Episode 131 - Episode with ‘Bee Man’ Clancy Lester

Transcript

Jen (00:00:09)

Welcome everybody to another episode of Let's Talk SciComm. I'm Jen and as always, I am joined by my most excellent friend Michael, Dr. Michael Wheeler. How are we today, Michael?

Michael (00:00:22)

Hello, Jen. I am fabulous today. I'm very excited for today's episode. We have a very special guest with us today. We have the pleasure of speaking with Clancy Lester, a passionate environmental educator who's really all about climate, environment, Indigenous knowledge, science communication. Clancy...

Jen (00:00:43)

And one of our former students Michael. We need to claim him. We got to meet Clancy in class and we've been tracking him ever since.

Michael (00:00:55)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was going to mention that, but let's put it out there now. Clancy, it's fantastic to see you as one of our former students go on to have such great success that we, you know, we can't claim all the credit for, but just saying, you were a former student of one of our subjects.

Clancy (00:01:13)

And I very enjoyed the class a lot. And it's definitely stuck with me. And I've definitely sent a lot more students your way that have been asking me about subjects to do with their Masters or whatever. And I said, "Yep, do that SciComm one. It'll do wonders for you."

Jen (00:01:30)

Oh, that's awesome. Thanks, Clancy.

Michael (00:01:32)

Oh, excellent. And people might know you Clancy by another name. You are the Bee Man or Bee Man 🐝 on Instagram. And, you know, you share your knowledge. They're really a lot focused on native bees and other insects to an impressive audience of 31,000 people I believe, so far. And that number is only growing.

And you are currently the alumni engagement officer for the Wattle Fellowship. And I know you're a past Wattle fellow yourself, where you ran an education project about native bees. For the listeners, Clancy also runs an educational initiative called beesandblossoms.org. And you deliver workshops and you do presentations about native pollinators, urban biodiversity. And your programs have reached thousands of people in person and millions online, which is fantastic.

You have been featured a lot in the media as well, Clancy. And I know you were recently named as one of the ABC's 2025 Trailblazers. So for the listeners, that's an internship program for young Australians driving positive change in regional, rural and remote communities. So congratulations there.

And you've recently produced a documentary as well, along with Max Shannon, about Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous seasons and the impact of climate change called Seven Seasons. So big congratulations there as well. Clancy, you've worked with a whole range of different partners and initiatives. You know, from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal and the City of Melbourne, the Wattle Fellowship, Zoos Victoria, Bloomberg Philanthropies and many more.

So congratulations on all your achievements Clancy, and welcome to the podcast.

Clancy (00:03:35)

Well, thanks so much for having me on Michael. That was an awesome little rev up, little pump up. But yeah, as you say, I like to stay busy and love to just do heaps of cool stuff and yeah, involve myself in all different sorts of things that are really be passionate about the environment and nature and Indigenous knowledge. And yeah, as you can see, some of the things I've been involved in have been related to that and awesome. So yeah, love to be on the podcast today. So thanks for having me on, Michael and Jen.

Jen (00:04:09)

Oh look, we're just so rapt that you're here. And I'm sorry I jumped in too early Michael. I know you were going to like lead to this great crescendo of "and Clancy's one of our own". But I couldn't help it because Clancy, we're just so proud of you. People often ask me, "What's your favourite thing about your job?" And without doubt, I say "our students" because our students are just amazing.

And my favourite part of that is watching people like you who no doubt are already really skilled communicators when you come to us, but then spend a semester or two with us and hone your skills a bit and come out saying, "Right, this is how I'm going to have an impact in the world. This is how I'm going to make my mark because I've got this knowledge and this expertise and this passion. I know the sort of audiences that I want to communicate with and I'm going to work really hard to make sure I work out how to get those messages to land in ways that lead to really amazing things happening".

So yeah, my favourite part of my job is watching someone like you just go out and do incredible things. I'm really proud and yeah, let's get into it. I can't wait to hear more about what you're doing and yeah, why you're doing it.

Clancy (00:05:11)

Yeah, thanks Jen. I do agree that it's one thing to have all the passion in the world, but a bit of guidance and mentoring goes a long way.

Michael (00:05:22)

Yeah, it certainly does. But let's talk about that passion to start off with and you know, to bring it back to where it all began.

What sparked your passion for the environment and native pollinators in particular?

Clancy (00:05:38)

I think there's a few things along the way that have sparked it, I would say. As long as I can remember, I grew up obsessed with nature. I was lucky to grow up surrounded by nature in country Victoria in a small little town. Shout out to Numurkah, if anyone has ever heard of that. Sometimes you say, "Well, where's that?" "Oh well, it's halfway between Waaia and Katunga". People just... So it's somewhere in northeast Victoria.

And yeah, just growing up, like loving going down the local creek or going camping, that sort of thing, and being just around nature and obsessed with nature. And then over time, sort of learning about it in school and university. And watching like those documentaries and National Geographic and stuff.

But one thing that really went from like sparking it to just really igniting the the fire in my belly was doing an awesome research project up in northeast Arnhem Land with the Yolŋu people around native bees. And that's where that sort of all ties in with the Indigenous knowledge, giving a platform to that and being passionate about sharing native bees and pollinators and that sort of thing. That's where it all sort of stems from.

And just the sort of incredible experience that I had up there is just, was just so special and you know, what I learned. And then when I would come back and talk with my mates or talk with someone down the street and they would say, "Oh, what? Like, you know, do we have native bees in Australia? I thought there was just those honeybees." Or like, you know, "I didn't know that there was Indigenous seasons" or you know, "I didn't know the insects are declining".

And after more and more people I talked to, just the sort of general public consensus around a lot of these things is very very ill informed. So I was like, there's such a little niche here that I can really have an impact with, educating just the everyday Aussie about these awesome things and sharing cool science and that sort of yeah, where it all come from. And then what I've just been up to lately, trying to get after it.

Jen (00:07:57)

And I mean, really, who wants to be Spider-Man or Batman when you can be Bee Man, really?

Clancy (00:08:01)

Yeah, exactly right. I think that was, I was a bit unsure about claiming that sort of title, but it just kept coming up. It wasn't even like a self-proclaimed. It just sort of kept coming up in the comments. I was like, it's got a bit of a ring to it. Let's run with it. So yeah, I don't mind the Bee Man. It's a nice one.

Jen (00:08:24)

But to go from being a bit silly to getting serious Clancy, one of the things that you said just before is giving a platform to Indigenous knowledges and Indigenous understanding in science, something that absolutely Michael and I also feel really strongly about.

But it's complicated, right? It's a complicated thing. Can you talk to us about how you go about respectfully and thoughtfully kind of incorporating Indigenous perspectives and knowledges into your education work? And at what point did you become convinced that this is something that's really important that we do?

Because certainly when I was a student... Obviously I'm a lot older than you are. But when I was a student, there was absolutely no notion that Indigenous knowledges were important and needed to you know, to have their place if we were thinking about nature or climate. So yeah, tell us a bit about your history there.

Clancy (00:09:17)

Yeah, well, it is a very great, interesting topic just around how to go about including it and you know, being a part of these collaborations. And one of the important things is the fact that it's not a consultation and that it is like this two-way knowledge exchange. And you set up like a respectful relationship, so it's not, you know, an extraction of knowledge. It's not like a transactional relationship, but it's something that's built on trust and communication and being respectful.

And that's why a recent collaborator I had on the documentary said that it was really good to be a part of because it felt like a collaboration versus a consultation. And because it is such a... it's not even that it's like a touchy subject or a taboo, but people are just wanting to be respectful and wanting to you know, tread on eggshells a little bit just so that they go about it the right way they can. But sometimes that can lead to not going about it at all because it's just this thing where people don't know how to just have a go at trying.

And one thing we're seeing at the moment is that there's, you know, educators that are going out to teach other educators how to educate on Indigenous knowledge. Because there's like this, there's this thing around, "Ooh, like I want to share it, but how do I share it?" And it's good that people want to be respectful about sharing it. But at the end of the day, we have to just have a crack, and just try and go about as respectfully as we can so that it is getting shared in the first place.

Because it's, you know, it's better to be... Have the right intentions and you know, maybe you get corrected on something or there's like a better way for you to be more respectful and it's important that you improve on that. But we definitely need to just at least try our best because we do have so much knowledge worth sharing, and then we have the people that are sharing this knowledge are quite often under these incredible cultural loads.

Jen (00:11:28)

Hmm, exactly.

Clancy (00:11:29)

And for the listeners, a cultural load is just the fact that we have these knowledge holders around Australia that are in First Nations that have such awesome knowledge. But everyone, you know, wants to learn that. So they're under these constant pressures to be sharing that and under this cultural load. So, yeah, there's a few ways to go about it. And I just love to just try and have the best intentions and let it be known that you really are coming about it the right way.

Jen (00:12:00)

And I think as you say Clancy, I mean, I just couldn't agree more with everything that you've said and I'm always so aware of that cultural load. But as you say, the alternative to potentially making a small mistake while trying to do your very best, the alternative to that is saying, "Well, I just won't try because I'm too frightened of being insensitive or culturally inappropriate". And then we don't ever get anywhere. You know, then that knowledge never becomes more widely shared so I completely agree with you.

And I can't imagine Clancy that you wouldn't go into any of these conversations without the absolute best intentions. And that shows in the work that you're doing.

Clancy (00:12:37)

Yeah, absolutely. And that's 100% the way I try and go about it the most, just letting it be known that you have the right intentions and building that trust and respect and a safe cultural environment. Yeah, before you, before you go about it.

Michael (00:12:52)

Yeah, that's a really good perspective that you have. And I guess you're saying there that it's like a two-way flow of information. You're going out to these communities in these rural and regional and remote areas. And that's a really important part of your work.

And I suppose the other important part of your work then is the urban environments too. You know, urban biodiversity I think is something that people can overlook. My brother actually sent me a video and I said, "I'd have to ask you about it Clancy". He lives in, you know, inner city of Melbourne.

There were videos like thousands of bees, like a bee swarm in his, in his back garden. And he became really interested in like, why are they there? What are they doing? I'm not sure if he's got you know, lots of bee hotels.

But, you know, it's just you know, it's really interesting to think about that kind of interaction between the urban environment and and wildlife. So I suppose I wanted to just ask you for your thoughts on that. You know, how do you get city dwellers to really appreciate the you know, the wildlife that's around them and to also protect the wildlife that's around them?

Clancy (00:14:17)

Yeah, absolutely. And that's a brilliant question and a topic that I love to talk about. Because this is like the own bias we have in our way of thinking and our Western mindsets is that we love to have things categorised and we love deadlines and we love frameworks and we love these things that we can sort of draw the line in. And one of those things is the the divide that we see between you know, like nature and civilization.

Or like you said, you know, a garden or a park reserve versus an urban environment or a city. But no matter where you are, you're actually in a part of nature. Even if you're in the middle of the Melbourne CBD, you know, there's still birds flying around. There's still, you know, bugs that are on the leaves of the city trees and things. So we need to see ourselves as a part of nature and one with nature so that we can understand it and be connected with it and care about it and protect it.

And in urban environments especially, is where we really need to look after nature. And it's funny like you said about your friend and the bee swarm. And the fact that the bees are actually swarming is an indicator that you know, there's enough resources nearby for them to swarm. Because what... This is a European honeybee thing that they'll do when there's plentiful resources, when there's lots of flowers nearby and things, the bee, the beehive, they'll lay like extra queen eggs. They're called queen cells.

And when those eggs hatch, if the queen doesn't get replaced and then there's this, there's you know, there's like a surplus of queens in the hive, one of the queens will leave. And then some of the workers will go with that queen, some will stay. And this is how the European honeybees like reproduce and make more hives and spread into more areas.

So the fact that they're swarming is an indicator. It's like, right, there's enough resources that if this hive split up, then they would still both be able to survive and establish hives. Because there's enough, you know, flowering resources and things nearby. So that's like obviously an indicator that, you know, he's surrounded by nature and by flowers, if the bees are happy to go off on their own venture and set up a new hive. So that's just case in point right there.

Michael (00:16:48)

Yeah, great. That's fantastic.

Michael (00:16:50)

Yeah, well, shout out to Alan there. You can listen to that fantastic answer from Clancy.

So it's happy swarming then. It's not... It's, yeah, there are plenty of resources. That's good to know.

Jen (00:17:04)

Yeah, we had a bee swarm. Our next-door neighbours have got a big hedge at the front of their place and there was a huge bee swarm in that last week as well. And yeah, I didn't realise that that's signifying this, you know, massive resources, which makes sense. There's lots of nice trees and flowers around here. But yeah, I'm glad you asked that Michael. Now I can explain to everyone. All the neighbours are like, "What's going on? What's going on?"

Michael (00:17:28)

Yeah, just tell them to listen to this episode.

Clancy (00:17:29)

Yeah, so the swarm is actually thousands and thousands of bees that are just huddled around the queen to protect her. So if you stuck your hand into the middle of the swarm, you'd probably be able to grab the queen out. So they're just like trying to protect her.

Michael (00:17:42)

Oh, wow. Yeah, okay.

Jen (00:17:44)

And how many stings would we get in that process?

Clancy (00:17:47)

Well, it's funny because it's actually the least likely time to get stung. Because usually people go, Oh, the bees are swarming, trying to like swat them away. [But because] all they're trying to do is just protect and huddle around the queen, they're not worried about defending or anything because that's their main concern. They're not in an aggressive state at all when they're swarming.

Jen (00:18:09)

Well, they've moved on, so I can't go and test it. But I trust you. Thousands wouldn't, but I'll trust you.

Clancy (00:18:13)

I'm not sure if I'd recommend testing it anyway.

Jen (00:18:15)

So Clancy, sticking with the theme of bees, I want to hear more about Bees and Blossoms. Because from what I can see online, it's an incredible initiative. But for somebody who's never seen your Instagram account, doesn't know anything about bee hotels, can you tell us: what is Bees and Blossoms? And what do your workshops, you know, what do they involve?

Clancy (00:18:37)

Yeah, so the idea behind Bees and Blossoms is just to be an everyday Aussie person and share what I find cool and interesting about nature and the environment and climate. And that's just yeah, how I try and come off. I was loving the like rev up that I had from Michael about the start and the things I'm involved in. But I'm not one for having like titles or you know, CVs and things like that.

I'm... I like to say I'm just, am nothing special about me, I'm just an everyday person that just is passionate and cares. And that's what I just try and do with this Bees and Blossoms social media, just sharing really cool things about nature and the environment and finding other people that also care and find it interesting.

And then, you know, you can sort of create a bit of a community. And when there's things that we can get passionate and advocate for or you know, educate people about, that's like where the communities really came together and it's been awesome to be a part of it.

Jen (00:19:40)

So let's talk about the online stuff and your thousands and thousands and thousands of followers in just a second. But before we get to that, are you surprised that there's demand for kind of in-person workshops about bees and bee hotels and things? Like are you amazed just how much interest you've managed to generate? Or did you already kind of have a sense, you know, there's a niche out there and I can come and step into this?

Clancy (00:20:03)

Yeah, it's sort of a bit of both. Because, you know, if you do ask the... Because there's obviously, there's always going to be you know, you're always going to find your people with like these algorithms. And when you're talking about bugs, you're going to find your bug people. Yeah, you're right. There is like quite a few out there.

And even when I go to you know, like a small country town or like a little community or find a gardening club or something like that. And yeah, being able to like go to all these really cool environments to yeah, run these talks or incursions, it has been yeah, really awesome to see the support I get from different like little small niche hidden away communities that sort of pop up and be like, "Oh, can you come here to do a talk?" "Of course, I'd love to." I love to talk to this, you know, like 80-year-old, you know, friends group that love gardening, you know. It's been awesome to explore.

Michael (00:21:06)

Yeah. I mean, it sounds like you've really cracked the algorithm. I mean, 31,000 followers and growing. It's really fantastic. I guess yeah, I'm just curious to know, like do you know specifically what is it about your content that has managed to connect with such a wide audience? I think you kind of hinted at it there that you know, you're genuine, you're an everyday person communicating about this. But, you know, have you any other kind of tips or advice I guess, for people out there who might be trying to grow their own Instagram following?

Clancy (00:21:41)

I think, and one of the trends as well is the fact that I talk about things I find interesting, and people can see like my passions and interests and enthusiasm that come through the camera, through the screen. And especially in like a day and age where we're as disconnected from each other as we ever have been and you know, there's all this like AI generated content and slop that's filling our feeds, I think it can be refreshing at times to see like a young, a young country town man that loves bugs and nature. And people can sort of yeah, resonate with it and yeah, seem to love jump on board.

And so if I had tips to people that maybe were thinking about making their own content, it would be to, to yeah, just talk about things that you find interesting so that your passions and your enthusiasm can exude through what you're speaking about.

Jen (00:22:41)

And I think it's also about you're a total nerd in the very best possible way Clancy, and you embrace that and you share that love.

I mean, it's irresistible, right? As you say, someone who talks about things they really care about, people will always want to listen.

Clancy (00:22:57)

And people... Yeah, people do love... Like when you talk about finding your people, when sometimes the videos that have performed really well is where I've really, you know, nerded out and got into the crux of things. And there's some people that are just like, you know, this nerd just loves his bees or loves his flowers. People can yeah, really get behind it. It's great.

Jen (00:23:20)

It doesn't get much more wholesome than that Clancy, so... But I do want to ask about... I mean, I love watching your reels and everything just because you're you, you're completely you. There's no airs and graces. We just see you for who you are and we do get this sense of how much you really love what you're doing, which is fantastic, but... And also you're really funny, I have to say. Everyone, if you haven't watched Clancy, he really makes me laugh a lot.

But there's a flip side to what you're doing, which is that you're often talking about really serious stuff. You know, we're talking about the biodiversity crisis. We're talking about the climate crisis. And I think for everybody, but probably particularly young people who don't yet have the opportunity to vote, feel really as though they don't have any agency. You know, these are really difficult, upsetting, stressful topics.

So for you as a young person who's got this platform as an environmental educator, I guess I want to hear, (a) How do you not just end up in complete despair? But also how do you get that balance right between communicating the seriousness of the state of the world without wanting to leave your audience feeling hopeless and lost? How do you?... Yeah, how do you manage all of that?

Clancy (00:24:30)

Yeah, that's actually a fantastic question. Because it seems as though the more, especially in the climate and biodiversity space, the more that you educate yourself, the more despair and hopelessness you do feel. And that is something that's very difficult to navigate, especially for young people.

Even if something isn't hopeful, sometimes you can actually get hope and feel hopeful yourself through the act of doing. So it is a very hard one to navigate, but I like to sort of yeah, bring people in and then part of it is educational, providing the ways for people to get involved so that yeah, so you're not just like sitting around being, feeling hopeless, but trying to give people ways to actually act on things.

Michael (00:25:22)

Yeah.

Jen (00:25:22)

Yeah, I think that's such an important point. We talk on this podcast all the time in the context of procrastination, that motivation follows action. But I think you're right. I think hope follows action.

Clancy (00:25:34)

Yeah, absolutely. Just in the act of actually getting after it and doing what you can is yeah, sometimes what can actually give you the hope that you need.

Michael (00:25:48)

Yeah. Well, you're certainly getting after it Clancy. You've racked up quite a few achievements so far.

And we are running out of time. But before we switch gears and move to our quick questions, I would like to ask, you know, what is next for you? What's?... What are some big projects on the horizon?

Clancy (00:26:09)

What is next for me? That's... Sometimes I don't even know what I'm going to be doing like tomorrow or next week versus you know, in the future. Because I just love to just take things as they come and just say yes to as many things as come across my desk. And I feel like that just leads me into some of the most random opportunities and you know, one thing will lead to the other at times.

I think what I really love at the moment is yeah, this Seven Seasons documentary. And so we're recording this at the end of 2025. And yeah, so I'll be doing some screenings in cinemas and at different places over the next few months. And I've been loving, you know, connecting with people over this sort of documentary.

Because it's one thing to get someone to watch one of your videos for 30 seconds and then forget it ever existed versus having people you know, trapped in a room for half an hour to watch a documentary. It's like a really, an awesome way of connecting. So that's what I'm loving at the moment.

But yeah, I just want to keep seeing where this Bees and Blossoms and social media and online advocacy leads me because I'm really loving that at the moment. So I just will keep sort of trying to pursue that while I can.

Michael (00:27:27)

Yeah, fantastic. So for all our listeners, yeah, keep an eye out for those screenings. And if you're not already following Clancy on Instagram, you should click that Follow button.

Alrighty Clancy, we are running out of time. So before we let you go, we do like to round out the interview with our quick questions.

Michael (00:27:52)

These are the real tough ones now. So [I] hope you're ready.

Clancy (00:27:51)

Okay. I was born ready. I'm sort of a bit nervous now though.

This is my favorite question of the whole interview Clancy. What is your favorite bee fact or bee joke that you like to tell at a cocktail party?

Clancy (00:28:14)

So cocktail party, so 18 plus. So the male Megachile or Leafcutter bees, they have these forearms which are super extra hairy. And what they'll actually do is when they're mating, they'll put their forearms over the eyes of the females.

And why this is interesting is because the different ways that the hair refracts through the... Sorry, the different ways that the light refracts through the hairs on their forearms will help decide the female whether she sticks around or if she flies off.

And so this will actually help the confusion between you know, like species and things because different male bees will have different hair on their forearms that they're putting over the eyes of the females. So it's like this interesting mating adaption.

Jen (00:29:01)

Oh, that's cool.

Michael (00:29:01)

Wow.

Jen (00:29:06)

And when you go to cocktail parties Clancy, which I'm sure you do all the time, do you bring some props so that you can have lots of hair on your own forearms and just demonstrate?

Clancy (00:29:16)

Yeah, that'd be a good idea. Maybe take out some like, take some hair gel and spike up the forearm hairs. Put them on display. Not to give out any ideas though.

Jen (00:29:27)

Alright, next question is, what is one communication skill that you're working on improving at the moment?

Clancy (00:29:36)

Okay, that's a good one. I would say probably my writing and trying to find the way to yeah, the right sort of framing around the way I want to like come off as a person.

Because it's been a bit of a battle with trying to be, you know, this like laid-back, young Aussie bloke, but then also, you know, being able to flick the switch and you know, know my stuff and be like a serious professional at the same time. And being able to convey that through writing has been a bit tricky. So that's one thing I'm working on.

Jen (00:30:18)

The credible larrikin, hey?

Clancy (00:30:21)

Yes, yes. The casual professional, yeah.

Michael (00:30:24)

Sounds like a good title for a blog.

Clancy (00:30:26)

That, yeah.

Michael (00:30:28)

You heard it here first.

Clancy (00:30:29)

Thanks for that. I might quickly trademark that one.

Michael (00:30:32)

Yeah. All righty, Clancy. So moving from writing to speaking, what is your go-to method for managing nerves for a talk or an interview that you're doing?

Clancy (00:30:47)

I think that just knowing your stuff. And the thing that makes me nervous is when I'm going somewhere [where there's] going to be people that really do know their stuff and I'm thinking, Oh, are they going to like, you know, pull me up on something I've said wrong? So I just make sure that I'm well rehearsed and knowledgeable about the topic.

Otherwise nah like, talking doesn't really... sort of just feels like a conversation or it even when I'm speaking to like large crowds, I don't really get nervous so long as I know, you know, the facts and evidence and what I'm going to talk about.

Jen (00:31:24)

Being prepared, hey? It pays dividends.

Clancy (00:31:27)

Yeah, absolutely.

Jen (00:31:29)

So Clancy, next question. Is it coffee or tea or something else that fuels you every day?

Clancy (00:31:36)

If I had to choose a liquid, it would be cordial. I'm not a, I'm not a like caffeine enthusiast.

But red, like red cordial would give me all the energy I need.

Michael (00:31:48)

Yeah. Well look, I could correct that sentence for you. You're not a caffeine enthusiast yet Clancy. So you might still join us.

Clancy (00:31:57)

Yeah, true.

Yeah, very true. I survived like a Master's. I don't know if I like started a PhD, whether or not I would get hooked on the caffeine.

Jen (00:32:04)

I don't do caffeine either Clancy. I'll join you in the red cordial. Sounds great.

Clancy (00:32:08)

Yeah. Red cordial cocktails, please.

Michael (00:32:11)

Yeah. Sounds great.

All righty Clancy, final question then. What would be your very top tip for communicating effectively about science?

Clancy (00:32:23)

Ooh, that's a great one. I think, yeah, being passionate about something and talking about something that's interesting because that can really like convey through your voice and your energy.

And, you know, when you listen to a speaker, if they're really like you know, they're really just loving what they're doing, what they're talking about, I could listen to someone, you know, nerd out all day.

So I think yeah, finding something that interests you to talk about is probably my tip.

Jen (00:32:56)

Well, I think we could nerd out all day listening to you Clancy, and I really do encourage you, if you don't already know Clancy and his work, jump onto our show notes and have a look at all the places you can follow him because Clancy, you're just, you're doing an amazing education job. You're doing an amazing engagement job.

And I just love seeing you talking about the stuff that you love and being a nerd. So thank you for making time to come and chat with us today. It's been such a pleasure and we will keep following your journey. And Michael and I will be the ones always saying, "Yeah, we knew him before he was famous. Trust us. We knew him back then." So...

Clancy (00:33:32)

Oh yeah, thanks so much for having me on. It's been an absolute pleasure and it's also been awesome to like, do a like full circle from the student to now being able to go out and be a part of a career in science communication and then come back to speak with you know, the people that sort of all made it happen and gave me, you know the, the sort of the shoe along at the start and a bit of skills and training to get it all happening. So I thank you both and shout out to Cat as well, the singing scientist.

Jen (00:34:06)

Yeah, absolutely. Cat is a bloody legend and Linden and Graham, our other team members.

We are so lucky to get to work together and to get to work with people like you. So go at it Clancy. We'll be following along. We're very proud of you.

Clancy (00:34:19)

Thanks so much.

Michael (00:34:21)

Great. Thanks Clancy. It's been a pleasure.

Michael (00:34:35)

Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, we'd love you to tell a friend about the podcast or leave us a review. And you can reach out to us on social media.

And we're very excited to announce that we're launching a new newsletter called the ChitChat. Check out the link in the show notes or our posts on Instagram.

And also a big thank you to our production team, Steven Tang and Madeleine Kelly.