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Episode 3 - Dr Tammy Steeves: It's like Tinder...for birds!

26 January 2024

Forget love at first sight, finding the perfect match is all in the genes. Well, if you鈥檙e an animal on the brink of extinction. In Season 1, Episode 3, Dr Tammy Steeves talks about Tinder. for birds on UC Science Radio.聽Listen up.

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As a conservation geneticist, aka 鈥榞enetic matchmaker鈥, it鈥檚聽Tammy Steeves' job to find the ideal mate for some of Aotearoa New Zealand's most endangered native species. 聽In this episode, Dr Steeves, Associate Professor in the聽School of Biological Sciences聽at UC, talks about her fascinating work and how she鈥檚 helping to preserve the genetic diversity of some of our rarest taonga species 鈥 including the kak墨 or black stilt and k膿wai or freshwater crayfish. Tammy also talks about the聽聽Collective she started along with some of her fellow scientists, and how kindness can and is changing the way we do science 鈥 for the better.聽 #kindnessinscience

Listen on聽听触听听触听听触听


In this episode

02:22 In conservation breeding programs, what we're seeking to do is to reduce inbreeding, in the short term. We don't want close relatives mating because in the long term, what we're looking to do is to minimize the loss of genetic diversity. The reason why we care about that is because species actually need diversity in order to respond to changing environments down the track.

03:28 Our work isn't really done until it's actually been translated into conservation management practice. And the way that we achieve that is in partnership. We work directly with conservation practitioners from the very, very beginning, and throughout that process to come up with decisions that that matter.

04:10 Fundamentally, like all things, it's about building trusted relationships, directly with hap奴 or iwi or effectively mana whenua.

10.35 There were a number of people around the world, but also here in New Zealand, thinking about ways to make the science system more kind. To聽 really focus on the system in itself or the institutional structure, because it's not really about just about being nice to each other, that's absolutely not what kindness is or being kind is. It鈥檚 actually very hard to be kind, because it's about pushing for what is right and just.

14:10 I encourage people to contemplate their spheres of influence and use their privilege for good within that sphere. Because even spending 10 minutes with that one person in that one interaction could be life changing, in your sphere of influence.



Meet our speakers
Tammy Steeves
Tammy Steeves

Dr聽Tammy Steeves聽is a conservation geneticist, Associate professor at UC's , and co-leader of UC鈥檚 Conservation, Systematics and Evolution Research Team (). Tammy uses genetic and genomic data, to help us manage and look after some of our rarest native species 鈥 including the critically endangered Kak墨 or black stilt. She is also talks a co-founder of the now global 鈥樎燙ollective鈥 鈥 a movement she started with fellow scientists to foster diversity, respect and wellbeing, and openness in science for better science outcomes. Tammy says she鈥檚 happiest when 鈥渂eing of some use鈥 and gets a lot of joy from seeing her science being applied in the real world.

Learn more about Tammy:聽Research profile听触听

Molly Magid
Molly Magid

Molly Magid聽is an MSc student at UC. A recent graduate of Brown University, Molly is working on research in conservation genomics with Associate Professor Tammy Steeves from the School of Biological Sciences. Molly is passionate about finding ways to communicate science to the public in a clear, novel, and engaging ways. Most recently, Molly worked as the lead student producer on the podcast聽,听which answers listener's questions about sustainability using relevant science research.

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