As spring unfolds and the leaves come out, the risk of wildfires in Nova Scotia climbs. A year after the devastating wildfires, an independent report on the response was released by the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables. For more on the response and forest fire prevention, Jim Rudderham, Director for Fleet and Forest Protection was made available. He discusses the critical role of moisture levels, the Burnsafe Map, and how volunteer firefighters are stepping up to safeguard our natural resources. He also discusses the science behind burn restrictions and why burning is always restricted between 8am and 2pm during wildfire risk season. And in the end, it’s all about the collective effort needed from landowners and the community to prevent wildfires.

The idea was to talk with him about his upcoming cross-Canada jaunt with singer/songwriter Jann Arden. But I had to find out the origin story of this upcoming adventure called the “Will they or won’t they tour”.  It launches April 27th in Kitchener before coming to Halifax on the 29th, Moncton on the 30th and St. Johns on May 2nd. Rick Mercer shares what it’s like dividing his time between Newfoundland and Toronto and what to expect when he takes the stage with his friend Jann.

Tim German and his 2017 Hyundai Elantra have made a lot of trips around the Maritimes delivering blood products over the last seven years. And he shares his thoughts about his car, his work and how he has kept his car going long enough to "circle the world 19 times" and counting.

Nova Scotians are already stepping up to help their neighbours in huge ways. There are 6,000 volunteer firefighters and 1,200 ground search and rescuers across the province. And when Premier Tim Houston recently announced the formation of the Nova Scotia Guard, there were a lot of questions about who would be joining this new team and exactly what they would be doing.  Greg Jones is the President of the Fire Services Association of Nova Scotia. Along with discussing the possible roles for the newly named Guard, Chief Jones discusses recruitment and training challenges facing volunteer groups right now in Nova Scotia. Editor's Note — After this piece was produced, an invitation was received by the author for an online meeting with Premier Tim Houston on Sunday, April 14 at 7:15 p.m. to hear from volunteer first responders.

Imagine walking into a barn and instead of hearing random clucks and squawks, you're privy to a conversation about likes, dislikes, and even emotional states. This isn't a scene from a children's book; it's the reality that researchers at Dalhousie University are uncovering through the power of artificial intelligence. The idea for this conversation came from a news release titled: Fowl language: Dalhousie University researcher uses AI to crack the code of clucks and unravel chicken chatter secrets, opening the door to an improved quality of life. Suresh Neethirajan is an associate professor and the University Research Chair in Digital Livestock Farming in Dalhousie's Faculty of Computer Science. In this conversation, he explains how he is applying artificial intelligence to chicken sounds from more than 30 poultry farms across North America and Europe, including birds with Avian flu and a wide range of health conditions. Using sophisticated machine learning algorithms, he has translated chickens' nonsensical sounds to specific words, like "Danger!" and "Fox!" For instance, he can now understand expressions of distress or a need for help in diseased chickens, much like a human saying, "I have to go to the hospital." Humourist Bill Carr posted a piece highlighting the ethical questions this raises and Dr. Neethirajan addresses some of them in this conversation.

The Nova Scotia Government has pumped the brakes on a controversial policy affecting the wine industry. This is a look at the back story and the politics involved when doing an about-face amidst wide-spread criticism.

Some people may not remember the 2006 JUNO Awards in Halifax. But the event is gearing up to bring hundreds of performers and hours of music to dozens of venues across the city later this month. Allegra Swanson is  the Chair of the 2024 Halifax JUNO Host Committee and is also the Executive Director of Music Nova Scotia. She takes us through the nomination process, the selection of winners, and the special moments that honour the artists we've lost. There’s more in this conversation about Wavemakers and JUNOFest as well as the big award gala hosted by Nelly Furtado and Maestro Fresh Wes.

Does switching the clock twice a year bug you? If so, you can blame — in part — entomologist George Vernon Hudson. In 1895, the New Zealand scientist presented a paper proposing a two-hour shift forward in the summer, switching it back in the fall. His reasoning? He was frustrated that it got dark so early in the summer that it was interfering with his bug collecting. History has been much more kind to him than the Royal Society that he presented to. They mocked him, some members saying that proposal was both confusing and unnecessary. And a lot of people these days are feeling the same way about Daylight Saving Time and switching the clocks twice a year.

The provincial government has left Nova Scotia property owners to rely on their own instincts and better judgments when it comes to protecting coastal property. Environment Minister Tim Halman introduced the government’s plan for coastal resiliency, The Future of Nova Scotia’s Coastline this week. The Progressive Conservative say the plan will protect people, homes and nature from climate change along Nova Scotia’s 13,000 kilometres of coastline by introducing 15 actions for property owners, municipalities and the province to take to make coastal homes, communities and natural areas safer. The plan supplants the Coastal Protection Act that passed with full support of all Nova Scotia political parties in 2019 but was never proclaimed. In this podcast, we hear from Carolyn Bolivar-Getson from the NS Federation of Municipalities and Marla MacLeod from the Ecology Action Centre along with Minister Halman.

It wasn’t the first time a provincial politician switched political stripes in Nova Scotia — and it likely won’t be the last. But it was rather surprising when Premier Tim Houston announced Brendan Maguire (Halifax-Atlantic) would also be joining the Executive Council as a member of his cabinet. The former Liberal MLA has been highly critical of the Progressive Conservatives since they took office. And now he says he’ll have a chance to make a difference from the Government side of the house. What does it all mean? That’s what we explore in this conversation with Dalhousie University Professor Dr. Lori Turnbull.