Tree Planters: A podcast about change for a better world
We live in a world running out of space, resources, and time. There are solutions. We can build a better world - a world that is fair, healthy, and prosperous. But this requires transformative change. Why Tree Planters Podcast you ask? Well, there's a great proverb that goes as follows:“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”We feel there's a scarcity of tree planters in positions of power these days. Each month we look at problems and solutions relating to how we live in modern society, including those of sprawl and associated consumption patterns and behaviour, climate change, habitat degradation and species loss, community development and empowerment, knowledge of and connection to place, leadership and accountable governance, among others.We welcome you to join us on our journey. Please don't hesitate to connect with us if you have suggestions or questions.
Episodes
26 episodes
In Conversation with Catherine McKenna
Margaret talks to former Canadian Environment Minister, Catherine McKenna, about the challenges of climate change, political polarization, and her experience as a woman in politics.
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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49:22
State of the Lake, with Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition's Claire Malcolmson
This month we have Claire Malcolmson, of the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition, joining us.We talk about health of Lake Simcoe, the strange silence from this government on reviewing the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan (now several years overdue)...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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1:03:35
The Corruption Episode! (On the Greenbelt Land Take-Outs, and more...)
Our October episode focuses on the scandal that was the Greenbelt land take-outs, the public backlash, and the fall out.There is the immediate problems around how land was given to developers, and there are more pervasive problems aroun...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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57:52
September 2023: Greenbelt Public Forum
This is a recording of the public forum we held, addressing the assault by this government on the Greenbelt.Featuring:Jeff Monague, former Chief of the Beausoleil First Nation on Christian Island, former Director of Treaty Research ...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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47:00
December 2022 - Bill 23, attack on the Greenbelt, and more.
Margaret and Adam talk about Ontario's controversial Bill 23, which drastically changes how communities are planned, about the Ford government's attack on the Greenbelt, which is a reversal from their often repeated promise to not touch it, as ...
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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1:07:13
October 24th Election Episode
Municipal elections are just around the corner in Ontario, and the choice you make can have a big impact on the environment, the quality of our communities, and, believe it or not, on climate change.This episode Margaret and Adam talk a...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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1:08:14
Stop Sprawl Orillia, with guest Madeleine Fournier.
Orillia, a small city on the north shore of Lake Simcoe in central Ontario, is considering annexing nearby land in anticipation of population growth.<...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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1:01:14
Tall Sprawl – what is it and why is it a problem for housing affordability and climate action?
This month we talk tall sprawl, also known as vertical sprawl. Most of us think of the typical suburban development when we think of sprawl, and the answer to this, we are told, is to increase density within the urban boundary. (If you'...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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1:13:43
The Year That Was, and the Year To Be (Maybe?)
This episode we are looking back at the year that was, and looking ahead at the year that might be. Oh, and we do a film review of Don't Look Up!Topics covered include the amazing summer students we were so lucky to have, and the very p...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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1:02:55
Fighting Doug Ford's Highways - a local story.
This episode we speak with two citizens, Tricia Leuchter and Irene Ford, who are fighting the Bradford Bypass and Highway 413, respectively, which are proposed for their communities. Doug Ford and other proponents of the highways h...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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53:16
Greenwashing - the marketing practice increasingly used by political leaders.
This episode we talk about greenwashing, the practice of presenting a product in a way that makes it seem to consumers as if it is environmentally friendly, when in fact it is not.Greenwashing is most often thought of in terms of market...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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59:12
August 9, 2021 - Youth Take-Over: Empowering youth for a climate friendly future.
On this episode of the Tree Planters podcast SCGC's youth engagement lead, Kelly, and youth advocacy intern, Blythe, talk about the barriers making it difficult for youth to engage in discussions around climate action, and how these can be addr...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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48:02
April 23, 2021 - Understanding Sprawl and Infrastructure in the Context of Ontario's Greenbelt, with Victor Doyle
Our guest this episode, Victor Doyle, is considered one of the key architects of Ontario's Greenbelt. We talk about how the current provincial government is attempting to open up more land in the GTA for sprawl development, how highways...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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44:30
October 9, 2020 - Ontario wants to build more highways, and we talk about it with Laura Bowman of Ecojustice
With new highways proposed in the GTA, there are concerns about a boondoggle waste of taxpayer's money that goes toward increased sprawl, increased congestion, and increased threats to the environment.We talk with Laura Bowman, lawyer f...
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37:32
July 7, 2020 - Affordable housing and modern homelessness, with guest, Jennifer Van Gennip
This week (really last week, but there's been a lot happening and we've had our hands full!) we talk with Jennifer Van Gennip about affordable housing and the advent of modern homelessness.Jennifer works with a number of groups that add...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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56:35
June 19, 2020 - A just recovery, and we talk with Shak Edwards about her work mentoring youth, the value of humility and kindness, and the Black Lives Matter movement
This week we talk with Shak Edwards about her work mentoring youth, particularly Black youth, and the values of humility and kindness that she works from. We also talk about the Black Lives Matter movement, about the efforts Shak, as we...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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52:35
June 5, 2020 - Black Lives Matter
Links to resources:Making ChangeSandy and Nora (podcast)
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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16:35
May 29, 2020 - Pedestrian zones, MZOs, and a chat with Franz Hartmann, Chief Engagement Officer of the Small Change Fund and Green Future Fund
More news on local street closures to help with the recovery from COVID-19, an update on Simcoe County's request for a Ministerial Zoning Order which would allow for more sprawl, and a chat with Franz Hartmann, former Executive Director of the ...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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55:19
May 22, 2020 - Just Recovery, and talking Asset Based Community Development with Heather Keam from the Tamarack Institute
The main portion of this show this week is an interview with Heather Keam, of the Tamarack Institute. Heather is manager of Cities, Cities Deepening Community, Vibrant Communities at Tamarack and she spoke with us about what Asset Based Communi...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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1:08:08
May 15, 2020 - COVID-19 Street Closures, Friends of Simcoe Forests, Rule by Fiat
This week we are joined by Mary Wagner of Friends of Simcoe Forests about their work to protect the Freele Tract on Horseshoe Valley Road and the County seeking a Ministerial Zoning Order to override due process.We also talk about the f...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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46:36
Currents May 8, 2020 Tree Planters Podcast
In which we start another podcast format. Our Currents episodes will be focused on issues that are happening now, largely in our local community, and that our member organizations are involved with. It's less polished than our deep-dive episode...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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40:31
The Fight to Protect the Waverley Uplands, the Cleanest Water in the World
An hour and a half north of Toronto there is a constant stream of cars pulling over to the side of the road.People get out, walk to the back of their vehicle, open the trunk and lift out jugs, which they carry to a small hut nearby.<...
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51:16
One Earth One Vote with Tim Gray of Environment Defence Canada
This month we talk about the One Earth One Vote campaign with Tim Gray, Executive Director of Environmental Defence. Organized by Environmental Defence, the David Suzuki Foundation, Ontario ...
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26:40
Upstream/Downstream: Root Cause or BandAid?
This month we're looking at the difference between change that addresses root causes, such as poverty and inequality, and change that addresses symptoms, such as homelessness. The former is change upstream, while the later is change downstream....
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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56:56
Activism (What is it? Why do we do it?)
This month we are talking about activism. It's a term that can divide people, but we think that it can be found far more than we might think in our daily life. We speak to three community leaders, Hale Mahon, Keenan Aylwin, and Cla...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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39:58