Into The Bush Podcast

What happens when curiosity leads you underground? In this episode of Into the Bush, we meet Chantira Saifimar, a conservation practitioner from Batam, Indonesia, focused on community-powered island conservation. Chantira reflects on her early roots as a girl who loved her local sea turtles and how that passion now powers conversations, education, and outreach that build a broader, deeper community centered on caring for nature.

Sometimes these conversations can be easy, fun, and immediately rewarding, but others take courage and true conviction—like when Chantira has to approach poachers in the wild! This conversation centers on how br...

What happens when curiosity leads you underground? In this episode of Into the Bush, we sit down with conservation scientist Catia Canteiro to trace her unexpected path from psychology to biology—and into the hidden world of plants and fungi that quietly hold ecosystems together. From mycorrhizal networks that underpin life on Earth to the often-overlooked role of fungi in conservation, Catia invites us to see nature as deeply interconnected, complex, and alive.

We also talk candidly about navigating science as a woman, holding fast to core values, and the power of mentorship along the way. This is...

In this episode of Into the Bush, we dive in (pun absolutely intended) with the incomparable Dr. Tiara Moore — a marine ecologist, founder and CEO of Black in Marine Science (BIMS), and newly minted Belize resident after a month-long wedding celebration that deserves its own rom-com.

In this episode, Tiara takes us from Philly to South Carolina to UCLA, then all the way to the second-largest barrier reef in the world, where a coral-restoration project — and a well-timed writing retreat — changed her life forever. We talk about what it means to build community from scratch, how #BlackInMarineScienceWeek explod...

In this episode of Into the Bush, we head to Indonesia to meet Alifi Nisya, the only woman Program Manager at Forum Konservasi Leuser. With eight years of experience protecting her country’s biodiversity, Alifi has built her career on collaboration, bringing together communities, scientists, and policymakers to protect elephants and their rapidly shrinking habitat. Her work is both scientific and deeply human: addressing human-wildlife conflict, empowering local women, and fighting for the forests that sustain all life. Together, we talk about what it means to lead as a woman in conservation, how courage and compassion coexist in fieldwork, an...

In this episode of Into the Bush, Nikki and Cat sit down with the women behind a groundbreaking new study on women in conservation leadership — Angela Yang, Molly Maloy, and Nina Paige Hadley — to unpack what it really takes for women to thrive in this field. From mentorship and safe spaces to tackling systemic barriers and burnout, the study shines a light on the practical skills and cultural shifts needed to close the leadership gap we can’t afford to ignore. Join us for an honest conversation about what happens when women lead and why the future of conservation depends...

Callie Broaddus is a Washington, D.C.-based conservationist and the founder & executive director of Reserva: The Youth Land Trust, a youth-led nonprofit working to create and support protected areas in biodiversity hotspots. She splits her time between the desk and the field, where she works with local partners in Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama to document and protect the unique biodiversity at Reserva’s project sites.

Callie is a member of the Explorers Club (EC50’21 / MN’21) and serves on the Rainforest Trust Council, Cool Earth Advisory Board, and Exploring By the Seat of Your Pants Board of Direct...

Andrea Santy is the Program Director for XPRIZE Wildfire. She has over twenty years of experience in capacity building and managing global competitions that support scientists and nonprofits in tackling global challenges across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Previously, Andrea led internship and fellowship programs at the Smithsonian Institution where she formerly served as the Director of Program Development for the Smithsonian Conservation Commons – an action network that applied cultural and scientific expertise to sustain Earth’s biodiversity and ecosystems. In her career, she also directed conservation initiatives at the World Wildlife Fund and she co-founded the Cons...

Dr. Lina M Valencia is a researcher and conservationist with more than fifteen years of experience in biodiversity conservation, protected area creation and management, Indigenous territorial right protection, and capacity building of local partners. Dr. Valencia focuses on expanding Re:wild's program in the Tropical Andes by developing collaborative, inclusive, and community-based conservation initiatives with local and Indigenous communities, NGOs, and government institutions that combine science, conservation, and education to protect ecosystems and their wildlife.

Dr. Valencia is originally from Colombia and earned her PhD in Biological Anthropology at UT Austin. She has two kids and enjoys...

Dr. Christine Wilkinson (she/they) is a conservation scientist, carnivore ecologist, and science communicator at the California Academy of Sciences. Her research is focused on the social-ecological drivers of human-wildlife interactions and carnivore movement through human-dominated landscapes in Kenya and California. Broadly, Dr. Wilkinson integrates participatory community engagement, wildlife ecology, and an environmental justice lens to better understand what may constitute equitable, just, and lasting human-nature relationships globally.

Keep up with Dr. Wilkinson’s research & community engagement work via Instagram, TikTok, X, and here. And watch Queer Planet on Peacock.

Join us for part two with our co-hosts Nikki Roach, PhD, and Cat Kutz as they share experiences from their own journeys in conservation. This episode dives into mental health topics, including anxiety and depression.

More about the co-hosts!

Nikki (she/her) is a conservation scientist who has worked at the interface of science, policy, and communication. Nikki’s work has brought her across the America’s - from wetlands in South Carolina to tropical forests in Colombia - where she has worked with local communities, government agencies, and International organizations. She earned her PhD from...

Join us for a two-part episode with our co-hosts Nikki Roach, PhD, and Cat Kutz as they share experiences from their own journeys in conservation. PSA diva cups and she-wees will be mentioned!

More about the co-hosts!

Nikki (she/her) is a conservation scientist who has worked at the interface of science, policy, and communication. Nikki’s work has brought her across the America’s - from wetlands in South Carolina to tropical forests in Colombia - where she has worked with local communities, government agencies, and International organizations. She earned her PhD from Texas A&M...

Angela Yang is a dedicated conservationist who has worked in wildlife conservation for more decades than she cares to admit. Her career has spanned the zoo and international field conservation worlds, with over a decade spent living and working abroad. As her career evolved, Angela discovered that her passion stems from working with local organizations, communities, and strengthening capacity, particularly creating opportunities for women.

Before returning to the US in 2018, Angela lived in Cambodia, Kenya and the United Kingdom, working with international organizations such as the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).<...

Dr. Meredith S. Palmer is a behavioral ecologist and conservation technologist, who has worked for universities, governments, NGOs, and the private sector. She is currently a conservation scientist at Yale University. She has spearheaded wildlife monitoring projects across the African continent and the Americas. By leveraging emerging technologies, she works to collect “big data” that enables us to better understand biodiversity at scale. She currently operates at the interface of conservation and technology, integrating AI, citizen science, and statistics to drive innovation in conservation practice.

Follow Meredith: meredithspalmer.weebly.com | Instagram

Other resources ment...

About KM

KM Reyes is a conservation lobbyist, community organizer, and National Geographic Explorer, based on Palawan island, the Philippines. Born and raised in Australia to Filipino parents, she has lived and worked extensively in Europe, Latin America, and North Africa. She is the Co-Founder & Advisor of the environmental non-government organization, Centre for Sustainability PH Inc. Since establishing Centre for Sustainability, KM led the organization in spearheading the declaration in 2017 of the Cleopatra’s Needle Critical Habitat, now the country's biggest critical habitat.

KM is passionate about professionalizing conservation, improving gender equality, and the recognition of...