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
Defender Radio and The Switch
Claim This Podcastby Michael Howie / The Fur-Bearers
4.5(38 reviews)
455 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇨🇦
Podcast Overview
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
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
9/30/2013
1 verified contact email on file for Defender Radio and The Switch
Pitch yourself as a guest, propose sponsorships, or reach out directly to the host.
Recent Episodes
July 7, 2026
Urban Habitats and Connectivity featuring Dr. Lenore Fahrig
<p class="MsoNormal">When we talk about wildlife, we often talk about it as though it belongs somewhere else.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">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.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">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?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">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.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>SHOW NOTES:</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Episode art by <a class= "JPYp3QFR_ucYKy_M lu6jo0HwAiECz1s5" href= "https://www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/kenDuffney?mediatype=photography" data-testid="photographer"><span class="LveAEdh4QfQzgA5i">Ken Duffney</span></a> / Getty</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dr. Lenore Fahrig's Lab page: <a href= "https://carleton.ca/fahriglab/">https://carleton.ca/fahriglab/</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dr. Lenore Fahrig's Bio page: <a href= "https://carleton.ca/biology/people/lenore-fahrig/">https://carleton.ca/biology/people/lenore-fahrig/</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Study – Nature-based solutions for urban biodiversity: Spatial targeting of retrofits can multiply ecological connectivity benefits: <a href= "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204624001683"> https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204624001683</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Podcast interview on above study: <a href= "https://thefurbearers.com/blog/defender-radio/biodiversity-and-urban-connectivity/"> https://thefurbearers.com/blog/defender-radio/biodiversity-and-urban-connectivity/</a></p> <p>Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at <a href= "mailto:info@TheFurBearers.com">info@TheFurBearers.com,</a> by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (<a href= "https://www.instagram.com/howiemichael">www.instagram.com/howiemichael</a>) or Facebook (<a href= "https://www.facebook.com/DefenderRadio">www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio</a>). </p> <p>Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (<a href= "https://thefurbearers.com/">www.TheFurBearers.com</a>), 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 (<a href= "https://www.instagram.com/furbearers">www.instagram.com/furbearers</a>), Bluesky (<a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social">https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social</a>) and Facebook (<a href= "https://www.facebook.com/FurFree">www.facebook.com/FurFree</a>). </p>
June 16, 2026
The Space Wildlife Needs feat. Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin & Tijana
<p>Defender Radio host Michael Howie is joined by colleagues <a href="https://thefurbearers.com/tag/dr-valli-fraser-celin/">Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin</a> 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. </p> <p><strong>SHOW NOTES</strong></p> <p>Episode artwork of an edangered Vancouver Island Marmot by <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/94537857" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Telford / iNaturalist / CCBY4.0 (modification included cropping and display text).</a></p> <p>Learn more about Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin:<br /> Instagram: <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/thelivesofwilddogs/">https://www.instagram.com/thelivesofwilddogs/</a><br /> Articles on TheFurBearers.com: <a href= "https://thefurbearers.com/tag/drvallifrasercelin/">https://thefurbearers.com/tag/drvallifrasercelin/</a></p> <p>Articles and Studies referenced:</p> <p>When Drones Disturb Nature: What Wildlife Research Is Telling Us: <a href= "https://thefurbearers.com/blog/when-drones-disturb-nature-what-wildlife-research-is-telling-us/"> https://thefurbearers.com/blog/when-drones-disturb-nature-what-wildlife-research-is-telling-us/</a></p> <p>Species at Risk in British Columbia: What 17 Years of Data Reveal: <a href= "https://thefurbearers.com/blog/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/</a></p> <p>Dear Grizzly Bear 142, Mother of a Train-Struck Cub (by Cleo Shedden): <a href= "https://thefurbearers.com/blog/dear-grizzly-bear-142-mother-of-a-train-struck-cub/"> https://thefurbearers.com/blog/dear-grizzly-bear-142-mother-of-a-train-struck-cub/</a></p> <p>The Lost Words by Robert McFarlane: <a href= "https://houseofanansi.com/products/the-lost-words">https://houseofanansi.com/products/the-lost-words</a></p> <p>How to Pronounce Arthropod: <a href= "https://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/english/arthropod">https://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/english/arthropod</a></p> <p>Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at <a href= "mailto:info@TheFurBearers.com">info@TheFurBearers.com,</a> by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (<a href= "https://www.instagram.com/howiemichael">www.instagram.com/howiemichael</a>) or Facebook (<a href= "https://www.facebook.com/DefenderRadio">www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio</a>). </p> <p>Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (<a href= "https://thefurbearers.com/">www.TheFurBearers.com</a>), 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 (<a href= "https://www.instagram.com/furbearers">www.instagram.com/furbearers</a>), Bluesky (<a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social">https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social</a>) and Facebook (<a href= "https://www.facebook.com/FurFree">www.facebook.com/FurFree</a>). </p>
June 2, 2026
Fur Farming and the Next Pandemic featuring Dr. Neil Vora
<p class="MsoNormal">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.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">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. <a href= "https://neilvora.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Dr. Neil Vora</strong></a>, 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.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">SHOW NOTES</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Photo of a mink on a Canadian fur farm by We Animals</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dr. Neil Vora's website: <a href= "https://neilvora.com/">https://neilvora.com/</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Preventing Pandemics at The Source: <a href= "https://www.preventingfuturepandemics.org/">https://www.preventingfuturepandemics.org/</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ban fur farming or risk a new pandemic (The Guardian, by Dr. Neil Vora): <a href= "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/24/fur-farming-pandemic-risk"> https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/24/fur-farming-pandemic-risk</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Marking the end of fur farming in British Columbia: <a href= "https://thefurbearers.com/blog/marking-the-end-of-mink-farming-in-british-columbia/"> https://thefurbearers.com/blog/marking-the-end-of-mink-farming-in-british-columbia/</a></p> <p>Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at <a href= "mailto:info@TheFurBearers.com">info@TheFurBearers.com,</a> by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (<a href= "https://www.instagram.com/howiemichael">www.instagram.com/howiemichael</a>) or Facebook (<a href= "https://www.facebook.com/DefenderRadio">www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio</a>). </p> <p>Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (<a href= "https://thefurbearers.com/">www.TheFurBearers.com</a>), 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 (<a href= "https://www.instagram.com/furbearers">www.instagram.com/furbearers</a>), Bluesky (<a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social">https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social</a>) and Facebook (<a href= "https://www.facebook.com/FurFree">www.facebook.com/FurFree</a>). </p>
455 total episodes available
Similar Podcasts
Discover related shows you might enjoy
Deep-dive analytics for Defender Radio and The Switch
Frequently asked questions
Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
- What is Defender Radio and The Switch?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 10 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
Legal Disclaimer
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at hey@podengine.ai for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.