Good Nature with Megan Leslie

What happens when the place you call home, a place that has stayed the same for centuries, suddenly starts changing? In this episode of Good Nature, host Megan Leslie sits down with former Nunavut premier and Arctic conservation activist Paul Okalik. They discuss his Baffin Island upbringing in Pangnirtung, the creation of Nunavut, and why Inuit need a meaningful say in decisions about their lands...

This conversation was recorded on June 19, 2026, before the sharp spike in wildfires currently impacting communities across Canada, including in B.C.'s central Interior, where Joe lives.  Did you know that one of the best tools for fighting wildfires…is fire? 2026 has been another historic year for the spread of wildfires in Canada. In part 2 of our miniseries on unexpected solutions to climate im...

When most of us think about flood protection, we imagine storm drains or levees and dams. But what if the real answer is in the trees we plant, and where we choose to plant them? On this episode of Good Nature, host Megan Leslie is joined by Donnie MacPhee, formerly of Canada's National Tree Seed Centre. He makes the case for the bur oak, a deep-rooted "super tree" built to withstand both floods a...

Conservation isn’t just about protecting habitat. It’s also about bringing damaged ecosystems back to life. In this episode of Good Nature , host Megan Leslie sits down with WWF-Canada's Vice President of Restoration and Regeneration, Elizabeth (Liz) Hendriks, to explore what restoration really means. Spoiler: it's much more than planting trees. From restoring rivers so salmon can return home to r...

Most of us never think twice about the names of birds. But across North America, more than 150 bird species are named after historical figures, including colonizers, enslavers, and people who promoted racist pseudoscience. On this episode, Megan Leslie sits down with filmmaker and environmental journalist Aliya Jasmine to talk about her new short film, Bird Names , which explores the movement to c...

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 Jeffe...

Bears capture our imagination like almost no other animal. But behind that fascination is a bigger story about climate change, coexistence, and how we care for wildlife. Today on Good Nature, host Megan Leslie sits down with Gloria Dickie, environmental journalist and author of Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future . Gloria shares stories from her travels reporting on all eight of the worl...

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 stor...

Canada has a new strategy for nature—but what does it actually mean on the ground? On this episode of Good Nature, host Megan Leslie sits down with the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, MP for Laurier–Sainte-Marie in Montreal and former Minister of Environment and Climate Change. They dig into Canada’s new nature strategy, including the tension between conservation and development, what it really mean...

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...

What if the future of conservation isn’t new at all — but rooted in knowledge systems that have existed for generations? In this episode, host Megan Leslie chats with Ken Paul, a member of Wolastoqey First Nation at Neqotkuk, in New Brunswick. Ken has spent his career advocating for First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities across Canada. In this episode, he joins us to unpack Indigenous-led cons...

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 An...

Nature is in need right now. More than ever. But who is answering the call? Good people, that’s who. And there are more of them than you might think. That’s why Megan Leslie, WWF‑Canada’s president and CEO, is chatting with folks who are proving that hope for nature isn’t just alive — it’s thriving. On this podcast, Megan celebrates both the good we find in nature and the good‑natured people worki...