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PODCAST

Defender Radio and The Switch

Michael Howie / The Fur-Bearers

Defender Radio and The Switch bring experts and solutions to wildlife advocates and animal lovers around the world. Hosted by award-winning journalist Michael Howie, Defender Radio and The Switch are produced by The Fur-Bearers (TheFurBearers.com) and released weekly. Learn more at DefenderRadio.com

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All Episodes

04:43

What's Next?

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/10/27

We want to look into the future for Defender Radio and The Switch – and that means hearing from you! We've put together a short (really) survey that will take fewer than 5 minutes and can help us know in which direction to go. It includes episode length/frequency, guest mix, accessibility, and more. Click here to open the survey now. To show our appreciation, we're also offering a $100 Visa Gift Card that will be randomly drawn and awarded to a survey taker (must be 18+, live in Canada excluding

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33:01

Animal Law at University of Toronto featuring Dr....

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/09/22

Animal law is a topic of growing interest to Canadians, advocates, and legal experts. While there are some great people doing great work related to animal law in Canada, there haven’t been any university-associated programs on it – until now. Angela Fernandez, a long-time University of Toronto law professor, is taking on the project as the director of the University of Toronto Animal Law Program. To share what the vision for the program is, what prospective students may learn, why there’s a need for

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40:52

Fashion's Future is Fur-Free featuring PJ Smith

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/09/15

September is fashion month, with massive week-long events in major cities worldwide, including New York, London, Milan and Paris. And the question on many peoples’ minds is: will we be seeing fur, or will more designers choose to go fur-free? PJ Smith, Director of Fashion Policy for Humane World for Animals thinks the future of the industry is fur-free, and joins Defender Radio to discuss trends, textile innovation, and what gives him optimism. SHOW NOTES Humane World for Animals:

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27:46

Canmore Cougar Tragedy Update feat. John Marriott and...

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/09/08

The tragic story of a locally beloved cougar being killed near Canmore, Alberta, earlier this year was heartbreaking. John Marriott, an award-winning wildlife photographer and co-founder of Exposed Wildlife Conservancy shared his harrowing experience with Defender Radio – along with his discovery of two cougar kits, orphaned by the incident. Several months later, the cougar kits were transferred to Parc Safari in Quebec, and the outcry for policy change in Alberta rages on. To share more about these

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08:15

Bring Back the Night: Light Pollution featuring...

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/09/01

From streetlights to skyscrapers and everything in between, lighting up the night can help keep people safe. But, this often excessive lighting has a consequence: light pollution. Native wildlife across Canada gets impacted by light pollution in many ways–and they're not alone. Humans, too, are impacted in surprising ways by our bright night skies. Tijana Selak, Wildlife Campaigns and Advocacy Manager at The Fur-Bearers, joins The Switch to talk about the impacts of light pollution on wildlife,

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57:11

Navigating Climate Grief featuring Dr. Shawna Weaver

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/08/25

Wildfires and drought, floods and ice storms, and a seemingly never-ending news cycle of chaos around us is a lot. I’ll be honest – there are days I want to hide from it all myself. But carrying the weight of what’s happening to the natural world around us isn’t new, and it has a name – climate grief. This intense grief and anxiety can come from any source and impact anyone. It can be the terrifying scenes of wildfires across Canada, the floods impacting other parts of the world, or even noticing

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21:40

The Mink VIRUS Act featuring Devan Schowe

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/04/14

Mink fur farms are a virus’s favourite place. There’s lots of opportunity to transmit, mutate, and lead to more virulent strains that threaten public health. With the devastating economic impact of H5N1 or avian flu in the news, the reintroduction of the Mink Virus Act to the United States Congress is well timed. To share what this legislation is about, why it matters, and how people on both sides of the border can support it, Devan Schowe, Campaigns Associate for BornFree USA joins Defender Radio

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01:01:24

The Canmore cougar tragedy featuring John E. Marriott

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/04/07

Anyone who follows John E. Marriott or Exposed Wildlife Conservancy on social media knows that a cougar John had tracked for many years was killed near Canmore, Alberta, earlier this year. It led to two orphaned kits, a harrowing experience for John, and a clear mission: to share this story with the public and lead to change for wildlife in Alberta. To give us the story from the very beginning and what he wants to see happen next, John Marriott joins Defender Radio. SHOW NOTES: Photo of the orphaned

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38:20

A Dam Good Conversation: Ben Goldfarb on Beavers,...

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/03/25

Fifty years ago this week, Canada officially made beavers one of our national symbols. In celebrating this anniversary – and the many ecological services and benefits provided by beavers – The Fur-Bearers have a bit of beaver fever. And who better to talk to about beavers than Ben Goldfarb, the journalist behind Eager: The Surprising Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter. This book has made big waves since it landed in 2018, and Ben joins Defender Radio to share how he started out writing

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31:12

Canada's Most Distinct Species featuring Emma Kominek

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/03/17

Canada’s iconic wildlife include moose, beavers, and wolves. But of the many species of vertebrate, which are the most evolutionarily distinct? And why does that matter? A team of researchers from Simon Fraser University (emma Kominek, Olivia Cornies, Arne Ø. Mooers, and Wildlife Preservation Canada's Hannah McCurdy-Adams) explored these questions in their paper, Evolutionary isolation of Canadian terrestrial vertebrate species, published in the journal The Canadian Field-Naturalist. The final list

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02:59

The Switch: Going Green for March Break Travel

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/03/10

Whether you’re heading south to escape the cold, across the provinces for an adventure, or just a town over for a quick getaway, there are a lot of choices we can make while travelling for March Break that reduce our impact on the environment – and can even improve it. SHOW NOTES Episode art photo by Petmal / Getty Images Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio and The Switch? Reach out to us at info@TheFurBearers.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media

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26:41

Takaya's Ongoing Legacy featuring Cheryl Alexander

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/03/03

The journey of Takaya the Lone wolf on Vancouver Island was one of hope, inspiration, and ultimately tragedy. Cheryl Alexander, acclaimed conservation photographer and Founding Executive Director of Takaya’s Legacy has shared her story countless times – but this past year the story took a new twist. An iconic photo of Takaya, taken by Cheryl, was used by a wolf hunting guide’s website without permission. This not only created a social media outrage, but put the spotlight back on the pressures facing

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03:32

The Switch: Road Salt Solutions

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/02/24

Winter salt keeps sidewalks safe but harms Ottawa’s waterways. A five-year study shows toxic chloride levels in local streams year-round. Learn how to reduce salt use, protect aquatic life, and keep winter walkways safe. SHOW NOTES: Episode art photo by EyeEm Mobile GmbH / Getty Images Check out Ottawa Riverkeeper's work on salt monitoring and reduction: https://ottawariverkeeper.ca/sign-the-road-salt-reduction-pledge/ Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio and The Switch? Reach out to us at

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18:32

Saving North Atlantic Right Whales featuring Sheryl Fink

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/02/17

North Atlantic Right Whales are at extreme risk of extinction, with only around 370 individuals and around 70 reproductive females. According to RightWhales.org, over 142 individuals have been injured or died since 2017 – a shocking 35% of the current population. Fortunately, individuals like Sheryl Fink of the International Fund for Animal Welfare or IFAW are working hard to collaborate and find solutions to protect this endangered whale species, who can be found off the coast of Canada. To share

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03:52

The Switch: Meal Planning to Reduce Food Waste

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/02/10

Canadians waste a ton of food - literally! Learn how meal planning can reduce food waste, save you money, and reduce your impact on emissions and climate change by listening now. SHOW NOTES: LoveFoodHateWaste.ca: https://lovefoodhatewaste.ca/ Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio and The Switch? Reach out to us at DefenderRadio@Gmail.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook

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53:46

Biodiversity and Urban Connectivity feat. Dr. Thami...

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/02/03

Enhancing biodiversity in urban areas is a critical step in improving our ecosystems, resilience against the climate crisis, and ensuring nature exposure for residents. But how do you increase biodiversity on pavement? According to two researchers, it can start with stepping stones. Drs. Thami Croeser and Holly Kirk tackled this issue and showed the brilliance of available solutions in their paper Nature-based solutions for urban biodiversity: spatial targeting of retrofits can multiply ecological

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03:16

Dealing With Winter Drafts

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/01/27

Cold drafts in winter aren’t only unpleasant, they could be costing you money and wasting energy. Listen now to The Switch to hear how to quickly identify and deal with a draft. SHOW NOTES: Photo of a door equipped with two types of draft stoppers by AndreyPopov / Getty Images Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at DefenderRadio@Gmail.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook

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32:17

Tizzy and Me: Fifteen Ways To Love A Mink feat. Dr....

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/01/20

One day at school, 7-year-old animal loving Georgia discovers her best friend is wearing a coat made with mink fur; with the companionship of her dog Tizzy, Georgia and her friend begin to learn about animals that live in fur farms – and that they must stand up for them. Tizzy and Me: Fifteen Ways to Love A Mink is the lovely chapter book by NML Hazard (also known as Dr. Nadja Lubiw-Hazard), a former veterinarian turned author. Published in late 2024 by Red Deer Press with illustrations by Alice

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01:14

Season 11 Coming Soon!

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2025/01/13

I’m excited to announce season 11 of Defender Radio and The Switch is going live this month! You’ll be hearing long-form interviews from expert scientists around the world talking about wildlife behaviour, population dynamics, and the environment. We’ll be exploring ways you can reduce your impact on the climate crisis and become more resilient through bi-weekly episodes of The Switch. And I can’t wait to hear from you! Make sure you’re following The Fur-Bearers on Instagram @furbearers and find us

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33:53

Rescuing Rabbits with Amy's Bunny Barn

Defender Radio and The Switch ·

2024/09/27

We’re releasing this episode in time for International Rabbit Day – a celebration of our favourite floppy-eared lagomorphs. While rabbits do make wonderful companions, they are frequently released or dumped in the wild – and with an exceptionally quick gestation period, that can lead to a lot of domestic rabbits in the wild, really fast. Fortunately, there are incredible people who are working to find homes for rabbits and prevent the need for dumping – like Amy McLaughin of Amy’s Bunny Barn on

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