Insects as a Natural and Cultural Resource across Southeast Asia

Every year, World Wildlife Conservation Day is observed on 4 December. It reminds us of the importance of protecting our biodiversity, a message that is all the more urgent in the face of polycrises intensifying across the globe. At the foundational level of our ecosystems lie insects, which provide invaluable services to maintain healthy environments and populations of other species that depend on them. Insects also inspire human cultures and are useful in myriad ways within the arts, fashion, science, tourism and folklore. This episode’s guest is Matt Huan, Collections Officer at the Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney. Matt mainly works on the museum’s entomology collection which was founded by Alexander Macleay in the mid-late 18th century, making them some of the oldest insect specimens in the world. His work experience, and travel across Australia, Malaysia (his country of origin) and other Southeast Asian nations, have cultivated a deep appreciation for the natural world.