• As an artist and educator, I see that this moment calls for a way of working through decolonization and forging a path of care. I like to think of this through multispecies communities so that, as humans, we're surrounded by more than human life, even in our urban environments. This path of care for our multi-species, communities that make up the neighborhood, the community, and ultimately the earth is where I see my call for research and practice. 

I know Julie Andreyev from my time on the board of the Canadian Association for Sound Ecology and from the acoustic ecology in Vancouver where she is an Associate Professor in the Audain Faculty of Art, Emily Carr University of Art + Design where she teaches New Media + Sound Arts and Critical Studies.

Julie is located on the unceded, traditional and ancestral territories of the Coast Salish people, including the  xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations, as well as the unceded traditional territories of more-than-human animals and plant life including bears, deers, raccoons, eagles, ravens, crows, hummingbirds, cedars, firs, salals and others.

It’s the first time I see a land acknowledgement that includes more-than-human life and Julie is a good person to lead the way. 

Her multispecies art practice explores more-than-human creativity and our relations. You’ll hear talk about some current projects including Bird Park Survival Station, a long term reciprocity project with local birds, and Branching Songs a sound art project that draws attention to wondrous gifts provided by trees and forest ecosystems.

During our conversation Julie mentioned her book : Lessons from a Multispecies Studio : Uncovering Ecological Understanding and Biophilia through Creative Reciprocity

Near the end Julie tells a fascinating story about crow friends of hers, so stay tuned. 

Julie’s recommended listening are:

• Tree Museum Talking Territory Podcast : interviews that explore the aesthetics and politics of trees, animals and relations to the land. 
• When We Talk About Animals podcast
• Quantum Listening by Pauline Oliveros 
• One Drum by Richard Wagamese
• The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger
• Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.

Your feedback is always welcome at [email protected] and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on January 9, 2026