Spring in the Wild City featuring Nathalie Karvonen
Release Date: 05/19/2026
Spring in the Wild City featuring Nathalie Karvonen
Defender Radio and The Switch
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,...
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Communicating Coexistence feat. Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin + Tijana Selak
Defender Radio and The Switch
Defender Radio host Michael Howie is joined by colleagues Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin and Tijana Selak (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 / Getty Learn more about Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin: Instagram: Articles on TheFurBearers.com: Articles and Studies referenced: Humane Canada recap – Study: Helping Landowners Live with Beavers – Why Nocturnal Wildlife...
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What's Next?
Defender Radio and The Switch
We want to look into the future for Defender Radio and The Switch – and that means hearing from you! We've put together a short (really) that will take fewer than 5 minutes and can help us know in which direction to go. It includes episode length/frequency, guest mix, accessibility, and more. To show our appreciation, we're also offering a $100 Visa Gift Card that will be randomly drawn and awarded to a survey taker (must be 18+, live in Canada excluding Quebec, and provide name/contact information in the survey to participate). Click here to get started or visit . Thank you. SHOW...
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Animal Law at University of Toronto featuring Dr. Angela Fernandez
Defender Radio and The Switch
Animal law is a topic of growing interest to Canadians, advocates, and legal experts. While there are some great people doing great work related to animal law in Canada, there haven’t been any university-associated programs on it – until now. Angela Fernandez, a long-time University of Toronto law professor, is taking on the project as the director of the University of Toronto Animal Law Program. To share what the vision for the program is, what prospective students may learn, why there’s a need for the program, and how it could reshape law in Canada, Professor Fernandez joins Defender...
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Fashion's Future is Fur-Free featuring PJ Smith
Defender Radio and The Switch
September is fashion month, with massive week-long events in major cities worldwide, including New York, London, Milan and Paris. And the question on many peoples’ minds is: will we be seeing fur, or will more designers choose to go fur-free? PJ Smith, Director of Fashion Policy for Humane World for Animals thinks the future of the industry is fur-free, and joins Defender Radio to discuss trends, textile innovation, and what gives him optimism. SHOW NOTES Humane World for Animals: Humane World for Animals Woolrich Campaign: Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at...
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Canmore Cougar Tragedy Update feat. John Marriott and Maggie Spizziri
Defender Radio and The Switch
The tragic story of a locally beloved cougar being killed near Canmore, Alberta, earlier this year was heartbreaking. John Marriott, an award-winning wildlife photographer and co-founder of Exposed Wildlife Conservancy shared his harrowing experience with Defender Radio – along with his discovery of two cougar kits, orphaned by the incident. Several months later, the cougar kits were transferred to Parc Safari in Quebec, and the outcry for policy change in Alberta rages on. To share more about these updates and introduce the new Executive Director of Exposed Wildlife Conservancy, John...
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Bring Back the Night: Light Pollution featuring Tijana Selak
Defender Radio and The Switch
From streetlights to skyscrapers and everything in between, lighting up the night can help keep people safe. But, this often excessive lighting has a consequence: light pollution. Native wildlife across Canada gets impacted by light pollution in many ways–and they're not alone. Humans, too, are impacted in surprising ways by our bright night skies. Tijana Selak, Wildlife Campaigns and Advocacy Manager at The Fur-Bearers, joins The Switch to talk about the impacts of light pollution on wildlife, humans, and the simple solutions that can help us make a switch for the better. SHOW NOTES:...
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Navigating Climate Grief featuring Dr. Shawna Weaver
Defender Radio and The Switch
Wildfires and drought, floods and ice storms, and a seemingly never-ending news cycle of chaos around us is a lot. I’ll be honest – there are days I want to hide from it all myself. But carrying the weight of what’s happening to the natural world around us isn’t new, and it has a name – climate grief. This intense grief and anxiety can come from any source and impact anyone. It can be the terrifying scenes of wildfires across Canada, the floods impacting other parts of the world, or even noticing the subtle quiet in greenspaces, once filled with bird calls and buzzing insects. But...
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The Mink VIRUS Act featuring Devan Schowe
Defender Radio and The Switch
Mink fur farms are a virus’s favourite place. There’s lots of opportunity to transmit, mutate, and lead to more virulent strains that threaten public health. With the devastating economic impact of H5N1 or avian flu in the news, the reintroduction of the Mink Virus Act to the United States Congress is well timed. To share what this legislation is about, why it matters, and how people on both sides of the border can support it, Devan Schowe, Campaigns Associate for joins Defender Radio. SHOW NOTES Photo of a mink on a Canadian fur farm by We Animals. BornFree USA's Mink VIRUS Act page and...
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The Canmore cougar tragedy featuring John E. Marriott
Defender Radio and The Switch
Anyone who follows John E. Marriott or Exposed Wildlife Conservancy on social media knows that a cougar John had tracked for many years was killed near Canmore, Alberta, earlier this year. It led to two orphaned kits, a harrowing experience for John, and a clear mission: to share this story with the public and lead to change for wildlife in Alberta. To give us the story from the very beginning and what he wants to see happen next, John Marriott joins Defender Radio. SHOW NOTES: Photo of the orphaned cougars provided by John E. Marriott / WildernessPrints.com Exposed Wildlife Conservancy:...
info_outlineThis 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).