When a species becomes ‘un-extinct’, how can their population be bolstered in the wild, but also be reintroduced into culture? Once plentiful in South-West Western Australia, the Gilbert’s potoroo was thought to be extinct for over a hundred years. Since their rediscovery by Western Science in 1954, it has now gained the title of the world’s rarest marsupial, with only just over a hundred individuals.

James and Elysee head to Two Peoples Bay to speak to Leigh Whisson, a conservation biologist, who was there on the day of its rediscovery. He explains how the potoroo was able to be found and protected because of the protection of another endangered species, the noisy scrub bird. Dr. Jackie Courtenay describes the early days of working with the potoroos and trying to help their population.

Next, James and Elysee follow Dr. Tony Friend to a predator-free insurance population to survey Gilbert Potoroo numbers. As they go through traps and find potoroos and collect data, Tony talks about translocation and threats.

Finally, Leigh and Jackie talk about the Gilbert’s Potoroo Action Group and the importance of field volunteering, fundraising, and awareness raising to make sure the Gilbert’s potoroo recovers from its societal extinction.

Thank you to:

Leigh Whisson and Dr. Jackie Courtenay from the Gilbert's Potoroo Action Group.

• To volunteer, donate and become a member visit: https://www.potoroo.org/
• https://www.facebook.com/GilbertsPotorooActionGroup/

Dr. Tony Friend

Recorded, written, and edited by James Worsfold and Elysee Lee.

Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef is a beloved international icon, and home to diverse sea life. A tourist hotspot for Australians and people all over the world, the reef sees about 2 million visitors each year. However, its plight is also well known – the coral is being increasingly bleached and killed.

In this episode, James and Elysee investigate if it’s possible to be an ethical tourist in one of the world’s most fragile and important ecosystems.

They begin on the Cairns wharf, talking to the reef visitors themselves. People have come far and wide to be here, and all know that coral is under threat, but not too many know exactly why. Marine biologist and reef guide, Kate Slaughter, explains what coral even is in the first place, and the cause of increased bleachings.

Tanya Murphy, a community campaigner with the Australian Marine Conservation Society, talks about the misconceptions behind the reef’s health and emphasises the impact of climate change on bleaching.

James, Elysee, and the wharf tourists reflect on their impact on the reef. Tanya and Kate also touch on tourism operators’ place in conserving the natural resource they profit from, with surveys and coral planting, but also highlight the importance of education and advocacy.

Thank you to:

Kate Slaughter from Coral Nurture Program

• https://www.coralnurtureprogram.org/

Tanya Murphy from the Australian Marine Conservation Society

• https://www.marineconservation.org.au/
• And her podcast, Word on the Reef
• https://open.spotify.com/show/5HH7mXTHistUgg4loRIqEz

Recorded, written, and edited by James Worsfold and Elysee Lee.

The Australian housing crisis isn't just affecting people, it’s causing an animal housing crisis too. With countless new developments popping up all over the country, James and Elysee talk to experts to find out exactly how it's affecting wildlife, like platypus and koalas, and what solutions there may be for living in harmony with them.

They first chat with Dr Michelle Ryan, an aquatic ecologist, about a healthy platypus population in Western Sydney. With the platypus habitat threatened by the effects of new housing developments around the corner, citizen scientists have helped get government attention to protect them.

Then, James and Elysee visit Koala Beach on the NSW North Coast, where 75% of the development area has been designated to keep as koala habitat. Irene Tims, a resident, explains what it’s like to live there.

Next, our hosts talk to Deborah Tabart, chair of the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF), about how she negotiated the protection of koalas at Koala Beach. The AKF says that a Koala Protection Act will help ensure that the impact of future developments won’t be as devastating to koalas.

Hugh Possingham, former Queensland Chief Scientist, is a supporter of higher density housing to save our precious species. He talks about how the set up of our cities and suburbs are currently unfavourable, not only for biodiversity, but also for us.

Thank you to:

Dr. Michelle Ryan

Cattai Hills Environment Network

• https://chen.org.au/what-we-do/citizen-science-research/

Irene Tims

Deborah Tabart OAM from the Australian Koala Foundation

• https://savethekoala.com/

Professor Hugh Possingham

Recorded, written, and edited by James Worsfold and Elysee Lee

A fish that can’t swim, the rarest fish in the world, needs a hand.

Our hosts James and Elysee are in south-east Tasmania, home to several species of handfish, a curious creature that ‘walks’ along the sea bed on fins modified to look like hands.

They chat to Dr Tyson Bessell who researches the Red handfish at the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania, and talk about the quirks of this little fish. Our hosts also speak to Prof Neville Barrett, a marine ecologist also at the University of Tasmania, who helped discover the decline of handfish several decades ago. Neville talks about how climate change is impacting this sedentary fish and Tyson discusses the Red handfish’s captive breeding program, affectionately nicknamed ‘Handfish School’.

James and Elysee also catch up with the Invasive Sea Star Clean Up group in Hobart, and join volunteers to dive and remove introduced sea star species from handfish habitat. They chat to organiser Keith Thomas-Wurth and other participants too.

Finally, James and Elysee travel to Dodges Ferry, a small town just on-shore from where the only Red handfish populations live. Here they meet Jenny Scott, a local resident who organised a mass beach protest against the expansion of salmon farming in order to protect the handfish. Our hosts discuss the environmental impacts fish farming is having on Tasmanian waterways and Jenny talks about the community's love for their own endangered fish.

Thank you to:

Dr Tyson Bessell

Associate Professor Neville Barrett

Jenny Scott

Keith Thomas-Wurth from Invasive Sea Star Clean up Tasmania

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/1318246581861063
• Clean ups once to twice a month, just show up!

Recorded, written, and edited by James Worsfold and Elysee Lee

The long-awaited Great Koala National Park in NSW's Mid-North Coast was announced in September 2025, and will protect over 400,000 hectares of native forest and countless endangered animals including koalas, Greater gliders, and Yellow-bellied gliders.

But behind this announcement has been years of tireless volunteer community work to put pressure on the government to fulfil their conservation promises, and to make sure that in the meantime, the forests and animals within will still be there to protect.

Hosts James and Elysee meet with ecologist Mark Graham, who introduces them to the lush subtropical forests in the hills behind Coffs Harbour and the charismatic gliders there threatened by native forest logging.

They also meet Deanna Markinova, head of Forest Ecology Alliance, a community volunteer group that conducts surveys to keep checks on logging activity and look out for vulnerable animals.

With De and ecologists Sue and Hank Bower, James and Elysee head out spotlighting to look for Greater and Yellow-bellied gliders to prevent their den trees from being logged.

Finally, James and Elysee visit the Blicks River Guardians – Meredith Stanton and Barry Hunt up in Dorrigo. Every morning they hold a vigil by the main road, blocking the entrance of Clouds Creek State Forest to prevent loggers from going in, and educate people passing by.

Thank you to:

Mark Graham
Deanna Markovina from Forest Ecology Alliance

• https://www.facebook.com/forestecologyalliance/
• Volunteers needed – send a message to their Facebook page or email forestecologyalliance@gmail.com

Sue Bower

Hank Bower

Meredith Stanton and Barry Hunt from Blicks River Guardians (Glider Reviver)

• https://www.facebook.com/blicksriverguardians

Recorded, written, and edited by James Worsfold and Elysee Lee

Like the brushturkey but much more elusive, the Malleefowl is a majestic bird on the decline.

James and Elysee track this bird down in the desert-like Mallee region of north-west Victoria, where they learn about its laborious lifestyle and compost-powered incubating mounds.

They meet a group of volunteers who head into the bush every breeding season to record important Malleefowl data to help aid its recovery, work that's otherwise too expensive for governments.

Ecologist Mirinda Thorpe takes James and Elysee out to find Malleefowl mounds and tells them how volunteer data has been used in a pilot program to rescue Malleefowl eggs after a bushfire.

James and Elysee also chat to Mick Webster and Ross MacFarlane, long-time volunteers, and Ross shares how his family’s farming community spearheaded the volunteer initiative.

James and Elysee explain land clearing and fragmentation, some of the drivers behind the Mallefowl’s decline.

They revisit Mirinda and her partner and fellow ecologist, Iestyn Hosking, to discuss addressing illegal land-clearing, as well as revegetation as a solution. The couple show James and Elysee around their property, which they've transformed from a cleared farm to one full of native vegetation and life.

Thank you to:

The Victorian Malleefowl Recovery Group

• https://www.malleefowlvictoria.org.au/
• Registrations for 2025 volunteer training are now open till the 3rd of October!

Ross MacFarlane

Mick Webster

Mirinda Thorpe

Iestyn Hosking

Macy Fuller

Recorded, written, and edited by James Worsfold and Elysee Lee

Welcome to 'Wildlife Ahead', a podcast mini-series about Australia’s unique and threatened animals and the passionate people working to save them from extinction.

This six-part series follows journalists and podcast hosts & creators, James Worsfold and Elysee Lee, on a road trip around Australia as they meet and learn from the invaluable folks dedicating their lives to protecting Australia's biodiversity, and spot some of our most precious animals for themselves.

A new episode of 'Wildlife Ahead' drops every second Wednesday from next week, so set your alarm, we're going bush!

This week we have a special edition of the podcast as we get Outback Mike AKA Mike Atkinson's take on the NSW National Park's proposal regarding camping fees. Mike brought the changes to the public's attention through an Instagram reel which has now reached over a million viewers, so we wanted to hear his thoughts firsthand.

Join our host Amy Fairall as she chats to Mike about the history of the booking system, some of the problems the changes are aimed at addressing and why he thinks they're going about fixing things the wrong way.

You can read more about NSW National Park's proposed changes here.

To have your say, respond to this survey by May 25th.