What was the world like ten, twenty or a hundred thousand years ago? What was the environment, the plants, the animals and the insects? And, importantly, how did these mesh into an ecosystem? To answer these questions about deep time, we need, not just sophisticated techniques, but the skill and passion of people like our guests today. Dr Alex Wall and PhD Student Jalen Nalbant are paleoecologists. In this interview by Sophia and Rod, we look at what that means and why it matters today.   You can help our paleoecology friends by putting a pollen trap in your garden. The samples you collect will be used to refine the models showing how pollen is distributed over an area. Simple & fun for both urban and rural. https://www.jcu.edu.au/college-of-science-and-engineering/vegemap