That’s a wrap on the Earth Day Party podcast for 2025! In this episode, hosts Shannon Burns and Sarah Christie, recap some of their big takeaways from the 12 episodes, plus they share what they’re going to do differently following these conversations. Sarah mentions a focus on community and Shannon highlights her new love of picking up neighbourhood litter! Plus, the two reveal how much you helped raise for WWF-Canada!

Previous episodes mentioned:

Dr. Jane Goodall: Can I really make a difference and why do we need nature: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/962-earth-day-party-270964713/episode/dr-jane-goodall-can-i-really-273125713/

Protect Our Winters Canada: Why is it raining in January and do we really need snow: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/962-earth-day-party-270964713/episode/protect-our-winters-canada-why-is-272583301/

Plastic People: Microplastics and the oil spill in your body: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/962-earth-day-party-270964713/episode/plastic-people-microplastics-and-the-oil-271482059/

David Suzuki: Power of Community and reflecting on over 60 years of activism: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/962-earth-day-party-270964713/episode/david-suzuki-power-of-community-and-271482060/

WWF-Canada: The ten-year mission to regenerate Canada: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/962-earth-day-party-270964713/episode/wwf-canada-the-ten-year-mission-to-regenerate-272583299/

What is the most effective climate action we can take as an individual following this episode? Let’s ask Dr. Jane Goodall! Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and UN Messenger of Peace, is a world-renowned ethologist and conservationist, inspiring greater understanding, and action on behalf of the natural world.

On 14th July 1960 Jane, age 26, arrived on the shores of Gombe in Tanzania to begin what became groundbreaking studies into the lives of wild chimpanzee communities. The discoveries that chimpanzees make and use tools forever changed our understanding of our relationship to the rest of the animal kingdom. This transformative research continues today as the longest running wild chimpanzee study in the world.

Jane’s work builds on scientific innovations, growing a lifetime of advocacy including trailblazing efforts through her international organization of 24 Jane Goodall Institutes which advance community led conservation, animal welfare ongoing research and care for captive chimpanzees.

In 1991 Jane founded Roots & Shoots, an environmental and humanitarian program with 12 high school students in Dar es Salaam. Now Jane Goodall’s Roots |& Shoots empowers young people of all ages to become involved in hands-on projects of their choosing and is active in 70 countries.

Today, Jane travels approximately 300 days each year inspiring audiences worldwide through speaking tours, media engagements, written publications, and a wide array of film, television and podcast projects. In fact, this interview was the final one of Jane’s North American tour!

Dr. Jane Goodall joined Earth Day Party hosts, Shannon Burns and Sarah Christie and shared a powerful message of reconnecting with nature. What does Jane mean when she says humans are the most intellectual creatures but not the most intelligent? Why is working with local communities a key component of nature conservation? Dr. Jane Goodall explains, plus, she offers hope when she relays success stories!

Learn more about Dr. Jane Goodall here: janegoodall.org

Learn more about the Roots & Shoots program here: rootsandshoots.org

The Earth Day Party podcast is in support of WWF-Canada. Help protect wildlife and fight climate change during Earth Month with a gift to WWF-Canada. You can give now at: wwf.ca/earthmonth

Can AI save the planet or is it causing more damage? This episode of the Earth Day Party podcast introduces us to two experts! Carmi Levy is a leading Technology Analyst, Journalist and Digital Marketer whose insight into technology is reshaping the way we work and live. Carmi’s missions is to identify technology-related stories that most significantly impact our day-to-day lives, and explain tech issues in a meaningful, relatable, simple manner for diverse audiences.

Damon Mathews is the Interim Executive Director of Sustainability in the Digital Age!  Sustainability in the Digital Age is a think tank at Concordia University that explores how digital innovation can be used in support of healthy people and planet. Their mission is to help build a sustainable and equitable future. They work to be a bridge between sustainability science and digital innovation to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and promote living within planetary boundaries.

Both experts joined Earth Day Party hosts Shannon Burns and Sarah Christie to explain AI’s impact on the environment – the good and the bad. In this episode, we learn where waste is being generated from within the AI industry and what can be done to regulate further damage. Damon also provides takeaway questions we can ask ourselves about whether we need AI in day-to-day situations.

Learn more about Sustainability in the Digital Age: https://sustainabilitydigitalage.org/featured/

The Earth Day Party podcast is in support of WWF-Canada. Help protect wildlife and fight climate change during Earth Month with a gift to WWF-Canada. You can give now at: wwf.ca/earthmonth

How can the art of drag increase climate change awareness? Science is a Drag is the world’s first and longest running fully science-themed drag show. The team elevates science communication through the powerful art of drag. Science is a Drag is by and for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, empowering scientists and communicators to bring queer and intersectional science communication.

David Aceituno-Caicedo is an Environmental Scientist and Ambassador of Science is a Drag. He is currently a PhD Candidate in Biogeochemistry at the University of Toronto. Through his research, David studies how a changing ocean salinity can impact photosynthetic bacteria and influence how they interact with chemicals on a microscopic level. He also has a Professional Masters in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto Scarborough, where David studied contaminated site remediation and environmental consulting topics. 

David joins Earth Day Party hosts, Shannon Burns and Sarah Christie and shares the similarities in the fight for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and the fight for climate solutions. David also details how the joy of drag can empower us with knowledge on a subject that is typically overwhelming, the climate emergency.

The group does a “no silly questions” segment where they ask questions people have always wanted to ask an Environmental scientist! Are new species being discovered? How many years do we have before irreversible damage? Plus, David offers hope when he explains how far green technology and solutions have come. 

Learn more about Science is a Drag here: https://www.scienceisadrag.com/about 

The Earth Day Party podcast is in support of WWF-Canada. Help protect wildlife and fight climate change during Earth Month with a gift to WWF-Canada. You can give now at: wwf.ca/earthmonth

What does restoring one million hectares of habitat mean for Canadian Wildlife? WWF-Canada is the country’s largest international conservation organization. For more than half a century, they have been instrumental in protecting and restoring nature, as well as educating the public on the dangers of the climate emergency.

Megan Leslie is the President and Chief Executive Officer at WWF-Canada. She launched their bold 10-year plan to Regenerate Canada! This initiative aims to restore one million hectares of habitat, steward one hundred million hectares of vital ecosystems and reduce carbon emissions by 30 million tonnes. As a result, this work will reverse wildlife loss and fight climate change.

Megan Leslie joined Earth Day Party hosts, Shannon Burns and Sarah Christie and shared the exciting projects that WWF-Canada currently has in place to help achieve Regenerate Canada. Megan also highlights the important role Indigenous led conservation plays in the success of their ten-year plan. What are the biggest threats to wildlife in Canada and how can individuals take action at home? Megan Leslie provides hopeful suggestions for protecting nature as individuals!

The Earth Day Party podcast is in support of WWF-Canada. Help protect wildlife and fight climate change during Earth Month with a gift to WWF-Canada. You can give now at: wwf.ca/earthmonth

What can our favourite musician do about the climate crisis? Music Declares Emergency brings together artists, music industry professionals and music fans to call for an immediate government response to the climate emergency. You may recognize their slogan, No Music On A Dead Planet. The group believes in the power of music to promote cultural change needed to create a better future.

Kim Fry is the coordinator of Music Declares Emergency Canada and was instrumental in bringing the chapter to Canada. Kim joined Earth Day Party hosts, Shannon Burns and Sarah Christie, to share how some of our favourite Canadian artists are using their music to address the climate crisis. We hear examples of creative merch solutions, vinyl alternatives, upcycling used t-shirts, greener forms of transportation and more. Kim also explains the important role global artists like Billie Eilish and Coldplay have played in normalizing sustainable solutions to touring. For music fans, Kim offers solutions to greening your concert experience as well.

Add your name to the Music Declares Emergency Declaration here: https://www.musicdeclares.net/ca/en/

Take the #FansChooseToReuse pledge here: https://www.earthcareshow.com/fanschoosetoreuse

The Earth Day Party podcast is in support of WWF-Canada. Help protect wildlife and fight climate change during Earth Month with a gift to WWF-Canada. You can give now at: wwf.ca/earthmonth

Do we actually need snow? If you live in an area of the globe that welcomes a snowy winter, but dislike snow, it’s a question that’s likely crossed your mind! Protect Our Winters Canada is a passionate community of enthusiasts, professional athletes and industry brands who bring the outdoor community together to push for policies that will protect this planet. The impact areas that POW Canada focuses on are nature-based climate solutions, climate finance and renewable energy!

Natalie Knowles is a Research Specialist for Protect our Winters Canada. She’s a climate scientist, wilderness conservationist and a former alpine ski racer who won two NCAA National Championships with the University of Denver. Natalie also represented Canada at the World Junior Championships and the World University Games. She is no stranger to the outdoors or winter!

Natalie joined Earth Day Party hosts, Shannon Burns and Sarah Christie, to share the important role winter plays on protecting Canada’s biodiversity. She also explains what Canadian winters look like now compared to ten years ago and what the projections are if climate threats don’t change. Natalie offers hope when she shares an encouraging piece of data focused on climate action in your own community!

Learn more about POW Canada and how you can get involved here: https://www.protectourwinters.ca/

The Earth Day Party podcast is in support of WWF-Canada. Help protect wildlife and fight climate change during Earth Month with a gift to WWF-Canada. You can give now at: wwf.ca/earthmonth

Imagine a world that sees 10,000 new styles daily. We’re in it. Fashion Takes Action is Canada’s premiere non-profit that is dedicated to transforming the fashion system for people and planet. Their missions is to remove barriers to sustainability and engage the fashion ecosystem to drive collaboration, innovation and impact. Their work advances sustainable fashion by convening stakeholders, bridging knowledge gaps to empower informed decisions, removing barriers to sustainable fashion and driving global innovation. https://www.fashiontakesaction.com/

Kelly Drennan is the Founding Executive Director of Fashion Takes Action. Kelly co-wrote and published Canada’s textile recycling feasibility report, is a member of the G7 circular textiles agenda planning group, created the annual World Ethical Apparel roundtable conference, has given a TED Talk as part of the Global TEDx Countdown, developed youth education programs and more!

Kelly joined Earth Day Party hosts, Shannon Burns and Sarah Christie and shared an eye-opening breakdown of just how bad fast fashion is for the planet. In the interview, you’ll also learn about what is now called “ultra-fast fashion” and its environmental impact. Kelly offers hope when she shares sustainable fashion alternatives that we can consider as individuals. A takeaway you’ll want to listen for is Kelly’s advice on spotting and avoiding greenwashing in the fashion industry.

Learn more about ReMode:

Fashion Takes Action is hosting its third, annual ReMode event on May 3rd, 2025 at Arcadia Earth, at the Well, in Toronto

ReMode is all about learning how to keep your clothes in use through the 7R’s of Fashion. Running 11am-5pm, the event includes Talks, with industry leaders discussing a range of topics relevant to anyone who buys and wears clothes; a Marketplace, with a range of vendors that focus on reuse, resale, repurposing, upcycling, rental and repair; and a top-notch Clothing Swap, presented by SheShopsSwap

ReMode is a FREE event (RSVP via our website https://fashiontakesaction.com/remode)

There will be a $10 charge to participate in the clothing swap.

The Earth Day Party podcast is in support of WWF-Canada. Help protect wildlife and fight climate change during Earth Month with a gift to WWF-Canada. You can give now at: wwf.ca/earthmonth

What if there was a way to reduce your grocery bill while helping the planet? The National Zero Waste Council brings together organizations to advance waste and prevention and the circular economy in Canada. Their focus areas are circular economy, built environment, plastic, product design and packaging, reuse, waste prevention and food.

Craig Hodge, Chair of the National Zero Waste Council, joined Earth Day Party hosts, Shannon Burns and Sarah Christie to share the connection between food waste, the climate crisis and a rise in grocery costs. Craig explains the environmental impact of food waste and then shares multiple ways we can reduce it at a household level! Are we storing food properly? Are we buying ingredients we don’t need? Craig also offers hope when he talks about what the National Zero Waste council is doing to create more clarity around Best Before Dates vs. expiry dates.

Learn more about the National Zero Waste Council and check out their free resources HERE: https://nzwc.ca/focus-areas/food/Pages/default.aspx

Learn more about Love Food Hate Waste here: https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

The Earth Day Party podcast is in support of WWF-Canada. Help protect wildlife and fight climate change during Earth Month with a gift to WWF-Canada. You can give now at: wwf.ca/earthmonth

What if there was a trick for saving money and helping the planet? Repair Cafes are a solution to over-consumption and a form of resistance by relearning the skill of repair. Saba Saneinejad leads the Repair Café in Guelph, Ontario and joins Earth Day Party hosts, Shannon Burns and Sarah Christie, to share how repair and reuse are powerful responses to the climate crisis. In the interview, Saba explains how the cafes operate through a team of volunteers who all bring various skills to the table such as electrical work, mending clothes, bike repair and more!

Saba offers hope when she highlights how the movement builds a sense of community. The discussion highlights the importance of an anti-mass consumption mindset and the power of learning new skills.

The Repair Café in Guelph, Ontario is part of the Guelph Tool Library. Learn more about the work they do in the Guelph community here: https://guelphtoollibrary.org/

There are over 2,500 Repair Cafes operating around the globe! Find a Repair Café near you: https://www.repaircafe.org/en/visit/

Learn more about Earth Overshoot day here and the #MoveTheDate movement HERE: https://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org/

The Earth Day Party podcast is in support of WWF-Canada. Help protect wildlife and fight climate change during Earth Month with a gift to WWF-Canada. You can give now at: wwf.ca/earthmonth