Tree Planters: A podcast about change for a better world artwork

Tree Planters: A podcast about change for a better world

25 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago -

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.

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Episodes

State of the Lake, with Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition's Claire Malcolmson

October 30, 2023 20:00 - 1 hour - 43.7 MB

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), among other things. Oh, and it's RLSC's 20th birthday! Tickets for their November 23rd celebration are available here. Show links: Lake Simcoe Protection Plan Bloom and doom in river (Duckweed) CELA: Two Decades After Walkerton are New Provincial Laws R...

The Corruption Episode! (On the Greenbelt Land Take-Outs, and more...)

October 16, 2023 16:00 - 57 minutes - 39.8 MB

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 around democratic accountability, around how our governments make decisions, and about the attitudes of those entrusted with making decisions on all of our behalf. All of this and more is discussed by Margaret and Adam. Episode links: Doug Ford reverses Greenbe...

September 2023: Greenbelt Public Forum

September 13, 2023 16:00 - 47 minutes - 32.3 MB

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 with the Anishnabek (Union of Ontario Indians) and a Canadian Forces Veteran; David Crombie, former mayor of Toronto and former chair of Greenbelt Council; Tim Gray, ED of Environmental Defence Canada; Margaret Prophet, SCGC; and Franz Hartman, Alliance for a L...

December 2022 - Bill 23, attack on the Greenbelt, and more.

December 09, 2022 18:00 - 1 hour - 46.2 MB

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 well as many more topics. Adam swears once, hence the explicit tag. (We're talking about the Ford government here, so it's difficult to not be explicit.) Show links: Give a Christmas gift and support the show and SCGC with a donation. SCGC's Store (...

October 24th Election Episode

October 19, 2022 19:00 - 1 hour - 46.9 MB

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 about why municipal action on the environment can have such a big impact, and how you can make an informed choice on which candidate to support. Support the show

Stop Sprawl Orillia, with guest Madeleine Fournier.

March 25, 2022 18:00 - 1 hour - 42.1 MB

Orillia, a small city on the north shore of Lake Simcoe in central Ontario, is considering annexing nearby land in anticipation of population growth. Stop Sprawl Orillia, a citizen group, has organized to advocate for retaining current boundaries and placing an emphasis on intensification, rather than enabling sprawl outward by allowing continued building of single detached homes around the current built-up area. We speak with Madeleine Fournier, of Stop Sprawl Orillia, about what this fig...

Tall Sprawl – what is it and why is it a problem for housing affordability and climate action?

February 23, 2022 18:00 - 1 hour - 50.7 MB

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're familiar with our work at all you'll have heard us talk about the need for this.) Building high rises accomplishes this but putting far more people on a much smaller portion of land, but there are costs associated with this form of development that aren...

The Year That Was, and the Year To Be (Maybe?)

January 20, 2022 23:00 - 1 hour - 43.3 MB

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 positive impact that they had on youth engagement in Simcoe County; how private profit is often made in our economy at the expense of the public, which also means at the expense of the public's most valuable resource, namely the environment and natural world;...

Fighting Doug Ford's Highways - a local story.

December 15, 2021 01:00 - 53 minutes - 36.6 MB

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 have claimed that opponents are "downtown elites" and "radical activists." But, these characterizations are far from the truth, which is more in line with citizens who are concerned that politicians are shutting down due process and ignoring evidence in order to r...

Greenwashing - the marketing practice increasingly used by political leaders.

October 19, 2021 13:00 - 59 minutes - 40.7 MB

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 marketing a product. In a time when political discourse is increasingly branded and marketed, however, and when the action required to address environmental problems is increasingly at odds with what politicians seem willing or able to do, greenwashing is becoming...

August 9, 2021 - Youth Take-Over: Empowering youth for a climate friendly future.

August 09, 2021 16:00 - 48 minutes - 33.1 MB

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 addressed so that youth can help build a climate friendly future. Support the show

April 23, 2021 - Understanding Sprawl and Infrastructure in the Context of Ontario's Greenbelt, with Victor Doyle

April 23, 2021 17:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MB

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 don't solve congestion problems, but rather make them worse, and how the costs of infrastructure projects like highways tend to be shouldered by the public, with the benefits going to private interests, such as developers. Much of the focus of this discuss...

October 9, 2020 - Ontario wants to build more highways, and we talk about it with Laura Bowman of Ecojustice

October 21, 2020 16:00 - 37 minutes - 25.8 MB

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 for Ecojustice, about threats that new highways pose to sensitive natural areas, to communities, and to the Greenbelt. Show links: Map of where the Bradford Bypass is proposed Map of where the 413 is proposed Archived report on feasibility of proposed highw...

July 7, 2020 - Affordable housing and modern homelessness, with guest, Jennifer Van Gennip

July 17, 2020 16:00 - 56 minutes - 38.9 MB

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 address these issues, including the Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness (SCATEH), the Simcoe County Poverty Reduction Task Group (PRTG), Redwood Park Communities, the Down Syndrome Association of Ontario... and this Isi just to name a few, believe it or ...

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

June 23, 2020 17:00 - 52 minutes - 36.1 MB

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 well as others, have undertaken locally to support Black youth, and whether the Raptors will repeat as NBA champions this year. Show links: Just Recovery Simcoe Shaks World Uplift Black Youth Making Change Revolution Ramblings Support the show

June 5, 2020 - Black Lives Matter

June 06, 2020 16:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MB

Links to resources: Making Change Sandy and Nora (podcast) Struggle in the Suburbs Google Doc - Anti-racism resources 10 Documentaries To Watch About Race Instead Of Asking A Person Of Colour To Explain Things For You We must defund the police. It is the only option. What a World Without Cops Would Look Like How Cities Offload the Cost of Police Brutality The Double Standard of the American Riot ‘No reader is too young to start’: anti-racist books for all children and teens Do the...

May 29, 2020 - Pedestrian zones, MZOs, and a chat with Franz Hartmann, Chief Engagement Officer of the Small Change Fund and Green Future Fund

May 30, 2020 15:00 - 55 minutes - 38 MB

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 Toronto Environmental Alliance, who is currently engaged with the Small Change Fund and the Green Future Fund.  Check the episode page and show notes for links to resources. Support the show

May 22, 2020 - Just Recovery, and talking Asset Based Community Development with Heather Keam from the Tamarack Institute

May 23, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 46.8 MB

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 Community Development (ABCD) is and how can help strengthen communities and build resilience. In the chat before the interview Margaret and Adam discuss concerns regarding the Ontario government's seemingly singular focus on business interests in their plann...

May 15, 2020 - COVID-19 Street Closures, Friends of Simcoe Forests, Rule by Fiat

May 16, 2020 01:00 - 46 minutes - 32 MB

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 first openings of streets in our area to allow for safer physical distancing, London's announcement that it will greatly expand areas dedicated to pedestrian use, the risk-averse stance of many governments and how this can be a problem when it comes to the ch...

Currents May 8, 2020 Tree Planters Podcast

May 08, 2020 23:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MB

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 episodes and more conversational. This week we talk about the impacts of COVID-19 on our communities, specifically regarding some of the lessons that we can learn from COVID-19 to help build resilience for the future. A lot of what we spend our time thinking...

The Fight to Protect the Waverley Uplands, the Cleanest Water in the World

February 03, 2020 17:00 - 51 minutes - 35.2 MB

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. Inside the hut there is a trough with spouts above it from which a constant flow of water pours. Out one end of the trough water cascades down to a small creek scattered with watercress. Farm fields stretch away from the hut to a line of hills in the east. Th...

One Earth One Vote with Tim Gray of Environment Defence Canada

October 09, 2019 16:00 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MB

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 Nature, among others, and which SCGC is participating in, this campaign is meant to ensure the environment is the top priority this election. We get into some interesting areas as well, including how we can use geothermal to help transition jobs away from fossil fuels, so check it out! Support the show

Upstream/Downstream: Root Cause or BandAid?

August 08, 2019 17:00 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MB

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.  We talk with Naomi Wachowiak, who works in public health, about social determinants of health, some examples of upstream change and how it benefits society. During our talk Naomi notes the increasing focus being directed toward the impacts of climat...

Activism (What is it? Why do we do it?)

June 30, 2019 01:00 - 39 minutes - 27.5 MB

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 Claire Malcolmson, who put a lot of time and effort into making their communities better places, and try to understand a little more about this divisive but important term. Support the show

Why "Tree Planters"?

May 23, 2019 13:00 - 30 minutes - 14.1 MB

Our first episode!  We explain how we came up with the Tree Planters name, as well as discuss who we are, what we do, and why we do it. Support the show