2025 Great Toad Bust

4ZZZ’s Mic Smith discusses 'The 2025 Great Toad Bust' with Kelsi Taylor, the Invasive Species Manager at Watergum. Mic also chatted with ecologist, author and invasive species expert Tim Low about toads and the broad critical threat of more recent other invasive species.

Understanding the Conflict Situation in West Papua

For several decades, disputes and conflicts between West Papua and Indonesia have been ongoing. The indigenous West Papuans believe their nation’s sovereignty was illegally taken by Indonesia post colonialism. As tensions persist, many questions remain such as what is currently going on inside West Papua and the actions being taken by domestic and international parties.

4ZZZ's Toni Pankaluic spoke with Benny Wenda, Chairman and President of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua to learn more about the current happenings as well as the political history shaping the situation.

The FrogID Citizen Science Project Wants You

Here in Queensland we often hear about the steady advance of the introduced cane toad, however we don’t hear much about our native frogs. Many of us have experienced the surprise of our common green tree frog under a toilet seat… are they thriving or at risk?
There are over 250 known Australian frog species, how are they responding to a changing environment? Which frogs are at risk and how can we help?
4ZZZ's Eliot Rifkin chatted about the FrogID Project with Dr Jodi Rowley the Lead Scientist of Australian Museum's National Citizen Science project - "FrogID".

Preserving our Internet Historial Records before they forever Vanish

Have you ever wondered about past libraries throughout global history, which have been destroyed either by accident or malicious intent, and in turn losing valuable knowledge transcribed on books and texts?

Well, today the physical libraries are not the only knowledge centres at risk of losing valuable human records in understanding the world we live in. Our digital history via the internet could be facing a black hole of being lost forever. Recently the Internet Archive experienced a cyber attack from hackers... sparking fears on the potential worst case scenario.

So why is this happening? And what are we doing to protect our past? To discuss the importance of digital archives, 4ZZZ's Toni Pankaluic spoke with Professor George Buchanan, Deputy Dean of Research at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University's School of Computing Technologies to learn more about the cyberattack as well as digital preservation currently happening for the future.

'Thief' Seabirds could spread new Avian flu to Australia

Avian influenza viruses have infected bird populations around the globe long before humans were aware of them in the 19th Century. In 2021, a new strand of bird flu known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) infected many birds across most of the world. Currently the virus has still not reached Australia, but the threat still looms large especially amongst seabirds.

4ZZZ's Toni Pankaluic spoke with Simon Gorta, a conservation ecologist and PHD candidate from the University of New South Wales Sydney to discuss this Avian Influenza strand, seabirds in general and particularly the species involved in the spread.

Torres Strait Islanders and their new corporation - Kara Debe Lusik

We've all heard of the First Australians from the Torres Strait, however do you know where the Torres Strait is? Do you know the hardships Torres Strait Islanders endured in early Australia or their contributions?
There is a new Torres Strait Islanders corporation (Kara Debe Lusik) being founded to ensure networking and that their culture continues.
4ZZZ's Eliot Rifkin chatted with Cherissma Costelloe a founder of Kara Debe Lusik about an upcoming 'Callout' (28 September) as well as familiarising us with the Torres Strait Islanders' history and the corporation's aims.

Saving Feral Camels at Brisbane's Camel Farm

Did you know that we have feral camels living right here in Queensland? Do you know how the camels got to Australia or if they are an environmental problem? Are they being culled like the feral horses at Snowy River in Victoria?
4ZZZ's Eliot Rifkin chatted with Paul Martin from Summerland Camels to discuss his local camel farm as well as feral camels.

Ongoing Sudanese Civil War - Understanding the Past and Present

You made have heard of the recent conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine making headlines and receiving ongoing coverage in the media, but did you know there has been an ongoing civil war in Sudan since April 2023? In fact, this war has caused major humanitarian and economic damage with rival factions vying for power.

4ZZZ's Toni Pankaluic spoke with Dr Noah Bassil, an Associate Professor of Global Politics at Macquarie University to learn about the current conflict as well as the historical context which has shaped Sudan today.

The Bone Bus

Ever heard of The Bone Bus? And no, we're not talking about a spooky Halloween bus ride! we're talking about a bus that takes care of your bones! So let’s get stuck into the bare bones of what this bus is all about! 4ZZZ's intrepid reporter, Anita Diamond, interviewed Elan Zwick from MeasureUp Australia to learn all about The Bone Bus.