The Oceans are an incredible feature of this planet that we all share, connecting not only coastal communities and ecosystems to one another, but all of the various inland ones that are impacted by and impact our oceans, from deserts in Africa to the temperate rainforests of Turtle Island.  My first repeat guest, Julia Huggins is a biogeochemist, forest ecologist, PHD student and microbe expert who is currently working to collect data on microbes in our oceans, so we sat down on a rugged coastal beach to chat all about it!  Lot's of great info here on the intricacies of our oceans, their current state, and what we can all do to become better stewards of the waters that connect us.

Information about ocean deoxygenation and the UN "Global Ocean Oxygen Network": 

https://en.unesco.org/go2ne

https://www.ocean-oxygen.org/

If you'd like more information on certain topics, feel free to contact Julia for papers and sources at [email protected]

Nerdy About Nature is an independent passion project that relies on support from folks like you!  If you’re enjoying this podcast and videos, please don’t hesitate to support their production at my Patreon page for as little as 1$ per month!  - https://www.patreon.com/nerdyaboutnature

You can also get NAN merch, stickers, resources and more information at www.NerdyAboutNature.com

Dr Rachel Holt is a forest ecologist based out of Nelson BC, and one of the authors of the infamous 'BC's Old Growth Forest: A Last Stand for Biodiversity' Report that was published in 2020, which created a huge wake throughout Canada regarding forestry practices and our diminishing old growth forests.  The report and work she did also contributed to the BC Government's Strategic Review of Old Growth Forests which helped outline our current state of affairs and the direction the province needs to move in the future...so in short, Rachel is kind of a big deal in the world of forests.  Her and I sat down after working on another project together to chat through some of the details of biodiversity, habitat fragmentation, and what (if anything) is actually happening when it comes to changing the landscape of the forest industry in BC for the better.

Read BC's Old Growth Forest: A Last Stand for Biodiversity - https://sierraclub.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/bcs-old-growth-forest-a-last-stand-for-biodiversity-report-2020.pdf

Science Alliance for Forestry Transformation - https://www.saftforestry.com/

Veridian Ecological - https://veridianecological.ca/

Nerdy About Nature is an independent passion project that relies on support from folks like you!  If you’re enjoying this podcast and videos, please don’t hesitate to support their production at my Patreon page for as little as 1$ per month!  - https://www.patreon.com/nerdyaboutnature​You can also get NAN merch, stickers, resources and more information at www.NerdyAboutNature.com

Leslie Anthony is a good friend of mine from the ski industry with a wide variety of skillsets.  Not only is he an outdoor travel and sports author, but a biologist who wrote a book called 'Aliens Among Us' a few years ago that's all about different invasive species, so I sat down with him alongside some train tracks to chat about it all!  Here we talk about different types of invasive species, what makes them invasive in the first place, how great they are at adapting, how they get around the world *cough*train tracks*cough*, and the different phases of preventing, detecting, eradicating and managing them.

Check out Leslies book 'Aliens Among Us' here: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0300208901/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_bb_amazon_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641

Whistler Naturalists: https://www.whistlernaturalists.ca/

Nerdy About Nature is an independent passion project that relies on support from folks like you!  If you’re enjoying this podcast and videos, please don’t hesitate to support their production at my Patreon page for as little as 1$ per month!  -> https://www.patreon.com/nerdyaboutnature

You can also get NAN merch, stickers, resources and more information at www.NerdyAboutNature.com

Mark Worthing is the Coastal Projects Lead for Sierra Club BC and is an incredibly well-spoken, intelligent, and inspirational guy doing some really important work for our forests, indigenous nations, and the world at large.  He & I sat down to chat about the connections between forests and politics, and in this chat we cover quite a bit - Government / Industry ties that create forestry policy and the hype behind deferrals, the shortcomings of conservation groups in the past, what indigenous sovereignty looks like and how we can break down the barriers of colonization that still exist today, and even some more philosophical conversation around the concept of 'optimism' and what keeps him moving forward through what can often be very heavy, heartbreaking work.  

This chat may contain some sensitive talking points or perspectives, but I feel that it is really important for us all to embrace the discomfort that comes with these conversations.  These are incredible important issues that will only ever be solved through active, engaged participation and working through these uncomfortable scenarios together, so that we can all work to create a world that benefits us all.  Let's embrace that goal by learning and growing together.

Learn more about the Ma’amtagila www.maamtagila.ca

Find out about Sierra Club BC’s Campaigns at www.SierraClub.bc.ca

Nerdy About Nature is an independent passion project that relies on support from folks like you!  If you’re enjoying this podcast and videos, please don’t hesitate to support their production at my Patreon page for as little as 1$ per month!  -> https://www.patreon.com/nerdyaboutnature​

You can also get NAN merch, stickers, resources and more information at www.NerdyAboutNature.com

Julia Huggins is a forest ecologist, microbiologist, National Geographic Naturalist, PHD student and huuuuge nerd who specializes in the tiny world that makes up the big world we all share - microbes!  Her & I sat down amongst some Alders to chat about the role microbes play in our forests and the biogeochemical processes across the globe, and even got our hands dirty digging for microbial root nodules.  From bacteria to lichen, you're gonna love this chat!

Here's that TED talk from Paul Stamets we referenced - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI5frPV58tY

Nerdy About Nature is an independent passion project that relies on support from folks like you!  If you’re enjoying this podcast and videos, please don’t hesitate to support their production at my Patreon page for as little as 1$ per month!  -> https://www.patreon.com/nerdyaboutnature​

You can also get NAN merch, stickers, resources and more information at www.NerdyAboutNature.com

Diane Rudge is a natural textile artist & one of the co-founders of The Den, a small refillery on the coast of Vancouver Island that focuses increasing access to organic, natural and locally made products.  Her and I sat down and chatted about the way that us humans use and consume products (often mindlessly) and all that she's doing to re-envision and re-educate folks on the way that we use household, cleaning, self-care, travel products & more in our day-to-day lives for a more sustainable and locally focused future.  

Learn more at www.TheDenUcluelet.com

Nerdy About Nature is an independent passion project that relies on support from folks like you!  If you’re enjoying this podcast and videos, please don’t hesitate to support their production at my Patreon page for as little as 1$ per month!  -> https://www.patreon.com/nerdyaboutnature​

You can also get NAN merch, stickers, resources and more information at www.NerdyAboutNature.com

Tom Balfour is a fish ecologist and fish program manager at Redd Fish Restoration Society, working to restore habitat for Wild Salmon out on the coast of Vancouver Island.  He & I sat down in a creek and weathered a few little rain showers to chat all about these amazing fish, from their history in these Cascadian waters to all the factors that impact their populations today, and finding positive action in such dire times.  

Learn more about Redd Fish Restoration Society at https://www.reddfish.org 

Nerdy About Nature is an independent passion project that relies on support from folks like you!  If you’re enjoying this podcast and videos, please don’t hesitate to support their production at my Patreon page for as little as 1$ per month!  -> https://www.patreon.com/nerdyaboutnature

You can also get NAN merch, stickers, resources and more information at www.NerdyAboutNature.com

I sat down with Jessica Hutchinson amongst some ancient Redcedars and Salal to chat about forests and how they've been affected by modern logging practices, how that then impacts Salmon and the broader ecosystems in which we live, and all the good work she is doing at Redd Fish Restoration Society to help fix these problems created by our past.

Learn more about Redd Fish Restoration Society at https://www.reddfish.org

Nerdy About Nature is an independent passion project that relies on support from folks like you!  If you’re enjoying this podcast and videos, please don’t hesitate to support their production at my Patreon page for as little as 1$ per month!  -> https://www.patreon.com/nerdyaboutnature​

You can also get NAN merch, stickers, resources and more information at www.NerdyAboutNature.com

Indra Hayre & I took a drizzly day to sit down and chat about diversity, equity & inclusion in the outdoor world, and all that she's learned through her experiences growing up as a brown girl in a world often dominated by white men.

Learn more about Indra's project, Inclu-SKI-vity, at https://www.instagram.com/incluskivity

Nerdy About Nature is an independent passion project that relies on support from folks like you!  If you’re enjoying this podcast and videos, please don’t hesitate to support their production at my Patreon page for as little as 1$ per month!  -> https://www.patreon.com/nerdyaboutnature​

You can also get NAN merch, stickers, resources and more information at www.NerdyAboutNature.com

I sat down with Myia Antone on the banks of the Squamish River to chat about Language, Land, and our ever-changing relationship to it as we, as a society of both settlers and Indigenous peoples, move forward together.  

Learn more about Myia's project, Indigenous Women Outdoors at https://www.indigenouswomenoutdoors.ca/

Learn more about the Snichim Foundation & support Squamish Language speakers at https://snichimfoundation.ca/