Sarah Konoski

Listening to you, Steve, it's so clear how deeply connected you are to that part of Australia and the insights and learning you can gain from being there.

So it's kind of intriguing to me that you took off for six years to be at the pinnacle of a very different kind of life.

environmental system, which is the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.

What led you to take on that extraordinary historic role, but of a very different, I'm imagining, kind of relationship with the environment being director over there?

That's quite a backyard to have in London.

Are there gum trees in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew?

So were they part of your morning walk when you had the botanic gardens to yourself?

I imagine you liked checking those out.

You mentioned earlier, Steve, that you've been gifted a totem, a eucalypt totem.

Can you tell me about that moment when you were gifted that and what it meant to you?

Podcast and broadcast.

This is Conversations Live.

With Sarah Konoski.

Steve Hopper was my guest on Conversations today.

Steve is Professor of Biodiversity at the University of Western Australia and the author, most recently, of Eucalyptus.

This conversation was produced by Meggie Morris and recorded on the lands of the Turrbal, Yagara and Menang peoples.

Our executive producer is Nicola Harrison.

I'm Sarah Konoski.

Thanks for listening.

You've been listening to a podcast of Conversations with Sarah Konoski.