicity Wheelwright
May 16, 2023 01:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBSitting on the banks of the Wollondilly River, only two kilometres downstream of its headwaters, Siwan chats with Felicity Wheelwright. Felicity is a fifth-generation regenerative farmer in the Crookwell region and a fourth-generation farmer on Roslyn Estate, and one of our Rivers of Carbon restoration champions, restoring water quality in Sydney’s water catchment. Felicity’s farm is holistically grazed and over the last 30 years, her family has undertaken a plethora of restoration projects ...
Episode 20 - Healing and Connection to Country with Yarning Circles. Guest Speaker: Tanya Keed and Lori Gould
November 28, 2022 21:00 - 35 minutes - 24.4 MBAs we have more conversations with Aboriginal people, we find that when we acknowledge Country it means so much more. There is an upswelling of emotion as the stories that are generously shared with us gives us insight into what it might be like being an Aboriginal Australian. This podcast is one such conversation. Tanya Keed, a proud Aboriginal woman from Dunghutti Country, and Lori Gould who has worked with the ARRC for over twenty years, share how they have been working together to connec...
Episode 19 - What happens to freshwater systems during floods? Guest Speakers: Angus Webb and Andy Lowes
November 22, 2022 06:00 - 48 minutes - 33.3 MBSiwan and Andy sit down with Associate Professor Angus Webb to chat about the recent floods in the Goulburn River system in Victoria and what they mean for the ecology of the system. Angus works for the Environmental Hydrology and Water Resources Division of the University of Melbourne, and is the lead researcher for the Flow - Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Program for the lower Goulburn River in Victoria, which is one of the many rivers that has experienced flooding this year. Angus i...
Episode 18 - Why science and people matter for Australian rivers. Guest Speaker: Fiona Dyer
July 19, 2022 00:00 - 39 minutes - 27.4 MBIn this episode, Siwan chats with Professor Fiona Dyer about why science and people matter when it comes to rivers and their management. Fiona is a freshwater scientist at the University of Canberra, where she has a broad range of expertise and interests, including vegetation ecology, water quality and ecohydrology. Today, we’ll be exploring the different types of riverscapes we have in Australia and what that means for making good water-management decisions. If you enjoyed this episode, pl...
Episode 17 - River Dreaming and Reconciliation. Guest Speaker: Richie Allen
May 26, 2022 06:00 - 51 minutes - 35.6 MBIn this episode, Siwan chats with Richie Allen about reconciliation and the importance of listening to Indigenous perspectives, particularly when it comes to our rivers. Richie comes from the Kamilaroi and Ngunnawal nations and is co-Director of the Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation. Richie has been working with the ARRC over the last year to help us develop a Reconciliation Action Plan. Today we are talking to Richie about what reconciliation means to him and how we might, through o...
Episode 17 - River Dreaming and Reconciliation. Guest Speaker: Richie Allan
May 26, 2022 06:00 - 51 minutes - 35.6 MBIn this episode, Siwan chats with Richie Allan about reconciliation and the importance of listening to Indigenous perspectives, particularly when it comes to our rivers. Richie comes from the Kamilaroi and Ngunnawal nations and is co-Director of the Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation. Richie has been working with the ARRC over the last year to help us develop a Reconciliation Action Plan. Today we are talking to Richie about what reconciliation means to him and how we might, through o...
Episode 16 - How anglers are protecting native fish and the waterways they call home. Guest speaker: Andrew McGovern
April 28, 2022 01:00 - 48 minutes - 33.1 MBIn this episode, Siwan chats with Andrew McGovern, an avid angler and one of Australia’s most recognised fishing journalist. Andrew has been fishing in the Canberra and Snowy Mountains regions for over 40 years and has a special connection to the Murrumbidgee River, where he grew up. Siwan and Andrew discuss the role anglers play in caring for and protecting native fish, as well as the waterways they live in. Andrew is particularly passionate about sustainable catch-and-release fishing pract...
Episode 15 - The Sound of Water – why should we be listening in to wetlands? Guests: Skye Wassens and Mitchell Whitelaw
February 28, 2022 03:00 - 35 minutes - 24.4 MBIn this episode, Siwan chats with freshwater and wildlife ecologist Dr Skye Wassens and Professor of Design Mitchell Whitelaw. Skye and Mitchell share their recent work on The Sound of Water project, which visualises the different sounds of the Nap Nap swamp wetlands as it receives environmental water flows from the Murrumbidgee River. The work is hoping to immerse listeners in the sounds of the wetlands. Have a listen for yourself to hear the amazing Southern Bell frogs and other native ani...
Episode 14 - Bringing the ‘whole person’ into the workplace, with Belinda Chapman
December 14, 2021 02:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBIn this episode, facilitator and coach Belinda Chapman shares with us the importance for people working in river management to bring their ‘whole person’ to work. We look at ways this can be done and what it means to use our head, heart and gut brains in the workplace. Belinda's company, Working Wheel, works with organisations where stakeholder engagement is an important but missing link. She helps practitioners improve their people and emotional intelligence skills so they can work together...
Episode 13 - How will raising the Warragamba Dam wall erase Indigenous heritage
October 26, 2021 03:00 - 22 minutes - 15.9 MBThis podcast episode continues the discussion on the proposal to raise the Warragamba Dam wall in Western Sydney by up to 17 metres. We talk with special guest Kazan Brown, a Gundungurra elder from the region, who is incredibly concerned that if the proposal goes ahead it will endanger 5700 hectares of UNESCO World Heritage-listed national park and flood 1541 cultural sites of the Gundungarra people in the Burragorang valley, some dating back thousands of years. The flooding of the valley in...
Episode 12 - Why raising the Warragamba Dam wall raises serious concerns
October 19, 2021 03:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBIn this episode, I speak with the Honourable Bob Debus, former Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Minister for the Arts for the Blue Mountains electorate and Chairperson for the Colong Foundation For Wilderness. We dive into a discussion about the proposal to raise the Warragamba Dam wall, and highlight the flawed rationale that a higher dam wall will protect residents in high flood risk areas in Western Sydney. Raising the dam wall will flood 6000 hectares of UN world heritage-...
Episode 11 - Why the Murrumbidgee River wrote a letter to Canberra. Guest speaker: Andy Lowes
October 01, 2021 05:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBMy guest for this episode is Andy Lowes, author of the Letter from the Murrumbidgee River to Canberrans. Andy is Canberra born and bred, growing up swimming, fishing and walking by the Murrumbidgee. His lifelong interest in rivers has also seen him work at the Commonwealth level on the management of rivers in the broader Murray-Darling Basin. Writing this letter from the voice of the Murrumbidgee River was an effort to raise awareness of an incredibly unusual time for the Canberra communit...
What motivates curious people to become climate leaders? Guest Speaker: Rod Taylor
June 29, 2021 08:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MBIn this episode, Siwan is joined by author Rod Taylor to discuss Rod’s new book ‘Ten Journeys on a Fragile Planet’. Rod’s book follows the stories of ten inspiring Australians who are confronting our changing climate in unique ways. Rod broadcasts a weekly science show and appears on ABC and BBC radio shows. He also writes a column in the Canberra Times called Fuzzy Logic. This podcast discusses the importance of people, technology and political institutions in addressing climate change. Rod...
Episode 10 - What motivates curious people to become climate leaders? Guest Speaker: Rod Taylor
June 29, 2021 08:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MBIn this episode, Siwan is joined by author Rod Taylor to discuss Rod’s new book ‘Ten Journeys on a Fragile Planet’. Rod’s book follows the stories of ten inspiring Australians who are confronting our changing climate in unique ways. Rod broadcasts a weekly science show and appears on ABC and BBC radio shows. He also writes a column in the Canberra Times called Fuzzy Logic. This podcast discusses the importance of people, technology and political institutions in addressing climate change. Rod...
Episode 9 - Why is thinking about the future hard? Guest Speaker: Associate Professor Lorrae van Kerkhoff
April 27, 2021 07:00 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MBIn this episode, we have a Conversation over a Cuppa with Associate Professor Lorrae van Kerkhoff about why thinking about the future is hard, and the importance of institutional environments that allow for uncertain futures. Lorrae is the Director of the Institute for Water Futures and Associate Director of the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University. Lorrae uses a multidisciplinary approach to solving complex environmental and water problems, and in ...
Episode 8 - Is raising dam walls an effective strategy to manage climate change impacts?
March 25, 2021 06:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MBIn this episode, Siwan and Professor Jamie Pittock discuss whether raising dam walls is an effective management strategy to address our changing climate. They discuss the current proposal to raise the Warragamba Dam wall in outer Sydney, and whether the stated aims of it being to address flooding and protect downstream communities, will actually be achieved. Jamie has worked for the World Wide Fund for Nature, and is a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and World Commissio...
Episode 7: Retaining hope in the face of a changing climate, with Professor Mark Howden
February 16, 2021 04:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBIn this episode, Siwan talks with Professor Mark Howden about how we can retain hope in the face of a changing climate. Mark is the Director of the Climate Change Institute at the Australian National University, as well as being the Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). As a global expert on climate science, his work over the last thirty years has explored climate variability, change and adaptation. In this conversation Mark and Siwan discuss how we can look to ...
Episode 6: Their Stories - Professor Ross Thompson
October 26, 2020 01:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MB‘Their Stories’ is a mini-series of conversations, exploring the complex and messy ways in which humanity interacts with ecology. In this episode, Siwan talks to Professor Ross Thompson, Director and Chair of Water Science in the Institute for Applied Ecology at the University of Canberra. Their talk focuses on work currently underway in environmental flows, with both involved in the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office’s Flow-MER project, exploring how to deliver water for the environmen...
Episode 5: River Champions
July 30, 2020 01:00 - 22 minutes - 15.1 MBIn this episode, I have a conversation with Dr. Simon Mould, on what makes a river champion and why we need to support those people who are working for better water and river management. The ‘champion’ concept usefully highlights the importance of critical leaders in environmental management initiatives. However, our experience tells us that the label of ‘champion’ would sit uncomfortably on the shoulders of many who play critical roles in advancing river management agendas in their communit...
Episode 4: Bouncing Forward
May 25, 2020 01:00 - 41 minutes - 28.3 MBPaul Ryan – founding director of the Australian Resilience Centre, and a global leader in resilience, adaptation and transformation practice – joins us today for a ‘Conversation over a Cuppa’ as we look into the idea of ‘bouncing forward’. The term stems from the notion that the popular belief about resilience being our ability to ‘bounce back’ is a flawed concept. This is because when we go through a traumatic experience such as the bushfires and current pandemic conditions, we come out the...
Episode 3: Take Care to Give Care
March 26, 2020 04:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MBSuzy and I reflect on the tough few months we’ve had in Australia, which has caused people to be in a heightened state of anxiety and fear for longer periods of time than we are used to. This episode talks about a resource called ‘Take Care to Give Care’ – a Guide that Two Green Threads has produced for wildlife carers, but which also applies to all of us in current times. We acknowledge and discuss the strength and scale of impact these recent events are having on our minds, body and gener...
Episode 2: Saving Stocky
February 11, 2020 04:00 - 11 minutes - 7.83 MBOver the past few months we have seen the devastation bushfires have caused across many of our beautiful forests – photographs of dead and injured koalas, kangaroos and echidnas have been upsetting, galvanising people to knit booties, put out water and fund food drops for wildlife. But what of those less charismatic species, the ones that are rarely seen, yet have just as much claim to being saved as any other species? Who is looking out for them? In pools, creeks and rivers across Australi...
Episode 1: Container Love
January 19, 2020 23:00 - 8 minutes - 5.98 MBThe first episode of our new podcast ‘Conversation Over A Cuppa’ focuses on the impact of the recent devastating Australian bushfires - the loss of people's homes, death and injury to wildlife, and vast tracts of burnt bushland. Siwan talks about how it has affected her personally, leading to feelings of anxiety, fear, anger and sadness. She shares how she is finding comfort in understanding more about the ‘ecological grief’ so many of us are experiencing and provides some practical exam...