Defender Radio and The Switch
Defender Radio and The Switch bring experts and solutions to wildlife advocates and animal lovers around the world. Hosted by award-winning journalist Michael Howie, Defender Radio and The Switch are produced by The Fur-Bearers (TheFurBearers.com) and released weekly. Learn more at DefenderRadio.com
Episodes
Animal law is a topic of growing interest to Canadians, advocates, and legal experts. While there are some great people doing great work related to animal law in Canada, there haven’t been any university-associated programs on it – until now.
Angela Fernandez, a long-time University of Toronto law professor, is taking on the project as the director of the University of Toronto Animal Law Pr...
September is fashion month, with massive week-long events in major cities worldwide, including New York, London, Milan and Paris. And the question on many peoples’ minds is: will we be seeing fur, or will more designers choose to go fur-free?
PJ Smith, Director of Fashion Policy for Humane World for Animals thinks the future of the industry is fur-free, and joins Defender Radio to discuss t...
The tragic story of a locally beloved cougar being killed near Canmore, Alberta, earlier this year was heartbreaking. John Marriott, an award-winning wildlife photographer and co-founder of Exposed Wildlife Conservancy shared his harrowing experience with Defender Radio – along with his discovery of two cougar kits, orphaned by the incident.
Several months later, the cougar kits were transf...
From streetlights to skyscrapers and everything in between, lighting up the night can help keep people safe. But, this often excessive lighting has a consequence: light pollution. Native wildlife across Canada gets impacted by light pollution in many ways–and they're not alone. Humans, too, are impacted in surprising ways by our bright night skies.
Tijana Selak, Wildlife Campaigns and Advocacy Manager at The Fur-Bearers, joins The ...
Wildfires and drought, floods and ice storms, and a seemingly never-ending news cycle of chaos around us is a lot. I’ll be honest – there are days I want to hide from it all myself. But carrying the weight of what’s happening to the natural world around us isn’t new, and it has a name – climate grief.
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Mink fur farms are a virus’s favourite place. There’s lots of opportunity to transmit, mutate, and lead to more virulent strains that threaten public health. With the devastating economic impact of H5N1 or avian flu in the news, the reintroduction of the Mink Virus Act to the United States Congress is well timed.
To share what this legislation is about, why it matters, and how people on bot...
Anyone who follows John E. Marriott or Exposed Wildlife Conservancy on social media knows that a cougar John had tracked for many years was killed near Canmore, Alberta, earlier this year. It led to two orphaned kits, a harrowing experience for John, and a clear mission: to share this story with the public and lead to change for wildlife in Alberta. To give us the story from the very beginning and what he wants...
Canada’s iconic wildlife include moose, beavers, and wolves. But of the many species of vertebrate, which are the most evolutionarily distinct? And why does that matter?
A team of researchers from Simon Fraser University (emma Kominek, Olivia Cornies, Arne Ø. Mooers, and Wildlife Preservation Canada's Hannah McCurdy-Adams) explored these questions in their paper, Evolutionary isolation of C...
Whether you’re heading south to escape the cold, across the provinces for an adventure, or just a town over for a quick getaway, there are a lot of choices we can make while travelling for March Break that reduce our impact on the environment – and can even improve it.
SHOW NOTES
Episode art photo by Petmal / Getty Images
The journey of Takaya the Lone wolf on Vancouver Island was one of hope, inspiration, and ultimately tragedy. Cheryl Alexander, acclaimed conservation photographer and Founding Executive Director of Takaya’s Legacy has shared her story countless times – but this past year the story took a new twist.
An iconic photo of Takaya, taken by Cheryl, was used by a wolf hunting guide’s website witho...
Winter salt keeps sidewalks safe but harms Ottawa’s waterways. A five-year study shows toxic chloride levels in local streams year-round. Learn how to reduce salt use, protect aquatic life, and keep winter walkways safe.
SHOW NOTES:
Episode art photo by EyeEm Mobile GmbH / Getty Images
Check out Ottawa Riverkeeper's work on salt monitoring and reduction: https://ottawariverkeeper.ca/sign-...
North Atlantic Right Whales are at extreme risk of extinction, with only around 370 individuals and around 70 reproductive females. According to RightWhales.org, over 142 individuals have been injured or died since 2017 – a shocking 35% of the current population.
Fortunately, individuals like Sheryl Fink of the International Fund for Animal Welfare or IFAW are working hard to collaborate an...
Canadians waste a ton of food - literally! Learn how meal planning can reduce food waste, save you money, and reduce your impact on emissions and climate change by listening now.
SHOW NOTES:
LoveFoodHateWaste.ca: https://lovefoodhatewaste.ca/
Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio and The Switch? Reach out to us at DefenderRadio@Gmail.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram...
Enhancing biodiversity in urban areas is a critical step in improving our ecosystems, resilience against the climate crisis, and ensuring nature exposure for residents. But how do you increase biodiversity on pavement?
According to two researchers, it can start with stepping stones.
Drs. Thami Croeser and Holly Kirk tackled this issue and showed the brilliance of availa...
Cold drafts in winter aren’t only unpleasant, they cou...
One day at school, 7-year-old animal loving Georgia discovers her best friend is wearing a coat made with mink fur; with the companionship of her dog Tizzy, Georgia and her friend begin to learn about animals that live in fur farms – and that they must stand up for them.
Tizzy and Me: Fifteen Ways to Love A Mink is the lovely chapter book by NML Hazard (also known as Dr. Nadja Lubiw-Hazard)...
I’m excited to announce season 11 of Defender Radio and The Switch is going live this month! You’ll be hearing long-form interviews from expert scientists around the world talking about wildlife behaviour, population dynamics, and the environment. We’ll be exploring ways you can reduce your impact on the climate crisis and become more resilient through bi-weekly episodes of The Switch. And I can’t wait to hear ...
We’re releasing this episode in time for International Rabbit Day – a celebration of our favourite floppy-eared lagomorphs. While rabbits do make wonderful companions, they are frequently released or dumped in the wild – and with an exceptionally quick gestation period, that can lead to a lot of domestic rabbits in the wild, really fast.
Finding community is an important part of being an advocate – and in a post pandemic world, that can be a struggle. Fortunately, opportunities like Humane Canada’s Summit for Animals bring together hundreds of likeminded people, sharing resources, ideas, and finding hope together.
The 2025 Summit for Animals is taking place in Montreal, Quebec on April 27, 28 and 29 – and there’s still time...
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