Afternoons for Thursday 31 March 2022

1:20 Funding package to make an impact on Predator Free 2050 progress

Predator Free 2050 recently announced a huge funding package - $6.7 million - that would be dispersed among six research projects helping to cleanse Aotearoa of invasive predators.

They join nine existing projects that are researching groundbreaking advancements to ultimately rid the country of predators completely by 2050.

One of the recently funded projects focusses on trying to control stoat breeding.

Landcare Research wildlife ecologist Andrew Veale talks to Jesse about their work.

1:30 Bridal boutiques suffering as COVID reshapes weddings

In the wake of covid, many small towns continue to do it tough.

In the South Canterbury town of Waimate, two stores have closed in the past month.

And the owner of the town's bridal store has made the difficult decision to close the bridal side of her business.

Mandy Tangney from Amanda's Bridal and Fashion Boutique talks to Jesse about the tough times she's faced.

1:40 Looking at ways to help turn around the literacy issues facing young students

With the release of the damning report about the state of literacy in New Zealand and the follow-up announcement of a new education strategy last week, many have chimed in on the best way to get Kiwi kids reading skills back on track.

For those who missed it, the report revealed that by the age of 15, two out of every five kids are failing or only just meeting literacy standards.

Teacher, Emma Nahna, is reading a book, she believes, can help to reverse the literacy problems facing children. She talks to Jesse abut "The Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading" by Christopher Such and why she thinks it can make a difference.

1:45 Great album: Raising Sands

Today's link 3 winner will get a vinyl copy of Raising Sand. It's a Grammy-award winning collaboration album by rock singer Robert Plant and bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss.

It was first released on October 23, 2007 by Rounder Records, and won Album of the Year at the 2008 Americana Music Honors & Awards and at the 2009 Grammy Awards.

2:10 Music Critic: Colin Morris

Today's Music reviewer, Colin Morris, talks to Jesse about Juanita, a track fro Sturgill Simpson featuring Willie Nelson. And in a behind the scenes look back he talks about meaning of the lyrics in the Steely Dan hit, Rikki Don't Lose That Number.

2:25 NZ Sporting History: NZ tennis great Chris Lewis

Today for NZ Sporting History we're joined by one of the most successful New Zealand tennis players of all time. 

Among many career highlights, Chris Lewis is perhaps best known for the incredible tennis he played in the 1983 Wimbledon tournament - making it to the final against John McEnroe as an unseeded player. 

Chris speaks to Jesse from California, where he runs a tennis academy.

3:10 Link 3

3:15 Solving the World's Problems with Simon Wilson 

This week senior writer at the NZ Herald, Simon Wilson, looks at the current issue before the Auckland Council which is looking at decreasing car parking across the city.

He says the strategy is not aimed at making life difficult for car drivers but rather a way to make public transport more efficient and accessible.

3:20 History with Dr Grant Morris: The Finalised 2022 Compulsory NZ History Curriculum 

The finalised version of the Ministry of Education's compulsory NZ history curriculum is now available. Historian Dr Grant Morris ahs previously spoken about what could and should be in the curriculum. Today he'll discuss how teachers can get ready for this important change.

3:35 Spoken Feature BBC Witness

In the 1960s, a group of black stunt performers formed a pressure group to fight for the right to work in Hollywood. Their main battle was against the practice known as "Paint Down", under which white stuntmen would use black make-up and wigs to portray black actors in stunts. Victoria Farncombe talks to Alex Brown, one of the founder of the Black Stuntmen's Association, about his decades of campaigning work in Hollywood - and his appearance in the James Bond movie, Live and Let Die.

3:45 The Panel with Sue Bradford and Conor English