Just Ecology

How well do we really know the trees around us?

In this episode I sit down with multidisciplinary artist, ecologist and author Vicky Shukuroglou to talk about eucalypts — those familiar yet endlessly fascinating trees that shape much of the Australian landscape. Vicky shares the story behind her new field guide - Ace Guide to Eucalypts Melbourne - exploring what inspired the project and the immense effort involved in bringing it to life. What begins as a conversation about the guide soon becomes an exploration of observation itself: how we learn to recognise trees, what classification can and cannot tell us, and how deeper attention reveals an extraordinary world of variation, relationships and stories.

Together we discuss Melbourne's diverse landscapes, from dry western plains and Ironbark forests to towering Mountain Ash country, exploring the ecology, evolution and cultural significance of these remarkable trees. Along the way we talk about conservation, habitat, climate change, the value of local knowledge and the importance of fostering a genuine relationship with the living world.

Through art, writing, community learning and ecological practice, Vicky encourages people to develop more attentive and meaningful relationships with place. Vicky is co-author and photographer of the book Loving Country and has spent many years exploring the connections between creativity, ecology, culture and care for Country.

Her latest book, Ace Guide to Eucalypts Melbourne, can be ordered online at:  www.eucalyptsmelbourne.au. Visit the Facebook page – here.

Botanic gardens are sometimes viewed as rather static places — collections of plants, all neatly labelled. But as today's guest explains, they are so much more than that. In this episode I sit down with Professor Tim Entwistle, botanist, author and former director of three major botanic gardens including Melbourne, Sydney and Kew Gardens in London.

We explore the origins of botanic gardens, from the medicinal gardens of Renaissance Italy through to the great botanic gardens of today. Tim describes how modern gardens combine science, education, culture and recreation, becoming places where people can learn, celebrate and connect with the living world. We discuss some of Australia's most significant gardens, including Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens and the Australian Garden at Cranbourne, as well as the important role played by regional botanic gardens across Victoria and beyond.

Along the way we talk about plant collections, herbaria, seasonal calendars, First Nations knowledge, climate change adaptation and the future of urban green spaces. Tim also shares the story of a beloved 150-year-old oak tree in Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens and how its legacy inspired his latest book.

Tim Entwistle is a botanist, writer and public communicator who has spent decades helping people better understand plants and their place in our lives. His books include Evergreen, The Skeptical Botanist and the forthcoming Three Worlds Oak.

Find out more about Tim at his blog:  https://talkingplants.blogspot.com/

For comments, feedback or requests for future content on Just Ecology, please email karljust3@gmail.com

Mosses, along with their cousins the liverworts and hornworts, make up the world of the bryophytes, fascinating plants that have been on this planet for well over 400 million years. I sat down with Dr Cassia Read to explore these amazing plants, where we talk about where to find them, how different species are identified, why classification is important and the critical roles of bryophytes in our ecosystems. Cassia spent years studying and researching bryophytes in the drier semi-arid parts of south-eastern Australia, a place where many don’t expect to find these plants, and we learn about how mosses survive in such dry conditions. We also discuss the role of mosses in ecological restoration, and the emerging possibilities of including bryophytes in the healing of degraded lands.

Cassia is an ecologist, educator and garden designer whose work centres on creating landscapes that support both human wellbeing and biodiversity conservation in a changing climate. Her interests span landscape ecology, planting design, climate adaptation, urban greening, wildlife gardening and community engagement, and she has conducted fieldwork across a wide range of ecosystems throughout southern Australia. She is a co-founder of the Castlemaine Institute, an organisation focused on strengthening regional communities through research, education and collaborative responses to social and environmental challenges.

For comments, feedback or requests for future content on Just Ecology, please email karljust3@gmail.com

It was a real privilege to interview Doug Frood, one of Victoria’s most experienced ecologists, and someone who is widely respected for his depth of perception and understanding of landscape patterns and processes. Reading these patterns, from the micro to the macro, is one of the core skills of field ecology. Similar to how our ancestors lived on Country before the time of cities and supermarkets, ecology relies on distinguishing between thousands of plant species, , noticing subtle differences in habitats, reading tracks and listening to place.

In the podcast we delve into some of these patterns, including how different types of plant communities are distributed across the landscape. We begin by exploring what a plant community is, how it forms, and what influences where it occurs, before moving into the complex interactions between ecological processes over deep time. We talk about Doug’s years of work mapping vegetation patterns across parts of the Victorian Riverina, and the blend of intuitive and scientific approaches involved.

We also talk about Doug’s passion for connecting people with nature, pondering how humans have at times become so disconnected and how we can find a path back to wholeness.

Doug has been one of my most influential teachers over the last 20 years and I am really grateful that he took time for this conversation.

You can check out more about Doug's work here

For comments, feedback or requests for future content on Just Ecology, please email karljust3@gmail.com

Environmental law is meant to protect nature—but how well does it actually work?

In this episode, I sit down with Brendan Sydes to unpack the realities behind the legal frameworks shaping conservation in Australia. Brendan is an environmental lawyer and policy expert with decades of experience across the sector. He is currently with the Australian Conservation Foundation, where he works on environmental advocacy and legal reform, and has previously held senior roles with the Environmental Defenders Office. He is also President of Connecting Country and Chair of the Biolinks Alliance, bringing a strong focus on community-led conservation and landscape-scale restoration.

We trace the evolution of environmental law over the past century—from its early focus on resource use to the rise of threatened species protections and national parks from the 1970s onwards. We dig into the limitations of the current system, including how legal frameworks can sometimes enable development rather than prevent it, and the uncomfortable reality that it’s often the community trying to protect nature from government.

Brendan also walks us through the proposed reforms to the national EPBC Act—changes that have been on the table for years but remain largely unimplemented.

A key theme throughout the conversation is that laws, on their own, don’t protect the environment—they create the framework. Their effectiveness ultimately depends on how governments apply and enforce them - and how communities hold them to account.

I hope this podcast is useful for anyone who is trying to protect their local patch.