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. 6h ago

    Berta's Story

    When Berta, a five-year-old livestock guardian dog, was killed in a snare near her family's home outside Williams Lake, BC, her family was devastated. Victoria Savile, Berta's owner, is a hunter and longtime resident who never knew active snares could be set so close to her home. Now, she's calling for better public warnings and stronger trapping regulations. On this episode of Defender Radio, Victoria shares Berta's story, the impact on her family, and why she hopes speaking out will prevent other families from experiencing the same tragedy. SHOWNOTES The Fur-Bearers article: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/dog-killed-in-bc-trap-as-safety-regulations-considered/ Pets in Traps: https://thefurbearers.com/our-work/commercial-trapping/trapping-incidents/ How to Release Your Pet From A Trap Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n45s9ynd3E Moon's Law: https://thefurbearers.com/moonslaw/ 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).

    Berta's Story

  2. Oct 20

    Beyond Bear Smart with Dr. Lana Ciarniello

    British Columbia is the birthplace of the Bear Smart program – an approach that's now influencing communities internationally. But across the province, encounters between black bears, grizzlies and people can still lead to bears being killed. We know many of these encounters are preventable. Decades of research have helped us understand why conflicts occur and what communities can do to reduce them. So why isn't this knowledge being put into practice? Earlier this year, freedom of information requests by The Fur-Bearers revealed a provincial Bear Smart program in disarray. In September, delegates at the Union of BC Municipalities convention called for provincial funding and staffing to be restored. With a provincial election approaching, what happens next remains uncertain, while the consequences for bears continue. Dr. Lana Ciarniello, a bear researcher whose 30-year career includes helping establish BC's Bear Smart program, joins Defender Radio to discuss the challenges bears face in British Columbia, the policy changes that could give communities and bears a better chance at coexistence, and what her recent research reveals about rehabilitating and releasing orphaned grizzly bears. SHOW NOTES Photo by Jillian Cooper / Getty Dr. Lana Ciarniello at Global Bear Conservation: https://globalbearconservation.org/About/leadership_page/40 Dr. Lana Ciarniello ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lana-Ciarniello Study: Evidence for a metabolic trap and habituation limiting post-release survival of orphaned grizzly bears: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/411161478_Evidence_for_a_metabolic_trap_and_habituation_limiting_post-release_survival_of_orphaned_grizzly_bears Plain language article on study: https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2026/08/03/orphaned-grizzly-cubs-released-wild-rarely-make-it-improve-chances The Fur-Bearers article on Bear Smart: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/status-of-bear-smart-surprises-bc/ The Fur-Bearers article on UBCM response: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/clear-message-from-ubcm-reactivate-bear-smart/ 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).

    Beyond Bear Smart with Dr. Lana Ciarniello

  3. Oct 6

    The Fragile Future of BC's Fishers feat. Rich Weir

    Fishers – Pekania pennanti – are secretive, forest-dwelling members of the weasel family found across parts of British Columbia. But the Columbian population in BC's central interior is small, isolated, and facing serious pressure from habitat loss, wildfire and trapping. Rich Weir is a senior wildlife biologist with Artemis Wildlife Consultants who has spent much of his career studying fishers and other carnivores in British Columbia. His research has helped us better understand where fishers live, how their populations are connected, and what they need to survive.  Rich Joined Defender Radio to talk about what makes fishers unique, what new genetic research is telling us about the Columbian population, and what needs to happen to help these animals recover. SHOW NOTES Episode art of Fisher in Olympic National Park (reintroduced from BC in 2008-10), by Jess Hoffman, National Park Service Learn more about Rich Weir, his publications and Artemis Wildlife Consultants: https://artemiswildlife.com/ Learn more about the BC Fisher Habitat Working Group: https://bcfisherhabitat.ca/ 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 Fragile Future of BC's Fishers feat. Rich Weir

  4. Sep 22

    Growing Hamilton's Urban Canopy

    Hamilton's urban tree canopy currently sits at about 18 per cent, and the City has set a goal of increasing that to 40 per cent by 2050. That matters for people — but it also matters for wildlife. Trees provide food, shelter and movement corridors for many of the fur-bearing animals who share our urban neighbourhoods, from squirrels and raccoons to skunks and other species. A new pilot project from the City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Naturalists' Club is helping grow that habitat by bringing free, professionally planted native trees into backyards in lower-canopy neighbourhoods. To learn more about the program, I spoke with Jen Baker, General Manager at the Hamilton Naturalists' Club, and Louise Thomassin, Senior Project Manager, Forestry and Horticulture with the City of Hamilton. SHOW NOTES Hamilton Naturalist's Club: https://hamiltonnature.org/ City of Hamilton' Urban Forest Strategy: https://www.hamilton.ca/home-neighbourhood/environmental-stewardship/environmental-plans-strategies/urban-forest-strategy HNC Backyard Tree Planting Pilot: https://hamiltonnature.org/backyard-tree-planting/ 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).

    Growing Hamilton's Urban Canopy

  5. Sep 8

    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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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
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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
    414
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Fur-Bearers
  • Show Website
    Defender Radio and The Switch

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