• Mapping 100 years of forest fires in Canada
• Adam Shoalts on his epic canoe journey from Lake Erie to the Arctic
• Jazmyn Canning and Crystal Drinkwalter on their off-grid cabin in the Maritimes 
• An Exodus Travels adventure to Peru

This week, as an out of control wildfire approaches its capital’s outskirts, officials in the Northwest Territories ordered a complete evacuation of Yellowknife. It’s the latest crisis in an unprecedented fire season that has seen large and dangerous fires break out across British Columbia, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, displacing thousands, destroying property, and blanketing large areas of continental North America with smoke. As of August 17, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which maintains a live database of fire activity across the country, reported 1,050 active fires, more than half of which are considered out of control. 

It’s always great to have RCGS Westaway Explorer-in-Residence Adam Shoalts back on the podcast. And this conversation underlines why. He joins us to talk about his epic, solo 3400-kilometre canoe and hiking journey from his backyard near Long Point on Lake Erie all the way to the Arctic Ocean in northern Quebec. It’s also the subject of his newest book, Where the Falcon Flies: A 3,400 Kilometre Odyssey From My Doorstep to the Arctic. Unlike his previous journeys, in the remotest parts of Canada, this journey first takes Adam through the mostly densely populated parts of this country, providing lots of insights about Canadians, our cities and their relationship to nature, as well as Adam’s more familiar adventures with northern wildlife and fast flowing rivers heading into the Arctic ocean.

The YouTuber duo known as the Vanwives sing the praises of off-grid living in Nova Scotia

By Tori Fitzpatrick

When we met, we wanted to travel and to spend the majority of our time in nature, and “van life” allowed us to do that. We were always chasing remoteness, and without even knowing that we wanted to live off grid, we kept finding these off-grid spots. Our cabin is very much the backyard we were searching for in our van. It encompasses all of the things that we love about nature and camping, but now it’s our own. Of all the places we’ve been in Canada, the cabin feels the most like home — and we’ve gone across Canada three times. There’s something about the Maritimes: the people are so incredibly warm, and it’s slower paced. We can live remotely but still only be an hour and a half away from stores.

A spectacular journey through Peru’s varied landscape encompassing coastal desert, snow-capped Andean peaks, the high altiplano, and lush cloud forest. The most famous sites are all visited including the mysterious Nazca Lines, awe-inspiring Machu Picchu in its incredible mountaintop setting, Lake Titicaca, where the night is spent in an island homestay, and the remarkable 3000m deep Colca Canyon. On the way, we encounter traditional culture, condors, llamas, and a warm welcome from the Peruvian people.

Meet your ambassador: Jill Heinerth

Check out these other upcoming trips:

- Costa Rica birding with Marina Jimenez
- Patagonia Birds and Wildlife with Kim Gray
- Saskatchewan Whooping Cranes with Carol Patterson