Ducks on the Pond

Climate change can be one of those topics that people either avoid, argue about, or feel completely overwhelmed by. Meanwhile, climate policy is often a political football. So how do we have better conversations about it, especially in rural and regional Australia, where the impacts are often felt first and hardest? And why is it still considered by some to be a ‘leftie inner city issue?” We’re joined by two brilliant minds: Social researcher Dr Rebecca Huntley and climate scientist,&nb...

This is a big, honest, and deeply human conversation. In this episode, Kirsten sits down with Warrnambool mother, Amanda Gaudion, who shares the story of her former husband Troy — a devoted dad, police officer, and someone who experienced a severe mental illness that ultimately led to his death by suicide. It’s a conversation about love, confusion, systems, stigma and what it’s actually like to live alongside complex mental illness that doesn’t fit neatly into the categories we’re more comfor...

When was the last time you had a difficult conversation? Maybe it was with a family member, at work or even within your community. While it can be easy for us to shy away from hard chats, our next guest considers her ability to have “crunchy” conversations a superpower. From a young age Liz Brennan had these conversations role modelled within her family. So by the time she found herself in Papua New Guinea working alongside cultural leaders in a tourism role, she felt well prepared to p...

Ducks on the Pond is back with Season 8! Hear what's coming up on this powerful 10 episode season and meet Bronwyn Fletcher, founder of Weighting for Happiness.... and Ducks Season 8 sponsor. Bronwyn is working to change the conversation around women and weight through a systems-thinking approach to health and wellbeing. She unpacks why rural women often face different barriers to support and services, and why addressing complex challenges requires moving beyond simple fixes. Bronwyn al...

“If farmers don’t have a voice, they’ll be dealt a poorer hand.” That’s the simple mantra that motivates Rebecca Reardon to be involved in advocacy with NSW Farmers. Rebecca is a mixed farmer from Moree in NSW, an agricultural economist, board director and Vice President of NSW Farmers. Her path into agricultural leadership wasn’t linear. After 20 years working post–farm gate in the grains industry, including stepping into a CEO role during one of the most personally challenging periods of he...