Afternoons for Wednesday 6 December 2023

 

1:10 First song: Aaradhna

It's been 18 years since Aaradhna burst onto our music scene with her debut record.

Since then she's infused soul sonics and hip-hop flavoured R&B with socio-political messaging to forge a musical identity all of her own, in turn becoming one of the most impactful artists of her generation.

However, she's been relatively quiet since the release of her album 'Brown Girl' in 2016.

But now she's back with a new tour and new music. Aaradhna treats us to a special live version of her track today.

1:25 How the takahē are helping climate change research

They're a national treasure but the origins of the takahē have long been a point of scientific debate.

Now new genetic research from the University of Otago has cast light on their evolutionary history, also uncovering the significant impact of humans and past climate change.

It's hoped the study, which comes 75 years since takahē were rediscovered, will improve conservation management for the species.

Dr Nic Rawlence co-authored the research, he speaks to Jesse.

1:35 Cycling to every Commonwealth Grave cemetery in the world

What started as a 14 month journey of rediscovery has turned into a 30 year cycling odyssey for my next guest.

Australian Michael "Mic" Whitty is aiming to cycle to every Commonwealth War Grave cemetery in the world before VJ Day 2045.

He is now in the middle of his New Zealand leg, cycling from Auckland to Christchurch.

Mic speaks to Jesse.

1:45 Milford Road Alliance's hard work recognised internationally

Workers on the Milford Road in Fiordland National Park are isolated, hard working and often not seen by the thousands who use the road to access some of the most pristine incredible nature we have in Aotearoa.

Now the team who keep the traffic flowing and the tourists happy have been recognised internationally for their efforts, they're the deserving recipients of the International Road Federation's 2023 Global Road Achievement Award - it was handed out in the US last month.

Kevin Thompson is the  Milford Road Alliance team manager, he speaks to Jesse.

1.50 Having a stress free low cost Christmas

Christmas day is now just 19 days away, typically a celebration that involves families and friends gathering to share food in some way.

It's a fond tradition for most - the ones doing the festivities hosting usually have a bit of stress on their hands.

There is help however - Mel Alafaci is known as the Happy Chef, and she's just released a book on the best way to have a quicky easy and most importantly cost effective Christmas.

2.12 Podcast Critic: Jemima Huston

Jemima's on a bit of a spooky roll with the content she's been listening to. She talks to Jesse about the BBC podcast, Witch and another, also from the BBC, called the Battersea Poltergeist.

2:20 Collectors corner: Nutcracker collecting

Today in Collector's Corner we meet Grethe Hansen, who's a nutcracker collector.

2:30 Bookmarks with John Rosser

For Bookmarks today we talk to the very musically minded king of choir John Rosser.

He's the founder and musical director of Auckland-based chamber choir, Viva Voce.

His roles include being Chorus Master of the New Zealand Opera for 23 years, and Chair of the New Zealand Choral Federation, where his efforts were rewarded by being made a life member in 2018.

3:10 The population and what our world is shaping up to look like 

Sometimes it feels like, our planet is bursting at the seams with humans.

But fertility rates are actually falling in many parts of the globe.  Dr Jennifer Sciubba is one of the  world's leading authorities on demographic trends and  the implications population rising and falling has on politics, economics, and even relationships. 

She explains why the future of work, migration and peace depend on the different paths we might take to deal with a changing, and aging population.  

3:35 Stories from Our Changing World

Coming up on Our Changing World - Claire Concannon visits the National Geohazard Monitoring Centre to learn how they monitor 24/7 for significant geohazard events.

3:45 The Panel with Heather Roy and Ian Taylor