For thousands of years, bison have helped shape the prairies by grazing on native grasses, aerating the soil and carrying seeds across the landscape. But when colonial expansion and commercial hunting drove bison to the brink of extinction in the late 19th century, the grasslands changed, too. Native plants disappeared, habitats were lost, and Indigenous communities were cut off from the creature, which they called buffalo, that was central to their cultures and ways of life.

In this episode of This Is Wild, host Aliya Jasmine explores the growing movement to bring bison home, and why their return goes hand in hand with restoring the native grasses that sustain them. From Indigenous-led rematriation efforts to WWF-Canada’s work growing native seeds for grassland restoration, communities are rebuilding the relationships between bison, plants, people and the land. Because bringing back a keystone species is about helping their entire ecosystem thrive.

To learn more about WWF-Canada's Seed Orchard Program, head to wwf.ca/thisiswild

Give to WWF-Canada: wwf.ca/donate

Sign up for WWF-Canada’s newsletter, Living Planet News: wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news

If you have any questions or suggestions for the show, you can email us at thisiswild@wwfcanada.org

Peat moss might seem like an ordinary ingredient in potting soil, but the peatlands it comes from are some of the most powerful carbon sinks on the planet! In northern Canada, these vast, waterlogged landscapes store billions of tonnes of carbon. But they’re increasingly at risk.

In this episode of This Is Wild, host Aliya Jasmine explores the Hudson and James Bay Lowlands, one of the largest continuous peatland systems on Earth. These wetlands are vital for wildlife, the climate and the First Nations communities who call them home. Now, plans for industrial development are raising urgent questions about the future of this vast ecosystem.

With valuable mineral deposits in the so-called Ring of Fire attracting growing interest from developers, what will it take to protect one of the planet’s most important carbon stores…and ensure the Indigenous communities who have stewarded these lands for generations have a say in their future?

To learn more about WWF-Canada's work to protect the peatlands, head to wwf.ca/thisiswild

Give to WWF-Canada: wwf.ca/donate

Sign up for WWF-Canada’s newsletter, Living Planet News: wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news

If you have any questions or suggestions for the show, you can email us at thisiswild@wwfcanada.org

Every spring, millions of people gather to celebrate one of Canada’s sweetest traditions: maple syrup. But hidden among Quebec’s sugar maples is a small bird that may be telling us something important about the health of these forests: the yellow-bellied sapsucker.

In this episode of This Is Wild, host Aliya Jasmine dives into the surprising relationship between sapsuckers, biodiversity and maple syrup. As sapsuckers slowly start to forego the forests they once called home, forest ecologists are learning how the health of Quebec’s environment could be key to its economy, and why a forest with more than just maple trees may actually be healthier—and more productive.

Could these colourful little woodpeckers become an early warning system for the future of one of Canada’s most beloved ecosystems?

To learn more about WWF-Canada's Maple Initiative and what you can do to help protect Quebec's maple forests, head to wwf.ca/thisiswild.

Give to WWF-Canada: wwf.ca/donate

Sign up for WWF-Canada’s newsletter, Living Planet News: wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/

If you have any questions or suggestions for the show, you can email us at thisiswild@wwfcanada.org