In The Reeds: Canada's Conservation Podcast

Competing needs are emerging in our boreal forest. Warming temperatures from climate change are making it easier to farm in the boreal – some calling it “the new agricultural frontier.” At the same time, massive increases in food production will be needed to meet our global food supply needs. But the Canadian Boreal Region contains the largest area of wetlands of any ecosystem in the world, serving as a breeding ground for more than 12 million water birds and millions of land birds. It is the largest intact forest on earth. Three million square kilometers are undisturbed, giving Canada the opportunity to do large-scale conservation work that just wouldn’t be possible in any other areas of the world.

The first researchers to study this issue, Lee Hannah and Patrick Roehrdanz of Conservation International, join Jennifer to explain how this is an issue of sustainable agriculture and climate mitigation above all else.

Also, Jennifer thinks this episode is best enjoyed with a glass of merlot.

In her new book, The Bird Way, Jennifer is joined by NYT bestselling author Jennifer Ackerman to discuss the remarkable intelligence underlying how birds conduct their lives: how they communicate, forage, court, breed, and survive. Once considered only traits of humans, Jennifer dissects how birds show deception, manipulation, cheating, kidnapping, cooperation, collaboration, altruism –and ingenious communication between species –showing us there so much more to our feathered friends.

Get to know Jennifer (link to): https://www.cbsnews.com/video/conserving-north-americas-bird-populations/#x 

There have been three sightings of the Asian giant hornet in the Pacific Northwest - a place they should not be. Lab findings determined that two of the hornets were from different colonies. This means there were at least two simultaneous arrivals of the Asian giant hornet. Yikes.

They are an invasive species that bully the native species to the point where they can't survive. And that's a problem for conservation efforts.

It's pollinator week - and Andrew MacDougall joins the pod.

How will the efforts to address climate change look in a post-coronavirus world? Will it bring out the best in us? Or will our exhaustion and economic fears set the conservation movement back? Jennifer makes the case that important things can come from difficult events—including the existence of Ducks Unlimited. Seasoned crisis management expert Ben Morgan joins the pod to unpack this idea.

Word Nerd meets Bird Nerd in this episode about how the three North American organizations of Ducks Unlimited are adjusting course with the unveiling of a new international conservation plan. The conversation also touches on mysteries of corn, ducks in horror films, Bernie Sanders, and Harley Davidson. Sounds random, but it was recorded in a simpler time.

The theme of this year’s World Wetlands Day is biodiversity. As Australia’s bushfires rage on, the state of their biodiversity remains front-page news. Dr. Chris Dickman, a professor of ecology at the University of Sydney, assess the devastation and shares why he believes Australia is the canary in the coalmine for the rest of the world. Then, Canada’s own biodiversity expert, Dr. Kai Chan, helps us to understand what lessons Australia’s biodiversity challenges can teach us here at home.

Ducks Unlimited Canada CEO, Dr. Karla Guyn, talks wins and challenges in conservation, how conservation partnerships lead the way, and the vision to strengthen Canada’s conservation community.

In The Reeds host Jennifer Sanford is joined by the pod’s former host, Wayne MacPhail, as they celebrate the best and brightest moments of the year. Together, they open the vault to 20 previously aired episodes. Don’t miss the end, as Jennifer shares what inspires the spirit of the pod.

What to do about carbon is a major issue. But what do we actually know about carbon? And how can the wetlands, grasslands, and coastal area we conserve help? We’re talking Carbon 101 on this special edition of our In the Reeds podcast.