Under the Canopy

A grouse doesn’t need a “perfect wilderness” to thrive. It needs the right kind of forest, at the right stage, with the right cover in the right places. From the Toronto Sportsman Show, we sit down with Derek from the Rough Grouse Society of Canada to talk about what ruffed grouse habitat really is, why early successional forest is disappearing in parts of Ontario, and how practical habitat restor...

Quiet lessons from the outdoors are still there, but you have to choose to hear them, and sometimes that starts with something as simple as getting on a bike. We open with a bit of real life seasonal talk, storms rolling through, a dog who still wants his walk, and a maple sap season that is not behaving. Then we shift into a topic that can change how you see the province: cycle tourism in Ontario...

Counting wildlife sounds like a spreadsheet problem until you try doing it over millions of hectares of bush, broken habitat, bad weather, and animals that do not want to be seen. We sit down with Bruce Ranta, a former Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources biologist, to pull back the curtain on how population estimates really get made and why “the number” is often a best-guess built from multiple...

Ready to turn late-winter restlessness into a real plan for spring? We dig into the choices that matter right now: how to secure fruit trees and berry bushes before they’re gone, which seeds actually germinate, and the simple gear that keeps young plants sturdy instead of leggy. With Adrian Lee of Van Belle Flowers, we get specific about pre-booked inventory, the best time to place custom orders,...

Spring is waking up the woods, and we’re right there with it—clearing a new footpath at first light, dialling in a wood stove that keeps the house comfortable on two small splits, and chasing the first hard runs of maple sap with a sled full of buckets. Along the way, we swap a dog-grooming hack that actually works, unpack why “too-dry” firewood can warp your stove, and learn from a bird expert wh...

We trace the first hints of spring from fresh snow and maple taps to a deep dive on bird communication with Dr Megan Gall, a sensory ecologist who studies how sound shapes behavior. Practical tips help you build healthier feeders, steward water, and use tech without stressing wildlife. • decoding chickadee A, B, C, D notes and what D means • alarm vs mobbing calls and when each is used • woodpecke...

Frost bites, dogs sprint, and the stove hums while we chase warmth, clarity, and good judgment. That’s the energy today as we trade real-world winter tactics, laugh through a peanut-butter nail trim hack, and dig into the thorny question of who to trust for health advice. We open with community notes and family updates, then pivot into the surprising economics of a fireplace insert that turns trip...

When the ground moves, stories surface—about how faults fail, why small quakes ripple across provinces, and how a few seconds of warning can change outcomes. We sit down with seismologist Marika from Earthquakes Canada to translate seismic science into everyday clarity and practical steps that keep people safer. We start with the core mechanics: stress, friction, and sudden slip along faults that...

A six-foot flightless bird doesn’t just change your pastures—it changes your business model. We sit down with an Ontario rancher who started with a simple idea in the early ’90s and built a resilient operation around emus and rheas, turning a niche into a livelihood with smart pivots, careful breeding, and products people actually want. From green, three-layer eggs prized by carvers to low-fat red...

Wood heat hums, snowbanks rise, and the small rituals of winter living turn into hard-won wisdom: how to stretch a stack of deadwood, read a stove thermometer, and keep the creosote at bay. From there we pivot to what the cold teaches our bodies—aching wrists from repetitive work, the quiet power of a good adjustment, and the simple chemistry of vitamin D, hydration, and chaga for clearer mornings...

A bluebird thaw turned blizzard overnight, and that whiplash becomes a guide to living smarter in winter. We start at the wood pile—why ironwood carries the night, how to plan heat days ahead, and where all that ash can actually help your yard and icy trails. Then the road widens: a check-in from Alberta where plus-four feels like spring, crews gear up for 24-hour shifts repairing Calgary’s aging...

Winter doesn’t stop a ripe tomato anymore. We sit down with Richard Lee, Executive Director of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, to unpack how controlled environment agriculture is rewriting the rules on local food, energy use, and year-round supply. From Leamington’s vast glass acreage to the algorithms that decide when lights switch on, we trace the systems that keep cucumbers, peppers,...

Looking for a better loaf and a calmer life? We start with snow, dogs, and learning to heat a home on wood—choosing species, managing airflow, taming coals, and moving heat through a mid-century bungalow—then step into the bake room with Edmonton’s Bonjour Bakery owner, Yvan Chartrand, for a masterclass on real bread. Yvan’s journey runs from Montreal to rural Hokkaido and back to the prairies, ca...

A cup of tea can tell you where it grew, how it was harvested, and even what the weather felt like—and John has spent 43 years learning that language. From Tetley’s legendary training to global trading desks and UN projects, he walks us through the real mechanics of quality: why the top two leaves and a bud matter, how insects trigger flavor by provoking plant defenses, and how high-altitude stres...

Ever wonder why your poinsettia crashes by New Year’s while your neighbour’s looks flawless into January? We sit down with greenhouse manager Adrian Lee to demystify holiday plants and real Christmas trees with clear, field-tested advice you can use today. From watering routines that actually work to placement tips that prevent stress and leaf drop, this is a practical guide to keeping festive gre...

Ever wondered how a galaxy ends up inside a marble? We kick off with winter wisdom—how to shovel so the plow doesn’t bury your driveway, why raccoons can’t raid tipped‑over bins, and a simple wood‑heat trick that moves warmth to every room—then shift into the firelit world of borosilicate glass with artist Trevor Logan. Trevor breaks down glass at the atomic level in language anyone can follow: th...

What if great pet care started with fewer defaults and more decisions? We sit down with holistic veterinarian Dr. Sasan Hyatt to rethink parasite control, vaccination schedules, and daily nutrition with a clear focus on resilience over routine. Instead of chasing problems with stronger chemicals, we look at how whole-food diets, targeted testing, and simple environmental changes reduce risk and im...

Walk a 200-year-old market with us and meet the people who turn fields, hives, herds, and ovens into food that actually lasts and tastes like home. This is a guided tour of the Peterborough Farmers’ Market, where stories of craft and community sit behind every jar, loaf, and bundle of greens. We start with why local often means smarter value: lettuce that keeps five weeks, Brussels sprouts that la...

The woods don’t shout their lessons; they whisper them through blisters, bandages, and the warm glow of a stove that finally wins against the cold. We open with Gunnar, our chocolate lab, whose paw surgery turns into a candid look at corporate vet practices, realistic costs, and the small rituals that keep him healthy—yes, right down to the toothbrush. From there, we step into the birch stands and...

A single “kind” release can rewrite a whole ecosystem. We open with hard‑won lessons from a deep bush chaga trip—gear that saved the day, how to improvise repairs miles from a road, and the thrill of spotting brook trout in a stream you could step over—then pivot to what really threatens our waters: invasive species carried by trade and well‑intentioned pet owners. Katie Church, Aquatic Invasive P...

A cold morning, a quiet road, and a plan that starts before the first bootprint—this is how we turn a chaga hunt into a smooth, sustainable system. We map our routes with Starlink-preloaded Google Maps, carry a Garmin as backup, and treat radio specs with skepticism, because terrain always has the last word. When we grid-walk skidder trails, stop for 360 scans, and use binoculars to avoid false ma...

The roof drums like a metronome while we sort the chaos of a wet northern camp into something that works. We’re counting paper plates, flipping pots to outsmart mice, and finding out the hundred-pound propane tank still has life—thanks to a quick hot-water trick on the steel. Five days of rain can’t stall a Chaga season, so we get practical: clean the carbon off a fouled plug, lean out a smoky two...

The forest got quiet, the stove finally drew right, and our maps changed overnight. We’re gearing up for a northern chaga harvest and bringing you into the decisions that make or break a trip: who’s coming, what to pack, and how new logging roads, landings, and skidders can open a backcountry maze if you know how to read them. We walk through the trade-offs between staying unplugged and bringing S...

What if your next good night’s sleep, calmer joints, or steadier digestion starts with a mug and a handful of leaves? We dive under the canopy with herbalist Penelope of The Ginkgo Tree to turn everyday plants into practical tools—no mystique, just methods you can trust. Jerry kicks things off by tackling the most common chaga questions—how to brew it in drip coffee, what grind to use, and why har...

Ever wanted to move through the woods with real confidence—no glowing screen, no second-guessing, just clear decisions and steady steps? That’s the energy fueling this week’s journey under the canopy, where we blend a love of seasonal living with the practical art of orienteering and a thoughtful look at chaga’s place in everyday wellness. We kick things off in early-fall Ontario: an off-grid chag...