By protecting nature and ecosystems, we can significantly combat the climate crisis. Meet some of the dedicated individuals leading the fight for conservation.  

Deforestation is the second largest contributor to climate change. Nature can play more of a role in reducing emissions.  Host Mike Walter speaks to Dr. M Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International, about protecting nature and holding corporations environmentally accountable.

“Until we seize our war in nature, we have no chance of reaching net zero.”

Erin Gless is the Executive Director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, a community of ecotourism professionals with a shared commitment to education, conservation, and responsible wildlife viewing throughout Washington State and British Columbia. Erin holds a BS in Biology with Marine Emphasis from Western Washington University as well as a BS in Public Relations and a BA in Spanish from the University of Miami. Gless has been a passionate member of the whale-watching community since 2008, working as a whale-watching naturalist in both Southern California and the Salish Sea. She is particularly interested in the region’s baleen whale species – minke whales, gray whales, and humpback whales. Erin invites Mike to join her on a whale-watching excursion on the Puget Sound Express where we meet Captain Christopher Hanke and his team of naturalists.  

The Seattle Aquarium has hosted over 28 million visitors since opening its doors and provided marine conservation education to over 2 million school children. Meet Mora Nickum, Senior Director of Conservation Programs and kid’s book author. Nora talks to Mike about her work in conservation policy and the initiatives to protect nature, including laws to protect the whales that roam the Salish Sea.