The Nairobi Ideas Podcast is on break until next year. But before we go, we’ve created this recap episode to sum up our second season. Check it out to hear Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, our host and Mawazo Institute CEO, and Kari Mugo, our Digital Media and Public Engagement Consultant, chat about their favourite episodes, some of the lessons they’ve learned so far, and all the love they have for our fans.

When Dr. Paula Kahumbu was a little girl, she had a run in with famed conservationist Dr. Richard Leakey, catapulting a lifelong curiosity about, and interest in, Kenya’s wildlife. Since then, Paula has gone on to become an award-winning Kenyan conservationist herself, and is the current CEO of WildlifeDirect. In this episode of the podcast, she celebrates Kenya’s rich biodiversity and talks about the need for civic education on conservation.

Global land use has been identified as one of the most significant causes of the rapid increase in climate change yet, Dr. David Kimiti says, little attention is being paid to curbing land degradation. Dr. David is Head of Research and Monitoring at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and a Senior Scientist specializing in Rangeland Ecology. In conversation with the Nairobi Ideas podcast, he shares his ‘systems approach’ to conservation.

In the fight against plastic pollution, many have hailed Kenya’s 2017 single-use plastic bag ban as a step in the right direction. The ban includes the strictest fines worldwide for individuals manufacturing or in possession of plastic bags, but was it the right decision? Were there other solutions for tackling plastic waste in the country that should have been considered? Nairobi Ideas Podcast is joined by plastic waste management expert, part-time lecturer, and consultant, Dr Leah Oyake-Ombis, a notable critic of the ban.

Kenya has one of the harshest plastic bag bans in the world, with fines of up to $40,000 for individuals found in violation. But has the country’s ban made any real change? Nairobi Ideas Podcast is joined by James Wakibia, an environmental activist and photographer who was instrumental in the campaign that yielded Kenya’s 2017 single-use plastic bag ban.

Global warming, the biodiversity crisis, and environmental degradation are changing life on earth drastically, and the effects on Africa are bound to be drastic. Join us on Season 2 of the Nairobi Ideas Podcast as our host, Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, finds out how experts on the continent are responding to these climate and conservation challenges.

Meet Dr. Rose Mutiso: She is Co-founder and CEO of the Mawazo Institute, Research Director at the Energy for Growth Hub, current Next Einstein Forum Ambassador representing Kenya, and voice of the podcast.

Meet Young Scientists Kenya (YSK): Michael is Co-founder and CEO of Miti Alliance, and a Board Member of Young Scientists Kenya, a platform for young people to demonstrate their innovation and showcase their scientific talents.