Bats are a keystone species on the east coast of Australia, with a critical role to play in maintaining our diverse flora, and keeping our forests healthy. They’re also misunderstood and feared as carriers and spreaders of zoonotic disease. Bats are profoundly vulnerable to increasing extreme weather events, dying in their tens of thousands in each of our ever intensifying heatwaves.

In this episode we visit Kukundi Wildlife Shelter to understand more about the value of bats in nature, and hear some successful rehabilitation stories.

We hear from:
Vanessa Barrett, Flying fox carer and science communicator.
Susan Smith - Sydney Wildlife volunteer
Dianne Jenner - Volunteer coordinator
Jodi Lewis - Sydney Wildlife volunteer

Bats are a keystone species on the east coast of Australia, with a critical role to play in maintaining our diverse flora, and keeping our forests healthy. They&rsquo;re also misunderstood and feared as carriers and spreaders of zoonotic disease. Bats are profoundly vulnerable to increasing extreme weather events, dying in their tens of thousands in each of our ever intensifying heatwaves.
In this episode we visit Kukundi Wildlife Shelter to understand more about the value of bats in nature, and hear some successful rehabilitation stories.
We hear from:
<ul>
<li>Vanessa Barrett, Flying fox carer and science communicator.</li>
<li>Susan Smith - Sydney Wildlife volunteer</li>
<li>Dianne Jenner - Volunteer coordinator</li>
<li>Jodi Lewis - Sydney Wildlife volunteer</li>
</ul>

Australia’s 15,000+ wildlife volunteers work relentlessly, under intense conditions, donating their time and resources to help rescue, rehabilitate and release our precious native wildlife.

Series 1 of the Wildlife Heroes Podcast: Caring for Carers, aims to start a mental health conversation to support our volunteers to look after themselves, and each other.

Series 2 of the podcast: One Animal at a Time, aims to explore the tremendous role of wildlife rehabilitators in conservation, and why rescuing one animal at a time is important, and valuable to the conservation of Australian species.

Over 10 episodes, environmental podcast maker and former ABC RN producer Gretchen Miller talks with  psychologists, wildlife carers, vets, researchers and government representatives, to discuss their experiences with the wildlife rehabilitation sector.

The theme music is called Respite (Series 1) and Palms Down (Series 2) and is from Blue Dot Sessions under a Creative Commons Licence (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International).

Australia&rsquo;s 15,000+ wildlife volunteers work relentlessly, under intense conditions, donating their time and resources to help rescue, rehabilitate and release our precious native wildlife.
Series 1 of the Wildlife Heroes Podcast: Caring for Carers, aims to start a mental health conversation to support our volunteers to look after themselves, and each other.
Series 2 of the podcast: One Animal at a Time, aims to explore the tremendous role of wildlife rehabilitators in conservation, and why rescuing one animal at a time is important, and valuable to the conservation of Australian species.
Over 10 episodes, environmental podcast maker and former ABC RN producer Gretchen Miller talks with&nbsp; psychologists, wildlife carers, vets, researchers and government representatives, to discuss their experiences with the wildlife rehabilitation sector.
The theme music is called Respite (Series 1) and Palms Down (Series 2) and is from <a href="http://www.sessions.blue">Blue Dot Sessions</a> under a Creative Commons Licence (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International</a>).

Wildlife Heroes Podcast

Wildlife Heroes

S2E2 One Animal at a Time: Bats - flying friends or furry foe?

In this episode we are near Braidwood in the Southern Highlands of NSW, visiting Dr Howard Ralph and his team who run the Southern Cross Wildlife Hospital. Dr Ralph is one of few wildlife specialist vets in the state. This clinic is set in remote bushland, and carers from far and wide bring their animals here for treatment they can't get anywhere else. The team works late into each night to meet the demand.

We hear from:
Howard Ralph - veterinary surgeon and director of Southern Cross Wildlife Hospital
Tania Duratovic, veterinary nurse
Several volunteer wildlife carers

In this episode we are near Braidwood in the Southern Highlands of NSW, visiting Dr Howard Ralph and his team who run the Southern Cross Wildlife Hospital. Dr Ralph is one of few wildlife specialist vets in the state. This clinic is set in remote bushland, and carers from far and wide bring their animals here for treatment they can't get anywhere else. The team works late into each night to meet the demand.
We hear from:
<ul>
<li>Howard Ralph - veterinary surgeon and director of Southern Cross Wildlife Hospital</li>
<li>Tania Duratovic, veterinary nurse</li>
<li>Several volunteer wildlife carers</li>
</ul>

S2E5 One Animal at a Time: Vets - the unsung wildlife heroes

In this episode we visit Higher Ground Raptor Centre - the most significant raptor rehabilitation centre in Australia. Peggy McDonald is a national treasure and she talks intimately about her home and work.

In Australia, 13 of our 35 species of raptors (birds of prey) are listed as threatened, with every individual holding high importance to the survival of their species. Data collected and analysed by NSW NPWS over the past decade show that the work of raptor rescuers and rehabilitators is vital to the conservation of raptors in Australia. Unfortunately, raptors are significantly affected by human development, as well as changes in climate.

In this episode we also talk about the NSW Volunteer Wildlife Rehabilitation Strategy from NPWS, and how critical it is that wildlife carers keep abreast of the latest rehabilitation techniques here, and overseas.

 

We hear from:
Peggy McDonald, wildlife carer for 40 years and founder of Higher Ground Raptor Centre
NPWS project officer and veterinarian Dr Aditi Sriram from the Biodiversity and Wildlife team

 

In this episode we visit Higher Ground Raptor Centre - the most significant raptor rehabilitation centre in Australia. Peggy McDonald is a national treasure and she talks intimately about her home and work.
In Australia, 13 of our 35 species of raptors (birds of prey) are listed as threatened, with every individual holding high importance to the survival of their species. Data collected and analysed by NSW NPWS over the past decade show that the work of raptor rescuers and rehabilitators is vital to the conservation of raptors in Australia. Unfortunately, raptors are significantly affected by human development, as well as changes in climate.
In this episode we also talk about the NSW Volunteer Wildlife Rehabilitation Strategy from NPWS, and how critical it is that wildlife carers keep abreast of the latest rehabilitation techniques here, and overseas.
&nbsp;
We hear from:
<ul>
<li>Peggy McDonald, wildlife carer for 40 years and founder of Higher Ground Raptor Centre</li>
<li>NPWS project officer and veterinarian Dr Aditi Sriram from the Biodiversity and Wildlife team</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

S2E4 One Animal at a Time: Raptors - recovery and release from higher ground

On Sydney's suburban fringes, Koalas are having a resurgence - and this is great news. But it is happening right where the slow crawl of urban development is encroaching on their habitat. Meanwhile on the Liverpool Plains, a farmer collaborates with a researcher to break a few truisms about Koalas - and help the species to survive extreme weather events in the process. We look at the cutting edge Koala research that could make a difference to conservation futures, knowing that Koala numbers in NSW have been declining rapidly,  with disease and habitat loss being the contributors.

We also touch on the Koala Strategy, which is an initiative of the NSW government that aims to stabilise and then increase koala numbers. This is to be done through a range of actions such as creating reserves, decreasing koala roadkill events, increasing wildlife carer and veterinary training and funding research.

We hear from:
Valentina Mella, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney
Robert Frend, NSW Liverpool Plains farmer and citizen researcher
Morgan Philpott, Hawkesbury WIRES koala rehabilitator

On Sydney's suburban fringes, Koalas are having a resurgence - and this is great news. But it is happening right where the slow crawl of urban development is encroaching on their habitat. Meanwhile on the Liverpool Plains, a farmer collaborates with a researcher to break a few truisms about Koalas - and help the species to survive extreme weather events in the process. We look at the cutting edge Koala research that could make a difference to conservation futures, knowing that Koala numbers in NSW have been declining rapidly,&nbsp; with disease and habitat loss being the contributors.
We also touch on the Koala Strategy, which is an initiative of the NSW government that aims to stabilise and then increase koala numbers. This is to be done through a range of actions such as creating reserves, decreasing koala roadkill events, increasing wildlife carer and veterinary training and funding research.
We hear from:
<ul>
<li>Valentina Mella, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney</li>
<li>Robert Frend, NSW Liverpool Plains farmer and citizen researcher</li>
<li>Morgan Philpott, Hawkesbury WIRES koala rehabilitator</li>
</ul>

S2E2 One Animal at a Time: Bats - flying friends or furry foe?

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