117-Earth-Based Land Management with Garry Merkel

117-Earth-Based Land Management with Garry Merkel

Any chance I get to pick this guy’s brain I do it! Garry has spent decades considering the clashing of two cultures, Indigenous and western culture, and how the miscommunication between them has built up barriers that are difficult to break through. Garry lays out his experience, as an Indigenous person, and as a forester, regarding the past present and future of land management, communication, and collaboration. He explains the earth-based land ethic held by many First Nations cultures, and how this land ethic may be the answer to many of our questions, or at the very least worth considering.

116-Swamplands with Edward Struzik

116-Swamplands with Edward Struzik

You know those soggy, low places, where the trees are leaning like they have had too much to drink, and the sharp yellow of the Tamaracks in fall makes you want to go for a long walk? Those are the places we are discussing today. Edward Struzik joins me to discuss his new book, Swamplands. He details the cultural histories, folklore, economic activities, species at risk, carbon capture capacity, flood mitigation and future of the world’s peatlands.

115 - Prescribed Fire In National Parks with Michel Thériault and Elisabeth Caron

115 - Prescribed Fire In National Parks with Michel Thériault and Elisabeth Caron

If we want healthy ecosystems, we must balance the human demands of nature with the ecosystem’s capacity to provide it. For centuries, eastern Canada has experienced massive fire suppression, nearly complete loss of cultural fire, clearing for agriculture and homesteading, planting of non-native trees species for timber harvesting and so many other disturbances to its natural ecology. La Mauricie National Park is trying to right some of those wrongs and bring balance back to the landscape. This podcast details the last 30 years of prescribed fire in La Mauricie National Park and the lessons they have learned.

114-Community Forests with George Brcko

114-Community Forests with George Brcko

On this podcast we often talk about managing the forest for ALL values, equally, in a way that benefits all interests. Community forests may hold some answers. How do engage the public in a meaningful way? How do we embody cultural, recreational, and environmental values in forest management? How do we do collaboration right? The good folks of Wells Gray Community Forest might have some answers.

113-Reconciliation with Garry Merkel

113-Reconciliation with Garry Merkel

What does reconciliation have to do with forestry? “It has everything to do with it.” - Garry Merkel. If we want to be stewards of the land we need to be able, and willing, to support those whose livelihoods and culture are dependent on it. In this episode, Garry opens his heart to us so that we may better understand our role as stewards and as people. His honesty and openness make him a true role model.

112-Learning From Our Mistakes with Milo Mihaljovich

112-Learning From Our Mistakes with Milo Mihaljovich

If you could decide how our forests will be managed, what would you do? Would you make drastic changes? Who, or what would be informing those changes? Would it be politics? Science? Culture? History? Or maybe a combination of these things. Today, we are going to dig into one of these aspects. Our history, specifically the history of forest regeneration. This will provide some much-needed context for what should come next.

111-Environmental Sociology with John Parkins

111-Environmental Sociology with John Parkins

As land stewards, we spend most of our time discussing the hard science. If we take this action on the landscape how will that affect everything else? For today’s episode, we are stepping out of our comfort zone and into the mysterious and intimidating world of people. How do people’s views and relationship to nature change how we manage it? If we could adjust society’s perspective, how would that shift the outcomes of environmental management? Ultimately, how does sociology change things?

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110-Old Growth with John Innes, Andy Mackinnon and Garry Merkel

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110-Old Growth with John Innes, Andy Mackinnon and Garry Merkel

Old Growth. What does that mean? How old is Old? How big is Big? How much is out there? How ecologically unique is it? And finally, how should we interact with it? It is one of the last natural remnants of a pre-industrialized society. Many relate it to the loss of the great barrier reefs or the shrinking Amazon rainforest. Why is there still so much conflict and how is it going to be resolved. What does the future of Sustainable Forest Management look like? Today, we seek some answers.

109-From The Wild with Kevin Kossowan

109-From The Wild with Kevin Kossowan

What makes a forest? Is it the trees? The animals? The plants? The soil? A forest is the connection between all these things. What makes it exciting is all the possibilities it holds. One such possibility is its capacity to feed and nourish us. And it may be one possibility that most people haven’t fully taken advantage of. Kevin Kossowan is passionate about wild food and helping people to see the potential natural places hold to nourish us, both physically and mentally. We talked wild food, artistic expression, perspectives, simplicity, taking advantage of what’s convenient, and much more.

108-Philosophy of Nature with Martin Bunzl

108-Philosophy of Nature with Martin Bunzl

Nature. What is it? Where does Nature end and Human-made begin? Where do we draw the line? Why would we draw the line? Questions like this keep Philosopher Dr. Martin Bunzl busy. Martin says the point of philosophy is to get us to question our assumptions. By questioning our assumptions, we are able to re-imagine our reality and dig deeper into the truth. By challenging our most fundamental pre-conceived notions of nature, and our relationship with it, we might discover a deeper meaning, and perhaps some answers to our most challenging questions.

#107-Honouring Truth with Michael Gubbels

#107-Honouring Truth with Michael Gubbels

As stewards of the land, it is the duty of all environmental professionals to look after all forest values forever. We have gotten good at managing for plants and animals, water, and recreation. Unfortunately, Indigenous values have been left behind. Indigenous people have been left behind. The only way we can properly account for Indigenous values and needs is to understand where they come from and what they have been through. We must look into the dark depths of Canada’s past and accept it for what it is. Perhaps when we all understand we can seek to forge a new path forward together. If we want forest management to succeed, we need Indigenous people to succeed. Let’s start by hearing their story.

#106-Glyphosate and Biodiversity with John Nash and Matthew Olson

#106-Glyphosate and Biodiversity with John Nash and Matthew Olson

We ask a lot of our forests. We demand food, water, and wood for shelter, but we also ask it to be natural, biodiverse, healthy, and ever-lasting. To many, these things seem at odds. How could we extract resources while maintaining healthy and sustainable ecosystems? With extensive research, forethought, and the right tools we can balance all these values at once. Albeit that balance often treads the knifes edge. This is why we need every proven tool at our disposal to assist us with that balance. Herbicides may be one of these tools. To find out how it measures up we speak to ecologists and researchers about its ecological impact in the long term. We must follow the science if we want all values to persist. No values have to suffer if all values are considered equal.

#105-The Trouble With Wilderness with Ben Cosgrove

#105-The Trouble With Wilderness with Ben Cosgrove

How does music impact your life? Does it make you happy or sad, giddy, or intense? Does it make you relax or reflect on life? Does it change the way you think about and relate to reality? It does all those things for me. So, I wanted to explore the intersection between art and science and how one can make us think differently about the other. Ben Cosgrove’s art is inspired by nature and our relationship with it, so who better to speak to.

#104-Defining Land Reclamation with Anne Naeth

#104-Defining Land Reclamation with Anne Naeth

Humans love the outdoors. We love to observe it, recreate in it, listen to it, and we depend on its resources to drive our economy and build cool stuff. Unfortunately, the way we go about extracting some of these resources can sometimes leave nature worse for wear. In comes land reclamation to save the day! Reclamation of environmental resources is a tricky, complex, and fascinating science. From building soils like Anthroposols (human-made soil) to fixing waterways, land reclamation is one very cool way to rebuild what was lost.

#103- Women In Wood with Jessica Kaknevicius

#103- Women In Wood with Jessica Kaknevicius

What does true equity look like? Why is it important? How do we accomplish it? Jessica has spent her career looking for answers to these questions. Turns out, it’s on us. We have to do the hard work to make true equity and diversity a reality. We have to look our own bias in the face and allow it to change us. We need to ask the hard questions and get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Only then can we all recognize the benefits of true equity.

#102-Waking The Sleeping Giant with Jake Kheel

#102-Waking The Sleeping Giant with Jake Kheel

Sustainability can be confusing. We all want it, but how do we achieve it? Jake Kheel makes it understandable. In his new book “Waking The Sleeping Giant: Unlocking the Hidden Power of Business to Save the Planet” Jake details one companies sustainability journey. Jake explains how chasing sustainability has changed not only their business but the local environment, economy, and communities for the better. In the end, it is just about solving problems.

#101-Digging Into The Past with Kurtis Blaikie-Birkigt

#101-Digging Into The Past with Kurtis Blaikie-Birkigt

Archeological finds in the boreal forest have exploded in the past 5 years. Hundreds of new sites have been located with evidence of vast populations of Indigenous people living deep into the boreal forest, not just on the fringes like what was previously hypothesized. This changes the way we think about the boreal. It was never an untouched landscape. People are deeply rooted in this land and the forest itself evolved with people as part of the ecology. These new findings paint a picture that should cause us to reflect on our relationship with nature, and how we interact with it. Kurtis is an Archeologist with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the boreal forest. He came on to discuss how Archeology is changing our future.

#100-Recycling Is Dead with Raz Razgaitis

#100-Recycling Is Dead with Raz Razgaitis

Water security is not something most of us have to worry about in developed countries. But we do have to worry about our footprint when it comes to the water we choose to drink. Plastic water bottles are largely discarded, despite the exhaustive decade-long campaigns to get people to recycle. And much of those that do get recycled end up in our oceans and landfills anyway. We have potable water only steps away, in most of North America, yet we go out of our way to buy single-use plastic water bottles. Why? Flowater is a company that wants to help us fall in love with our tap water again. They were founded on the basis of a fundamental human right: that everyone deserves access to clean, safe drinking water without the environmentally destructive effects of single-use plastic water bottles. The conversation today is one example of how business can make the world a better place.

#99-Our Next Evolution with Laura Calandrella

#99-Our Next Evolution with Laura Calandrella

Finding solutions to our ever-lengthening list of environmental management problems can seem nearly impossible. We have a desire to solve an issue, create opportunity, make the world a better place, but we don’t know how, or where, to begin. Collaboration is the key. But how do we begin collaboration in a way that will create a meaningful and lasting relationship? A relationship that can withstand disagreement and different perspectives, but at the end of the day is there to make the right decisions to further sustainability and in turn humanity. Laura Calandrella has dedicated her life to building these relationships and she is here today to talk about her experience. Her book “Our Next Evolution” details how to create collaborative leadership that lasts.

#98-Project Forest with Mike Toffan

#98-Project Forest with Mike Toffan

We all want to go to sleep at night knowing we did the right thing. Knowing the decisions we made were true to our values. Knowing we can hold our head high because we didn’t compromise and did something to make the world a better place. Project Forest is one organization that is trying to give companies the means to put their money where their mouth is and invest in something that will improve our world. Project Forest is rewilding Canada one forest at a time by planting forests on non-productive agricultural land. By planting forests, they allow their investors to stay true to their values of environmental and social responsibility by sequestering carbon, building habitat, and creating a sustainable forest legacy.

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