Emerging Environments

Emerging Environments

Join hosts Stu Livingstone and Karen Smith as they put a spotlight on the people that are studying and thinking about environmental change. There is so much science happening that's shedding light on not only our current impact on the planet but also the things that we can do to find a new path forward. Part of that story is about following the science, but the other part is about the people that are doing the science and the action that will spur transformative change. Subscribe to learn about our place in the environments that are emerging around us.

  1. 6d ago

    #54 The nature of rewilded communities with J**e Roberts

    In this episode, we connected with Toronto-based artist, community builder, and urban rewilder, J**e Roberts. For over fifteen years, J**e has been developing national programs and campaigns at the David Suzuki Foundation. As the leader of the organization's Rewilding Communities program, he has led the development of dozens of engaging initiatives like the Butterflyway Project, the Rewilding Arts Prize, and he has engaged in collaborations with amazing groups, like the National Healing Forests Initiative. These projects have inspired thousands of Canadians in hundreds of communities to take action and reconnect with nature in their neighborhoods. With J**e, we talked about the various scales and meanings of the term rewilding, which for J**e isn’t just about native plants and pollinators returning to a neighbourhood. It’s also about encouraging people to remember that they’re part of an ecosystem and how a love of local biodiversity can build connections in a community. We also talked about the tensions that can arise when conservation and restoration of biodiversity don’t necessarily align with some people’s expectations of what a community should look like. J**e thinks a lot about the different ways that people respond to nature, and he knows that conservation isn’t just a scientific endeavour. By drawing from science, community building, art curation and creative communication J**e’s work asks us to reflect on our relationship with nature in our communities and to bring more nature into our lives. https://www.joderoberts.com/

    57 min

  2. Jun 9

    #53 The Science Behind the Flames: Mike Wotton on Canada’s Fire Danger System

    In this week’s episode we are speaking with Dr. Mike Wotton, a Research Scientist with the Canadian Forest Service. He is currently stationed at the University of Toronto's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design under the Institute of Forestry and Conservation. Dr. Wotton's research focuses on developing process-based models of fuel-moisture exchange, fire ignition, and fire spread. His research also involves developing the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System, which is used throughout Canada and in a growing number of countries globally.  We spoke with Mike about his early work at the Petawawa National Forestry Institute and the Great Lakes Forest Centre before completing his PhD in Forestry at U of T. We then shifted to unpacking the fundamentals of wildfire dynamics and how these fundamentals inform the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System. We asked Mike about whether there has been an increase in the frequency or magnitude of wildfires in Canada and globally under global warming and what communities and property owners can do to reduce their wildfire risk. This episode was recorded last year, so there may be references to the upcoming 2025 wildfire season. We hope you enjoy our conversation with Mike Wotton! https://firesmartcanada.ca/

    1 hr

  3. May 5

    #52 What is evidence in conservation science and practice? A conversation with Steve Cooke

    In this episode we are speaking with Professor Steve Cooke of the Department of Biology and the Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science at Carleton University. Steve’s research group engages in both science and social science approaches to developing solutions to problems facing fish and other aquatic organisms. This work includes perspectives from integrative biology, freshwater ecology, conservation science and natural research management and involves a large network of diverse collaborators including practitioners, policy-makers and local communities. Our conversation with Steve explores his career path and the evolving landscape of conservation science. We talked about the emerging role of A.I. in conservation, the loss of hands‑on field skills, and we talked in depth about the notion of inclusive scientific evidence and how evidence can inform environmental policy. We spend time reflecting on some of Steve’s science, including one study that examine the structure and effectiveness of invasive‑species awareness campaigns. We finish up by considering how all of these themes can be brought into the classroom through innovative and experiential teaching approaches that prepare students for a career in conservation. Steve is a prolific researcher and active communicator, and it was a pleasure to spend some time with him thinking about these complex conservation science issues. So with that, please enjoy our chat with Steve Cooke. Steve's website: https://www.fecpl.ca/

    58 min

  4. Apr 22

    #51 Wildlife vet for Uganda's critically endangered mountain gorillas: Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka

    Welcome back to another episode of Emerging Environments. In this episode, we are talking with wildlife veterinarian and conservationist, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka. Dr. Gladys, as she is known, is the founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health, an award winning NGO that protects endangered gorillas and other wildlife in Uganda while promoting sustainable tourism using a One Health approach. After receiving her veterinary training at the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London in 1996, Dr. Gladys returned to Uganda and established the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s first veterinary department. Her subsequent Master’s research on the human-wildlife interface at North Carolina State University laid the foundations for what would become Conservation Through Public Health. Our conversation with Dr. Gladys recounts her journey as a scientist and conservationist. We talked about the making of her fantastic book, Walking with Gorillas, and how its impact has been felt beyond Uganda. Her passion for finding connections between gorilla conservation and community livelihoods shined light on the significance of Uganda’s mountain gorillas, their health, and the complexity of gorilla trekking as a form of ecotourism. We invite you all to find Dr. Gladys’ book in your local bookstore, or download the audiobook to learn about Gladys’ story and the enormous impact that her work has had on Uganda’s gorilla populations and the livelihood of the communities that steward the engagement with them. So with that, we’re thrilled to share this conversation with Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka as the first episode of season 6 of Emerging Environments.

    50 min

  5. 07/28/2025

    #50 It's all happening at the Toronto Zoo! A conversation with Dolf Dejong

    In this episode, we are speaking with Dolf DeJong, Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Zoo. Dolf has had an exciting career at the intersection of conservation, public spaces and education. Dolf joined the Toronto Zoo in 2018 after acting as Vice President and General Manager of the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre. At the Toronto Zoo, Dolf has focused on strengthening the zoo’s relationship with the surrounding community, and finding new and creative ways to connect the public with animals and conservation science to help raise awareness and fight extinction. Chatting with Dolf, he reflected on his personal journey into conservation and how it relates to the scientific and strategic work happening at the Toronto Zoo. We explore how the Zoo's location within Rouge National Urban Park informs its partnerships with Parks Canada, and the exciting plans for the Zoo’s upcoming Conservation Campus, which is being built in collaboration with the University of Toronto Scarborough. We also talked about the emergence of so-called “de-extinction” technologies and their implication for both wildlife conservation and zoos. We then reflect on a recent trip to East Africa that Dolf and I took part in with some colleagues and unpack some of the ethical and ecological complexities of ecotourism in developing nations. In the wildlife conservation world, Zoos are sometimes portrayed as relics of an outdated conservation ethos. But we hope our conversation with Dolf works to dispel that view, highlighting the vibrant science happening at the zoo, and the deep connection to applied conservation biology.

    45 min

  6. 07/10/2025

    #49 Is hydrogen the energy source of the future? a conversation with Joe Romm

    Today we are speaking with Joseph Romm, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media. Joe holds a PhD in physics from MIT and has authored numerous articles and 10 books on climate change, clean energy, and communications. In the 1990s, he worked on climate solutions at the US Department of Energy, and helped to run the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. He then became very active in climate change communications, founding the influential blog, Climate Progress, and was recognized by the AAAS and Rolling Stone and Time Magazines for his efforts. One of Joe’s signature books is his 2003 book entitled: “The Hype about Hydrogen: False Promises and Real Solutions in the Race to Save the Climate”, which he has recently revised and updated. In the book, Joe made the case that hydrogen did not live up to the hype at the time - it was not going to be an economically viable alternative to fossil fuels. We chatted with Joe about whether anything has changed in the 20+ years since the book first came out and about his thoughts on the renewed investment in hydrogen. We also spoke to Joe about his work as a science communicator and his new endeavours to share what he has learned about how to connect with an audience. Buy the new revised edition of Joe's book here: https://www.amazon.ca/Hype-About-Hydrogen-Revised-Solutions/dp/1642834025

    1h 15m

  7. 06/10/2025

    #48 Climate science in the crosshairs with Adam Sobel

    In this episode we are speaking with Adam Sobel, Professor of Applied Physics, Mathematics and Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University. Adam is an atmospheric and climate scientist and his research focuses on tropical meteorology and extreme weather events, particularly hurricanes. Adam is also actively engaged in public outreach through media interviews, op-eds, podcasting and his popular science book about Hurricane Sandy that made landfall in New York in 2012.  In light of the current and proposed US funding cuts to science and climate science specifically, Adam and others have been raising awareness about the potential harm to American science and society more broadly. In our conversation with Adam, we talked about his own research program, his journey to becoming a more public-facing scientist, and the scale of the funding cuts facing US federal agencies and academic institutions. America is a leader in science and innovation and Adam stressed that this is not by chance; it is the result of a curiosity-driven, highly productive and government-funded science ecosystem established in the US post-World War II. It was a difficult conversation, but an important one. So, with that, here’s our conversation with Adam Sobel.

    1h 5m

  8. 05/29/2025

    #47 Elevating plant life in conservation research and practice with Jenny McCune

    In this episode we are chatting with plant community ecologist, Professor Jenny McCune of the University of Lethbridge. The goal of Jenny's research is to determine what factors drive the patterns and long-term dynamics of plant community diversity and composition within landscapes dominated by humans. Her research group uses field surveys of forests, grasslands, or savannahs to identify which plant species are present and compare this data to data from past surveys, or from paleoecological data. These comparisons allow her group to assess how plant communities have changed, and how those changes are related to human activities or natural disturbances like storms and fires. Jenny’s research also focuses on the conservation of plant species at risk. With Jenny we talked about where her passion for plants comes from and why plants seem to be underrepresented in conservation teaching and practice. We also revisit the concept of ecological integrity in the context of Jenny’s work, which involves the relationship between conservation translocation and the integrity of local ecosystems. A lot of Jenny’s recent research is focused on post-fire ecological recovery, and she shared some findings from her work on this in Western Canada. We wrapped up our chat with some reflections on how we teach conservation, and what strategies can be effective for conveying the complexity of environmental management in Canada. Jenny's website: https://jlmccune.weebly.com/

    51 min
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Join hosts Stu Livingstone and Karen Smith as they put a spotlight on the people that are studying and thinking about environmental change. There is so much science happening that's shedding light on not only our current impact on the planet but also the things that we can do to find a new path forward. Part of that story is about following the science, but the other part is about the people that are doing the science and the action that will spur transformative change. Subscribe to learn about our place in the environments that are emerging around us.

Information

  • Creator
    Emerging Environments
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    55
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Emerging Environments
  • Show Website
    Emerging Environments