We are thrilled to have Dr. Faisal Moola as the first guest for our 4th season of the podcast. Faisal is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph in the Department of Geography, Environment & Geomatics. As a professor, his research focuses on forest conservation and management, Ecology and ethnoecology of plants, environmental policy and Indigenous-led conservation, and he has been publishing extensively in academic journals on these topics. Prior to his arrival at the University of Guelph, he spent 16 years at the David Suzuki Foundation, first as a forest ecologist and eventually in the positions of Director of Science and then Director General. Faisal is also the lead for the Biological Outcomes and Indicators Research Stream of the Conservation Through Reconciliation Partnership, which is a Canada-wide initiative that aims to support and promote Indigenous-led conservation.  

We talked about his path from the non-governmental world to academia, where he now has a vibrant interdisciplinary research program. He shared how his lab has moved towards a rights-based approach to conservation, exploring the connections between the health of Indigenous communities and their access to traditional lands and resources, with recent focus on urban environments. We also spoke about his work as a conservation educator where he is adamant about the importance of policy literacy in emerging conservation scientists, as well as the necessity of building meaningful connections with Indigenous communities. It was a pleasure to speak with Faisal and we’re excited to have this conversation kick off our 4th season of Emerging Environments!