WWF-Canada 26d ago

In this episode of Good Nature, Megan Leslie speaks with environmental journalist and author Gloria Dickie about her book Eight Bears, which follows the lives of the world’s eight remaining bear species and the forces shaping their future. From familiar grizzlies and polar bears to lesser-known sloth bears and the Paddington-inspiring spectacled bear, these species are at the centre of many conversations about climate change, habitat loss, and wildlife conflict and coexistence. Gloria discusses the challenges of telling environmental stories that don’t sugarcoat the nature crises but also don’t leave us feeling too helpless to act. Can our deep cultural connection to bears drive conservation action? And how can storytelling help in this time of environmental volatility? Learn more about WWF-Canada’s re:grow project at https://regrow.wwf.ca/ To stay up to date on what’s going on at WWF-Canada, sign up for Living Planet News: https://wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/ To leave Megan a voice message, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/wwfgoodnature. Feeling shy? You can always tell us something good, suggest a guest or ask a question by emailing us at goodnature@wwfcanada.org 0:00 Intro: Gloria Dickie & Eight Bears 1:21 Interview with Gloria Dickie 1:54 All 8 bear species explained 3:09 Gloria's first bear encounter 4:05 Polar bears & Arctic ice loss 5:57 Bears as keystone species 7:00 Bears as cultural icons 8:04 Sloth bears & human conflict 9:43 Urban bears in North America 11:36 Bear Smart Communities 13:00 Spectacled bears & climate change 14:20 Why aren't bears hibernating anymore? 15:31 Balancing hope & crisis in reporting 20:45 Can bear populations recover? 25:02 The Trail Mix 27:52 Tell Me Something Good: Largest Migration on Earth 30:36 Outro