Zoe Kean
Hobart, TAS
Zoe Kean has a long-time love of science. She joined the ABC as the Darren Osborne regional science cadet in 2019 and has since become an award-winning science writer. She is a regular voice on radio across the ABC and her work appeared in The Best Australian Science Writing 2022. Zoe is now a features reporter at ABC Radio Hobart, telling stories from Tasmania and beyond. You can follow her on Twitter: @zoe_kean
Latest by Zoe Kean
Mysterious ancient tree lives in a small and remote location — deep in Tasmania's south west
How a tin miner living in remote Tasmania helped discover what may be the world's oldest and most mysterious clone that has excited scientists for years.
Tassie's weirdest, wildest tattoos prove passions in the island state are more than skin deep
Welcome to Tattsmania. From mountains, devils, tigers, and tunes, why is it that tattoos are so popular in Tasmania?
Australia mourned the death of one platypus — how can we save the entire species?
The death of a platypus found in a city suburb may reflect the fate of the entire species if we don't pay closer attention to how this Australian animal is faring.
Preyed upon and often mistaken for another species — meet the pademelon
How the pademelon often tricks the world into thinking it is the extinct thylacine, and seven other wild pademelon facts.
How the last King Island emu died a stranger in a foreign land
In 1805 black swans, kangaroos, and the world's last King Island emu lived amongst the sweeping lawns of the Château de Malmaison in Paris. So how did this creature make it to an empress' garden?
Bachelorette pads, cuddle puddles and solar-powered pests: The secret life of Tasmania's tiny bees
Tasmania's native bees aren't as notorious as the Tassie devil or the swift parrot. But these tiny, unassuming and strangely beguiling bugs are incredibly important to the state's forests and fields.
How a move to Tasmania in 1878 changed James Chung Gon's life
James Chung Gon arrived in Australia to try his luck on the goldfields of Bendigo. Legend has it that all he had to his name was a shilling in his pocket, but he turned it into a fortune.
Forget chocolate eggs. CSIRO scientists join the great shark egg hunt and they need help
Sometimes dubbed mermaid's purses, these strange and wonderful works of nature are a common find on Australian beaches and scientists want beachcombers to help them learn more.
The forgotten queer history of Tasmania's convict past and how it shaped social attitudes for decades
In 1997, Tasmania became the last Australian state to decriminalise sex between men, and one activist believes that enduring homophobia can be directly traced to the penal colonies of the island's past.
Final piece of wombat poo puzzle found with the help of physics and volcanic science
First they discovered that wombats created their famously square poos in the intestine and not at "point of exit". Now, the same team of scientists has explained how wombats poo such "perfectly consistent" pellets.
Should the Tassie tiger be brought back to life? Have your say and ask the experts questions
We want to hear from you — should the Tasmanian tiger be brought back to life? And what will that mean for First Nations people, the environment, and the ecosystem?
The longest fence in the world has transformed Australia's landscape in surprising ways
The dingo fence does its job keeping the predator at bay — but that single change has cascading effects on the environment, right down to the shape of the sand dunes.
Lobsters vs sea urchins. The battle to stop a spiky ocean menace
Long-spined sea urchins — the "single biggest threat" for reefs in eastern Tasmania — are arriving via an ocean current supercharged by climate change. So what can be done about it?
In Tasmania's western wilds, climate change is threatening a tree with its roots from Gondwana times
Unusually dry weather is leaving the state's Wilderness World Heritage Area sensitive to fire. It's a prospect that threatens a living fossil that traces its history to the ancient super-continent Gondwana.
Museums stocked with 'platysausages' as taxidermists get it wrong on Australian animals
While spotting a badly-stuffed platypus in an overseas museum may draw a laugh from visiting Australians, scientists say poor taxidermy is a serious matter that can affect a species' survival.
Could this be an answer to Tasmania's deer problem?
Deer numbers in Tasmania are soaring. A new trial will see specialist sharp shooters taking to the sky in helicopters next year to cull feral deer in Tasmania's world heritage wilderness areas. But how will it work?
What do we know about the ancient, mysterious creatures that once roamed Tasmania?
Meet Tasmaniosaurus, the ancient reptile fossil found in West Hobart.
Is sea foam safe to touch? We ask a scientist
Sea foam is the ocean's bubble bath, but is it safe? CSIRO algae scientist Anusuya Willis takes us into her lab to put it under the microscope.
Deception and death in a Tasmanian forest, as flowers use insects for their own ends
Sexual deception and sticky tentacles are just some of the risks faced by insects in Tasmanian forests at this time of year.
Tasmania's eastern quolls are dying out and scientists don't know why
Tasmania has long been thought of as a stronghold for the eastern quoll, but new research shows the species has been in decline in the state for the past 35 years.
50 years of research tracks ecosystem recovery of Hobart's Queens Domain
How removing one native tree is actually helping the grasslands and endangered native animals bounce back.
Tasmania's first woman underground on breaking the glass ceiling and life after mining
Chris Wilson had to get special permission from the government to work underground in a Tasmanian mine in 1978. At the time, other mines were being fined $500 if women were found below the surface.
These patients are grappling with what to do when they cannot afford the doctor
Sam Black says the sudden loss of bulk-billing at her local medical centre is a "big hit for a rural community", and means she can't afford to see a doctor.
Feather boas deployed in battle to protect native animals from feral cats
It seems that just like pets, feral cats — along with a host of native species — are attracted by feather boas and this finding might help scientists control the destructive pests.
'Exciting moment' reveals Tassie tigers glow under ultraviolet light
Just like the platypus, the extinct Tasmanian tiger glows under black light, adding to our early understanding of how animals communicate with their fur.