Tree Planters: A podcast about change for a better world
We live in a world running out of space, resources, and time. There are solutions. We can build a better world - a world that is fair, healthy, and prosperous. But this requires transformative change. Why Tree Planters Podcast you ask? Well, there's a great proverb that goes as follows:“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”We feel there's a scarcity of tree planters in positions of power these days. Each month we look at problems and solutions relating to how we live in modern society, including those of sprawl and associated consumption patterns and behaviour, climate change, habitat degradation and species loss, community development and empowerment, knowledge of and connection to place, leadership and accountable governance, among others.We welcome you to join us on our journey. Please don't hesitate to connect with us if you have suggestions or questions.
Episodes
In this episode, we speak with Sandy Agnew and Lynne Melnyk about the unveiling of the Agnew–Melnyk Nature Reserve—one of the newest protected properties within the Minesing to Matchedash Connected Corridor. This 39.5-acre reserve, donated to the Couchiching Conservancy in 2024, protects a rich mix of grassland meadow, a section of Hogg Creek, and conifer swamp, all forming part of a critical wildlife movement corridor in central O...
In this episode, we speak with Theresa McClenaghan, Executive Director of the Canadian Environmental Law Association, for a clear, accessible overview of how Ontario’s drinking-water protection framework came to be — and where it may be heading.
We begin with the events in Walkerton, outlining what happened, why it mattered, and how that tragedy prompted a fundamental rethinking of drinking-water safety in Ontario. From there, There...
In this episode of The Tree Planters Podcast, we return to the Red Earth Gallery at St. Paul’s Centre to explore Phase 3 of the Art of Reconciliation project. Created during 2021–2023, this round unfolds against an intense period in Canadian public life: the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential schools, the establishment of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and the shared vulnerability of the COVID-19 pa...
In this episode of The Tree Planters Podcast, we return to St. Paul’s Centre to explore Phase 2 of the Art of Reconciliation project — a stage shaped by the artists themselves as they asked, “Where are you now in your personal reconciliation process?”
This round, created between 2015 and 2018, brought together Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists whose works reflect on truth, listening, and shared responsibility.
Guided by the Sev...
On this episode of Tree Planters, we visit the inspiring reconciliation-art initiative Call To Action #83 Simcoe County, curated by retired educator and multi-mode artist Mary Lou Meiers. The project brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists in Simcoe County to respond collaboratively to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 83rd Call to Action – namely, “A strategy for Indigenous and non-Indigenous artist...
How can watersheds be used to strengthen our communities, enhance our resilience to the impacts of climate change, and provide the foundations for a sustainable, thriving economy?
As Canada marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we reflect on the commitments that remain unfinished and the future we hope to build together. In this episode, we speak with Jeff Monague—educator, storyteller, and former Chief of Beausoleil First Nation—about the progress on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and what reconciliation truly means in practice.
This conversation is an invitati...
Barrie’s mayor has declared a state of emergency over the city’s growing homeless encampments—a crisis that’s been building for years while governments at every level have largely failed to respond. Is this declaration a genuine step toward solutions, or will it shift the burden onto those least able to carry it: the people already living on the margins?
The Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition has a new Executive Director. We sit down with Jonathan Scott to discuss his vision for the organization, his outlook on the future of advocacy for Lake Simcoe, and how he believes economic and environmental priorities can be balanced in the years ahead.
What's happening with the impending review of the Greenbelt?
The Greenbelt Act requires the province to conduct a review of the Greenbelt plan every 10 years. The last one was in 2015, so, while nothing has been announced yet, it is expected that the province will conduct a review in the coming months.
Show links:
The Tyee: Robert Macfarlane’s New Book Asks, ‘Is a River Alive?’
Ray Tomalty is an expert in urban sustainability and the founder of Smart Cities Research Services. He’s worked with cities across Canada and beyond to help design communities that are more livable, walkable, and resilient. In this episode, Ray helps us unpack the idea of the 15-minute city—where it’s working, what it really means, and why some of the controversy around it misses the mark.
We talk with Ted about the province's proposed transfer of a portion of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park to the town.
Ted is a resident of Wasaga Beach and member of the Wasaga Beach Climate Action Team.
The Honourable Kathleen Wynne is a Canadian educator, community organizer, and former politician best known as Ontario’s 25th Premier—the first woman and openly gay person to hold the office. Long before entering electoral politics, Wynne was deeply engaged in grassroots organizing in her North Toronto community. She advocated for public education, equitable urban planning, and inclusive policy through school councils, neighbourhoo...
Dr. Alison Meek is a history professor at King’s University College at Western University, where she studies conspiracy theories, cults, extremism and misinformation.
Alison brings an engaging and thoughtful perspective to how beliefs take root and spread, and what they can tell us about society today.
Jacob is a farmer, and advocate for farming as a means to increase economic and environmental resilience in local communities. We talk about some ideas for how this can happen, and how young people can be supported in contributing to their communities through sustainable agricultural practices.
Learn more about the National Farmers Foundation here.
Once a month we do a mailbag episode, where each of us, along with a guest, shares an issue for discussion. We don't know about each other's issue until they present it during the podcast, keeping it lively and interesting!
Have an issue that you'd like us to address? Let us know, and if it's selected, we'll invite you on the show!
Claire is stepping down as Executive Director of the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition, and we chat about her experience at the forefront of grassroots environmental advocacy in central Ontario, including how the landscape has changed and what the future might hold.
The Oak Ridges Moraine is a gem of Ontario's natural heritage, providing a source of headwaters to countless rivers and streams on the north shore of Lake Ontario.
In the late '80s and early 90's, a grassroots movement to protect the area emerged. Debbe Crandall and Robert Brown, of Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM) talk about how this came about, and the challenges today facing efforts to protect Ontario's nat...
Taylor Nicole has organized protests against the Ford government's Bill 5, a bill that will allow the government to, in effect, ignore environmental assessments in designated locations, and prohibit public consultation.
We get into the details of the Bill and what it could mean for Ontario.
Eco Guardians of Ontario - Stop Bill 5 Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1051925256910873/
There's a difference between living somewhere, and really living there. We explore some of that with Virginia.
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