The Forest Underground – hope for a planet in crisis, S26 Ep28

The Forest Underground – hope for a planet in crisis, S26 Ep28

Author: BEAM Mitchell Environment Group Inc July 23, 2026 Duration: 54:41
What if the impact of your efforts to save the planet and plant trees could be seen from space? How exciting would that be?Tony Rinaudo is someone who spent 18 years in West Africa seeking to support farmers to regenerate forests and fight desertification. The program, called Farmer Managed Forest Regeneration, has been responsible for growing 200 million trees and reforesting 6 million hectares - about the size of Tasmania.Tony has received many awards for his work, including as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and the Right Livelihoods Award. He is a special guest on EarthChat this week, talking to Tim Budge about his work across many countries and the importance of trees for the whole planet.Get more information about his wonderful book  from the publishers here. Read more about Tony Rinaudo here, here and here.

Every Tuesday, the team at the BEAM Mitchell Environment Group Inc sits down for EarthChat, a weekly conversation that digs into the environmental questions that matter locally and resonate globally. Hosted by Vanessa, Peter, Ruth, and Tim, this isn't just a rundown of headlines; it's a thoughtful exploration where science, policy, business, and community action intersect. You'll hear genuine discussions that consider the practical realities and the hopeful solutions for the planet's most pressing issues. Originally broadcast on Seymour FM, each episode of this podcast captures the spirit of those live, midday conversations-whether you catch the Tuesday broadcast or the Saturday repeat. The dialogue is grounded, informed by the group's non-profit perspective, and always aimed at making sense of complex topics. Tuning into EarthChat means joining a community of listeners who are curious, concerned, and ready to engage. It’s a space where environmental news moves beyond commentary and into the realm of tangible, shared understanding. So find the episode that piques your interest, and get ready for a chat that informs and inspires action.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

EarthChat
Podcast Episodes
Top Environment issues, S26 Ep34 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:03
This week Marie Gerrard chats with Ian Dempsy about the most important issues facing us due to environmental damage. They discuss the damage being done but also possible actions to mitigate them. All on this week's Earth…
Environment Minister Jaclyn Symes joins EarthChat this week [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:06
Jaclyn Symes is the State Labor Member for Northern Victoria and the Minister for Environment, Energy and Resources, Climate Action and the SEC. She is also this week's guest on EarthChat, part of our series of talking t…
How fair is modern society? S26Ep32 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:53
Does everyone have the same access to financial, legal and health benefits in today's society? Who will benefit from the massive role out of data centres? Does capitalism only work when socialism bails it out every ten y…
Friends of the Earth Melbourne, S26Ep31 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:26
FOE's Cam Walker joins Ruth to outline significant environmental issues for this next Victorian State Election. Cam will take us through the issues and then offer ways we can help to be part of the solution.Aside from th…
How Indigenous Cultures Remember Everything, S26 Ep30 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:05
This week on EarthChat, Tim Budge talks with Dr Lynne Kelly AM, a science writer and Adjunct Research Fellow at LaTrobe University. After a secondary school career, Lynne returned to university to complete a doctorate, a…
Caring for Communities, Gardens and Country, S26 Ep29 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:07
This week, new EarthChat host Meredith Budge welcomes Clare Claydon as her first guest. A long-time, Central Victoria resident, Clare has spent her life working in community development across education, refugee and migr…
What will be the real cost of data centres? S26 Ep27 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:37
This week, EarthChat hosts Mark and Jacqui are talking about the environment impact of data centres. It is generally accepted that they will use significant amounts of energy and water. There will be costs and impacts.AI…
An ode to trees: losing trees means losing our lifeline, S26 Ep26 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:46
Ruth is joined by Dr Greg Moore OAM, a Senior Research Associate from the University of Melbourne, and EarthChat regular, Cath Olive from the Euroa Arboretum. They join her to talk about the latest data collected from th…
Serrated Tussock - a very nasty weed, S26 Ep25 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:34
This week on EarthChat Marie chats with Ivan Carter on the detection and control of Serrated Tussock, the working party tasked with its detection and control and the impacts of it.How do we dispose of Serrated Tussock, w…