Episode · Nerdy About Nature
Podchat 28 | Indigenous Knowledge, Science, Arts and Community with Awi'nakola (Rande Cook & Mark Worthing)
7 Jan 2025 · 1 hr 23 min
Episode notes
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…
Podcast
Nerdy About Nature
Nerdy About Nature · Tech & Science · English
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
More from Nerdy About Nature All episodes →
-
S32 · E32 · 14 Sep 2025 · 1 hr 33 min
Podchat 32 | Marine Stewardship, Education & Building Connection with Laura Griffith-Cochrane
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…
-
E31 · 29 Apr 2025 · 1 hr 31 min
Podchat 31 | Better Fiber Sourcing to Protect our Forests with Val Langer
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…
-
E30 · 3 Apr 2025 · 1 hr 14 min
Podchat 30 | The Majesty of Killer Whales with Fred, The Orca Man
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…
-
E29 · 5 Mar 2025 · 1 hr 23 min
Podchat 29 | Melding Indigenous Knowledge & Western Science with Leigh Joseph
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…
-
31 Jan 2025 · 1 hr 3 min
Undercurrents 1.31.25 | Science Funding in trump's America
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…
-
8 Nov 2024 · 1 hr 33 min
Undercurrents 11.8.24 | The US Election Takeaways & Thoughts
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…
-
1 Nov 2024 · 1 hr 43 min
Thought Snacks | Post-Political Campaign Reflections and Thoughts
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…
-
E27 · 3 Sep 2024 · 1 hr 24 min
Podchat 27 | Tla-O-Qui-Aht Land Vision & Indigenous Stewardship with Saya Masso
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…
-
E26 · 10 Jul 2024 · 1 hr 2 min
Podchat 26 | Deconstruction, Reducing Waste & Re-envisioning How We Build with Adam Corneil
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…
-
E25 · 11 Jun 2024 · 1 hr 6 min
Podchat 25 | The power of Economic Reconciliation with Michelle Laviolette
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…
