Just Ecology

E17: The Moss Beneath Our Feet – with Dr. Cassia Read

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

E16 – Reading Ecological Patterns – with Doug Frood

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 [https://www.pathwaysbushland.com.au/] For comments, feedback or requests for future content on Just Ecology, please email karljust3@gmail.com

E15 – How Can Environmental Law Better Protect Nature? – with Brendan Sydes

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.

E14: From Bush to Nursery – Growing Indigenous Plants – with Frances Cincotta

In this episode, I sit down with Frances Cincotta to talk about growing locally indigenous plants. Frances founded the Newstead Natives nursery in central Victoria in 1999 and has spent decades immersed in the ecology and restoration of the Box–Ironbark region. We trace the evolution of gardening in Australia—from its European roots in English cottage traditions to a growing recognition of the value and beauty of native species—and what that shift means for how we relate to the landscapes around us. Frances shares the depth of ecological knowledge behind successful indigenous plant propagation: understanding where species occur in the wild, when seed is ready and how to sow it. We also talk about the value of indigenous gardens as habitat for native wildlife - and how they bring ecology right to our back doorstep. Frances’ knowledge is remarkable, and this is one for anyone interested in plants, restoration or simply seeing their local bushland in a new way. For comments, feedback or requests for future content on Just Ecology, please email karljust3@gmail.com

E13: Singing for the Baarka (Darling River) – with Sean McConnell

In this episode I speak with ecologist and musician Sean McConnell, who also performs his song Baarka Ballad, written about the plight of the Baarka (Darling River). We talk about Sean’s experiences growing up in the Riverina through cycles of drought and flood, and the extraordinary biodiversity of the region’s floodplain forests and wetlands. We discuss the evidence of Barapa villages across the floodplain, documented in Koondrook State Forest on the NSW side of the river, including extensive pond systems that were used to harvest fish. Our conversation reflects on the profound changes that have occurred since colonisation: river regulation, widespread land clearing, the early land grabs by squatters and selectors and the short-lived economic booms that were so often accompanied by long-term environmental degradation. Sean shares what inspired him to write Baarka Ballad: the heartbreaking mass fish kill on the Baarka in 2021, the remarkable voyage of Tuesday Browell down the river in an Egyptian-style handmade wooden boat to draw attention to its plight and the ongoing illegal extraction of water across the Murray–Darling Basin. Finally, we talk about the power of music to help us process and transmute feelings of helplessness in the face of ongoing environmental destruction, and how the ancient practice of singing to Country has long been part of maintaining life and relationship. A research paper on Barapa villages and constructed ponds can be found here. [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14486563.2025.2519026#abstract] Listen to some of Sean's music here.  [https://www.facebook.com/seanmcconnellmusic/] For comments, feedback or requests for future content on Just Ecology, please email karljust3@gmail.com