The Ecolibrium Radio Podcast

Jean-Martin Fortier is a well-known Quebec farmer and author. He co-founded Ferme Quatre Temps and Les Jardins De La Grelinette and runs an online course called The Market Gardener Master Class. He is the author of The Market Gardener and some other books in French including Le maraîchage nordique.

Stephen Angus McComber, also known as Silverbear, is one of the traditional Mohawk ceremonial managers of the Mohawk Trail Longhouse in Kahnawake. He is an award winning sculptor and recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts award (1985). His works are part of numerous corporate and private collections, as well as in the permanent exhibit at the Pointe-à-Callière museum. The founder of the Haudenosaunee Seedkeeper’s group, Silverbear is known internationally as a traditional seedsaver, and keeper of traditional Iroquois seeds. Learning all his knowledge from his grandmother, he teaches about planting by the moon phases.He has spoken about corn in conferences in Oaxaca (2012) and Yucatan (2016), Mexico. As a respected seed elder, Silverbear has been an invited presenter at multiple conferences and events. ​The proud grandfather of 9 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren, Silverbear has worked as a native elder for Corrections Canada for the past 15 years. His hobbies include model airplanes and among his heroes is the immortal Jimi Hendrix.

I recently visited the Three Sisters Mound Garden in Kahnawake where Tuscarora White Corn and other Indigenous varieties are growing to feed food banks in the Mohawk community of Kahnawake near Montreal, Quebec. There I interviewed Stephen McComber, also known as Silverbear, who is one of the traditional Mohawk ceremonial managers of the Mohawk Trail Longhouse in Kahnawake. ​Stephen is the founder of the Haudenosaunee Seedkeeper’s group and is known internationally as a traditional seedsaver, and keeper of traditional Iroquois seeds. I also interviewed Randy Cross who is the coordinator and one of the people who spearheaded the project.

Protesters attempting to protect some of the last stands of old-growth forest on southern Vancouver Island are being arrested on a daily basis.The region encompasses the pristine old-growth forest at the headwaters of Fairy Creek with yellow cedars thought to be 1,000 years old, as well as other remaining groves on the Gordon River, Camper Creek and in the Upper Walbran Valley.Ecolibrium speaks to Kathy Code, spokesperson for the Rainforest Flying Squad.

In this episode we interview permaculture expert Zach Loeks, the author of the book The Edible Ecosystem Solution. Part manifesto and part manual, this is a great book to inspire you to transform your property and/or your community into an edible ecosystem!

In this episode we feature a recent interview with Captain Paul Watson from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. We discuss the state of the world's oceans, the upcoming netflix documentary Seaspiracy, and Sea Shepherd's fleet of 14 ships (the largest non-governmental navy in the world) and what campaigns they're working on.

Plant biologist Shireef Darwish did his B.Sc. in botany at the Macdonald Campus of McGill University. An interest in how plants interact with and respond to their environment led him to study plant-insect interactions at McGill, and in 2007 he earned his M.Sc. for work on changes in gene expression in plants as a defense against caterpillar herbivores. However the reason we interview him for the Ecolibrium Podcast is because he is an insufferable mycophile (a passionate lover of fungi), and has dedicated himself to learning about this breathtaking kingdom of underappreciated organisms since high school.

BESIDE is an independent magazine and media brand that aims to bridge the gap between humans and nature—with high-quality editorial content and immersive experiences. In this episode we interview BESIDE magazine's Associate Editor-in-Chief Mark Mann.