Hosted by Ross Reid, Nerdy About Nature is a passion project that creates fun, educational content with the aim of inspiring folks to engage with the outdoor world, to fall in love with it, and to advocate on it's behalf so that we can create a more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and just future for
In many ways, the world today seems to be in shambles, and it’s easy to assume that humans are the cause of it all…but it’s not all humans. Instead, many of the destructive forces present in the world today are the result of a global colonial capitalist mindset that inherently views humans as separate from this world we are so intimately a part of. I sat down with Gisele Martin to delve into Nuu-Chah-Nulth language, stewardship and worldviews to see how these perspectives can help all of us reframe our relationship to the world in order to build stronger, better futures for all whom we share…
What does Indigenous Stewardship look like in the modern age?How can Settler communities form Right Relationship with their Indigenous neighbours? How can participating in the potlatch economy give us hope for a different, post-capitalist future? I sat down with Julian Hockin-Grant, founder of Allied Certifications, to answer all of these questions, and talk all about his role in helping to establish the Tribal Parks Allies program, what it entails, different visions of the future, and ways we can all work to build reciprocal relationships with our lands, waters, and each other. This episode…
Kelp has been getting a ton of publicity lately, from it's use in cosmetics and food, to it's role in mitigating the impacts of climate change. In short, kelp is pretty dang cool - but what the heck is it, and what makes it so unique? I sat down with Tom Campbell from West Coast Kelp to learn all about kelp - how it's evolved, how it reproduces, the 3D habitat it's structure creates, it's importance to marine ecosystems, why it needs help, and the role of restoration in maintaining the health of these critical ecosystems. Learn about West Coast Kelp Adopt a Kelp For every episode, I make a…
Dr. Rachel Holt is a renown forest ecologist who has been working for the past 30 years on protecting old growth forests in BC. After witnessing the first Old Growth Strategic Review in the 90s fall short on its promises, and then watching the recent one she contributed to follow a similar path, Rachel shares her frustrations and learnings from these experiences, along with thoughts on what more is needed to create change for a better future. In this episode, we'll learn about what makes the old growth forests of BC so unique, their current state, how much is left and what is still…
Rande Cook is an Indigenous wood carver and artist, a hereditary chief of the Ma'amtagila Nation, a progressive / rebellious visionary, and one heck of an inspiring human. I sat down with him at his studio in Victoria BC to chat all about his art, his role as a chief, land back, and the work he does connecting folks to each other and the lands we all share to create a better future. Learn more about Rande's art at the Rande Cook gallery Learn more about Awi'nakola Each episode of Nerdy About Nature makes a donation to a non-profit of the guests choosing using funds from Patreon supporters,…
Undercurrents is a podcast series from Nerdy About Nature where we discuss recent studies, reports and news from the world of environment, ecology and climate which all impact our understanding of the world and the way we relate to it. In other words, it’s all the unseen things that happen without much notice that impact the direction or flow of our society and the world we all share. This episodes topics: Life on Mars: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09413-0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FAYABW-c_Q Podchat 21 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFwdac42Qng Fungi land evolution:…
Out on the west coast of Vancouver Island exists an awesome little non-profit that siphons sea water from the harbour into tanks on land, which briefly house some of the areas most gorgeous residents from under the waves. I'm talking about the Ucluelet Aquarium, a catch-and-release aquarium who gathers all of its exhibits seasonally from the surrounding waters, giving visitors a glimpse into a world that surrounds us yet we seldom see. I sat down with Laura Griffith-Cochrane from the Ucluelet Aquarium to chat all about this awesome project, and her unique approach to education that…
Forests are incredibly important ecosystems on our planet for many different reasons from carbon storage to biodiversity, and yet they face constant pressure to meet human demands in many forms. With a significant portion of deforestation and forest degradation attributed to demand for pulp, paper, packaging and even textile products, how can we work to meet these demands while also taking better care of our forests? I sat down with Valerie Langer of Canopy Planet who works to source and grow emerging markets of alternative sources to forests for pulp and textile demands, and it's budding…
Whale, we've shore got a fun chat lined up for y'all today! Sea what I did there? Silly puns aside, we're talking all about Orcas, or Killer Whales, with the infamous Orca Man! You may have seen The Orca Man, whose real name is Fred, online as he does a lot of social media education and news on things happening with Orcas all around the world, but especially those populations here in the PNW - the resident and transient Killer Whales. Fred and I sat down for a sunset chat where we discuss all things Orcas, why they’re so amazing, different populations of them around the world, their…
There is a lot of talk these days about the melding of Indigenous knowledge with Western Science, and I couldn't think of anyone better to get into the weeds (pun intended) on the subject with than Leigh Joseph. Leigh is a member of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and a working ethnobotanist who does a lot of incredible work bridging the gaps in understanding between western and indigenous knowledge, while also working to re-establish Indigenous food gardens and cultivate crops as they would have been prior to colonization on her traditional homelands. She’s the owner of Skwalwen…
This is yet another special edition of Undercurrents - instead of sharing and discussing recent science news, articles or studies here, Julia & Ross discuss important recent events regarding funding and the state of science in the US after the first week of the new presidency. Undercurrents is a podcast series from Nerdy About Nature where we discuss recent studies, reports and news from the world of environment, ecology and climate which all impact our understanding of the world and the way we relate to it. In other words, it’s all the unseen things that happen without much notice that…
We face a variety of critical issues these days that all seem to be culminating at one big crossroads, and the interconnection of them all can make it very difficult to find a way to move forward in a progressive, ethical and decolonial way to create a better future. So how the heck do we do just that? I was joined by Rande Cook and Mark Worthing, two members of Awi'nakola, at their annual Tree of Life Gathering to learn about the values they embody as an NGO and how that determines their methodology and actions in the world. As many larger organisations, businesses and goverments…
This is a special edition of Undercurrents - instead of sharing and discussing recent news, articles or studies here, Julia & Ross delve into their thoughts and reflections given the results of the recent US Presidential election, and what that means moving forward. Undercurrents is a podcast series from Nerdy About Nature where we discuss recent studies, reports and news from the world of environment, ecology and climate which all impact our understanding of the world and the way we relate to it. In other words, it’s all the unseen things that happen without much notice that impact the…
In case you missed it, I took a brief hiatus from your regular programming to run for MLA of the Mid Island - Pacific Rim riding as the Green Party of BC Candidate and whewwww, what a time! After a long campaign period of lots of learnings, I unfortunately wasn't elected...but thats alright with me, I've got other things to focus on and I may revisit it again in the future. After a week and a half of decompressing, I've decided to pop on here and share some thoughts and reflections on the whole experience with y'all in a long-winded rant, while also taking time to address some questions that…
Over the past 40 years, Tla-O-Qui-Aht First Nation has been fighting relentlessly for their traditional unceded territory with the colonial government of BC / Canada so that they can implement a land vision and stewardship model that seeks to benefit society at large, while preserving options and opportunity for their grandchildren. I sat down with Saya Masso, the Lands & Resources Manager for Tla-O-Qui-Aht First Nation, to chat about the origins of their Tribal Parks, trials and tribulations along the way, recent wins, and the vision for the future they hope to achieve. A truly fun and…
For the past couple hundred years, buildings and homes in North America have been constructied using virgin timber from the vast forest resources that once stretched across the continent, and when those structures fall out of use, they are typically demolished, sending all of those old high quality timbers to the dump. Yet with that supply of quality oldgrowth timbers virtually non-existent these days, and second growth timbers not quite being of the same caliber, perhaps there's a way we can be less wasteful, more creative, and more resourceful in what we scrap, and what we build with what…
What is economic reconciliation, why is it important, and what does it have to do with protecting lands and empowering communities? I sat down with Michelle Laviolette, the director of Indigenous Banking Strategy at Vancity to break it all down and hear about all the ways that they are working to support and create opportunities for individuals and their communities. They’ve been leading the charge in helping to support indigenous nations to provide banking and investment opportunities, to provide homeloans and retrofittings for climate sustainability, to opening up branches in remote…
Forestry is a large part of the culture and economy of the PNW in both the US and Canada, but over a century of poor forest management has led to some of the largest issues we face today from a lack of biodiversity and carbon stores, to ecosystems that are less resilient to drought and forest fires. How can we create healthy communities living amongst healthy forest lands through a thriving forestry industry? Well, simply put - it's by changing the way we do things and learning to value a forest for more than just its value as a source of timber. I sit down with Barry Gates of Wildwood…
Undercurrents is a podcast series from Nerdy About Nature where we discuss recent studies, reports and news from the world of environment, ecology and climate which all impact our understanding of the world and the way we relate to it. In other words, it’s all the unseen things that happen without much notice that impact the direction or flow of our society and the world we all share. This episodes topics: Shifting Heatwaves: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adl1598 The Cost of Bad Winters: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13683500.2024.2314700 Droughts and Fire:…
Undercurrents is a podcast series from Nerdy About Nature where we discuss recent studies, reports and news from the world of environment, ecology and climate which all impact our understanding of the world and the way we relate to it. In other words, it’s all the unseen things that happen without much notice that impact the direction or flow of our society and the world we all share. This episodes topics: Boiling Microplastics: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00081…
Oo hot goss’ alert! A new leaked map shows that while the top scientists on the Oldgrowth Technical Advisory Committee panel were picking out the best remaining old growth forest to protect in BC, the Ministry of Forests was actively undoing all that work, changing the borders on the deferral areas to include more low productivity forest while making the best forest left in the bioregion available to be logged by industry. You heard that right - government and industry blatantly working in hand in hand behind the peoples backs. Despite all the protests, the phone calls, the letters and the…
Undercurrents is a podcast series from Nerdy About Nature where we discuss recent studies, reports and news from the world of environment, ecology and climate which all impact our understanding of the world and the way we relate to it. In other words, it’s all the unseen things that happen without much notice that impact the direction or flow of our society and the world we all share. This episodes topics: Olivine Disintegration - https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/20/4669/2023/bg-20-4669-2023.pdf Reforestation Not So Cool -…
Undercurrents is a podcast series from Nerdy About Nature where we discuss recent studies, reports and news from the world of environment, ecology and climate which all impact our understanding of the world and the way we relate to it. In other words, it’s all the unseen things that happen without much notice that impact the direction or flow of our society and the world we all share. This episodes topics: Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation Collapse https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/09/atlantic-ocean-circulation-nearing-devastating-tipping-point-study-finds…
What the heck is a bioregion, what does that mean and why does it matter? Well, I’ll tell ya, because thinking bioregionally is a key component of recognizing the ground underneath your feet and the role it plays in the broader systems of earth to create a better future for us all. A bioregion is an area of land that is defined by physical properties or boundaries like coastline and mountain ranges that contain a similar mix of biota, or plant and animal species throughout, and interdependent hydrological patterns of flow that unites the region. No matter where on this planet you live, you…
Do you ever stop to think about the dirt under your feet, or in this case the rock, and wonder how it got there? Well the answer is...complicated, but basically billions of years of intense geological and mechanical processes from erosion to volcanism and everything in between. In this episode, I sit down with Pierre Freile, an award-winning geoscientist based in Squamish BC to chat all about how the landscape of North America and the Cascadian Bioregion in particular were formed, from the macro-scale actions of continents moving and colliding with one another, to the localized impacts of…
Undercurrents is a podcast series from Nerdy About Nature where we discuss recent studies, reports and news from the world of environment, ecology and climate which all impact our understanding of the world and the way we relate to it. In other words, it’s all the unseen things that happen without much notice that impact the direction or flow of our society and the world we all share. This episodes topics: Saving Bats - https://thenarwhal.ca/endangered-bats-fake-old-growth-trees/ Plants Evolving to have Less Sex - https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19422 How Moss…
Undercurrents is a podcast series from Nerdy About Nature where we discuss recent studies, reports and news from the world of environment, ecology and climate which all impact our understanding of the world and the way we relate to it. In other words, it’s all the unseen things that happen without much notice that impact the direction or flow of our society and the world we all share. This episodes topics: Norway Seabed Exploration: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00088-7 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605320000277 Forest Restoration in WA:…
The first introduction episode to a new podcast series I'm starting here called 'Undercurrents' Every couple of weeks, I'll be connecting with Julia Huggins (PHD, huge nerd) where we'll share interesting articles, studies, and news from the world of environmental science, ecology, climate, and everything in between! The goal here is to be able to provide you all with more consistent, steady educational content to keep you up to date with the science and happenings of today, because as our understanding of the world around us changes, our relationship to it changes. This series is all about…
At a top level, the lives we live are governed by political systems which control regulations, policy and set enforcements for how we treat each other not only within our human societies, but they can heavily impact the way our societies interact with the grander, more interconnected natural world that we all share. In order to create lasting change for the better in the world today, it ultimately has to happen on a political level to officially set the direction of society…a daunting task, for sure. I sat down with Sonia Furstenau, the leader of the BC Green party, to get her perspective on…
On every surface of every single thing, there are tiny microbial forces at work creating the world we live in. From oily sheens on pond water to streaks of red mud, the evidence of these little microbes is more obvious than you may think - you’ve just gotta know where to look, and what to look for! Back for her third appearance, Julia Huggins takes us deep into the world of everyday microbes to share fun facts all about the life on life on life that surrounds us! We learn about the power these little living beings have on the bigger planet we all share, which brings us to some pretty…
About Nerdy About Nature
Hosted by Ross Reid, Nerdy About Nature is a passion project that creates fun, educational content with the aim of inspiring folks to engage with the outdoor world, to fall in love with it, and to advocate on it's behalf so that we can create a more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and just future for
Nerdy About Nature is a English tech & science podcast from Nerdy About Nature. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
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