Good Nature with Megan Leslie

What does it take to fight a mining company for 20 years—and keep showing up? On this episode of Good Nature, host Megan Leslie chats with singer-songwriter and environmental activist Sarah Harmer. Sarah has been fighting to protect the Niagara Escarpment in southern Ontario since her iconic 2005 I Love the Escarpment tour. She and Megan dig into the power of art to shift public opinion, the Jefferson salamander's surprising role in a landmark legal win, and why she believes showing up is the most important part of protecting the habitats you care about. She also reflects on her 2025 Juno Humanitarian Award and her call to fellow musicians to use their platforms for the causes that matter. Plus, senior conservation scientist Jessica Currie calls in with a "Tell Me Something Good" about a surprisingly powerful (and often overlooked) climate hero hiding beneath Canada's coastal waters. Film clips are from the documentary Escarpment Blues (2006), directed by Andy Keen. To stay up to date on what’s going on at WWF-Canada, sign up for Living Planet News: https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/ Tell us something good, suggest a guest or ask a question by emailing us at goodnature@wwfcanada.org Or leave Megan a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature

What if the best way to go birding…was simply to slow down? Today on Good Nature, host Megan Leslie chats with Dr. Joan Strassmann, author of Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard. Megan and Joan talk about why birding is having a moment, what makes slow birding so special, and why native plants matter so much for birds. Along the way, they swap birding stories and compare a few of their favourite bird calls. Megan also checks in with WWF-Canada soil expert Cathal Doherty to hear a truly mind-boggling story about peatland restoration. Learn more about WWF-Canada’s re:grow project at https://regrow.wwf.ca/ To stay up to date on what’s going on at WWF-Canada, sign up for Living Planet News: https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/ Email us: goodnature@wwfcanada.org Leave Megan a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature.

Who doesn’t love puffins?! In this episode, host Megan Leslie sits down with science communicator Jill Taylor. Jill is a Halifax-based biologist who researches the social behaviour of Atlantic puffins. Beyond her research, Jill has built a massive online following, sharing the beauty of Atlantic ecosystems, her love of scuba diving, and (of course) plenty of puffin antics. Jill and Megan get into the surprisingly complex world of Atlantic puffins: what makes them so distinctive, how they navigate life at sea and on land, and why scientists once believed they were actually two completely different birds. Plus, Jill recounts her adventures diving in the Atlantic and Megan discovers a new passion for sea slugs. But first, Megan checks in with WWF-Canada’s resident botanist Ryan Godfrey to talk about why coyotes actually belong in cities. Follow Jill on Instagram @_jill_taylor or on TikTok @jill.dives To stay up to date on what’s going on at WWF-Canada, sign up for Living Planet News: https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/ To leave Megan a voice message, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature.

In the first episode of Good Nature, Megan sits down with Andy Ridley, the co‑founder of Earth Hour, just as the global movement marks its 20th anniversary. Andy reflects on how a simple idea — turning off the lights for one hour — sparked a worldwide expression of collective action. The conversation traces the evolution of the environmental movement over the past two decades and explores what Andy is working on now: protecting coral reefs by empowering everyday people to help monitor and restore them. From Earth Hour’s origins in Sydney Harbour to its little-known Toronto connection and eventual global ignition, this episode is a hopeful look at how creativity and shared purpose can help turn concern into action. Megan is also joined on this episode by WWF-Canada’s resident botanist, Ryan Godfrey, who answers her call on the orca phone to tell her something good about the weeds in your garden... To stay up-to-date on what’s going on at WWF-Canada, sign up for Living Planet News: https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/ To leave Megan a voice message, go to www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature.