Defender Radio and The Switch

Michael Howie / The Fur-Bearers
  • 4.8 (19)
  • Nature
  • Updated Weekly

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

  1. 4d ago

    OnlyMarms Featuring Dr. Julien Martin

    For more than 60 years, researchers have been studying generations of yellow-bellied marmots in Colorado, creating one of the longest-running studies of wild mammals in the world. Dr. Julien Martin is a professor of biology at the University of Ottawa and one of the researchers now leading that project, studying how marmots respond and adapt to changes in their environment. But keeping a decades-long research project going takes more than good science. When traditional research funding became uncertain, Julien and his colleagues tried something a little different: they launched OnlyMarms, an OnlyFans account dedicated entirely to marmots. What followed was a surprisingly successful experiment in science communication, fundraising and the internet's apparently limitless appetite for charismatic rodents. In this episode of Defender Radio, we talk with Dr. Julien Martin about the value of long-term wildlife research, what marmots can teach us, and what happens when scientists have to get creative to keep their work going. SHOW NOTES: Episode Art of Kite the Yellow-Bellied Marmot by Laura Green / Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Marmots Page: https://sites.lifesci.ucla.edu/eeb-rmbl-marmots/ RMBL Marmots on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rmblmarmotproject/ OnlyMarms main page: https://onlymarmssolana.org/ Dr. Julien Martin's OnlyMarms GitHub: https://juliengamartin.github.io/onlymarms/ UCLA Coverage of OnlyMarms: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/onlymarms-rodents-are-baring-a-bit-of-fur-for-science Winner of Fat Marmot Week Coverage: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/fat-marmot-week-9.7327200 Dr. Julien Martin's University of Ottawa page: https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-science/professors/julien-martin

    OnlyMarms Featuring Dr. Julien Martin

  2. Aug 25

    Jimothy and Wild Animal Welfare Science

    The Fur-Bearers' Wildlife Campaigns and Advocacy Manager Tijana S and Science Communicator and Researcher Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin join the Defender Radio podcast to talk Jimothy, wild animal welfare science, how our use of space impacts wildlife, and a new study on coexistence stats worldwide. Plus a bit of fun and laughter as host Michael Howie is taught more about science, as always. SHOW NOTES: Screengrab of Jimothy by Instagram user c1vrgr1 with permission. Etymology: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/language-and-linguistics/etymology Entomology: https://entsoc.org/about/what-is-entomology Ethology: https://www.britannica.com/science/ethology More about Jimothy: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/jimothy-captured-our-hearts-now-we-need-to-give-him-space/ More about grizzly bears and how our space impacts them: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/sharing-space-with-bears-how-our-behaviour-shapes-encounters/ Sci Comm article, Whose Welfare Counts? The Science of Wild Animal Welfare: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/whose-welfare-counts-the-science-of-wild-animal-welfare/ Sci Comm article, Human–Wildlife Conflict: Insights from 220 Studies in 47 Countries: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/human-wildlife-conflict-insights-from-220-studies-in-47-countries/ Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at info@TheFurBearers.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook (www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio).  Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (www.TheFurBearers.com), a charitable non-partisan organization whose mandate is to advocate on behalf of fur-bearing animals in the wild and in confinement, promote coexistence solutions in communities and protect the habitats of fur-bearing animals across Canada. You can follow The Fur-Bearers on Instagram (www.instagram.com/furbearers), Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).

    Jimothy and Wild Animal Welfare Science

  3. Aug 11

    Surviving The Wildfire feat. Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society

    Over 21,000 people were evacuated from Summerland, British Columbia, when the Bald Range fire rapidly grew to over 156 square kilometres. Among the thousands of homes that were impacted or destroyed by the wildfire is Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society. The volunteer-run organization, led by founder Eva Hartmann, focuses on water birds, bats, reptiles, and small mammals like beavers, otters, and muskrats. When the call to evacuate came in Eva and her partner chose to enact the Interior Wildlife evacuation plan – and saved all the animals in their care. Tragically, the Interior Wildlife facilities were destroyed by the wildfire. Now, the Interior Wildlife team is launching a fundraiser to rebuild when the time is right, and get back to helping wildlife who need it most. To share more about Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, the impact of the wildfires, how the team is managing, and what's next,  Defender Radio is joined by volunteer Ryan Elisabeth Cope. SHOW NOTES Cover image by E. Hartmann/IWRS Donate to IWRS Rebuilding Effort: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/interior-wildlife-rehabilitation-society/ Learn more about IWRS: https://interiorwildlife.ca/ Find IWRS on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/p/Interior-Wildlife-Rehabilitation-Society-100064551319807/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/interiorwildlife/?hl=en) BC 2-1-1 Wildfire Resources: https://bc.211.ca/wildfires/ BC SPCA Wildfire Animal Support: https://spca.bc.ca/bc-wildfire-animal-support/ Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at info@TheFurBearers.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook (www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio).  Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (www.TheFurBearers.com), a charitable non-partisan organization whose mandate is to advocate on behalf of fur-bearing animals in the wild and in confinement, promote coexistence solutions in communities and protect the habitats of fur-bearing animals across Canada. You can follow The Fur-Bearers on Instagram (www.instagram.com/furbearers), Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).

    Surviving The Wildfire feat. Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society

  4. Jul 7

    Urban Habitats and Connectivity featuring Dr. Lenore Fahrig

    When we talk about wildlife, we often talk about it as though it belongs somewhere else. A forest. A park. A protected area. Somewhere north of us, away from the roads, neighbourhoods, shopping centres, and backyards where we spend most of our lives. But nature is not somewhere else. It's everywhere. Coyotes on city streets, raccoons in backyards, skunks under sheds, birds crossing parking lots, insects searching for flowers — all are living in landscapes we have shaped, divided, paved, and rearranged. So what does that mean for them? And what does it mean for us? Dr. Lenore Fahrig, a highly-cited landscape ecologist at Carleton University joins Defender Radio to discuss what habitat loss and fragmentation mean for wildlife, how fur-bearing animals move through cities, and what we can do as individuals and in our communities to create more essential connectivity. SHOW NOTES: Episode art by Ken Duffney / Getty Dr. Lenore Fahrig's Lab page: https://carleton.ca/fahriglab/ Dr. Lenore Fahrig's Bio page: https://carleton.ca/biology/people/lenore-fahrig/ Study – Nature-based solutions for urban biodiversity: Spatial targeting of retrofits can multiply ecological connectivity benefits: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204624001683 Podcast interview on above study: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/defender-radio/biodiversity-and-urban-connectivity/ Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at info@TheFurBearers.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook (www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio).  Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (www.TheFurBearers.com), a charitable non-partisan organization whose mandate is to advocate on behalf of fur-bearing animals in the wild and in confinement, promote coexistence solutions in communities and protect the habitats of fur-bearing animals across Canada. You can follow The Fur-Bearers on Instagram (www.instagram.com/furbearers), Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).

    Urban Habitats and Connectivity featuring Dr. Lenore Fahrig

  5. Jun 16

    The Space Wildlife Needs feat. Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin & Tijana

    Defender Radio host Michael Howie is joined by colleagues Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin and Tijana (Wildlife Campaigns and Advocacy Manager at The Fur-Bearers) to talk about studies covering drones and British Columbia's endangered species, plus a chat about what kind of space wildlife needs this time of year.  SHOW NOTES Episode artwork of an edangered Vancouver Island Marmot by James Telford / iNaturalist / CCBY4.0 (modification included cropping and display text). Learn more about Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelivesofwilddogs/ Articles on TheFurBearers.com: https://thefurbearers.com/tag/drvallifrasercelin/ Articles and Studies referenced: When Drones Disturb Nature: What Wildlife Research Is Telling Us: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/when-drones-disturb-nature-what-wildlife-research-is-telling-us/ Species at Risk in British Columbia: What 17 Years of Data Reveal: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/species-at-risk-in-british-columbia-what-17-years-of-data-reveal/ Dear Grizzly Bear 142, Mother of a Train-Struck Cub (by Cleo Shedden): https://thefurbearers.com/blog/dear-grizzly-bear-142-mother-of-a-train-struck-cub/ The Lost Words by Robert McFarlane: https://houseofanansi.com/products/the-lost-words How to Pronounce Arthropod: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/english/arthropod Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at info@TheFurBearers.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook (www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio).  Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (www.TheFurBearers.com), a charitable non-partisan organization whose mandate is to advocate on behalf of fur-bearing animals in the wild and in confinement, promote coexistence solutions in communities and protect the habitats of fur-bearing animals across Canada. You can follow The Fur-Bearers on Instagram (www.instagram.com/furbearers), Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).

    The Space Wildlife Needs feat. Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin & Tijana

  6. Jun 2

    Fur Farming and the Next Pandemic featuring Dr. Neil Vora

    It feels like yesterday – and a lifetime ago – that the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world. I don't know about you, but I'm still dealing with that experience, and I see the impact of it around me regularly. What's most upsetting, perhaps, is that experts are sending clear messages: it's not if, but when the next pandemic will hit. A major source for potential virus spillover is fur farms, of which there remain dozens in Canada today, despite a British Columbia mink fur farm ban announced in 2021. Dr. Neil Vora, a former CDC epidemiologist, Executive Director of the Preventing Pandemics at the Source Coalition and Orchestrator in Residence at Integral, and passionate conservationist, is one of many people pushing for change. Dr. Vora joins Defender Radio to discuss the risks of fur farms, how Canada and other nations can embrace One Health policies, and how our relationship with nature is at the core of it all. SHOW NOTES Photo of a mink on a Canadian fur farm by We Animals Dr. Neil Vora's website: https://neilvora.com/ Preventing Pandemics at The Source: https://www.preventingfuturepandemics.org/ Ban fur farming or risk a new pandemic (The Guardian, by Dr. Neil Vora): https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/24/fur-farming-pandemic-risk Marking the end of fur farming in British Columbia: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/marking-the-end-of-mink-farming-in-british-columbia/ Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at info@TheFurBearers.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook (www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio).  Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (www.TheFurBearers.com), a charitable non-partisan organization whose mandate is to advocate on behalf of fur-bearing animals in the wild and in confinement, promote coexistence solutions in communities and protect the habitats of fur-bearing animals across Canada. You can follow The Fur-Bearers on Instagram (www.instagram.com/furbearers), Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).

    Fur Farming and the Next Pandemic featuring Dr. Neil Vora

  7. May 19

    Spring in the Wild City featuring Nathalie Karvonen

    This time of year is glorious for all of us – and for the wild neighbours with whom we share our communities. From black bears and coyotes to skunks and squirrels, wildlife is out and about, finding new den sites, food sources, and introducing their families to the world around them – even in cities. Sadly, human infrastructure and behaviours can lead to tragic outcomes for many animals; and that's why dedicated wildlife rehabilitators across the country need your help. Joining us to talk about spring wildlife and their families, the surprising biodiversity of major cities like Toronto, and how you can help your local wildlife rehabilitator is Nathalie Karvonen, Executive Director and Founder of the Toronto Wildlife Centre. SHOW NOTES Episode art of a Toronto raccoon by bukharova / Getty Images Toronto Wildlife Centre website: https://www.torontowildlifecentre.com/ Toronto Wildlife Centre Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torontowildlifecentre/ Impacts of Wildlife Feeding Along RBG Trails: https://www.rbg.ca/impacts-of-wildlife-feeding-along-rbg-trails/ Paris has successfully cut noise pollution, but urban birds still can't sing at their natural pitch: https://theconversation.com/paris-has-successfully-cut-noise-pollution-but-urban-birds-still-cant-sing-at-their-natural-pitch-280229 Ontario Gov page on Wildlife Rehab: https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-wildlife-rehabilitator Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at info@TheFurBearers.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook (www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio).  Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (www.TheFurBearers.com), a charitable non-partisan organization whose mandate is to advocate on behalf of fur-bearing animals in the wild and in confinement, promote coexistence solutions in communities and protect the habitats of fur-bearing animals across Canada. You can follow The Fur-Bearers on Instagram (www.instagram.com/furbearers), Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).

    Spring in the Wild City featuring Nathalie Karvonen

  8. May 5

    Communicating Coexistence feat. Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin + Tijana S.

    Defender Radio host Michael Howie is joined by colleagues Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin and Tijana S. (Wildlife Campaigns and Advocacy Manager at The Fur-Bearers) to talk about The Fur-Bearers' recent time at the Humane Canada Summit for Wildlife, two studies reviewed for our article, and how communication is a key aspect to wildlife coexistence. SHOW NOTES Episode artwork by Brittany Crossman / Getty Learn more about Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelivesofwilddogs/ Articles on TheFurBearers.com: https://thefurbearers.com/tag/drvallifrasercelin/ Articles and Studies referenced: Humane Canada recap – https://thefurbearers.com/blog/recap-humane-canadas-2026-summit-for-animals/ Study: Helping Landowners Live with Beavers – https://thefurbearers.com/blog/study-helping-landowners-live-with-beavers/ Why Nocturnal Wildlife Gets Less Love – https://thefurbearers.com/blog/why-nocturnal-wildlife-gets-less-love/ Surprising ways skunks help your ecosystem – https://thefurbearers.com/blog/surprising-ways-skunks-help-your-ecosystem/ Raccoons at Noon? Don't Panic. – https://thefurbearers.com/blog/raccoons-at-noon-dont-panic/ Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at info@TheFurBearers.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook (www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio).  Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (www.TheFurBearers.com), a charitable non-partisan organization whose mandate is to advocate on behalf of fur-bearing animals in the wild and in confinement, promote coexistence solutions in communities and protect the habitats of fur-bearing animals across Canada. You can follow The Fur-Bearers on Instagram (www.instagram.com/furbearers), Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).

    Communicating Coexistence feat. Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin + Tijana S.
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4.8
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Howie / The Fur-Bearers
  • Years Active
    2013 - 2026
  • Episodes
    410
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Fur-Bearers
  • Show Website
    Defender Radio and The Switch

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