Terra Informa

This episode originally aired on July 12, 2020: Terra Informers Sonak Patel and Elizabeth Dowdell take us on a tour of the River Valley history in Amiskwaciy or "Beaver Hills", otherwise known as Edmonton, Alberta. After recapping Part I of this topic, the episode delves into themes of cultural values, Indigenous displacement, and respect for both our natural spaces and each other. We hear the voices of Amber Paquette, historian laureate of Edmonton, and Dr. Dwayne Donald, associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta as they uncover their hopes for the future of the River Valley.Download program log here.  ★ Support this podcast ★

Terra Informers Sonak Patel and Elizabeth Dowdell take us on a tour of the River Valley history, following global trends in the local sphere of Amiskwaciy or "Beaver Hills", otherwise known as Edmonton, Alberta. The River Valley was not always the lush park we think of today. In fact, it's gone through many transformations! We hear the voices of Amber Paquette, historian laureate of Edmonton, and Dr. Dwayne Donald, associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. Paquette and Donald provide fresh perspective on the braided pathway of the River Valley from gathering place to trading post to smelly town to the "ribbon of green" we know and love today. Throughout its many transformations, the Edmonton River Valley has always been an important meeting place and true local gem. Download the program log here.  ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on May 3, 2021: This episode, Terra Informers Sonak Patel and Liam Harrap guide you through some of the impacts that a warming world will have on our blue planet. Drawing from estimates and predictions made in the IPCC Special Report, in this episode we prepare ourselves for what global warming and the climate crisis will mean to Alberta, Canada, and the rest of the world. It's not a heartwarming episode, but we are in this together.Written by Sonak Patel, hosted by Liam Harrap and Sonak Patel, edited and produced by Elizabeth Dowdell.Program log. ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on August 17, 2020: This week, Andrea Miller debuts her news training piece. She sits down with Ashley Hillman to discuss her research on lichen and how it is an essential part of the ever-elusive and endangered woodland caribou.Download the program log here. Here are links to Ashley's article on lichen cover and the article discussed in the piece on being a person of colour in ecology. Production of CJSR 88.5FM in Amiskwaciy. ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on November 15, 2021: This week, we’re speaking with an outreach and science communication professional to learn about a variety of strategies and mediums for effectively communicating energy research beyond the academy, to a wider audience of policymakers, energy practitioners, communities and members of the public, and other academics. Dr. Valerie Miller is the Outreach and Engagement Coordinator for the University of Alberta research group, Future Energy Systems. Valerie shares how energy communication is creating common ground between researchers and building connections between people and the energy systems we are a part of.This episode features an excerpt of the first book in Future Energy Systems children’s book series, The Energy Adventures of Tommy and Remi, The Mystery of the Glowing Light, available at the Edmonton Public Library. The book was written by Valerie Miller with illustrations by Kaitlyn Pylypa. Dr. Zhongyi Quan was the Technical Advisor and the book was edi

This epsiode originally aired on December 14, 2020: Listeners, we know you're all very upset that Eurovision was cancelled this year due to COVID. So, we decided to host something similar ourselves on the radio. This week, we bring to you the first ever EuroBirdoVision Identification Competition. You'll hear Terra Informers Charlotte Thomasson, Elizabeth Dowdell, and Sonak Patel try to guess the difference between the names of European birds and bands. You'll also hear some bird songs, and bird facts.The bird songs in this episode are from DiBird and Avi-base.The bands mentioned in this episode are: Eugent Bushpepa, Nemra, Lasgo, Irfan, Osmi Putnik, Monsieur Doumani, Priessnitz, Kellermensch, Mana Mana, Poll, Goran Gora, and Telectu.Download the program log here. ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on February 14, 2022: This week we are airing an audio documentary created by Shaneen Jamal, Olivia Mitchell, and Breanne Palmer for an agricultural economics class that had a community-service learning component at the University of Alberta. This documentary explores how community gardens affect consumer choices by examining the connections between peoples’ experiences in community gardens and their individual habits.Rupertsland Centre for Metis Research podcast on SoundcloudProgram Log ★ Support this podcast ★

Tune in this week as the Terra Informa team rounds up environmental news from the past few months!In this episode, we cover anti-coal protests in Germany, dolphin sightings in the New York City, the recent uproar over gas stoves, a new UN High Seas Treaty, bear season in Canada, the federal government's Just Transition plan, and the newest Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) in British Columbia. Program Log here.  ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on May 17, 2021: Terra Informers Curt Blandy and Liam Harrap explore sustainable brewing with Steve Beauchesne at Beaus Brewing. They also chat with Christine O'Grady, from UCalgary’s Advancing Canadian Water Assets, and Jeremy McLaughlin, Head Brewer, on the Village Brewery project on making beer with waste water! We also get to listen to a local Edmonton beer song called Beer Tastes Better (When The Work's All Done) by the Denim Daddies.Download the program log here.  ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on December 7, 2020: Science is cool. You may agree, since you're listening to a podcast that talks a lot about science of the environmental variety. But, science can be hard to understand, and research can be hard to access. Here at Terra Informa, we asked ourselves, how could we help track down, and break down, new scientific discoveries for our listeners, and make it fun to listen to and easy to understand?In this week's episode, we talk about a recent science communication workshop the team did with CJSR Podcast Coordinator and Terra Informa alumni, Chris Chang-Yen Phillips. Then, we dig into science - what is it? How does one... well, do it? Finally, we practice our science communication skills as we explain the science behind a very peculiar trait of an equally peculiar animal.If you enjoyed this episode, and want to hear more new research findings in the future, let us know by sending an email to terra@cjsr.com!If you’re passionate about environmental news and stories, con

This episode originally aired on August 31, 2020:This week on Terra Informa, Charlotte Thomasson and guests talk trees.On both an individual and collective level, the protection of these leafy giants has always been important, and the urgency to protect these ancient species only grows with the increasing threats of climate change, wildfire, industry, and development. Indigenous land-defenders have long led the effort to protect endangered old-growth trees on a large scale. But as we’ll hear today, you can be called to speak up for the trees right in your own backyard. We'll hear from Kelci Mohr, environmental advocate and resident of Nelson, British Columbia, as well as Terra Informer Dylan Hall and Troy Sebastian, a contractor for the Ktunaxa Nation.Download the program log here.  ★ Support this podcast ★

This week on Terra Informa we bring you the second installment of our reporting and recording from the Parkland Institute's Fall 2022 Conference: Doing Democracy Better: Challenging the Politics of Fear and Resentment which took place on November 18-20, 2022 at the University of Alberta. This week's episode includes a talk given by Iron & Earth Communities Director and Just Transition Lead Ana Guerra Marin entitled "Navigating Polarization and Fear While Building Just Transitions from the Ground Up" as well as a Q&A excerpt with Ana and Ian (from last week's episode).  Parkland Institute YouTube channelProgram log★ Support this podcast ★Music: Warm Vacuum Tube  by Admiral Bob (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/admiralbob77/59533 Ft: starfrosch ★ Support this podcast ★

This week on Terra Informa we bring you the first installment of our reporting and recording from the Parkland Institute's Fall 2022 Conference: Doing Democracy Better: Challenging the Politics of Fear and Resentment which took place on November 18-20, 2022 at the University of Alberta. This week's episode includes a talk given by Parkland Institute Research Manager Ian Hussey entitled "Job Creation or Job Loss? Big Companies Use Tax Cut to Automate Away Jobs in the Oil Sands"Parkland Institute YouTube channelProgram log ★ Support this podcast ★Music: Kingly by Ketsa is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on May 4, 2020: This week several Terra Informers reflect on the changing seasons, and what spring means to them. Listen in for some great ambient spring sounds and grateful reflections on the warmer air around us.Download the program log. ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on August 2, 2020: As we continue to stay home to protect ourselves and others, the natural world carries on without us. Human intervention in our environment often comes with damaging consequences, and today we're taking some time to learn about the history of the regions that are special to us and turning a critical eye on efforts to "protect" these spaces, efforts with a colonial history and present. Listen to our very own Terra Informers Elizabeth Dowdell, Curt Blandy, Andy Silva, and Daniel Pietraszewski as they share some personal stories about natural places and species that are significant to them. You'll hear about the history of the Sturgeon River region and how the ecosystem has been transformed by industry and development, the Milk River and a visit to Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, and one journey from connoisseur of online otter content, to advocate for Alberta's own River Otter.Sara Cannon - Decolonizing Conservation: A Reading ListIndigenous Circle of Experts R

This episode originally aired on November 22, 2021: This week on Terra Informa we jump into the giant world of the fungi kingdom. Charlotte Thomasson sings a song, and interviews Josh Smith and Mike Schultz, members of the Alberta Mycological Society. Daniel Pietraszewski shares a fun story about Vilna, AB. You're not going to want to miss this.Download the program log here.Check out the Alberta Mycological Society to learn more about their important work!  ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode from March 8, 2021, Terra Informers Sonak Patel, Andrea Miller, and Elizabeth Dowdell speak with urban beekeeper David Whitaker about how he picked up this unique hobby and the benefits of bees in the City.Learn more about beekeeping from the City of Edmonton and how to avoid the hype of bee-washing. To get your hands on some sweet, sweet, local honey email davesurbanhoney@shaw.ca!Thanks to:Sonak Patel for research + writing + hostingAndrea Miller for musicElizabeth Dowdell for interview + hosting + productionProgram log here.★ Support this podcast ★ ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on August 10, 2020: This week on Terra Informa, Sonak Patel and Skylar Lipman, joined by Morrigan Simpson-Marran from the Pembina Institute and Daniel Schiffner from the University of Alberta, discuss orphan wells in Alberta.The evidence of oil and gas development on Alberta's landscape appears in various forms across the province. Much of oil and gas extraction requires drilling a well into the ground to reach subterranean fossil fuels. Under provincial regulations, these wells are supposed to be reclaimed once they reach the end of their productive lifespan. But in some cases, reclamation doesn't happen, leaving a substantial number of wells dotted across the Albertan landscape.How many orphaned wells are there in Alberta? How does a well become 'orphaned', and why are they a problem? We find out the answers to these questions in this week's episode.Download program log here.★ Support this podcast ★ ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on July 20, 2020: In the film, acclaimed actor Elliot Page, inspired by a book by Ingrid Waldron that also lends its name to the documentary, travels across their home province of Nova Scotia to explore cases of environmental racism. This week, we are talking about environmental racism, which specifically refers to the environmental injustice that is based on race.We reached out to Dr. Ingrid Waldron, a professor and author of the book “There’s Something in the Water”. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Waldron to discuss environmental racism towards Black communities in Nova Scotia and what liberation could look like.Program Log ★ Support this podcast ★

In this archive episode we explore: What is it like to be a plant? Do plants make choices? Do they...think? We turn to Charly Blais' interview with Megan Ljubotina, a graduate student at the University of Alberta to find out about the ways plants make decisions to improve their vitality, survival and fitness. ★ Support this podcast ★