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On Outdoor Journal Radio's Under the Canopy podcast, former Minister of Natural Resources, Jerry Ouellette takes you along on the journey to see the places and meet the people that will help you find your outdoor passion and help you live a life close to nature and Under The Canopy.
125 Episodes
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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 greens alive and beautiful. Adrian breaks down the quirks of classic Christmas plants: how poinsett...
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: the differences between soda‑lime and borosilicate, why lab glass resists thermal shock, and how s...
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 improve quality of life. We dive into the realities of ticks, fleas, and Lyme disease and why a he...
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 last longer on the stalk, and produce picked midweek and sold on Saturday for maximum freshness. F...
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 unpack what years of ethical chaga harvesting have taught us: how to use the right tools, why le...
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 Plant Coordinator at the Invasive Species Centre, joins us to break down the European water chest...
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 marches, we find more chaga with less wandering and far fewer near-misses at dusk. We dig into the...
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-stroke, and hunt down missing couplers for the old Gifford hand pump. When the seals slip, we sw...
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 Starlink to keep the crew connected and safe, and we test a drone as a scouting tool to spot birch...
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 harvest timing matters—before we expand into a wider, grounded guide to home herbalism you can start...
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 chaga camp to prep, a simple generator humming at night, and a grocery plan for a rotating crew of h...
Jerry Ouellette shares his journey from skepticism to obsession with Chaga, a rare medicinal mushroom found on birch trees that has transformed countless lives with its healing properties. After witnessing remarkable health improvements in friends battling serious conditions like cancer and diabetes, Jerry dedicated himself to researching, harvesting, and sharing this extraordinary natural remedy that indigenous peoples have utilized for thousands of years. • Chaga is a rare conch mushroom t...
What does it really take to break free from the grid and power your life with solar energy? In this illuminating episode, we're joined by Chris, the founder of Xolar, who walks us through the fascinating world of solar power systems with clarity that cuts through the technical fog. The conversation moves beyond the obvious panels to explore the entire ecosystem needed for energy independence. From inverters that transform raw solar power into usable electricity for your home, to the critical...
Jerry Ouellette shares updates from his off-grid cottage work and growing frustrations with corporate veterinary clinics that are changing policies and raising prices. • Dealing with a total fire ban at the cottage while needing to clear brush and fallen trees • Completed major structural work replacing a 22-foot section of 8x8 beam using pony walls • Building new dock cribbing with hemlock lumber due to historically low water levels • Managing his chocolate lab Gunner's hot spots that devel...
Digging deep into the soil of gardening wisdom, this episode unearths precious insights from Master Gardener Bev DeLenardo that will transform how you approach your garden. With over 26 years of experience selling at farmers markets and a wealth of horticultural knowledge, Bev shares secrets that both novice and experienced gardeners will treasure. Ever wondered why some garlic bulbs produce tiny, numerous cloves while others develop just a few magnificent ones? Bev reveals that the size of ...
A torrential downpour transforms into a months-long nightmare when Garrett's Calgary townhouse floods during roof repairs, leaving him battling property managers, mold remediation, and "livable" conditions in a half-wrecked home. But this construction worker's story runs deeper than personal housing woes – it offers a fascinating window into Alberta's explosive building boom. From his vantage point on construction sites across Calgary and Edmonton, Garrett reveals the scale of development re...
Step into the aromatic world of tea with John Snell, a 42-year veteran of the global tea industry whose journey spans from apprentice at UK's Lions Tettley Tea Company to international consultant. What began as an accidental career choice to avoid desk work evolved into a profound passion for tea "from bush to cup," fueled by witnessing firsthand how this humble leaf supports millions of livelihoods worldwide. John unravels the fascinating distinctions between tea varieties, explaining how C...
Host Jerry Ouellette welcomes Angelo Viola, founder of the Outdoor Journal Radio Network, to mark the 100 episode achievement while giving listeners unprecedented access to the world of outdoor media. The conversation begins with Jerry's practical outdoor wisdom—using coffee grounds to repel garden-raiding skunks—before diving into the remarkable journey of creating a podcast network dedicated to all things outdoors. Angelo reveals that fewer than 1% of podcasts survive their first year, mak...
Step into a lush tropical paradise nestled in the heart of southern Ontario as we explore the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory with naturalist Andalyne Tofflemire. This episode takes you behind the scenes of one of Canada's largest butterfly facilities where thousands of exotic butterflies flutter freely among visitors in a meticulously maintained tropical environment. Andalyne reveals the fascinating journey of how 1,500-2,000 butterfly pupae arrive weekly from sustainable farms in Costa Ri...
The hidden dangers lurking along our favorite trails aren't always what you'd expect. In this eye-opening episode, Jerry welcomes Monica from the Invasive Species Centre to shed light on two particularly hazardous plants gaining ground across North America: wild parsnip and giant hogweed. These invasive species might look innocuous—one with yellow flowers resembling Queen Anne's lace, the other a massive plant reaching up to 18 feet tall—but both harbor a sinister secret. Their sap con...
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