Defender Radio: The Podcast For Wildlife Advocates And Animal Lovers

Well, there’s no nice way to put it: the Ontario government wants to make permanent the spring season for killing black bears. There’s a whole lot of reasons the Ontario spring bear hunt shouldn’t exist at all, let alone be made a permanent fixture. To explore the myriad of reasons it’s a bad idea and more completely outline the harm this hunt can and does cause, I was joined by bear expert Mike McIntosh of Bear With Us Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre here in Ontario. TAKE ACTION: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/action-alert-spring-bear-hunt-ontario-could-become-permanent Fact Check TVO article: https://www.tvo.org/article/are-ontarios-hunting-rules-about-managing-wildlife-or-making-money Bear With Us Sanctuary & Rehab Centre: https://bearwithus.org/ Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio Instagram: www.Instagram.com/HowieMichael Defender Radio Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DefenderRadio

Bill 156 is dangerous for animals. This legislation, introduced in late 2019, targets those who find their ways onto animal agricultural facilities and document disregard for animal welfare or individuals who are working on farms and become whistleblowers in the face of blatant animal cruelty. It even targets those who protest or bear witness for animals on their way to slaughter. It is billed as a way to protect the security of farmers and food production, but if that was the intent it would focus on the farms – not those who find problems with them. Animal agriculture isn’t an area I spend a lot of time researching outside of its relationship to wildlife conflict; some of the dear people in my life are passionate about this subject, however, and I witnessed their distress in the face of this legislation. That’s why I wanted to talk to Camille Labchuk, Executive Director at Animal Justice. We get into what this legislation will actually mean and how animal lovers and activists can take action against it. We

There’s no interview this week but I do want to share with you a brief version of the 20-year history behind The Fur-Bearers’ quest to regain charitable status and what that could mean for the animals and for you! Here are some relevant links: Donate Now: http://thefurbearers.com/charity Intuit Tax Article: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/what-charitable-status-would-mean-you Defender Radio Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio Instagram: www.Instagram.com/HowieMichael  

We’ve all been angry at a situation and let it out on social media. It makes sense: that’s a place our friends and community can gather from afar and acknowledge our feelings and join in the process of venting. The trouble these days, however, seems to be when that’s all we do when we have legitimate concerns about policies or the actions of others, particularly those in a position of authority. When it comes to complaining, there’s not necessarily a right way, but there certainly are effective ways, especially when we want to see change as a result of our concerns. Whether it’s someone trespassing on property, a community member feeding wildlife inappropriately or a complaint about how a public official conducted themselves, it’s important to understand that without proper communication, little may change. That’s why I connected with Bryce Casavant, the former Conservation Officer who faced disciplinary action for refusing to kill two innocent bear cubs. With his mixed background of military and law enforcem

Tim Gordon is an Exeter University PhD student working on some fascinating solutions to help fish on coral reefs in Australia using sound. As cool as this research is, that’s not what brought Tim’s work to my attention: it was a short letter published in the journal Science. Titled, Grieving environmental scientists need support, Gordon co-wrote the letter with colleagues Andrew Radford and Stephen Simpson. It is a call for cultural change in the scientific community. Researchers are witnessing the loss of ecosystems and species, something that can cause anyone to experience grief. But traditionally, scientists are considered impartial and dispassionate observers. This dissonance can be outright harmful, and Gordon and his colleagues believe the scientific community must begin discussing and addressing these problems – or as he puts it, allowing scientists to cry. Tim joined me all the way from the northeastern coast of Australia to share his views on the subject, his personal efforts to live with the heavy e

Bears are hungry. Like super duper hungry. This time of year they’re getting ready for hibernation and are spending most of their time getting all the calories they can – and that means it’s extra important to manage attractants and do what we can to keep them from hanging out in our neighbourhoods. Even if we individually like having the bears in our yards, other neighbours may not – and having them grow comfortable around people can and will lead to other conflict. And despite available solutions, in BC it often means they are killed by conservation officers. The North Shore Black Bear Society is working tirelessly within their community and others in BC to get municipal by-laws in place and push for greater education and enforcement from governments. Their own work on education is also impressive, including traditional and social media, classroom visits and more. To help us understand what bears are up to, the importance of changing our behaviours to protect them, and what attractants we may not be thinkin

We need change in how we view wildlife and the management of species and their homes. Outdated science and traditions need to be updated with current data and effective traditional ecological knowledge. But how do we start? With a paradigm shift – and that’s what the Cochrane Research Institute and Cochrane Ecological Institute are hoping to create with their Wilderness Wildlife and Human Interaction Symposium. Taking place Saturday, November 2 at the Cochrane RancheHouse, this one day event features speakers including Dr. Gilbert Proulx, Bryce Casavant, Joe Englehart, Lesley Fox (my boss) and others. There will also be a documentary viewing, an artisan market, silent auction, book signings and more. It’s going to be a great day – and to help share more about why the symposium is needed, what visitors can expect to take away and what inspiring change really means Defender Radio was joined by Cochrane Ecological Institute spokesperson Lisa Dahlseide. GET TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wilderness-wildlif

This episode is later than originally anticipated – between human and canine health issues and some technical whoopsies, things got delayed. And before we get into it, I want to let you know that JoAnne and I get into some heavy conversation about compassion fatigue and the emotional weight of advocacy work. If that isn’t something you’re up for – no problem! Please know that there are many available resources to help manage self-care, compassion fatigue, and other emotional or mental-health related topics. Start by talking to your doctor, caregiver, or Googling what local resources exist in your municipality or county. Now let’s get started with this week’s episode. Photographs tell stories. Some of them are funny, some sad, some tragic, some a mixture of many emotions. Regardless of what story is being told, photography has a way of getting to people when words have failed. And that’s why We Animals Media matters. Through a variety of storytelling methods – including founder Jo-Anne McArthur’s incredible ph

The Ontario government is considering liberalizing wolf and coyote hunting in Northern Ontario in a bid to increase moose hunting opportunities. But their own science and facts indicate that killing more wolves and coyotes won’t have the impact they want – making this an entirely political policy. This issue isn’t just about wolves and coyotes and moose; it’s about understanding what is being said by those affected in Northern Ontario by the climate crisis and a rapidly changing ecosystem. It’s about learning to bring science to story and story to science to ensure that we’re doing what’s best for people in Ontario, as well as the individual animals and infinitely complex ecosystem that we all share. To dive into the policy, the history, the science, and the difficult ethical conversations, Defender Radio was joined by Hannah Barron, Director of Wildlife Conservation Campaigns for Earthroots. TAKE ACTION: https://earthroots.good.do/wolf/huntingcomment/ Earthroots website: www.earthroots.org Defender Radio Pat

What is compassionate conservation? How can teaching today’s students the tenets of this movement affect government decisions tomorrow? And why does it matter in the end? All these questions and more are discussed with UBC professor and researcher Dr. Kristen Walker on the first episode of Defender Radio’s seventh season! Join the Defender Radio Patreon: www.patreon.com/defenderradio Sign up to get email alerts from The Fur-Bearers: www.thefurbearers.com/updates Dr. Walker's reading list: Bekoff, M. 2013. Ignoring Nature No More – The Case for Compassionate Conservation. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, USA. Wallach et al. 2018 Summoning compassion to address the challenges of conservation. Conservation Biology DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13126 Fraser, D. 2010. Towards a synthesis of conservation and animal welfare science. Animal Welfare 19: 121-124. 

How do you grow empathy and protect the future non-human animals in a part of the world most people will never visit? One company has the answer – and the science to back it up. Krikey, a mobile gaming company founded by Jhvani and Ketaki Shriram, recently partnered with The Ellen Fund to launch Gorillas!, a 3D, augmented reality game that allows people to learn about the lives of critically endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda. What makes this fascinating is not just the adorable graphics and enjoyable gaming aspect, but that it’s backed by scientific evidence that indicates the augmented reality experience actually grows empathy in adults. Despite my best efforts, I am unable to succinctly explain the various aspects of what Jhvani and Ketaki have created with Krikey, so let’s dive into the interview with these two incredible people and hear why I’m telling people that they may have developed one of the tools that could actually change the hearts and minds of humankind.

As many of you know, I’m a dog guy. I share my home with JJ the Hamilton Hound, who you’ll often hear clicking around and bringing me toys while I’m interviewing folks. And as you may also know, I’m a huge fan of Dr. Marc Bekoff. He’s a prolific author, professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, and as an ethologist has incredible experience, wisdom, and insight into the animals around us. Along with his friend and regular writing partner Dr. Jessica Pierce, Marc co-authored Unleashing Your Dog: A field guide to giving your canine companion the best life possible. I’m describing this book as the book anyone should read before they read a dog training book – because this isn’t a dog training book. Unleashing Your Dog examines our relationships with dogs and challenges us to give our dogs what they need to truly be who they are while living in a human world. Marc joined Defender Radio to discuss the motivations for the book, how we can all use the tools of ethology to

Bears are dying in British Columbia as spring turns to summer. I’d like to have a cute, chipper way of introducing this interview, but that’s the sad fact. Largely due to poor attractant management, bears wander into communities in search of easy meals, an inconsistent response from various residents results in their ongoing presence in the community, and, eventually, it often leads to conservation officers killing the bear for alleged habituation. It doesn’t need to be this way. Luci Cadman of the North Shore Black Bear Society in British Columbia works tirelessly to educate communities and push for enforcement of existing by-laws regarding attractants and human behaviour that leads to these conflicts.  She joined Defender Radio to discuss the reality of living near bears, the things individuals and whole communities can do to stop the killing, and why this isn’t a bear issue, but a human one. North Shore Black Bear Society: www.northshorebears.com Defender Radio Patreon: www.patreon.com/DefenderRadio Sign U

Cats love to climb, jump, pounce, and play. Unfortunately, they often want to do this outside, where those skills help them kill wildlife and birds in large numbers and are exposed to innumerous risks to their well-being. It’s not fair to tell cats they can’t be who they are, and it isn’t exactly fair to let them be at risk of causing damage or being injured. There is, however, a middle ground: catios. The BC SPCA recently hosted a tour of catios in the Vancouver region with great success and are strong proponents of people giving cats a safe way to live their lives and engage their behaviours fully. Marieke van der Velden , an outreach specialist for the BC SPCA joined Defender Radio to share the secrets of catios and how easily cat lovers can build or buy them for their furry friends. Learn more about catios: https://spca.bc.ca/catio Join the Defender Radio Patreon: www.patreon.com/DefenderRadio Check out The Young Defenders: www.youngdefenders.ca

Mountain caribou are endangered in British Columbia. It’s a big deal: the federal government has threatened to intervene if plans aren’t put in place to protect them. One plan, worked on heavily by First Nations leaders, is receiving praise. But the plan for at least one other region has huge holes and fails to address some key issues. While protecting caribou habitat may seem like a straight-forward task, the previous BC provincial government run in a majority by the Liberals and the current government run by an NDP-Green partnership is showing that it’s anything but. From literally selling the rights to cut down trees in the habitat of the endangered caribou during negotiations to killing wolves despite widespread scientific and ethical opposition to a disturbing rise in racist comments and economic disinformation, it’s been a bit of a confusing journey. As the consultation period winds down – and links to actions on that are included in this week’s show notes – I wanted to take some time to break out the p

The Fur-Bearers and Defender Radio are proud to announce the launch of a new project: The Young Defenders, a site and podcast to help youth Defend The Future Of Wildlife And The Environment Through Education, Communication and Kindness. Visit www.YoungDefenders.ca! Young Defenders Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theyoungdefenders Young Defenders Twitter: https://twitter.com/youngdefenders Young Defenders Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theyoungdefenders/ Defender Radio & Young Defenders Patreon: www.patreon.com/DefenderRadio    

PJ is the Director of Fashion Policy at the Humane Society of the United States and has played a major role in getting big brands like Armani to drop fur and institute fur-free policies. We had a wonderful conversation about fur, policy, the historic context of the current fight to #MakeFurHistory, and how his method has proven successful. We even got into self-care and what solutions exist for every advocate who wants to see an end to the use of fur in fashion. Find out more about PJ's work with HSUS at: www.HumaneSociety.org.  Become a Defender Radio Patron at: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio.  Defender Radio Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio  www.YoungDefenders.ca  

Defender Radio host Michael Howie spent four days in Belleville, Ontario, where a nearly year-long process to protect beavers after one was found in a trapped reached its conclusion. The interviews included in this episode were recorded in the field with local residents, political leaders, and the inventor of the Beaver Deceiver himself, Skip Lisle. To donate to The Fur-Bearers' beaver campaign go to: www.TheFurBearers.com/SaveBeavers. To Read more about The Fur-Bearers' involvement and see more photos from the field, go to: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/victory-protecting-beavers-belleville To become a support of Defender Radio for as little as $0.25 per episode, go to: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio.   

Host Michael Howie shares the news that Defender Radio has reached 100,000 downloads, and gets a surprise midway through recording! Support Defender Radio on Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Sign up for The Fur-Bearers email updates: www.TheFurBearers.com/updates.  Follow Defender Radio on: Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

It’s the Easter long weekend and you know what that means – bunnies, chicks and other little critters are being discussed, if not bought, as presents. But as many of you know, little animals aren’t just gifts, they’re sentient beings who are a lifetime commitment, require love, patience, veterinary care, and many other things. A while back I spoke with my friend Lisa Winn from the Ladybird Animal Sanctuary about the subject of bunnies – not just why they shouldn’t be bought and sold as gifts, but what it means to accept a rabbit into your home and family. It was a great interview, so rather than try and remake something special, it made sense to share the original interview again. Please enjoy past me talking to past Lisa about the future of having a bunny in your family.  Featured on this episode's cover art: Marcel the bunny. Check out Ladybird Animal Sanctuary: www.ladybirdanimalsanctuary.com Join the Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Follow Defender Radio on Facebook, Twitter and Insta