Terra Informa

This episode originally aired on February 11, 2019: This week on Terra Informa, Sofia Osborne (a Terra Informer herself) reads us a piece she recently wrote for The Tyee, an independent, Canadian, online magazine. The story recounts Sofia's experience being isolated on Saturna Island during the worst wind storm in BC Hydro history. The storm rocked BC's west coast this past December, while Sofia's article was just released. We’ll chat about the piece, the future of dealing with these massive storms, and journalism! ★ Support this podcast ★ ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on November 23, 2020: At Terra Informa, we've talked trash before. Back in 2017, we even went on a tour of the Edmonton Waste Management Centre. But, one thing we haven't talked about are the people who do the incredibly important job of sorting and processing our garbage. This week at Terra Informa, we interview filmmaker Anthony Goertz about The Line, a film that focuses on the employees of Quality One Training and Support, a program that connects people with barriers to employment including a criminal record, newcomer status, or addictions or mental illnesses with employment opportunities at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre. You can watch The Line here online through Vimeo (rent it for $3.00 or buy it for $8.00). Download the program log here. ★ 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 ★ ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on August 26, 2021: Are you looking for a story of resource extraction, community, and hope? In this episode, Terra Informers Katherine Rogers, Hannah Cunningham, Elizabeth Dowdell, and Sara Chitsaz discuss Dr. Suess' children's story, The Lorax. The Lorax provides a simplified story of some impacts of the exploitation of natural resources, and of hope for recovering these resources. Join us as we discuss key takeaways, strengths and weaknesses of The Lorax book (first published in 1971) and film adaptation (released in 2012), and compare it to the current Fairy Creek resource conflict in BC. Program Log. ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode was originally aired on July 8, 2019: This week on Terra Informa, we discuss solar energy, including topics such as the definition of solar, how it works, the pros and cons to solar, and who the solar power leaders are around the world. Program log. ★ Support this podcast ★ ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on January 21, 2019: This week we present a single interview, between Terra Informer Sofia Osborne and Sharon Riley, an investigative journalist covering energy and the environment in Alberta for The Narwhal, an independent online magazine that reports on the basis that climate change is a real and happening issue. Download program log here. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this week's archive episode (which originally aired on April 19, 2021), we take you on an auditory journey into the swamp, where we do a little science communication about the Ghost Orchid. We were inspired by the short documentary, Chasing Ghosts, and dig into the flower, film, and scientific research about this rare and endangered plant. Download the program log here ★ Support this podcast ★ ★ Support this podcast ★

In this week's archive episode, we revisit a Terra Informa review of the film Metamorphosis, a climate change documentary, along with an interview with the creators of the film. Program log. ★ Support this podcast ★

When's the last time you went to the zoo? This week, Sonak Patel is joined by guest Jamie Dorgan of the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo to discuss the evolution of zoos and their role in biodiversity conservation. Program log. ★ Support this podcast ★ ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on April 23, 2018: This week on Terra Informa we discuss sustainable agriculture and what its like farming in the north. How much sun do they get?! Download program log here. ★ Support this podcast ★

To help celebrate the end of a brutal coldsnap here on the Canadian prairies, this week's episode features an archive that is all about green and growing things! We'll hear Terra Informer Amanda Rooney speak with Dr. Natasha Meyers, a professor of anthropology at York University, about our relationships with plants and how we might be able to re-conceptualize them. After reading an article entitled “How to grow livable worlds: Ten not-so-easy steps“, Terra Informer Amanda Rooney wanted to share the idea of the Planthropocene with listeners! Amanda got to speak with the author of the paper, Natasha Myers, about her relationship with plants, planthropology and how you might reconceptualize your relationship with plants. We will also hear from Terra Informers Sonak Patel, Hannah Cunningham, and new recruit Curtis Blandy about some of their most memorable chlorophyll-ed relationships. ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on May 24, 2021: It's spring, which means you may have started your own garden, or maybe you know someone who started bringing up little seedlings months ago. Seeds are where all home gardens and farmers' fields begin - but there are some key differences between the seeds that large agro-corporations sell and the ones that you can choose to plant in your backyard or balcony. This week, we speak with Denise O'Reilly, the head of operations at A'Bunadh Seeds and get down to the root of questions like, what does it mean to save seeds, and why is it important? What's an heirloom variety? Is that different than a hybrid? Program Log ★ Support this podcast ★

This week on Terra Informa, we revisit a beloved episode from our archives that originally aired on March 18, 2019. This episode's format is a round-table discussion, in which the each member of the team brought something different to the table- something related to The Unseen Environment. Mysterious. Charlotte Thomasson and Amanda Rooney brought together a handful of Terra Informer's for a discussion about mysterious natural events, Nematodes, paleoburrows, and so much more. Additionally, Ben Hollihan talks about a news story for this week: how grocery stores are struggling to adapt to COVID-19. Program Log. ★ Support this podcast ★

In a 2012 piece, Annie Banks speaks with Erin Konsmo of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, an organization by and for Indigenous youth that works within the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice across the United States and Canada. Oftentimes pollution is thought of as impacting the land and the water but what about the impacts that pollution, industry, contaminants and environmental degradation have on nearby communities and individuals and their sexual and reproductive health? And why is this critical for environmentalists to learn more about? What is environmental violence and how are communities defining, responding to and resisting environmental violence? Chris Chang-Yen Phillips spoke with Sierra Jamerson during a live taping at the St. John’s Institute of Edmonton in 2013. Sierra Jamerson was born into a family of talented leaders and gifted musicians, and she’s been performing professionally since the tender age of eleven, singing traditional Black Gospel, jazz, soul and R&B music. Part of that talented family of hers is in the Tahltan Nation in British Columbia. You might have heard of the Sacred Headwaters in Tahltan territory. It’s the origin point for three powerful rivers that run through British Columbia—the Stikine, the Skeena and the Nass. When the oil and gas industry tried to start mining in the area, Sierra’s family was at the forefront of Tahltan resistance. Download our program log. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this archive episode from October 2020, Terra Informer Elizabeth Dowdell interviews alumnus Sofia Osborne about the popular video game The Sims and a newly released environmental-ish expansion pack. For more information about this archive episode, links to resources, and a link to the program log, visit the original episode page here. ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on October 26, 2020: This week on Terra Informa, Elizabeth Dowdell, Charlotte Thomasson, and Hannah Cunningham discuss the 1984 Hayao Miyazaki film Nausicä of the Valley of the Wind. ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on December 16, 2019: This week we talk about energy transitions strategies and what young people are doing to push the movement. Terra Informers Sonak and Elizabeth give a background on energiewende, ABBY-Net, and student-researcher Janina Fuchs shares her work on renewable energy perspectives between German and Albertan students. Program Log ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on December 28, 2020: This week we explore the meaning and significance of the winter solstice, reflecting on both the dark and the light so prominent at this time of year. The Terra Informa team shares what has made them thankful in the past year, and for inspiration we share "Praise Song for the Unloved Animals" by Margaret Renkl. Program log ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on December 21, 2020: This week on Terra Informa, Sonak Patel and Hannah Cunningham talk all about Christmas trees. When and where did this tradition begin? What was used to decorate the trees before electricity? And, to bring it all home, Elizabeth Dowdell regales us with a childhood tale of making the harrowing journey to harvest the family Christmas tree Download program log here. ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode originally aired on July 11, 2022: In this week's episode, Terra Informer Sara Chitsaz takes us along as she swoops into the world of birdwatching! We also hear from bird enthusiast Kitty Rogers, who shares some insight on purple martins and tips for birdwatching. Program Log. ★ Support this podcast ★