Bringing nature back to life with Elizabeth Hendriks

Bringing nature back to life with Elizabeth Hendriks

Conservation isn’t just about protecting habitat. It’s also about bringing damaged ecosystems back to life. In this episode of Good Nature, host Megan Leslie sits down with WWF-Canada's Vice President of Restoration and Regeneration, Elizabeth (Liz) Hendriks, to explore what restoration really means. Spoiler: it's much more than planting trees. From restoring rivers so salmon can return home to rebuilding coastal eelgrass meadows that protect communities from storms, Liz explains how healthy ecosystems benefit both wildlife and people. She also shares why restoration is ultimately about relationships, and why everyone has a role to play, whether you're planting native flowers on your balcony or leading a large-scale conservation project. Finally, WWF-Canada botanist Ryan Godfrey stops by to share the remarkable story of the zebra swallowtail butterfly, which was spotted in Toronto last year for the first time in more than a century! Check out our other podcast, This Is Wild, to learn more about habitat restoration and native plants: https://wwf.ca/this-is-wild/ [https://wwf.ca/this-is-wild/] Learn more about Mission Restoration: https://wwf.ca/mission-restoration/ [https://wwf.ca/mission-restoration/] To stay up to date on what’s going on at WWF-Canada, sign up for Living Planet News: https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/ [https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/] Tell us something good, suggest a guest or ask a question by emailing us at goodnature@wwfcanada.org [goodnature@wwfcanada.org] Or leave Megan a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature [https://www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature]

Aliya Jasmine on birds and belonging

Most of us never think twice about the names of birds. But across North America, more than 150 bird species are named after historical figures, including colonizers, enslavers, and people who promoted racist pseudoscience. On this episode, Megan Leslie sits down with filmmaker and environmental journalist Aliya Jasmine to talk about her new short film, Bird Names, which explores the movement to change the names of these birds and the reasons why a simple change in language might have a much bigger impact than people realize. Aliya and Megan talk about the merits of renaming (or “unnaming”) these beautiful birds, as well as the importance of making conservation spaces more welcoming and inclusive for all different kinds of people. Plus, if there was an Aliya Jasmine bird, what would it sound like? Finally, WWF-Canada community engagement specialist Kathy Nguyen pops in to share a nature hot take about how small a habitat can really be.  Watch Aliya’s short film, Bird Names, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL4lCBPWUbs [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL4lCBPWUbs] To stay up to date on what’s going on at WWF-Canada, sign up for Living Planet News: https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/ [https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/] Tell us something good, suggest a guest or ask a question by emailing us at goodnature@wwfcanada.org [goodnature@wwfcanada.org] Or leave Megan a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature [https://www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature]

Sarah Harmer on songs, salamanders and stewardship

What does it take to fight a mining company for 20 years—and keep showing up? On this episode of Good Nature, host Megan Leslie chats with singer-songwriter and environmental activist Sarah Harmer. Sarah has been fighting to protect the Niagara Escarpment in southern Ontario since her iconic 2005 I Love the Escarpment tour. She and Megan dig into the power of art to shift public opinion, the Jefferson salamander's surprising role in a landmark legal win, and why she believes showing up is the most important part of protecting the habitats you care about. She also reflects on her 2025 Juno Humanitarian Award and her call to fellow musicians to use their platforms for the causes that matter. Plus, senior conservation scientist Jessica Currie calls in with a "Tell Me Something Good" about a surprisingly powerful (and often overlooked) climate hero hiding beneath Canada's coastal waters. Film clips are from the documentary Escarpment Blues (2006), directed by Andy Keen. To stay up to date on what’s going on at WWF-Canada, sign up for Living Planet News: https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/ [https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/] Tell us something good, suggest a guest or ask a question by emailing us at goodnature@wwfcanada.org [goodnature@wwfcanada.org] Or leave Megan a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature [https://www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature]

Bears, climate change, and coexistence with Gloria Dickie

Bears capture our imagination like almost no other animal. But behind that fascination is a bigger story about climate change, coexistence, and how we care for wildlife. Today on Good Nature, host Megan Leslie sits down with Gloria Dickie, environmental journalist and author of Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future. Gloria shares stories from her travels reporting on all eight of the world’s bear species, from polar bears in Churchill, MB to spectacled bears in the Andes to sloth bears in India. Along the way, Gloria and Megan discuss the role of bears as ecological and cultural keystone species, why bears around the world have stopped hibernating, and what real “bear smart” communities look like.  Plus, Jessica Currie from WWF-Canada’s Science, Knowledge and Innovation team drops in to tell Megan something good about the world’s largest (and most surprising!) wildlife migration. Check out Gloria’s work: https://www.gloriadickie.com/ [https://www.gloriadickie.com/] Learn more about the Living Planet Report Canada: https://wwf.ca/lprc2025/ [https://wwf.ca/lprc2025/] To stay up to date on what’s going on at WWF-Canada, sign up for Living Planet News: https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/ [https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/] Tell us something good, suggest a guest or ask a question by emailing us at goodnature@wwfcanada.org [goodnature@wwfcanada.org] Or leave Megan a voice message:  https://www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature [https://www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature] .

The case for slow birding with Dr. Joan Strassmann

What if the best way to go birding…was simply to slow down? Today on Good Nature, host Megan Leslie chats with Dr. Joan Strassmann, author of Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard. Megan and Joan talk about why birding is having a moment, what makes slow birding so special, and why native plants matter so much for birds. Along the way, they swap birding stories and compare a few of their favourite bird calls. Megan also checks in with WWF-Canada soil expert Cathal Doherty to hear a truly mind-boggling story about peatland restoration. Learn more about WWF-Canada’s re:grow project at https://regrow.wwf.ca/ [https://regrow.wwf.ca/] To stay up to date on what’s going on at WWF-Canada, sign up for Living Planet News: https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/ [https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/] Email us: goodnature@wwfcanada.org   Leave Megan a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature. [https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/]