Before water reaches a treatment plant or household tap, it has already travelled through a much larger natural system.

In the premiere of What On EARTH Can We Do? Season 8, Dr. Evan Davies helps us trace Alberta’s water back to its source. Explore how precipitation, snowpack, rivers, lakes and groundwater contribute to the province’s water supply, why where we live affects where our water comes from, and how the health of our watersheds connects us to communities far beyond our own.

About our guest

Dr. Evan Davies is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada. His research focuses on water resources planning and management, and in particular on numerical simulation of the impacts of alternative management policies on water resources at scales from local to global.

Episode Resources

• Discover which watershed you live in
• Explore current river conditions near you

About the Podcast

What On EARTH Can We Do? is a seasonal podcast from the Alberta Emerald Foundation, hosted by Programs and Communications Manager Bri Huot-Boer.

Through accessible conversations and real-world examples, each season explores an environmental topic affecting Alberta and shares the people, knowledge and solutions helping create a more sustainable and resilient future.

Learn more about the AEF

This season of What On EARTH Can We Do? is made possible with support from EPCOR. It is also supported in part by the Government of Alberta, the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta, the City of Edmonton, and the City of Calgary.

The views and opinions expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect those of the Alberta Emerald Foundation.

This season, we’ve talked about rescuing surplus food, redistributing it to communities, and even turning it into clean energy. But what about the scraps, spoiled produce, bones, peels, and leftovers that can’t be saved?

In this episode, Bri sits down with Brian Wonnacott, superintendent at AltRoot, a composting facility in Westlock that transforms organic waste into a valuable resource for local farms. Brian breaks down how industrial composting works, why microbes are the real stars of the show, and how composting helps reduce methane emissions, support regenerative agriculture, and build a truly circular local economy.

Resources

• AltRoot’s End-to-End Tracability tool
• How to compost at home

About the Podcast

The What On EARTH Can We Do? podcast is a program of the Alberta Emerald Foundation (AEF), a registered charity dedicated to accelerating environmental excellence across Alberta.

Learn more about the AEF

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Capital Power, Government of Alberta, the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta, Pathways Alliance, City of Edmonton, TD Friends of the Environment, and City of Calgary

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect those of the Alberta Emerald Foundation. As a non-partisan organization, we are committed to presenting diverse perspectives on environmental issues.

What if every community could rescue its food waste — and feed its neighbours at the same time?

In Lacombe, Alberta, Echo Food Rescue is proving it’s possible. Since 2020, this volunteer-driven program has saved nearly one million pounds of food from the landfill, redirecting it to farms and families across their community.

In this episode, we sit down with Christina Sturgeon, program coordinator at Echo Food Rescue, to talk about how the initiative began, what it takes to keep it running, and the powerful role community collaboration plays in fighting food waste.

Learn more about Echo Food Rescue: https://www.echofoodrescue.com/

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The What On EARTH Can We Do? podcast is a program of the Alberta Emerald Foundation (AEF), a registered charity dedicated to accelerating environmental excellence across Alberta.

Learn more about the AEF

Thank You to Our Sponsors:

Capital Power, Government of Alberta, the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta, Pathways Alliance, City of Edmonton, TD Friends of the Environment, and City of Calgary

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect those of the Alberta Emerald Foundation. As a non-partisan organization, we are committed to presenting diverse perspectives on environmental issues.