Stay ConnectedEarth to Humans is a bi-weekly interview series featuring conversations with some of the amazing humans who are fighting for a brighter and more just future for all of Earth’s inhabitants.
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Hi everyone! Sarinah here! Coming to you live from my childhood bedroom visiting my mom following a beautiful trip down California along highway 395. This is my first ever Earth to Humans newsletter, so enjoy this maiden voyage as I try to re-connect with my early 2000’s Wordpress days writing to the ether.
My guest for this episode is an expert in natural resources management, a woman who's been on the front lines of one of the most crucial environmental issues facing us today. She's a problem-solver and policymaker, but above all, an advocate for our planet's most precious resource: water.
Can Great Salt Lake survive us?
Laura Briefer, the Director of Salt Lake City Public Utilities, has been working tirelessly to address the water crisis in Utah. She's been an integral figure in water policy for over two decades and has seen first-hand how the environment is shifting right in front of us. She is one of many stakeholders involved in preventing the disappearance of Great Salt Lake. A natural wonder that once stretched across nearly a quarter of the State of Utah (about 22,400 square miles), has been shrinking at an alarming rate.
As of 2021, Great Salt Lake now spans a mere 950 square miles, revealing more of the lake bed with each major drought. Lake beds contain a variety of heavy metals in the sediment that, when lake levels recede, dry out and form toxic dust.
These airborne dust particles not only affect human health, but also have devastating ecological implications. They can contaminate local ecosystems and have effects on air and water quality. Therefore, the issue of lake shrinkage is not only about the loss of water but also concerns the potential mobilization of hazardous substances that can impact both human health and the environment.
Through Laura's eyes, we'll explore what's happening to the Great Salt Lake, why it matters, and most importantly, what is being done about it. Laura Briefer brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for sustainability to this issue. We're thrilled to have her this episode of the Earth to Humans Podcast. We love to hear your feedback, so have a listen and let us know what you think about the show!
An update from me
As I mentioned, I’m Sarinah, one of the producers and hosts behind the show and I’m super excited to be building this community with all of you and connecting on a deeper level. I work in a variety of creative and environmental spaces, from nature videography, photography and artwork, to wildlife surveying and field captures.
Lately though, I’ve been getting SUPER into block printing and linocutting. I started small, carving out tiny scenes into pink Pearl erasers, but am now moving onto larger rubber blocks so I can work in more detail. Something about the carving blade smoothly gliding over the stiffness of the rubber unlocked something in my brain launching me into a simultaneously soothing and instantly addicting new venture.
Earlier this year I represented two films that I produced and directed at the 2023 Wild and Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City, CA, where I got to connect with some truly inspirational fellow filmmakers and re-ignite my passion for good storytelling. I also got to represent Earth to Humans in the March issue of Diversity in Action Magazine where I was interviewed about what makes our podcast so unique and how the show has evolved and grown alongside our growing decolonized mindset around conservation and the environment.
After a long winter in the Sierra Nevada, I’m excited to finally get outside and go hiking and fishing and disappear into the woods for a while. I’m so grateful for Hannah and Matt and this amazing team and community that we’ve built together. Especially with the weight of all of the world’s current issues, its so healing to be able to fight alongside these two as well as you, our listeners, and do what we can to enjoy this beautiful planet and try to make it a better place for all of its inhabitants.
Let's keep fighting and do our part to make sure the Earth’s voice is heard,
Sarinah
In this captivating podcast episode, acclaimed Cherokee author Blake Hausman shares his creative journey behind "Riding the Trail of Tears," a groundbreaking science fiction novel that skillfully intertwines indigenous culture and futuristic elements. Join us as we explore the transformative power of storytelling and the profound connections between Native American history and speculative fiction.
I was lucky enough to be brought onto the Hellbent team last year to create content for their online storytelling and, after watching the film for the first time, I was so excited to be part of such an incredible project. Having worked together for months, it was great to sit down with the film’s Co-Directors, Justin Grubb and Annie Roth, to ask them all the questions I’d been wanting to ask them for ages, as well as those I thought our listeners would enjoy hearing the answers to.
This, now multi-award winning, short film documents a mother and daughter team in Grant Township, Pennsylvania, as they take on a huge fracking corporation to protect their water source and, in the process, save the habitat of the highly endangered, incredibly sensitive and thoroughly weird-looking hellbender salamander. I instantly fell in love with Stacy and Judy - the film’s main characters, as their warmth and determination was contagious, and I was behind their community 100%. The film is empowering and hopeful, but the story is far from over. This is one of the very few ‘rights of nature’ cases that has been upheld in the US and, with many having been overturned since designation, Grant Township is far from being out of the woods.
The people behind the film are working hard to make sure this film is seen by as many people as possible, so that other communities can gain inspiration and encouragement to fight their own battles, and protect both human and nature’s rights.
Oh, and I won’t end this article without mentioning the beautiful animation created by the multi-talented Katie Garrett (also the film’s editor) stunning cinematography, and the magnificent original score, which features in the podcast episode and was composed by Micah Anderson. Having listened to me bang on about how great the film is, I’m sure you want to watch it, so here’s a link. You have to register for free and then you’ll get access to five of the films in the Jackson Wild World Wildlife Day Showcase (including ours). AND if you love it too, please vote for the film to win the Audience Award, as the more attention the film gets, the more people will know about it and will be inspired by its message.
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Welcome back to Earth to Humans! On our first episode back for the season, Sarinah speaks with guest, Beth Pratt, Executive Director for California at the National Wildlife Federation and renowned conservationist who has worked tirelessly to protect and restore wildlife habitats across the state (which is huge by the way).
In this episode, we'll be discussing Beth's unique relationship with a certain mountain lion known as P-22, who became a symbol of the coexistence between wildlife and humans in urban areas. P-22 captured the world's attention when he journeyed from the Santa Monica Mountains to Griffith Park, right in the heart of Los Angeles, where he settled down and made his home. His presence in the city provided a rare opportunity for people to connect with wild animals and inspired many to take action to protect the city’s remaining wild spaces.
We had Beth on the show back in 2017, but a lot has changed since then. For one, the famed 101 freeway wildlife crossing that was then just an idea still in need of final funding, now looms completed over the huge 10 lane freeway. Unfortunately since our last interview, P-22 was captured by wildlife officials in December 2022 due to concerns related to his health and a few days later, on December 17, 2022, was euthanized.
Our conversation discusses the impact of his loss on the local community and the wider conservation movement as well as the challenges facing urban wildlife and the importance of preserving natural habitats in cities in order to support biodiversity and the survival of these precious predators.
So, join us as we delve into the fascinating world of urban wildlife and learn more about the amazing journey of P-22, the people who have been touched by his impact, and the many urban species he has inadvertently saved due to his global impact.
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When I first heard about the organization that today’s guest, Jennifer Hartman, works for, I felt like I could’ve found my dream conservation job. Two of my greatest loves in life combined - dogs and biology. Apparently this is quite a common perception, but it takes a very special type of person, and an even more special type of dog to join this well-oiled team.
Rogue Detection Teams is made up of field biologists, known as ‘bounders’, and rescue dogs, chosen for their supreme desire to fetch. These human-canine teams head out into some of the most hostile environments on the planet for days or weeks at a time, all in the name of conservation. They’ve made numerous important new discoveries, contributed to crucial conservation work, and informed management plans for ecosystems and the species that call them home.
In this emotional interview, Jennifer shares her highlights and heartbreaks, and I realize why I might not actually be cut out for the job after all.
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**BOOKCLUB DATE** Friday, July 29th at 6pm PST or 9pm EST at https://www.patreon.com/EarthToHumans
The very first book I read by today’s guest haunted me for weeks after finishing it. I couldn’t shake the reality of the near-future world that she creates, which feels as terrifying as it is tangible and close. The reality of a world without animals. I knew I had to bring her on the show somehow, and I’m so glad we were able to have today’s conversation. Charlotte McConaghy is an Australian author living in Sydney and the mind behind two international bestselling novels, Migrations and Once There Were Wolves. Charlotte’s books are sweeping, beautiful and haunting as they tackle issues related to the frayed and fragile relationship that we humans have to the natural world. Today we’ll discuss both of her latest novels, the necessity of empathy and preserving hope in the face of devastating ecological and interpersonal loss. Charlotte will be joining us for our next Earth to Humans Book Club, which you can find more information about at patreon.com/earthtohumans. As always, let us know what you thought about this episode by leaving us a review on your favorite podcast app.
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Hannah’s ancestry traces back to Ireland, and learning about the folklore that would have shaped the way that her great grandparents, great great grand parents and all the Mulvanys before them would have related to nature and the places around them has been a main feature of her past month in the country. She wanted to delve deeper into the folklore that the country is famous for, so spoke to Bairbre Ní Fhloinn, professor of folklore at Dublin University, about how it has framed humankind and our relationship to nature, and how it links together all humanity.
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I came across today’s topic in kind of a roundabout way. Recently I was rewatching the James Cameron film, Titanic, and as I was watching Rose freeze on her floating piece of wood and pry Jack’s cold dead hands from hers as she whispers "I’ll never let go," it got me wondering just how cold the water actually was when the titanic actually sank. A quick google search told me it was about -2.2 degrees Celsius (or 27 degrees Fahrenheit). And if you’re me and were taught that water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit, you may have been stumped by the water’s ability to be colder than “freezing.”
So you do another few google searches and come to find that water doesn’t actually HAVE to freeze at 0 celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) and continuing the Titanic example, saltwater, ambient air temperature and the sheer size of the body of water all affect the water’s temperature and ability to freeze. Still with me? Okay but then I started wondering just how cold liquid water can still exist before it HAS to freeze (the answer is -55 degrees Fahrenheit by the way) and then I came across a bit of research about a group of scientists who accidentally created the coldest place in the universe.
This is where today’s episode picks up. I wanted to understand a bit more about this experiment, how it happened, and what its implications are for real world and important applications. Christian Deppner is my guest today who was a member of the team that created this ultra cold capsule of atoms while researching what’s called internal wave interferometry. By using a tall drop tower that simulates anti-gravity conditions, Christian and his team at the Center for Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) at the University of Bremen in Germany, tried to see how slow they could get a contained cloud of atoms to move and how accurately they could measure this movement, all the while creating atomic movement so slow, it became the coldest place in the universe.
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Ocean Mercier teaches Te Pūtaiao Māori/Māori Science which is a course on mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge and science) in both traditional and contemporary contexts, at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. Her research and that of her peers and students recognizes the values and merit of both indigenous and western techniques, using both to produce some amazing research that could hold the key to saving species, ecosystems and even improving human resilience against the negative impacts of climate change. In this episode, we also discuss the Polynesian and European settlement of New Zealand, Maori culture and beliefs, and round off the episode on the ancient creation story of 'Aotearoa' - the land of the long white cloud.
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While Sarinah and Hannah are on vacation, we decided to rebroadcast one of our "best of" episodes with Dr. Sylvia Earle, you'll understand why in a minute...
Close your eyes, and picture yourself underwater. See the light sway above you, as it gets darker and darker the further down you go. Welcome to the deep waters of the ocean, a place where today’s guest has spent a considerable part of her life, swimming alongside the ocean’s many flora and fauna. Dr Sylvia Earle is an icon in marine biology and ocean conservation and has been featured in popular documentaries like Seaspiracy, Mission Blue and Chasing Ice. She has won many awards and accolades including the Carl Sagan Award for Public Understanding of Science, the National Audubon Society’s Rachel Carson Award, and has authored more than 150 publications including a new book alongside National Geographic called Ocean: A Global Odyssey.
She’s also the first woman to walk on the ocean floor.
The team here at Earth to Humans is a HUGE fan of Dr. Earle and her work and we’ve had a hard time containing our excitement in anticipation of this episode’s release. We talk octopus intelligence, empathy in science and reasons why there is still so much reason to hope (even though everything seems really f@$%ed). She thinks we humans can overcome the mountain of our environmental negligence, and after this interview, we might be inclined to believe her.
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Let’s go back in time about a few hundred million years. You’re a plant. And you’re a plant that’s been evolving alongside microorganisms, fungi and animals. Come to find out, everyone finds you particularly tasty. You naturally don’t like being eaten, but you’re a plant and you can’t just walk away. So what can you do against all these predators? You could modify your leaves into thorns or equip them with tiny, irritating hairs, but maybe you decide to go a different route and develop chemical toxins to deter your opponent. Perhaps upon ingesting this toxin, insects find you instantly deadly, perhaps small mammals find themselves immobilized and disoriented by your effects and learn to leave you alone, but perhaps early hominids find a way to carefully dose your toxins and use them for medicine or even recreation.
That’s the topic of my conversation today with Dr. Oné R. Pagán and his latest book, Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins: A Trip Through the World of Animal Intoxication. We’ll discuss how naturally occurring compounds in our environment been used and abused (both intentionally and unintentionally) by members of the animal kingdom. We’ll learn about cigarette wielding birds, LSD induced elephants and big cats crazy for catnip. As always, we’d love to hear from you about this episode, so leave us a review and follow us on social media @earthtohumanspod.
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The modern dating world is a tricky thing to navigate. We all have expectations and desires - but what happens when you add environmentalism into the mix? For today's episode, we join together 4 singles who are environmentalists by trade or by passion, to discuss how their belief systems affect their romantic lives.
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An in-depth look at the illegal cheetah trade with the founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), Dr. Laurie Marker, and the CCF illegal wildlife trade lead Dr. Shira Yashphe.
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The very first book I read by today’s guest haunted me for weeks after finishing it. I couldn’t shake the reality of the near-future world that she creates, which feels as terrifying as it is tangible and close. The reality of a world without animals. I knew I had to bring her on the show somehow, and I’m so glad we were able to have today’s conversation. Charlotte McConaghy is an Australian author living in Sydney and the mind behind two international bestselling novels, Migrations and Once There Were Wolves. Charlotte’s books are sweeping, beautiful and haunting as they tackle issues related to the frayed and fragile relationship that we humans have to the natural world. Today we’ll discuss both of her latest novels, the necessity of empathy and preserving hope in the face of devastating ecological and interpersonal loss. Charlotte will be joining us for our next Earth to Humans Book Club, which you can find more information about at patreon.com/earthtohumans. As always, let us know what you thought about this episode by leaving us a review on your favorite podcast app.
https://www.patreon.com/EarthToHumans
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On today’s episode, producer Hannah Mulvaney takes over the earth to humans podcast with an amazing interview with two folks leading the charge to create sustainable, environmentally friendly ways for women in developing countries to gain and build financial independence. They work to address gender oppression by focusing on rural, women-led work that remedies issues of poverty and resource disparities. Their community based projects aim to empower women with financial stability and drive communities away from environmentally harmful practices. So often, environmental organizations are not sustainable because they are not wholistic approaches but self-congratulatory band aid solutions that are not led by the communities they are inserting themselves into but The Think Her Project is. This conversation features founder and executive director Daphne De Celles and Godfrey Oyema as they discuss some of the important work they are doing in Tanzania and Kenya. Financial independence can mean the difference between life and death for some of these women as well as an escape from sexual violence all while sustaining their communities and their environments. It’s an important conversation, that we hope you enjoy.
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The ETH crew is happy to invite you to our very first book club meeting which will be Sunday, March 6th at 11am PST via Zoom featuring Author Mark Dowie, author of The Haida Gwaii Lesson. To sign up for this free event, you must be an ETH Patreon subscriber at the $1/month tier, which will also get you access to a free digital download of Mark's book. So sign-up, get reading and we can't wait to see you at our very first bookclub meetup March 6th at 11am PST via Zoom. Zoom details will be sent out to Patreon subscribers ahead of the event. Email sarinah@wildlensinc.org if you have any questions.
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Patty Glick is the lead author of a new paper that lays out a framework for land management in our modern era of climate change. She explains how the framework was crafted and how it can help land managers adapt their practices to account for our rapidly changing climate.
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To answer this question, we explore a transformative new approach to land management that has been adopted by the National Park Service. This new land management framework, known by the acronym RAD, was developed to help park managers who are grappling with the challenges posed by a rapidly warming climate. We speak with Patty Glick, one of the lead authors of the RAD framework, along with several other climate change experts whose work is focused on the landscapes of the Western US.
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Sarinah tackles female solo hiking from the perspectives of 5 women as she tries to make sense of managing both the physical and mental fears of hiking alone, but also the beauty of mentorship and prioritizing joy in the outdoors. The women in this panel range from environmental scientists to travel bloggers, teachers to mothers, but all with individual expertise and an accomplished list of hikes that should intimidate the hell out of you.
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For this episode we invite back the former Senior Producer of this show, our friend Gregory Haddock. Greg has been working on some awesome podcast projects this past year, and we’re super excited to have him back on the show for this episode in which we reflect on the one year anniversary of the Jan. 6th insurrection.
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Today we’re sharing some bonus content from my interview with Mark Dowie, as well as some of the discussion that Sarinah and I had about the topics brought up by Mark in his books.
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Mark Dowie is a self-styled investigative historian, and the author of the recent books, Conservation Refugees and The Haida Gwaii Lesson. After a long career as a journalist, which included breaking the story of the exploding Ford Pinto in the 1970s, as well as a stint as the managing editor of Mother Jones, Dowie took his investigative approach to the field of history.
In Conservation Refugees, a revisionist history of the conservation movement, he explores how Indigenous People have been forcibly displaced from their traditional homelands all across the globe in the name of conservation. The Haida Gwaii Lesson, written as a follow up to Conservation Refugees, was designed to be a strategic playbook for Indiginous sovereignty. The book analyzes the history of the Haida Gwaii Nation, located off the Western coast of Canada, with a focus on how the Haida people have regained much of their sovereignty. It was written specifically to provide Indigenous Nations with information to aid their own struggles to regain sovereignty.
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In 2018, Virginia Tech Political Science Professor Cara Daggett wrote a paper entitled ‘Petro- masculinity: Fossil Fuels and Authoritarian Desire’ which analyzed how society’s constructs of masculinity had become prevalent in attitudes towards fossil fuel use and energy. Cara’s research focuses on feminist political ecology, in particular the politics of energy in an era of planetary disruption. While we spoke, found her definition and analysis of energy completely mind-blowing and it’s shattered my previous understanding of the word and energy as a concept. I’ll never use the word in the same way again!
In the article mentioned above, Cara addresses the new authoritarian movements in the West that embrace a toxic combination of climate denial, racism and misogyny as the planet warms. Rather than considering these issues separately, the article interrogates their relationship through the concept of ‘petro-masculinity’, which highlights the historic role of fossil fuel systems in buttressing white patriarchal rule. Petro-masculinity is helpful in understanding how the anxieties aroused by the Anthropocene era can increase desires for power.
The concept of petro-masculinity suggests that fossil fuels mean more than profit; fossil fuels actually contribute to making identities. Moreover, fossil fuel use can even function as a violent compensatory practice in reaction to gender and climate trouble.
I found this article fascinating. I’d never considered the impact that western societal pressures on masculinity could have on environmentalism. Sure, I’ve spent my career as a Wildlife Biologist constantly surrounded by female-identifying people, which is something I’ve definitely noticed, and all of the most environmentally friendly people I know are also female. But, after reading this article so many things started jumping out at me that I hadn’t noticed before, including the way that many environmentally unfriendly products are directly targeted at men, even using anti-feminine and homophobic slurs as a means of increasing sales. Gender is an intersection of environmentalism that I hadn’t noticed quite so much before. The way that Cara discusses masculine domination over the feminine, with the feminine being the Earth, sent chills down my spine and is again, something I’ve consistently noticed since speaking to her.
Why is it that destructive practices towards nature are seen as being manly, whereas being nurturing and kind to the environment are girly and practicing these things supposedly makes you less of a man? It’s a minefield.
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Close your eyes, and picture yourself underwater. See the light sway above you, as it gets darker and darker the further down you go. Welcome to the deep waters of the ocean, a place where today’s guest has spent a considerable part of her life, swimming alongside the ocean’s many flora and fauna. Dr Sylvia Earle is an icon in marine biology and ocean conservation and has been featured in popular documentaries like Seaspiracy, Mission Blue and Chasing Ice. She has won many awards and accolades including the Carl Sagan Award for Public Understanding of Science, the National Audubon Society’s Rachel Carson Award, and has authored more than 150 publications including a new book alongside National Geographic called Ocean: A Global Odyssey.
She’s also the first woman to walk on the ocean floor.
The team here at Earth to Humans is a HUGE fan of Dr. Earle and her work and we’ve had a hard time containing our excitement in anticipation of this episode’s release. We talk octopus intelligence, empathy in science and reasons why there is still so much reason to hope (even though everything seems really f@$%ed). She thinks we humans can overcome the mountain of our environmental negligence, and after this interview, we might be inclined to believe her.
Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hello Earth to Humans listeners! Producer Matt Podolsky and I (Sarinah Simons) will be taking a break from the podcast for a little while to focus on exciting, new developments we have planned for Earth to Humans. In the mean time, we will be re-releasing previously aired episodes from the archives so you can still get ETH in your ears every other Wednesday. For more updates, follow us on Patreon at https://patreon.com/wildlenscollective
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Filmmaker Julia Barnes speaks with authors Derrick Jensen, Lierre Keith, and Max Wilbert about their new book Bright Green Lies: How the Environmental Movement Lost Its Way and What We Can Do About It.
"Bright Green Lies exposes the hypocrisy of leading environmental groups. It asks the questions most refuse to ask, and in that questioning, uncovers profound truths.” ―Chris Hedges
"This disturbing but very important book makes clear we must dig deeper than the normal solutions we are offered." ―Yvon Chouinard
The authors dismantle the illusion that modern, high-energy ways of living can be made sustainable by changing the fuel source. They expose the dark reality behind the industrial technologies that are being promoted as “green”.
The book and companion documentary can be found at: www.brightgreenlies.com
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It’s far too rare in the world of environmentalism to see programs that seek to solve humanitarian issues, to create positive conservation outcomes. But, after seeing the implications of illegal logging on the communities and ecosystems in which they grew up, the Founders of Yayasan ASRI went about stopping it a little differently by asking ‘why?’
This approach, later dubbed ‘radical listening’ by the organization, led to a very simple answer to their question - local communities couldn’t afford healthcare that they needed for themselves and their families. Or, the chemical fertilizers they were being sold had become so expensive and unsustainable that they could no longer afford to pay for them, so could no longer grow crops to feed or support their families. In both incidences, people were turning to illegal logging to pay their bills. They weren’t logging because they wanted to, it was because they had no other choice.
By removing boundaries to affordable, high quality healthcare, providing education on organic farming techniques and offering business and grants and financial advice, this organization has changed the lives of many people throughout Indonesia by providing previously unavailable options, and has created a model that is now being used in other places around the world.
In this episode, Hannah Mulvany speaks to Mahardika Putra Purba about this incredible conservation and humanitarian organization in Borneo - the place that sparked her journey to become an environmental scientist.
Learn more about Yayasan ASRI on the latest Earth to Humans episode, or visit their website: https://www.alamsehatlestari.org/
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There's no denying that climate change will play a significant role in everyone's lives in the future (if it isn't keeping you awake at night already). But how do we tell our kids the truth and reality about climate change and its implications on their futures without completely freaking them out?
Well, the answer is actually pretty complicated and doesn't allow for a clear-cut solution. While it is an amazing feat that some kids are learning about this important topic AT ALL, the way we are teaching them about it leaves a lot to be desired.
On this episode, we chat with 7-year-old and first grader, Rowan Podolsky, about how he currently understands climate change and its solutions as well as with his parents, Matt and Miranda Podolsky, about their fears, joys and confusion when it comes to climate change education and raising Rowan at a time when our environment seems so unstable.
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After a difficult experience finding outdoor clothing that fit well, Raquel did what any normal person would do to solve this problem by starting her own inclusive outdoor clothing company.
Raquel Vélez is the CEO and founder of Alpine Parrot, an outdoor clothing company that centers plus size women and women of color. Alpine Parrot is essentially a response to the lack of sizing and diversity in most outdoor brands and celebrates the empowerment and visibility of plus size bodies out in the wild.
We’ll talk about some of the biggest barriers that exist for people of size in the outdoors as well as ways everyone can work to ensure more equity and access for the broad spectrum of body types that are as diverse and varied as we humans are. This is a special episode for me, and I hope it inspires empathy and offers some perspective into the pervasive and damaging long-term effects of body shaming and exclusionary advertising as well as the potential for real change being helped along by the growing body positivity movement. Here’s the story of how Raquel putting her heart and soul into a single pair of pants changed everything.
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Historian Mark David Spence is the author of “Dispossessing the Wilderness”, which explores the often obscured history of the forced removal of Native Americans from the landscapes that would become our first national parks. Yosemite, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks were inhabited landscapes before white settlers arrived and were awestruck by the scenic majesty of these places. Spence’s work shows how the history of the National Park Service is intertwined with the history of the reservation system and our nation’s shameful history of Native American oppression and genocide.
In our conversation, Spence discusses his research process for the book as well as the hurdles he encountered from Park Service historians and archivists. He also talks about his love for National Parks, and how he is able to continue to enjoy spending time in these magical places even after being exposed to their brutal and oppressive history.
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Remember that insurrection thing that happened on January 6th? Well we’re here to talk about it! On today’s episode we convene a roundtable discussion with Wild Lens Inc. co-founder Matt Podolsky, former Senior Producer for the show, Gregory Haddock, and current Senior Producer, Sarinah Simons for a refreshing dive into all things politics.
We discuss some of the news that’s been on our minds following the election and certification of Joe Biden for President of the United States, as well as how we’re grappling with the events that followed. We’ll process some of our fears, share glimmers of hope for the future as well as how new political decisions may impact our planet.
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In this episode, we chat with Suzanne Smith, Founder and Executive Director of the Amazon River Dolphin Conservation Foundation about her efforts to conserve the endangered River Dolphins in the Amazon through research, education and collaboration. We talk about how her conservation work which builds upon the wisdom and beliefs of the local communities in the Amazon may be a recipe for success, despite the odds.
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New Zealand is known as a land of extensive wilderness and pristine ecosystems, but, as with pretty much every single other natural habitat on this planet, it isn’t without its issues. These isolated islands have got some pretty big problems being caused by some very little animals.
Before Maori settlement in the early to mid-1300s New Zealand’s two big islands and numerous surrounding smaller islands were completely human-free. Since our species arrived, the country has seen its (largely endemic) bird population plummet, with numerous near and complete extinctions of some seriously amazing species, including all nine species of moa - a giant, flightless bird that reached heights of up to 3.6 metres, weighed up to 250kg and laid 4kg eggs, and the giant Haast eagle - the largest eagle to have ever lived, with talons reaching 8cm, a wingspan of up to 3 metres and standing at a metre tall.
Throughout history, New Zealand’s native species have faced many threats - overhunting, land use changes and habitat destruction - but in the modern day, the most pressing threat to New Zealands bird, lizard and insect life are invasive predators. Not only is the wildlife suffering, but the natural habitats are too - reduced bird populations means less seed spreading and less pollination, and habitat health is declining as a result.
These predators have been introduced both accidentally and purposefully, sometimes purposefully to try and remove the accidentally introduced ones. But, the NZ government, in collaboration with Predator Free NZ, have set an ambitious target of removing all invasive predators by 2050 - Predator Free 2050 - it’s got a good ring to it right?! This may sound like one of the world’s most ambitious conservation projects due to the predator populations being absolutely huge, but with a massive amount of community and stakeholder support, and some amazing scientific innovation, it might just be possible and in some areas and for some species, it’s already working. Listen as Wildlife Biologist Hannah Mulvany speaks with Jessi Morgan, CEO of Predator Free NZ, about the conservation battle the country is fighting, and how they are getting on.
Music sourced from freemusicarchives.org
Bird song provided by the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC)
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Rosalind Helfand was enamored with the wild hills of Simi Valley as a child. Their continuous destruction by human expansion ignited a quest for justice that has embedded Roz on the frontlines fighting for environmental and social issues her entire life. Recognition that human rights and the plights facing our natural ecosystems are intertwined has strengthened her resolve.
Roz works as a consultant helping develop progressive policies for non-profit and governmental entities. A recent focus has been on the upcoming 2021 Convention on Biological Diversity where her efforts and those of many others have helped establish the state of California as an official observer of the convention.
Roz spoke with Wild Lens member Jason Milligan about her history with progressive policy, the challenges facing the Convention on Biological Diversity, and how issues facing biodiversity are intricately linked with climate change.
LINKS:
Roz Online:
UN Convention on Biological Diversity:
Guardian Links Climate Change and Biodiversity:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/06/biodiversity-climate-change-mass-extinctions
Panel Announcing CA as an Observer:
GEC Supports CA’s Participation in CBD:
CA Biodiversity Collaborative:
Governor Newsom’s Executive Order to Combat Climate Change and Protect Biodiversity:
IIED Links Biodiversity and Social Issues:
https://www.iied.org/theres-justice-battle-for-biodiversity
NPQ Links Biodiversity and Social Issues:
https://nonprofitquarterly.org/environmental-justice-moving-equity-from-margins-to-mainstream/
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In the picturesque Pacific Northwest lies an incredible landscape where the sea and mountain meet. This environment means life on land and sea are deeply intertwined with one another. In this episode, we will explore exactly how trees being planted near rivers throughout the region are helping save salmon, orcas, and an entire ecosystem.
I’m Victoria (Tori) Obermeyer, an environmental photojournalist based in Washington State. Over the last three years, I have been studying the highly endangered, Southern Resident Killer Whale which call the Salish Sea home. From conducting critical long-term data for NOAA to co-producing a feature-length documentary called Coextinction Film (hyperlink: https://www.coextinctionfilm.com), I’ve come to understand the complexities behind their rapidly disappearing population.
In this episode, I had the honor of speaking with Diana Chaplain, Marketing Director from One Tree Planted (hyperlink: https://onetreeplanted.org) and Dr. Kathleen Guillozet, Senior Director of Bonneville Environmental Foundation Watersheds (hyperlink: http://www.b-e-f.org/). These two organizations are working together to find the most productive and helpful location to plant trees in order to restore salmon habitat all over the West Coast.
Together, we break down the threats toward these incredible species and their ecosystem, what’s being done to help save them, and what you can do to get involved.
To check out an informative, interactive map: https://defenders-cci.org/map/Promise_the_Pod/index.html or https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=15lH5DGQEiRf_q_ySe7rhkf2N0E9XcClF&ll=44.45935547631631%2C-124.3810253&z=6
To support One Tree Planted: https://onetreeplanted.org/collections/united-states/products/orca-project
To support Coextinction Film: https://www.coextinctionfilm.com/shop
Music:
It's Okay by Firefl!es
Life Doesn't Escape Us by Sapajou
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‘’We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already.’’- J K Rowling.
This holds true for the 19 year old changemaker-Melati Wijsen.
I’m Aishwarya Sridhar-a wildlife filmmaker and presenter from India. I first read about her through an Instagram takeover she had done for National Geographic Asia. It left me super inspired.
As a population, parents usually tell their children that when they grow up they can make a difference. But why should we wait till we become an adult? The youth only form about 20% of the total population but they are 100% the future of our planet. Melati and her sister Isabel are an excellent example of what young changemakers can achieve if they decide to do something.
She founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags when she was 12 years old with her younger sister and has been leading the movement driven by youth since 2013. In 2019, Bali government banned single use plastic completely. She also started the people movement One Island One Voice and the social enterprise, Mountain Mamas. Melati has spoken on world stages such as TED and the UN and has also been selected as FORBES top ten most inspiring women in the country. She graduated from high school one year early at the Green School and has since been honored by TIME as part of the most influential teens in the world along with CNN Heroes Young Wonders and FORBES 30 under 30. Today, Melati is excited about her new youth empowerment project; YOUTHTOPIA, empowering youth through meaningful and short peer to peer programs and providing them the tools they need to be young changemakers.
In this episode of Earth to Humans, I speak to Melati Wijsen. She talks about her journey, starting Bye Bye Plastic Bags, the impact of single use plastic on our planet and much more.
Listen and be inspired!!
Website- http://www.byebyeplasticbags.org
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/byebyeplasticbags
Instagram- @byebyeplasticbags | @melatiwijsen | @youthtopia.world
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What is the first thing that you think of if you hear the words “tropical forest conservation”? You wouldn’t be alone in imagining an untouched, fenced-off expanse of land, but today we’re going to discuss how it is possible to sustainably use a forest in a way that benefits both forest and people through sustainable forestry techniques. We’re going to visit the very special place that is Iwokrama, a protected area comprising 371,000 hectares of forest in the middle of Guyana, South America.
I’m Iona Cunningham-Eurich, a recent biology graduate and conservation-enthusiast who has had the opportunity to visit Iwokrama on three separate occasions to perform biological monitoring surveys. During my time there, I was able to learn about its unique management strategies, and I wanted to share its story.
Guyana is a small country in the North-East of South America, situated between Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname, with a tiny population of about 750,000 people. It is one of the most forested countries in the world (over 82% pristine rainforest), and possesses a total of 5 protected areas, including Iwokrama, Kaieteur National Park (one of the oldest protected areas in South America known for its spectacular waterfall), and the indigenous-owned Kanashen Protected Area.
In this episode of Earth to Humans, I first speak to Dr. Raquel Thomas-Caesar, a tropical forest ecologist and the Director of Resource Management and Training at Iwokrama. She tells me about the importance of ensuring that local communities are incorporated into all aspects of forest management, as well as the different businesses that Iwokrama runs in its aim of self sufficiency, including sustainable forestry and ecotourism (although we primarily discuss the forestry business in this podcast).
I then talk to Dr. Jake Bicknell, a conservation scientist at DICE (Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology) at the University of Kent whose research focuses on degraded tropical forests, including in Guyana. We discuss in further detail the impact of sustainable forestry (Reduced Impact Logging) techniques on forest ecosystems, as well as the potential effects of hunting and mining in those areas.
Contact: if you are interested in learning more about Iwokrama, its forestry business or its tourism business, you can find out more by checking out the following resources:
Iwokrama website: https://iwokrama.org
Short film about Iwokrama “Green Heart”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upXygwTU0Ow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IwokramaInternationalCentre/
Email Raquel: rthomas@iwokrama.org
Correction: the Kanashen Indigenous Protected Area owned by the Wai Wai people is 625,000 hectares, not 425,000 as stated in this episode.
Music "Green Iver" and "Questing" by Ari de Niro via Creative Commons.
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This Earth to Humans roundtable discussion was recorded LIVE on election night!
Join us for discussion and analysis about the implications of this unprecedented election and how the outcome could effect the environment, wildlife, and much more.
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In this episode of Earth to Humans, which is shared from the Wild Lens produced series COMMON LAND, we explore the ancient history of the Snake River Canyon region in Southwestern Idaho. The Shoshone and Paiute people and their ancestors have lived in and around this area for at least 14,500 years, and this episodes shares a look at their culture and lifeways before the arrival of European American settlers.
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When we think of organized crime, we don’t often think of it involving wildlife. Something more along the lines of the Sopranos and Breaking Bad maybe, but not tigers and turtles. Jessica Graham is trying to change that.
It may be surprising to know that wildlife trafficking is one of the five most lucrative illegal, global trades, valued at over 20 billion USD per year. Jessica, who has worked in INTERPOL’s Environmental Security Program as well as in the U.S. State Department’s Presidential Task Force for Combating Wildlife Trafficking, is fighting to put an end to wildlife trafficking through partnership building and on the ground work.
In this episode, we discuss the mechanics behind wildlife crimes, the link between the illegal wildlife trade and future pandemics, as well as female anti-poaching teams in Africa setting the example for a world without corruption.
Links:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tracking-ivory/article.html
https://livingplanet.panda.org/en-us/
https://royalfoundation.com/programme/private-sector/
https://www.state.gov/2019-end-wildlife-trafficking-strategic-review/
Music used in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions via Creative Commons licensing.
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After months of conversation, debate, and reflecting on listener feedback... we've settled on a new name. We are still the Eyes on Conservation people you've come to expect, but our focus is shifting ever-so-slightly to the needs of this world and the people, plants, and animals on it. We hope you continue to join us for the adventure. Find out more at www.wildlensinc.org
Music in this show: "Hotshot", by Scott Holmes via Creative Commons licensing.
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“Birds are just a window for us to get a better understanding of what goes on around us and for us to understand what our impacts might be on the environment and on other wildlife.” Dr. Samuel Ivande
Wherever you are in the world, September is an important time in the year for many species of migratory (migrant) birds because it typically marks the beginning of a new season and some birds are either leaving or returning. In Africa, some yearly bird visitors begin to arrive in September, especially from Europe.
In this podcast episode, we talk about the importance of international collaboration in the study and conservation of migratory birds and especially how it is fueled by local participation. We also talk about the challenges faced by Nigerian conservationists in their efforts to collect local bird data and increase awareness of biodiversity issues in Nigeria.
Our guest, Dr. Samuel Ivande is a research/teaching fellow with the A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, Jos, Nigeria (aplori.org), and a lecturer at the University of Jos. Dr. Ivande studied migratory birds for his PhD at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, which he completed in 2015 and since then he has been involved with the Nigerian Bird Atlas Project (nibap.ng) – a citizen science project seeking to promote public participation in updating information about the natural history of birds in Nigeria.
Dr. Ivande also serves on the executive committee of the Migrant Landbird Study Group (migrantlandbirds.org), a group for promoting collaborative research for migratory landbirds across flyways, and he is currently involved with the collaborative Egyptian Vulture – New LIFE Project (lifeneophron.eu).
Great links for more information:
A really nice documentary about the Nigerian bird atlas project
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ioX8ee-BM0&feature=youtu.be
Dr. Sam talks about birdwatching and the use of apps
This episode of EOC was produced by Wild Lens Collective member, Esther Nosazeogie. See more of Esther work here.
Music: Happy Clappy by John Bartmann from Pixabay.com
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Paulette Jordan is a candidate for the US Senate in Idaho, and a former Idaho state representative. If elected, she would be the first female senator to represent Idaho, and the first female Native American senator in US history. In our interview, Jordan discusses how her background has informed her approach towards running her campaign, and why she has a shot at victory despite Idaho's reputation as an extremely conservative state.
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When we think about communities that are threatened by climate change, we often think about coastal areas and how these communities will be affected by sea-level rise, but we often don’t think about the other elevation extreme; how mountainous communities are going to be affected, and how they will have to adapt.
In this podcast episode, we dive in to learn how mountainous communities around the world are adapting to climate change. We are joined by two researchers who lend different perspectives to understanding what threats these communities face and how they can adapt.
Dr. Kelli Archie is the Senior Science Advisor at the Institute for Ecological Civilization. She spent the past 12 years as an academic in New Zealand and the USA studying climate change adaptation. Dr. Archie speaks about where her passion for this topic came from, why mountainous communities are at more risk than some other geographic areas and she discusses her research findings and its implications.
Tina Chen received the prestigious Watson Fellowship to conduct an interesting explorative research project where she spent a year traveling alone to live in various mountainous communities, learning about how they are adapting to climate change. Ms. Chen joins EOC to tell us what she learned from that one year’s experience.
Take a plunge into learning about climate change, ski towns, yak butter, politics, and more.
Music: “Hit the Road” by VESHZA Artlist.io.com
This episode was produced by Wild Lens Collective member, Emily Stanford
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Coral reefs are one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems. While 1% of the world’s oceans are coral reefs, they support 25% of all marine life and feed more than 500 million people. In some areas of Florida and the Caribbean, the coral cover has declined by 50% to 80% in the last 30 years and it takes centuries for these reefs to develop naturally, thus running the risk of losing them altogether. But every dark cloud has a silver lining!
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium has developed a unique “micro fragmentation and fusion” method to grow corals 50 times faster in their nurseries than they grow naturally. Yes! They have a 95% survival rate when placed onto the reef. And they are doing this with the help of financial partnerships.
So, to gain a deeper understanding of our coral reefs and this partnership, wildlife film-maker and presenter, Aishwarya Sridhar spoke to Dr. Erinn Muller, Program Manager and Science Director of the Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium and Scott Sensenbrenner, CEO of Enzymedica, a digestive enzyme supplements company. In the last 10 years, Mote has planted over 70,000 corals onto Florida's Coral Reef, and Enzymedica provides additional support for coral restoration.
Scott Sensenbrenner’s passion for the oceans is deep and he is committed to saving the coral reefs. He has been the CEO and a Director of Enzymedica since September of 2009. He is passionate about supporting Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and the amazing work they are doing to save Florida’s coral reefs.
Dr. Erinn Muller has studied coral health and disease for the last 15 years in many places throughout the world including the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Florid Keys, and as far away as Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. She has published 24 peer-reviewed publications on coral health and disease. Muller’s research is funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Park Service, NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and through philanthropy like that of Enzymedica. She received the prestigious Young Scientist of the Year Award from the International Society for Reef Studies in 2015, became a Staff Scientist in 2015, and the Coral Health and Disease Program Manager at Mote in Sarasota, Florida, in 2016. She is now the Science Director of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration.
Take a plunge into the unique world of corals by listening to this podcast!!
Website- https://mote.org
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/MoteMarineLab
Instagram- @motemarinelab
Twitter- @MoteMarineLab
Music- Organisms by Chad Crouch from Free Music Archives. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Chad_Crouch/Arps/Organisms
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Shrouded in mystery, misunderstood, vilified and beautiful, mountain lions, pumas, cougars (or however you refer to them), exist in our modern world in constant conflict. People hate them, people love them, or people fear them.
Mark Elbroch is a mountain lion biologist who has dedicated his career to not only studying these elusive animals, but working to bridge the divide among different stakeholders, agencies, and advocates. In Mark’s new book, The Cougar Conundrum (available August 13, 2020), he dismisses long-held myths about mountain lions and uses groundbreaking science to uncover important new information about their social habits.
Mark argues that humans and mountain lions can peacefully coexist in close proximity if we ignore uninformed hype and instead arm ourselves with knowledge and common sense. He walks us through the realities of human safety in the presence of mountain lions, livestock safety, competition with hunters for deer and elk, and threats to rare species, dispelling the paranoia with facts and logic. In the last few chapters, he touches on human impacts on mountain lions and the need for a sensible management strategy. The result, he argues, is a win-win for humans, mountain lions, and the ecosystems that depend on keystone predators to keep them in healthy balance.
In this episode, Mark breaks down the mythology and takes us through some of the biology and natural history behind these animals, and contextualizes current management practices and public perception in unexpected ways! If you’ve ever wondered why we think the way we do about mountain lions in this country, buckle up, because it may surprise you.
For more information, visit:
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Quick! Before Matt and Greg do something dumb! We've got some good ideas and some not-so-good ideas. Help us make the decision as we rename Eyes on Conservation! Tell us what to do!!! info@wildlensinc.org or leave a voicemail at 208-917-3786.
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Things are changing at EOC! Send us an email and let us know your thoughts at info@wildlensinc.org
This episode was originally published nearly 2 years ago, but it could have been made yesterday. Thank you Sarinah Simons and Rue Mapp for this piece of internet gold.
Original Text: On today’s episode of the show, I interview a woman who has inspired me and many people like me to embrace themselves in outdoor spaces and find community even when its not always easy. Her name is Rue Mapp, and she is the CEO and founder of Outdoor Afro, a not-for-profit organization founded in Oakland, California that is at the forefront of celebrating and inspiring African American connections in nature. Outdoor Afro represents a network across 30 states, challenging and changing representation in the outdoors and connecting thousands of people to outdoor experiences.
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As the world of brand names and politicians offer their bandwagon platitudes for the summer of 2020 we’ve been thinking a lot about what that means for us. On the surface of it, conversations about wildlife, nature, conservation, climate change, mass extinction, and more – don’t often feel like there is a direct connection with racism, LGBTQ rights, gender equality, rampant runaway nationalism, classism, wealth inequality... And yet, the two worlds of our cultural values and the physical space and beings which inhabit it are completely intertwined. They are intersectional. They are undetachable.
That is why we have made the decision to rebrand our podcast. We feel the name “Eyes on Conservation” no longer serves the purpose it once did. We feel that it doesn’t address those issues enough, and instead of simply throwing a #BLM stamp on our Instagram, patting ourselves on the back, and calling it a day, we’ve decided to make social equality and natural conservation - the natural allies that they are - central to our journey forward.
And we want you to take the journey with us. We would like to hear from you what you think about this. What ideas you have for a new name, what concerns or questions you have. Please give us your feedback either through email at info@wildlensinc.org or by calling our voicemail at 208-917-3786. We will listen and read everything you send us and would love to share your answers on an upcoming episode.
Wild Lens Collective member Sarinah Simons is a freelance filmmaker, activist and intersectional environmentalist currently based in northern California. She works in wildlife management for the state. Sarinah is passionate about telling stories about wildlife and marginalized communities. Her upcoming projects include the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band’s traditional fire practices in California, and A Change in the Clouds, the story of Panama’s indigenous Guna Yala people, jaguar conservation, and the crossroads of climate change.
Website: http://www.sarinahsimons.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/_sea_legs/
GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/change-in-the-clouds-film
Wild Lens Collective member Ben-Alex Dupris, aka @Bendigenous, is an enrolled member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, where he grew up. Over the years he has worked in commercial entertainment, tribal language preservation, youth media training and most recently, documenting front-line environmental activism.
He is a Concordia Studios Artist-In-Residence Alumni headed by Academy-Award winner Davis Guggenheim, Firelight Impact Producer's Fellow, and a Sundance Institute "Rauschenberg" Producer's Fellow.
His directorial debut, Sweetheart Dancers, was a Grand Jury Winner for best short film at OUTFEST LA, and his upcoming PBS American Masters features Pawnee painter Bunky Echo-Hawk as a part of a series curated by Firelight Media.
@Bendigenous also teaches “Indigenous Mythology in Film” at Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies, with upcoming class dates coming up in the 2020-2021 year.
The work we’re doing is made possible because of people like our patrons on Patreon. Thank you so much to all of you. Please consider becoming a supporter for as little as a buck a show at www.patreon.com/wildlenscollective.
A Message From the Native Filmmakers Fighting the Dakota Pipeline at Standing Rock – Speech by John Trudell “We Are Power”, video short produce by Ben Alex and Heather Rae https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phre0bArD0M
Sweetheart Dancers – Directed and Produced by Ben Alex Dupris
https://www.pbs.org/filmfestival/films/sweetheart-dancers
Extended Interview: Burning a Forest to Revive a People – Valentin Lopez for PBS explaining the significance of fire practices for the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band
https://www.pbs.org/video/valentin-lopez-burns-forest-revive-people-hotbmr/
A Change in the Clouds – Directed and Produced by Sarinah Simons
https://www.gofundme.com/f/change-in-the-clouds-film
Sea of Shadows – Co-director, Matthew Podolsky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiFjJCUd9ro
Music in today’s show by Blue Dot Sessions via the Free Music Archive under Creative Commons licensing.
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“[Dolphins] have been on the face of the Earth a lot longer than humans have been. They've figured out a number of solutions for making a living in an environment that would be very hostile to us, and yet that joins the areas where we live. So we talk about these animals living in our backyard, but in reality, we kind of live in their backyard.”
When Dr. Randall Wells was still in high school, he joined a U.S. naval research project involving dolphins as an assistant in Sarasota Bay Florida. The same year, in 1970, he and a colleague began tagging wild dolphins and that data-informed project would become the “world’s longest-running study of a dolphin population.”
When he began the work, Dr. Wells’ initial project was to determine if dolphins remain in one area over their lifetime or if they migrated and moved, a question unanswered by science at the time.
“We had no idea whether the dolphins that we saw one day would be there a week later or a month later, or whether they range freely around the Gulf of Mexico.”
Since then, Dr. Wells, now the Director of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program and employed by the Chicago Zoological Society, and his team of conservation scientists have contributed much more to our understanding of one the most intelligent animals on earth.
From the concept of the “ecological cul-de-sac” to “dolphinalities,” and from innovative citizen science initiatives to data that has informed high profile environmental lawsuits, in this episode Dr. Wells discusses his life’s work and the dolphins at the heart of it all, some of whom he’s been watching his entire 50-year career.
The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program is part of the Chicago Zoological Society. Learn more about the lab’s ongoing research here: https://www.sarasotadolphin.org
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“My focus was on the impact of environmental and climate change on national security, a growing concern of the military and intelligence communities… The White House blocked the submission of my bureau’s written testimony [because] the analysis did not comport with the administration’s position on climate change.” – Rod Schoonover, July 2019.
Dr. Rod Schoonover was a tenured professor when he went to work for the United States intelligence community in 2009. His task was to investigate the science behind climate change and assess any risk associated to national security. One of a handful of intelligence analysts doing work on climate change, the results and prognosis were troubling. Regardless, Schoonover at least had the assurance that he would have an apolitical space to do his job. That all changed in June of 2019 when he was asked to testify in front of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence about the national security concerns from climate change that lie ahead in the coming years.
The night before his testimony he was notified that the Trump administration was blocking his testimony from taking place at all. After ongoing negotiations throughout the evening, Schoonover was reluctantly permitted to give a brief summary of his 11 page report. The report, unfortunately, was never entered into official record. But, you can still read it here.
Watch Dr. Rod Schoonover’s National Security and Climate Change testimony here. His comments begin at minute 12:50.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?461413-1/national-security-climate-change
Music used in this episode by The Great Turtle.
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Oceans are the lifeline of our blue planet and they cover nearly ¾ of the Earth’s surface. And on June 8th we celebrated World Oceans Day. Who doesn’t love the ocean right? Beaches, the lovely breeze, the feel of sand beneath your feet, the wildlife. So, wildlife film-maker and presenter, Aishwarya Sridhar talks to Francesca Trotman, managing director and founder of Love The Oceans.
Love the Oceans is a non-profit marine conservation organisation working in Jangamo Bay, Mozambique since 2014. LTO is working to protect and study the diverse marine life found here, including many species of sharks, rays and the famous humpback whales. They use research, education and diving to drive action towards a more sustainable future. Their ultimate goal is to establish a Marine Protected Area for the Inhambane Province in Mozambique, achieving higher biodiversity whilst protecting endangered species.
Francesca Trotman holds a Masters in Marine Biology. Francesca has always had a passion for marine life and is an emerging leader in the ethical tourism space. An avid diver since the age of 13 with a keen interest in all aspects of marine life, Francesca is particularly passionate about sharks. Results orientated, she constantly encourages people to consider conservation in everyday life and take a greener approach to modern living. As the founder she likes to stay close to the research and community, overseeing the majority of programs on the ground in Mozambique.
Let the sound of waves and ocean breeze lift your spirits as you listen to this podcast from your home!!
Love The Ocean Social Media
Instagram: @lovetheoceans
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lovetheoceans
Facebook: https://facebook.com/lovetheoceansorganisation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/love-the-oceans
Website: https://lovetheoceans.org/
Music used: Bumbling Bumbling by Pictures of the Floating World
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Pictures_of_the_Floating_World/Bumbling/Bumbling
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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on our relationship with wildlife. The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is zoonotic, which means it originated in an animal. Experts believe the virus emerged in bats then jumped to an intermediary host, possibly pangolins, before infecting humans. Evidence suggests that the virus made the first leap from animal to human in a wet market in Wuhan China where a wide variety of wild animals, including bats, crocodiles, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, rats, peacocks, and porcupines, were being bought and sold.
That market was temporarily shut down and the city of Wuhan has vowed to end the sale of wild animals within its borders. However, the threat of a new pandemic looms. All over the world, humans are creating perfect conditions for zoonotic disease emergence. Not only are people trafficking wildlife for food, traditional medicine, and trinkets all over the world, we are destroying wilderness, forcing wild animals and people closer together.
In the months since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, scientists, conservationists, and world leaders have called for a crackdown on the sale of wild animals. However, few countries have taken meaningful steps to do so. The Chinese government said it would ban the sale of several species of wild animals, but left exemptions for wildlife products sold for use as traditional medicine.
In this episode, environmental journalist Annie Roth speaks with Rachel Nuwer about what the future of our relationship with wildlife might look like in a post-pandemic world.
Song used in today's show: Postman Jack by Lobo Loco via Creative Commons Licensing.
There is more of this conversation! For full access, visit patreon.com/wildlenscollective.
This episode was produced by Annie Roth. For more of her work, please visit rothreporting.com. For more information about Rachel Nuwer and her work, please visit rachelnuwer.com.
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Documentary producer Nate Ford invites two big cat experts to weigh in on the record breaking documentary series, “Tiger King.” Did you watch the show and fall in love with tigers? Find out ways to get involved in big cat conservation and learn how to impact legislation (like, right now) by supporting the Big Cat Safety Act. Are you tired of hearing your neighbor talk about getting a pet tiger? Tune in to find out the legitimate reasons why that is a TERRIBLE idea. Then, go tell your neighbor. And then, consider moving.
Kimberly Craighead is the co-founder of the Kaminando Habitat Connectivity Initiative, where her team collects data on wild jaguars in Panama through the use of camera traps. One of her main goals is to empower local Panamanians as well as conservationists around the world to participate in preserving suitable natural environments for the jaguar. Tune in to hear about her treks in the jungle and the touching story about a tapir that was captured in a village in Panama, and how the villagers responded. To learn more about Kimberly's work, visit Kaminando.org.
Amy Gotliffe is the Director of Conservation for the Oakland Zoo, which has provided “forever homes” to rescued big cats for years. They continue to push the limit of what a zoo can be by sparking ideas and fostering a global response to animal conservation. Amy gives pointers on how to get involved in the stewardship of a species you love and expands on the myriad of ways in which we can maximize small personal decisions for a global impact. Grab your favorite stuffed animal and sequined jacket…EOC takes on the Tiger King!
Music by David Bashford (via Bloc Films)
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In today’s episode of Eyes on Conservation, filmmaker Kristin Tieche invites two women in bat conservation who appear in her upcoming feature documentary about bats, The Invisible Mammal.
Dr. Winifred Frick is the Chief Scientist at Bat Conservation International and an Associate Research Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz. Dr. Frick has studied the ecology and conservation of bats for nearly 20 years and has worked around the globe on bat conservation, including projects in Mexico, Rwanda, Guinea, Fiji, and Jamaica. With nearly 1,400 species, bats are the second most diverse group of mammals on earth, yet many species are threatened by the forces of global change.
Corky Quirk is the founder of NorCal Bats, an organization that provides care for injured
bats and educational programs for libraries, school, nature programs, fairs and other
events throughout the region. Corky has been working intensely with native bats since
2004 and has educated thousands of people. She is permitted through the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife and the USDA to work with injured and orphaned bats, and returning them to the wild. She keeps a captive colony of non-releasable bats for use in education.
How has the coronavirus pandemic disrupted bat conservation? On April 10, 2020, the US Government suspended all bat research across the country, in an effort to curtail the spread of the virus. Frick and Quirk discuss how the new restrictions have affected their work, dispel new myths that have arisen about bats and their connection to coronavirus, and explain why protecting bat biodiversity and bat habitat around the world (and in your backyard) is so important.
Important links:
The Invisible Mammal:
http://www.theinvisiblemammal.com/
Bat Conservation International:
NorCal Bats:
Yolo Basin Foundation:
EcoHealth Alliance:
https://www.ecohealthalliance.org/
Bracken Cave
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/bats/bat-watching-sites/bracken-cave-preserve.phtml
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Happy Earth Day!
Talk to us! What's your favorite quarantine activity? Call the voicemail! 208-917-3786
Join Wild Lens Collective members and EOC producers for a Covid-19 Roundtable on Earth Day roundtable talking about how the Coronavirus has affected all of our lives, our work, and most importantly - the environment. For a full list of show notes including web links, articles, and MEMES discussed in today's show - head over to the show notes page at www.wildlensinc.org/eoc198!
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It’s Startup meets YouTube meets Twitch meets National Geographic. You know what? To really understand you’re just going to have to check it out yourself! www.mammalz.com.
Co-founders Rob Whitehair and Alex Finden (Happy birthday!) tell the story of how this brand new tech startup began, and what truly makes it a one-in-a-million platform.
From the Mammalz Website:
“Founded by wildlife filmmakers Rob Whitehair and Alexander Finden, Mammalz is the “Twitch for Nature”; an app- and web-based media streaming and social platform dedicated to nature storytelling and driven by community. Whether you are a professional media maker, scientist, educator, artist, writer, or one of over 600 million nature enthusiasts across the planet, Mammalz provides you with the tools to personalize your experience, share your love of nature, and truly make a difference.
The Mammalz mission is to promote a greater global public understanding of nature and the environment while acting as a bridge between science, media makers, and the public.
Rob Whitehair, Co-Founder and CEO Rob is a 20 year veteran of the natural history film industry. He is a multi-award-winning filmmaker, producer, and executive who has directed, produced and shot films for broadcast and theatrical markets worldwide. He is known throughout the industry for his vision, leadership, inspiration and his ability to take seemingly impossible ideas and turn them into a reality. Mammalz is the culmination of Rob’s dream to create a next-generation media platform that will connect people on a global scale through their love for nature.
Alexander Finden, Co-Founder and COO Inspired by the underwater world, Alex is a highly creative, award-winning wildlife filmmaker, Divemaster, YouTube channel manager, Twitch content editor, and operational guru. He is known for being a master of details, turning ideas into actions, and keeping calm in the storm. Alex is fascinated with portable live-streaming technologies and plans to encourage outdoor streaming as one of the most popular content types on Mammalz.”
Music used in today’s show, “Questing” and “Green Iver” from Ari de Niro on the Free Music Archive via Creative Commons Licensing.
Real Mammalz audio from real Mammalz users: Day's Edge Productions, The Great Mexican Bird Resurvey Project. Ben Zino, How to find rare winter salamanders. Dusty Hulet, Friction Fire with Ford Thunder Erickson. Billy Heaney, In search of the killer whale. Kathryn Chalk, Ever seen a cricket present the weather forecast. Angus Hamilton, Stop, Drop and Roll! The Brookesia Chameleons of Madagascar. Jim Michael, A torrent of snow geese. Renee Sweaney, Our resident kestrals.
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Turn down the lights, pour yourself a beverage, and tune your ears to the smooth offerings of Ayana Young, host and author of the podcast and book, For the Wild. Ayana visits with Matthew Podolsky about how she got started in activism going all the way back to her childhood poetry. Ayana is no stranger to speaking truth to power. A graduate of the Occupy movement, she went on to live the camper life, traveling at home and abroad in a quest to understand this crazy world just a bit better.
To read about her book, listen to her amazing podcast, and for links to her social media visit her website at https://forthewild.world/
Music used in today’s show: “As I Was Saying” by Lee Rosevere, “Forgotten Landscape” by Daniel Birch, and “Variation Waldheim” by Blue Dot Sessions from the Free Music Archive via Creative Commons Licensing.
For a list of the show notes, please visit the website www.wildlensinc.org/eoc196
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When we think of wetlands, most of us see them as ghostly swamps where spiders have huge webs that look like banshee in veils, or the dangerous Dead Marshes through which Gollum led Frodo in the Lord of the Rings. However, wetlands are not at all these dangerous, murky, smelly, marshy areas. In fact they are the most cheerful places full of life and activity. It’s where life gravitates to, where human settlements started and where wildlife will gravitate around as well. These marshes, swamps and lagoons are a critical part of our natural environment. Wetlands are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world comparable to rain forests and coral reefs. But sadly today, they are disappearing 3 times faster than our forests. A meagre 6% of the Earth’s surface is covered by wetlands whereas 31% of the earth’s surface still has forests. And yet people don’t seem to appreciate them in the same way, don’t love them as much as forests. They are hardly considered even important.
In this episode, a young wildlife presenter and film-maker, Aishwarya Sridhar from India, talks to Mr. Debi Goenka and Mr. Nikhil Bhopale about the importance of wetland eco-systems in a world plagued by climate crisis. Mr. Goenka has been working towards the protection of mangroves and wetlands for over 35 years of his life. He is the executive trustee of Conservation Action Trust (a non-governmental organisation in India) engaged in environmental protection and he’s the force behind the recent policy protecting the Indian mangroves.
On the other hand, Mr. Nihil Bhopale is an educationist, conservationist and an author, having written a book on the birds of the Indian subcontinent. He is the founder of Green Works Trust, an NGO pioneering environmental education in India.
They discuss the role of wetlands, the crisis facing them and the need to protect them urgently.
"Crescents" by Ketsa used via Creative Commons Licensing from the Free Music Archive.
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On this episode of EOC, I spoke with author and environmental historian, Bathsheba Demuth. Demuth is an Assistant Professor at Brown University who specializes in the intersection between humans, ecosystems, ideas, and history. We talked over Skype while Demuth was in Fairbanks as the professor was performing research for her new book. Her first book is titled Floating Coast, An Environmental History of the Bering Strait. NPR called it “A deeply studied, deeply felt book that lays out a devastating but complex history of change, notes what faces us now, and dares us to imagine better.”
As we proceed I will note that I spoke with Professor Demuth from the university library, so it can be a little loud in the background at times. I can promise you, however, that this will be one of the most compelling and interesting accounts of the history of whaling that you have ever heard.
Demuth was drawn to the arctic in her formative years, even living in the Yukon for two years – doing all the things you’re imagining right now: tracking bears, fishing salmon, and yes, even husky mushin’. And no, I’m not making that up. She’s that for-real.
Special thanks to Bathsheba Demuth for taking the time to share with us about her experiences and research from her book, Floating Coast, and recounting her findings around Soviet Whaling in the Bering Strait. For information about Professor Demuth visit her website at http://www.brdemuth.com/ and for stunning images from the arctic, check out her Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/brdemuth/. She is also on Twitter @brdemuth.
For a full list of this episode’s links, and contributors including music used in this show, please visit the show note’s page at www.wildlensinc.org/eoc194.
Music used via Creative Commons licensing. Running on Empty by Poddington Bear, Ben Bolt; In the Gloaming by Bohumir Kryl, and Failed Moments by Ari de Niro.
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In this era of climate crisis and extinction crisis, it’s not hard to feel like there’s nothing we can do to stop these cascading and devastating global environmental trends. Some activists have taken the motto "Think globally, act locally" to heart.
In this episode, Kristin Tieche talks to Ildiko Polony, an environmental activist who is the founder of a new organization called Wildfires to Wildflowers, whose mission is to restore California lands for climate stability and reach carbon negativity by 2046.
Kristin joins Ildiko for a hike on Ring Mountain in Marin County, California. Ildiko shares her extensive knowledge of native plants and invasive species, and is joined by naturalist Paul Bouscal as they hike the mountain and interpret the landscape along the way.
For Ildiko, reconnecting and restoring natural habitat is the most effective and rewarding way to create positive change in the face of our planet's most pressing environmental crises.
For more information, please visit: https://www.wildfirestowildflowers.org/
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Common Land is a new radio documentary-style podcast series produced by the Wild Lens Collective. The series takes a deep dive into the history, science and politics behind the creation of one particular patch of protected land. Season one tells the creation story behind a unique stretch of the Snake River Canyon in Idaho, that is home to the highest nesting densities of birds of prey anywhere in North America. Here we present our first episode of the show, which tells the story of Morley Nelson, the man who spent an entire lifetime advocating for the protection of this unique canyon system.
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When Lambs Become Lions
If you haven't already, please head over to www.patreon.com/wildlenscollective and make a donation to expand the work we’re doing here. As one of the longest running conservation podcasts around, we are uniquely positioned to do some incredible work in the future, but it will require additional funding. So, if you can manage even a buck a show – your donation will fuel that work, and it even come with perks!
Join Eyes on Conservation’s Matthew Podolksy in an interview with Jon Kasbe, director of the documentary “When Lions Become Lambs”, winner of the Tribeca Film Festival’s Best Editing award in a Documentary.
Jon Kasbe spent much of his 20s in Kenya chronicling the lives and hardships of not only the rangers protecting endangered elephants in the region, but also the difficult decisions poachers make to support their families. Kasbe tells their stories with disciplined impartiality. However, viewers may struggle to remain emotionally unwavering as you are dropped into the shoes of a community bursting with complexities, each person doing what it must to survive.
Special thanks to When Lions Become Lambs director, Jon Kasbe. For more information about the film, please visit www.whenlambs.com. Music in today’s show via the Free Music Archive through Creative Commons licensing. “Gradual Sunrise” by David Hilowitz, and “Siesta” by Jahzzar. And if you haven’t made a pledge to our show, please head over to our patreon.com/wildlenscollective page, and lastly – be sure to send us a voicemail to info@wildlensinc.org. We really want to hear from you!
https://www.instagram.com/whenlambs/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/whenlambs/
For full a full list of today’s show notes, including web links and music selections, head over to www.wildlensinc.org/eoc192.
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Happy Holidays from the EOC team!
Tune in to listen to a very light, candid, fun installment of the award winning Eyes on Conservation podcast with hosts Sarinah Simons, Kristin Tieche, Matthew Podolsky, and Gregory Haddock as we talk space-bound dinosaurs, whales, recycling, fundraising, and brushfires. It’s a tornado of holiday cheer!
lease, if you can, consider a gift donation to the cause of bringing the stories you care most about to the foreground at www.patreon.com/wildlenscollective Your donation makes this work possible.
Music from https://filmmusic.io
"Holiday Weasel" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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In an article dated August 7, 2019, GQ magazine defined ecofascism as “a belief that the only way to deal with climate change is through eugenics and the brutal suppression of migrants.” It’s a philosophy that has roots in the American environmental movement dating back to the 1800s, right down to the creation of our national parks system.
Let’s start off with the recent events that inspired me to produce this episode. On August 3rd 2019, a shooter in El Paso, Texas killed 20 people at a Walmart near the border with Mexico. Nineteen minutes before the first 911 call, a hate-filled, anti-immigrant manifesto appeared online, that was strangely called “An Inconvenient Truth.” In the document, the author makes his horrific case for ethnic cleansing as a solution to the climate crisis. I asked myself, could the shooter’s deadly words and actions have been inspired by the rhetoric that has been spoken, and tweeted, by the 45th President of the United States, who has verbally attacked communities of color on more than one occasion.
After the El Paso tragedy, I started reading articles that referred to the term “ecofascism.” There seemed to be more than one example of racially motivated terrorist attacks in the news, from Christchurch, New Zealand, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Poway, California. But none so directly connected to the climate crisis as the El Paso shooting, which made me deeply concerned about the ways in which humans will react when the crisis worsens. Will it bring out the best in humanity? Or the worst? I began to think more deeply about the foundations of America. Post-colonial American history seems to be filled with examples of eco-fascist ideas and acts.
The American Declaration of Independence refers to indigenous people as “Merciless Indian Savages,” and yet this is still a document that Americans celebrate every year. The principles of Manifest Destiny and Eminent Domain made way for a government led genocide. Children being separated from their parents, put in detention centers, and even killed by the American government, these practices are also not a new. From the slave trade to Indian Residential Schools, American history has already set precedents. Every single day that we wake up, we are living out our lives on stolen land. This is our history. It’s history that we shouldn’t turn away from, no matter how hard it is to look at it.
I know this is a dark subject, but it’s an important one. If we don’t look directly at our shadow selves, how will we ever heal?
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Zeima Kassahun and I have been friends for a really long time - pretty much most of our lives. You wouldn't know it then, but we've somehow managed to not only stay best friends, but we've both ended up in environmental professions as adults.
Zeima works as a community planting manager for a non-profit organization in the Presidio of San Francisco called Friends of the Urban Forest or FUF. Friends of the Urban Forest has planted more than 60,000 trees, totaling almost half of the city’s street tree canopy. Their mission is to help individuals and neighborhood groups plant and care for street trees and sidewalk gardens in San Francisco in order to improve the city by beautifying neighborhoods, cleaning the air, and reducing polluted stormwater runoff.
FUF Community Planting Manager Zeima Kassahun
About every month, FUF employees gather with a consistent group of dedicated volunteers and host planting days, where after much coordination and planning, trees are planted in previously identified sidewalk spaces. I met Zeima at one of these plantings and got to follow her around as we discussed green gentrification, the need for more diversity in environmental professions and all the intricacies of her job.
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Have you ever been listening to the EOC podcast and thought, "My goodness, EOC is like butter in my ears"? And then a second thought quickly came across your mind, "Good grief, I need to tell them this"? Now you can! In fact, we wish you would! Let the floodgates open to breaking down the wall between all of us. Send us your thoughts to info@wildlensinc.org and we might air your voice on the show! Not sure how? No sweat. This minisode will tell you exactly how. Because, you're important, and you've got amazing ideas. Share them with the rest of the class! Because your call is very important to us.
Sounds from Freesound.org and Music by Komiku from Freemusicarchive.org all via Creative Commons Licensing.
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Today’s episode is all about goat grazing. Not only are goats absolutely adorable, they also reduce fire hazard, support native plant growth and soil health, and their poop is an amazing aid in carbon sequestration. Here in San Francisco, if you think you have a growing fire hazard in your backyard, an organization called City Grazing will bring a herd of goats to you, to chomp away at the invasive blackberry bushes and ivy that could fuel the fire. City Grazing’s executive director Genevieve Church speaks with producer Kristin Tieche on Mount Sutro, an open space preserve on a hillside next to University of California San Francisco (otherwise known as UCSF), where years of extreme drought have created a real fire hazard. The goats have been hired to munch away at the ground cover that could fuel a wildfire and endanger nearby residents.
Check out their website at citygrazing.org
From City Grazing’s website: “City Grazing is a San Francisco-based goat landscaping non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable land management and fire risk reduction through outreach, education, and implementation of goat grazing. An environmentally beneficial solution to weed control, we rent out goats to clear public and private land. Whether you have an acre or an overgrown backyard, our goats would be eager to eat your weeds and aid in fire prevention naturally. When they are not out on the job our herd lives on pasture in San Francisco’s Bayview district between the SF Bay Railroad and Bay Natives Nursery.”
Produced and created by Kristin Tieche. Edited by Gregory Haddock. All music used in today’s show is by Ketsa and the Free Music Archive via Creative Commons Licensing.
If you haven’t made a pledge to our Patreon page, yet, I encourage you to do so. Producing this content takes a lot of time and hard work. And to do it on a regular basis, we need regular support. So please head over to Patreon.com/WildLensCollective and choose a pledge level. Your support will help us take this podcast to new heights. Thank you.
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For one week each year the tiny island of St. Paul holds its annual Bering Sea Days. It’s a celebration of the local biology and ecology, and a week of experimental learning and activities for the k-12 students on the island. Scientists from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and Regional Office come to the region known as the Pribilof Islands. The program, developed by the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Tribal Government and St. Paul School, opens up kids to learning about one of the most magical biological regions on Earth – their own backyard.
Please support the Eyes on Conservation podcast! Visit: https://www.patreon.com/WildLensCollective
http://wildlensinc.org/eoc-single/bering-sea-days/
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This September, the United Nation’s annual Climate Action Summit met, and as usual, the chance to make real, lasting inter-governmental response to climate change came – and went.
In response, youth are hitting the streets, following the lead of young people like Sweden’s Greta Thunberg, and promising to strike every Friday until Green New Deal demands are met. The fury and passion are self-evident. The frustration and anger are visceral. But, as the environmental rights movement, and its most consequential form in the wave of climate change enter yet another year, the question is: can the current strikers stand long enough against the odds?
Meet and hear the NOCO Climate Strike in Fort Collins, Colorado, as they open up about their demands and plans for local government and beyond.
Music by Lee Rosevere, Yung Kartz, Kool and the Gang, Ketsa, The Fosterettes, Rob Terrell, and Buildings from www.archive.org, www.freemusicarchive.org, and www.youtube.com via Creative Commons and Fair Use Licensing.
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EOC's guest on this installation of the Eyes on Conservation podcast has not only seen the profit-driven side of death, but was able to break free of something she saw as misleading, opportunistic, and ultimately serving the needs of neither the mourners, nor the deceased. Elizabeth Fournier is the owner and Funeral Director of Cornerstone Funeral Services, an institution dedicated to reducing the unnecessary costs of funeral services, restoring monetary and economical justice to clients, the deceased, and planet Earth, by offering the greenest practices possible when laying loved ones to rest. Her paradoxically radical and refreshingly simple methods have led her closest family and friends to dub her, The Green Reaper.
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Ted Howard is the chairman of the Shoshone-Paiute tribe. These tribes once freely occupied the land in the tri-state area of what is now Idaho, Nevada and Oregon, and Ted Howard, who was the cultural resources director for the tribal government before becoming the chairman, is steeped in this history.
This interview was recorded as a part of an oral history series on the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA. This series, called Dedication Point, was produced by the Birds of Prey NCA Partnership, with support from the Bureau of Land Management and the Archives of Falconry. While many of the interviews recorded for this series are focused on the very recent history of the Snake River canyon region, this interview with Ted Howard takes us back to the earliest interactions that humanity had with this landscape, and also provides crucial insight into issues over land ownership in Southwest Idaho and throughout the West.
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Today’s guest is a filmmaker working to document the complex situation unfolding in Denali National Park surrounding the management of this area’s wolf population. Ramey Newell is the documentary filmmaker behind the new film “A Good Wolf”.
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Can you count to 1 trillion? Sure, it sounds like an overwhelming number, but according to Plant for the Planet and the Crowther Lab, we already have 3 trillion. So 1 trillion more should be a breeze, right? Right? Sagar Aryal, global chairman for Plant for the Planet, and EOC producer, Gregory Haddock visit about what it means to plant 1 trillion trees across the globe. Please consider making a donation to EOC on our Patreon campaign at patreon.com/wildlenscollective. Your contribution makes shows like this possible. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Julia Barnes is the young filmmaker behind the award-winning feature documentary Sea of Life. Julia has been working on a new film project for the past two years, and she just launched a crowdfunding campaign – which means you can become a part of this new film, called Bright Green Lies. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Crima Pogge is a professor of Biology and Ecology at City College of San Francisco. In this episode, Kristin Tieche lets you be a student again, as she takes you along on her class with Crima: Ecology of the Mendocino Coast. You’ll visit a harbor seal rookery, a dune ecosystem, and a redwood forest. In 2016, San Francisco voters made City College of San Francisco free for residents, providing life-long learners an opportunity to continue their education with zero financial risk. Crima describes the civic value of the ecology classes she teaches for San Franciscans, and their accessibility to all types of learners. Also interviewed is Kristin’s classmate Hilda Ngan, who teaches us about red abalone. Learn more about Crima Pogge here: https://sites.google.com/a/mail.ccsf.edu/aboutcrima/ Learn more about City College of San Francisco here: https://www.ccsf.edu/ Closing music: Orange+Blue by Chris Collins. Support Eyes on Conservation by become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/WildLensCollective Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Welcome to Northern Colorado. Ehret Nottingham loves Colorado. He loves the wilderness, and he wants everybody to have a piece of it. He's also one incredibly driven 18 year old. Ehret, with the help of some gifted, talented, and passionate friends organized and launched Northern Colorado's Youth Climate Strike, and offshoot of the international group, Youth Climate Strike. In this episode, Ehret walks us through Library Park where his march took place, he talks about what drives him, and shares what inspires him to take action when it comes to one of the biggest challenges facing mankind today. Show music by the Humidors with additional music by Lee Rosevere and Blue Dot Sessions. For more information check out EOC producer, Kristin Tieche's episode #176 "Youth Climate Strike!" Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Larry Larocco spent his political career working on public lands issues in the Western US. He began his career working for Senator Frank Church and played a key role in the establishment of the River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho. As a congressman he introduced the legislation that created the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA, an area just south of Boise, ID that is home to the highest nesting densities of birds of prey anywhere in North America. Few political leaders have had such an outsized influence on the current makeup of our public lands system, and it was an honor to speak with Congressman Larocco about his unique political career. This interview was recorded for an oral history project focused on the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA. This oral history series was produced by the Birds of Prey NCA Partnership, a friends group for this NCA, working in close collaboration with the BLM, the Peregrine Fund’s Archives of Falconry, and the Wild Lens Collective. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Podcast producer Kristin Tieche was at the California Youth Climate Strike on March 15th, documenting this growing youth movement in support of the Green New Deal and immediate action to solve our climate crisis. To learn more check out Youth vs. Apocalypse: http://youthvsapocalypse.org/ Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today, Sarinah Simons brings you interviews from the front lines of the 2019 Film Festival. After wandering the streets of Park City, Utah and seeing more films in five days than she would in an entire year, Sarinah interviews the filmmakers and creators behind some of her favorite films seen at the festival. This included the films Anthropocene: The Human Epoch co-directed by Jennifer Baichwal, Edward Burtynsky and Nicholas de Pencier, Honeyland co-directed by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubo Stefanov and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind directed by and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor. Learn what inspired the filmmakers and what motivates the meaning behind the art. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Kristin Tieche explores issues of accessibility at the festival and analyzes it's role in spreading awareness of social, racial and environmental justice issues. This episode features: Cassandra Begay of PANDOS https://www.pandos.org/ Maikiko James of Women in Film https://womeninfilm.org/ Poonam Basu & Esther Mira of Team Rebelution https://www.facebook.com/teamrebelutionfilms/ Tamara Kotevska & Ljubo Stefanov, directors of Honeyland https://www.facebook.com/honeyland.earth/ Juan Pablo Polanco & César Alejandro Jaimes, directors of Lapü https://www.facebook.com/lapudocumentary/ Dan Madison Savage, director of Them That Follow http://www.sundance.org/projects/them-that-follow Gabe Dominguez, bandleader of SHAKE YOUR PEACE! https://shakeyourpeace.bandcamp.com/ Jo Cruz and Teao Sense of Audio Pharmacy https://www.audiopharmacy.com/ Ben Dupris, director of Sweetheart Dancers https://www.instagram.com/sweetheartdancers2019/ Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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EOC podcast contributor Emma Tyrell interviewed representatives from indigenous communities all around the globe for this special episode of the show. Climate change affects every community in a different way, and the variety of perspectives presented here show the scope of issues that indigenous communities are already facing. These interviews also show the resiliency of indigenous communities, discussing how traditional knowledge can help communities adapt for the change that is coming. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Environmentalism and its sister message of conservation have echoed throughout the ages. The love, fascination, and sublime fear of nature have been as much a part of humankind as any book or historical document can recall. But, it doesn’t mean that we’ve always understood our duty to it, or even been able to comprehend our capacity to permanently change it. In fact, despite our affinity to the outdoors, our respect of Mother Earth has often come second to our ability to dominate it. "A Sense of Wonder" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isoJxPZH1LQ (Here, writer and actress Kaiulani Lee portrays Rachel Carson in the biographical play, “A Sense of Wonder”. The play has been touring the world for nearly a quarter of a century.) RACHEL CARSON SILENT SPRING https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3jAQBqb38 (Taken from American Experience on PBS) 6th Great Mass Extinction https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=cmb5hn2X2ok (From video, produced of Stanford Biology Professor, Paul Ehrlich. Credit: Rob Jordan) What is Climate Change? https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/10/ipcc-report-climate-change-impacts-forests-emissions/ (From National Geographic, October, 2018) Greta Thurnberg, United Nations, Poland https://www.democracynow.org/2018/12/13/you_are_stealing_our_future_greta (15 year old Greta Thurnberg addresses the United Nations on taking effective action on Climate Change) This has been a production of the Eyes on Conservation podcast, brought to you by Wild Lens. To visit the show notes for this episode and to see a whole host of amazing stories and incredible adventures, start now at www.wildlensinc.org/eoc172. Show intro and outro music by the humidors. Show music by The Humidors. Additional music from Lobo Loco provided by the Freemusicarchive.org under Creative Commons licensing. For a full list of clips and show notes – head over to the website. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today we are going to learn about the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, a piece of legislation that the Trump administration is attempting to dismantle 100 years after it was passed. We are presenting for you in today's episode a presentation given by the Chief Network Officer of the National Audubon Society, David Ringer. David highlights the key role played by the Audubon Society in the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act 100 years ago, and discusses how Audubon is currently working to ensure that this and other important protections for birds and our environment are maintained. David gave this presentation back in November of 2018 as Audubon was winding down it’s celebration of the 100 year anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act - but this message remains equally critical now, at the start of the new year. While our current political situation can be downright depressing, it’s important to remember that we do have options for making our voices heard. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Kristy Oriol and Paul Bancroft recently co-authored an article on the surprising and unsettling link between climate change and violence against women and their words serve as some of the earliest discussions surrounding this important topic. Oriol and Bancroft work to provide victims of domestic and sexual violence and child abuse with safety, advocacy, support and education services through the non-profit, the Tahoe Safe Alliance. Learn how increasing knowledge of these connections could simultaneously work to dismantle rape culture and remedy the climate crisis. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Most endangered species are easy to see in peril. There simply aren’t very many of them, and we struggle to see them in the areas where they’re from. Others aren’t so clear. Take, for example, the black-tailed prairie dog. It seems like they’re everywhere, and yet, their numbers are some of the lowest they’ve every been. This isn’t just bad news for the prairie dog. It’s bad news for animals like the black footed ferret, and a whole host of other animals who either feed on prairie dogs or rely on their burrows for shelter. Meet Deanna Meyer, the Executive Director of Prairie Protection Colorado, the group working to relocate prairie dogs from certain eradication in places like the City of Castle Rock’s Promenade Shopping Mall in Colorado. While only a fraction of these animals were able to be saved by Deanna and her team, the ones that did make it to the relocation area just outside of Sedalia have no idea how lucky they are. And maybe we don't either. Find out more about Deanna and the whole team of Prairie Protection Colorado at prairieprotectioncolorado.org and prairieprotectioncolorado@gmail.com. Show music by The Humidors. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions via Creative Commons Licensing. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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On today’s episode of the show, we are taking you to Sun Valley Idaho where we’ll sit in on a panel discussion featuring the voices of both local and global innovators on the topic of resiliency, innovation and opportunity in the face of climate change. Aimee Christensen is the executive director of Sun Valley Institute for Resilience and lead’s today’s panel discussion. The theme of the discussion revolves around turning risks into opportunities and how economics, policy and natural resources fair in the face of climate change. With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently releasing their special report on the effects of a 1.5 degree global temperature increase, and the very real and very urgent implications of those findings, these discussions on mitigating and adjusting our approaches to climate change in these dire times is more timely than ever. To learn more information about Sun Valley Institute or about the Sun Valley Forum on Resilience, visit: sunvalleyinstitute.org. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Bill Ulfelder is the New York Executive Director for the Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy is known throughout the world for purchasing, managing and conserving land to protect and improve wildlife habitat, but in recent decades the focus of the organization has shifted towards finding solutions to the big environmental challenges of our time. No challenge is bigger than that posed by climate change, and Bill sat down with EOC contributor Emma Tyrell to discuss how the Nature Conservancy is approaching this enormous challenge in light of the recently released report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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When it comes to fracking regulations on the ballot, there are likely fewer places more concerned than Weld county, Colorado, where I live. Weld county has a lot invested in the outcome, because nearly 12% of its workers are somehow either directly or indirectly tied to its production. Proposition 112 made it on the ballot because for many the debate over how safe this process actually is and how dangerous the wastewater byproduct can be has not been adequately dealt with. While the fight for Proposition 112 in 2018 ended in defeat for organizers, supporters treat the loss like another major milestone in the path to victory. So what would the legislation actually do? Proposed guidelines set by Proposition 112 would create a “setback” for all new oil and gas development a minimum of 2500 feet away from any “vulnerable” area such as homes, hospitals, schools, and highly trafficked or used areas by people. This would include public open spaces, water sources, or playgrounds. Any other areas deemed vulnerable by state or local governments would be added to the list. It would not affect any new oil and gas projects on federal land, and existing projects would be exempt. However, re-entering old wells would be considered new development and would therefore be subject to the new laws. Current restrictions demand wells be 1,000 feet away from high-occupancy buildings: schools, hospitals, and the like. 500 feet away from occupied buildings like homes, and only 350 feet away from playgrounds. I followed Anne Lee Foster, ballot initiative proponent and CO Rising volunteer, from the “yes” campaign’s office to election night to find out what this means for the future of oil and gas in Colorado. Show music by the Humidors. Additional music by Gillicuddy and Scott Holmes via the Free Music Archive through Creative Commons Licensing, and 112 through Fair Use. https://corising.org/ https://www.facebook.com/ColoradoRising/ Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today, we're taking you to a remote island off the coast of Alaska, just above the Aleutian Islands and not too far from Russia. Among the bellows of the fur seals and windswept sea cliffs of St. Paul Island, Aquilina Lestenkof, an indigenous Unangan woman and pioneer for her community in revitalizing the Unangan language, is teaching a new generation of youth about where their people have come from, and how far they still have to go in order to protect what she calls the "ingredients" that make up her community and culture. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Earlier this year, I got an email from a listener that stood out. It read, Listening to your podcast in college help me realize I wanted to get into filmmaking rather than field biology because I agree SO much with your viewpoints and the reasons you got into wildlife filmmaking. Holy shit! I thought. We had altered the course of someone’s life with this podcast! His name is Zach Steinhauser, and he had already begun working on his first film by the time he reached out with that email. I responded right away to set up a conversation - there was a sense of responsibility that I had never felt before - I wanted to help ensure that Zach’s project was successful. Now I’ve fielded many calls like this from aspiring filmmakers, but this one was different, and not just because Zach was crediting this podcast as his inspiration. Zach reached out at a time when we were re-assessing the strategic plan for our organization, Wild Lens. You may have heard about this on the episode we released a few months back - episode 153. In a nutshell - we had decided to re-structure the organization as a collective, and to place a heavier focus on creating a network of collaboration and support for people working at the intersection of conservation and media arts. Zach was exactly the type of person we wanted to help - so I asked if I could record our conversation for an episode of the show. Zach's film is about a topic if particular interest to me - purple martin conservation. Purple martins are cavity nesters, like the subjects of my film Bluebird Man, but unlike bluebirds they are completely reliant on man made nesting boxes for their survival throughout most of their range. Zach seeks to explore this relationship between humans and the purple martin in his new film, Purple Haze. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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“She was looking for another member of her own kind, and there was never a response.” Meet Mike Phillips, co-founder and Executive Director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund and co-founder and adviser to the Turner Biodiversity Division. Mike knows wolves. His work with them began in the 80s where his big break coordinating the Red Wolf Recovery Program. In 1994 he became Project Leader for Yellowstone’s Gray Wolf Restoration. Mike is also an adviser to the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project. Oh, and he’s a Montana State Senator While Mike’s experience is rich and impressive, his way of speaking is humble and accessible. Listen to hear how Mike Phillips defines success and appeals to our better senses to embrace our inner ecological senses. Learn more about the work Mike and his colleagues are doing to save endangered species at www.tesf.org and visit the website www.rockymountainwolfproject.org. You can email Mike at Mike.Phillips@tedturner.com. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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The chambered nautilus is the only living descendant of a group of ocean creatures that thrived in the seas 500 million years ago when the earth’s continents were still forming. Older than the dinosaurs, these deep sea dwellers are often referred to as the oldest living fossils. But, after withstanding countless challenges, they are being sought after for their beauty and dwindling toward extinction. A young activist and several curious scientists traveled to Fiji recently on an expedition to learn more about this ancient animal and how to save it. Gianna Savoie traveled with them to capture some of the story of this threatened ancient animal and the work being done to rescue it. I spoke with this filmmaker and founder of Ocean Media Institute, a non-profit conservation organization based in Bozeman, MT, to learn more about their adventure and her work as a science storyteller on behalf of the ocean. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today on the show we are going to learn about how one city is taking responsibility for the trash that it produces, and setting a global example for how to stop plastic waste from entering our oceans. That city is Baltimore, and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to chat with one of the key figures behind Baltimore’s campaign to clean up their waterways - Adam Lindquist. Adam works for the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore where he serves as the director of the Healthy Harbor Initiative. Listen in to the episode to learn how Adam and others are using Mr. Trash Wheel, and a variety of other initiatives to clean up Baltimore's harbor and improve the lives of those who live in the city. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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On today’s episode of the show, I interview a woman who has inspired me and many people like me to embrace themselves in outdoor spaces and find community even when its not always easy. Her name is Rue Mapp, and she is the CEO and founder of Outdoor Afro, a not-for-profit organization founded in Oakland, California that is at the forefront of celebrating and inspiring African American connections in nature. Outdoor Afro represents a network across 30 states, challenging and changing representation in the outdoors and connecting thousands of people to outdoor experiences. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Last week I took a trip. In the Rocky Mountains, Northwest of Fort Collins, Colorado, just past Bellvue. I wasn’t very equipped. Welcome to Eyes on Conservation. I’m Gregory Haddock. Today you will hear part 1 of a 2-part series on protecting and conserving wolves and their legacy in the Rocky Mountains. W.O.L.F Sanctuary is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public and rescuing as many of the large number of wolves and wolf-dogs raised in captivity. These animals were saved from a larger pool of exotic animals in the United States - either given up or euthanized. Michelle Proulx has worked with the W.O.L.F. (Wolves Offered Life and Friendship) Sanctuary most of her adult life. Other than being a hero to animals that would otherwise be headed for much tragic endings, Michelle and the others at the sanctuary consider themselves first and foremost educators. For more information on Michelle and the work she and the rest of the team at W.O.L.F. Sanctuary are doing – you can check out their website and great resources at www.wolfsanctuary.net. You can find out more about the show on the show note’s page at Wildlensinc.org/eoc159. Stay tuned for part II of this story when I speak with Mike Phillips, Director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund, former Field Coordinator for the Red Wolf Recovery Program and former Project Leader of Greater Yellowstone’s gray wolf restoration project. Show music is brought to you by The Humidors. If you liked today’s episode, please consider checking out The Majority Villain Podcast – a podcast I host and produce – dedicated to democratizing the planet politically and ecologically. Thanks for listening today to Eyes on Conservation. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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For her feature-length film, Sea of Life, the ever-talented Julia Barnes interviewed scientists and activists working to save the ocean and shared an interview with Callum Roberts with Eyes on Conservation. Callum is a marine conservationist, oceanographer, author and researcher based at York University. Julia spoke with Callum about human impacts on the ocean, going back through the history of fishing and looking towards the future of ocean conservation. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s episode is about drones. I spoke with the founders of an organization called Oceans Unmanned about how they are using drones to assist in conducting biological research, as well as how they are working to reduce wildlife disturbance from drones. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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To have or not to have children, that is a most vexing question and one I wrestled with personally during my 30s. A career in conservation and, in particular, being steeped in issues of climate change, firmly planted me on the fence on the issue. After all, how could I bring a life into this doomed world? At the same time, I witnessed nature’s resilience first-hand, opening the possibility of hope for the future, so maybe a new life could thrive and contribute to making the world an even better place. Then I hit 40 and was quietly relieved that nature had made the decision for me and that answer was: “No.” That is until it wasn’t anymore. I have no idea what changed, but suddenly my husband and I were expecting. And my world flipped. Matt Podolsky and I chatted about this flip and the curious business of having and raising a conscientious child that makes a positive contribution to the world and how finding answers to these questions lead to the idea for a new podcast. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today we are welcoming back our guest from episode 92 of the show - Nate Dappen. Nate is a filmmaker focused on telling stories about science and conservation, and he has a new film, just released this week, called “the Passage”. The Passage is a bit of a departure from Nate’s typical storytelling style - it’s a deeply personal story focused on the importance of family and explores what it’s like for him to watch his parents age. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Summer is often cited as a favorite season, what with long days and favorable weather for outdoor adventures. Living in Montana, however, Summer has gotten shortened by a new, worrisome season: Fire. Months of smoke-filled skies, waking up to a layer of particulate matter covering everything and a worry that seeps into every cell of my being makes it easily my least favorite time of the year. When the impacts of climate change are at my doorstep, the need to get nature on a better trajectory becomes urgent. Rather than utilizing great scientific minds to argue over whether what we all are experiencing in increasingly devastating examples is indeed reality, I have long been a proponent of developing solutions to strengthen ecosystems. This starts with scientists, land managers and advocates working together. I spoke with Jeff Burrell, the recently retired Northern Rockies Program Director for the Wildlife Conservation Society, about the role of science in the long-term preservation of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in light of climate change. He beautifully articulates why using the best available science to choose how and where on-the-ground efforts are most effective has the greatest capacity to build climate change resilience at a landscape-scale. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today, we take you for a tour of the inside of Wild Lens as the organization starts the difficult process of transforming, growing and differentiating. Following a weekend retreat with collaborators and contributors to the work of Wild Lens, I spoke with Matt Podolsky and Sean Bogle about this process, what it has looked like, how it feels and the circumstances leading up to their recognition for the organization’s need to undergo a metamorphosis. The music for today’s show was recorded live at the retreat and is the talented Greg Willis, who not only provided wisdom and insight that will inform this next iteration of Wild Lens, but contributes his art to the Wild Lens collective that is beginning to form and is mentioned throughout today’s show. Sean kicks this discussion off with an overview of how Wild Lens has grown. Have a listen! Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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If you’re like me, you are a total sucker for story. The kind that make me lean-in, as if my ears closer to the speaker could possibly offer more, is my favorite. I’ve come to learn that this is, in fact, a nearly universal human trait, emerging spontaneously in childhood, and existing in all cultures studied thus far. Humans have been telling stories for thousands of years, sharing them orally even before the invention of writing. They allow people to see patterns where there is chaos, meaning where there is randomness. Humans are inclined to see narratives where there are none because it can afford meaning to our lives—taking on a form of existential problem-solving. As Spring begins to hint of Summer and outdoor adventures start filling up my calendar, it feels like the season of storytelling; shared on the trail, around the campfire, over beers after some epic Type II fun. Amid all of it, I ache for ways to take more people with me to these places, to engage them in these experiences, to awaken a passion in them for the preservation and protection of nature. When Matt Podolsky interviewed Fitz Cahall, well-known outdoor adventure storyteller, I left the show filled with inspiration on doing just this. In honor of this seasonal transition, I wanted to re-broadcast this show on the off-chance it may prove equally inspirational for others. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Over the past decade, carbon offsetting has become increasingly popular, but it has also become increasingly controversial. While some argue that carbon offset programs allow people to feel absolved of their carbon consuming sins without genuinely changing behaviors, which may very well be true in some instances, we here at the Eyes on Conservation Podcast as part of the larger Wild Lens crew all work to be active participants in a sustainable future. As all of us at Wild Lens prepare to gather from all across the country to discuss the future direction of the organization, we will be participating in a carbon offset program to make this a more sustainable venture. But, as we began researching the options, it was difficult to figure out which programs were genuinely effective. That is, until we discovered ECO2. ECO2 works in Kenya and offers carbon offsets that pay for several programs, including locally produced efficient stoves that reduce wood consumption and help to preserve the unique vegetation and biodiversity of the Kakamega rainforest. These stoves have a cleaner burning process, decreasing indoor air pollution and associated acute respiratory infections in women and children. Moreover, savings in burning unsustainably harvested fuel wood cuts down CO2 emissions. Matt Podolsky spoke with Anton Espira, a founder and principle of ECO2 and Solibrium, that has been overseeing this inspiring project that Wild Lens is excited to contribute to. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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As many know, the March for Science is a grassroots, all volunteer-organized event, celebrating science across the nation and it serves as a call to support and safeguard the scientific community. Recent policy suggestions and changes have caused heightened worry among scientists, and the incredible and immediate outpouring of support has made clear that these concerns are also shared by countless people around the world. If you missed one of these recent events near you, but were curious what it’s all about, the fabulous folks from the Majority Villain podcast attended the March for Science-Denver and shared their episode with us to bring to listeners of Eyes on Conservation. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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When he launched Conservation International in 1987, Peter Seligmann recognized that the conservation movement had yet to genuinely consider people as an integral part of ecosystems. Along with his team their thinking was on jobs and health and the health of a family, the health of the community and how these are all impacted by the conservation of nature. This seemingly intuitive approach was novel, innovative. They went further to generate science and ideas that were pragmatic, applicable and inclusive and utilizing this to guide decision making. Through hard work, passion, compassion and an openness to learning from mistakes, a strong, highly accomplished organization flourished and continues to today. After 30 years as the CEO, he recently stepped down from that role and handed the reins to a new generation of leaders, remaining on as chairman and exploring new endeavors. Producer Matt Podolsky spoke with Peter about his story, the challenges of being an innovative leader and the phenomenal work of CI during his tenure and moving forward. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Hurricane Maria was the worst storm to hit Puerto Rico in over 80 years, arriving only two weeks after Hurricane Irma passed just north of the island. The effects of these storms on Puerto Rican families — and the island’s infrastructure — will take many years to heal. The effect on the wildlife inhabiting this island was also, not surprisingly, equally devastated. When the Peregrine Fund’s team of biologists surveyed the population of Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawks in 2017, they found 75 birds comprising 16 breeding pairs in four locations on the island. Following hurricanes Irma and Maria, the population was down to just 19 individual birds. Nearly 75 percent of the subspecies was lost. Matt Podolsky sat down with Russel Thurstrom at the Peregrine Fund to learn more about this discovery and the actions being taken to prevent this species from blinking out. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Making a documentary involves learning a lot of information and then condensing it into a very short format. For Sea of Life Julia Barnes, filmmaker and ocean activist, interviewed over 50 experts and only about 20 of them were featured in the movie; sometimes only for a few minutes. With a depth of information sitting on her hard drives, today she shares with listeners some never before heard clips from an interview with Tom Campbell. Tom Campbell is an underwater filmmaker who has witnessed big changes in the ocean over his lifetime. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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At 16 years old, Julia Barnes learned that the world's coral reefs, rainforests and fisheries are expected to disappear within her lifetime. For her, action became a necessity and the journey to make a feature-length film to inspire and engage others in these issues began. She bought a couple of cameras, learned to dive, and set out on a mission to expose the biggest threats facing the ocean. After 3 years of exploration of these issues, she released Sea of Life: an extraordinarily beautiful film with a powerful message. I spoke with Julia about the ideas behind her work and discovered an awe-inspiring person with passion and grit fighting for the living world. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Technical outdoor gear can make all the difference in the world when you are traveling in wild places and enduring whatever weather nature tosses out. But, the trade-off is too often, ironically, a negative environmental impact with an excess of non-biodegradable pieces sitting in the land-fill. The outdoor apparel industry, with their history of championing environmental conservation efforts can serve as an industry leader in creating truly sustainable products. As consumers, we can do our part by prolonging the life of our trusty technical garments and repair these rather than replace them. Colleen Tretter, also known as The Green Darner, does just this for the environmentally conscious outdoor junkies of Bozeman, Montana. I stopped into the shop and spoke with Colleen about how she got her start and any ethical shifts she’s seeing in consumer and brand behavior. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Greg Luther is an avid hunter, living in Montana. As a sportsmen and a gun owner, he supports stricter gun control. In a recent op-ed piece published in High Country News, Luther stated: We hunters pride ourselves on self-sufficiency, so let’s work from the ground up. That means looking at the facts, talking about it around the campfire, voting for candidates that aren’t in the NRA’s pocket, and donating dollars to organizations that help protect the things that actually are under threat — like our public lands. Matt Podolsky caught up with Greg Luther to discuss the inspiration behind this powerful piece. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Matt podolsky and Sean Bogle are down in San Felipe filming another installment of the Vaquita story. They take you to the marina, sharing a snippet of the scene at the and provide updates on the project. We'll add updates to the diary as they become available, so stay tuned for more installments. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Hunters have historically been leading conservation efforts, going back to Teddy Roosevelt, who was himself an avid hunter and huge proponent of the protection of wildlife and wildlife habitat. This merger of hunting and conservation persists today. Matt Podolsky spoke with Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Chief Conservation Officer Blake Henning about the organizations efforts to maintain the North American Wildlife Conservation Model, recognizing that fish and wildlife belong to all Americans, and that they need to be managed in a way such that their populations will be sustained in perpetuity. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Matt Podolsky and Sean Bogle are down in Mexico filming another installment of the Vaquita story and want to take listeners with them to hear what's happening in San Felipe in real time. And, a lot is happening. In this first entry, Matt and Sean tell you more about what they anticipate is in store for this adventure. We'll add updates to the diary as they become available, so stay tuned for more installments. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Lily Raff McCaulou was raised on the East coast as an environmentalist and an animal lover. Although she was a meat-eater, she’d grown up learning that harming animals was wrong. After moving to central Oregon for a reporting job in her early twenties, she began spending weekends fly-fishing and weekdays interviewing hunters for articles and realizing her perception of hunters wasn’t accurate. She met many whose connection to animals and the environment ran deeper than even her own. So, she embarked on a journey learning to hunt and through it she discovered a fascinating and firsthand way to learn about wildlife and the ecosystem in which she lived while bringing home healthy food for her family. As a hunter and a gun owner using guns for an activity she loves, however, she is deeply concerned about the epidemic of gun violence in our country. Matt Podolsky spoke with Lilly about her journey and perspective as a hunter on responsible gun ownership. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today, we pause for a moment, to talk directly to you, our listeners. Matt podolsky and I are working on developing new shows and new show ideas and these discussions always find their way back to one very basic, but crucially important question: “What do listeners want?” Rather than continue talking among ourselves, we wanted to include you in on these discussions, fill you in on our thinking about the show and figure out ways to connect better with you and to connect our listeners with one another. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Although other states have proposed removing controversial topics, such as climate change, from their state science standards, Idaho is the only state in the country whose legislature has actually voted in favor of such an action. The debate over what kids in Idaho should be taught has been going on for 3 years now and will likely come to a head this week as the Idaho Senate Education Committee is set to make a final decision. Matt Podolsky spoke with Rialin Flores, from Conservation Voters for Idaho, to get a detailed picture of this issue and to learn how she has been fighting to keep climate science in the science standards in Idaho. Following this interview, we include a sample of the public testimony provided last week at the Idaho Senate Education Committee hearing, all of which encourages Senators to vote in favor of keeping climate science in the science standards. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Valentine’s Day. A day where we celebrate love in all its many forms. In keeping with the holiday's theme of romantic love and the art of courtship, complete with candy hearts and flying babies slinging arrows, we take a moment to celebrate a slightly different version of this same story. After all, much of the brilliant beauty in nature exists because attracting another is a critical component to a species survival. It’s the reason birds sing, flowers bloom and, as Matt Podolsky explains, California Condors dance. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guest is river explorer and conservationist Mike Fiebig, who is the Associate Director of the Northern Rockies Office of American Rivers. The lines of Mike’s personal and professional passion for wild rivers and wild places have blurred and he is about to embark on an adventure in advocacy. He and his wife Jenny are taking a human-powered, source-to-sea river trip on the Green and Colorado, from the crest of the Wind River Range (from the Mammoth Glacier) in WY to the Gulf of California in Mexico. Along the way, they will collect stories of the importance of this river to the people they meet in route. I sat down with Mike to discuss the inspiration behind this bold undertaking. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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On today's episode we discuss a truly unique swath of public land - the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. This jewel of the National Conservation Lands system is just south of Boise, and this year it’s celebrating 25 years since it’s designation. We talked with two individuals who are playing crucial roles in the continued management and conservation of the NCA, Amanda Hoffman is the NCA manager for the BLM, and Steve Alsup is the president of the Birds of Prey NCA Partnership. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Amy Martin is the Founder and Producer of Threshold, one of the most binge-worthy podcasts of 2017. In its first season, listeners were taken to the intersection of nature and humanity on the complex issue of re-wilding bison in the West, diving in deep and revealing the issue in entirely new ways. With Season 2 in the works, EOC producer Matt Podolsky, caught up with Amy to discuss the inspiration behind this captivating show. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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We have covered the events of Standing Rock in many ways, interviewing filmmakers, historians rally marchers, and water protectors on the front lines. But today you will hear from a woman who’s music has cemented a moment in history and created a reverberation of action on a global scale. Raye Zaragoza is a young, multi-talented activist at the forefront of the movement for indigenous rights and environmental justice. Her music has redefined the “protest song” and sparked meaningful dialogue around empathy for the earth as well as empathy for each other. Raye’s music has been featured on various outlets like Daytrotter, Jam in the Van, Indian Country Media Network, and most recently by Cyndi Lauper on Spotify. In this episode you will hear clips from some of my favorite tracks as well as Raye’s words on the ties between culture and land, and finding strength in womanhood through the power of song. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today, our host Matt Podolsky interviews CEO and founder of ReAgency Science Communication, Jayde Lovell. Jayde and her team host the YouTube series, SciQ, where they try and bridge the gap between difficult science and the public by making their content engaging, informative and relatable. Their belief in spreading scientific literacy has led them to a partnership with The Young Turks Network and placed their platform on a wider scope covering politics and hot-button scientific issues. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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This week’s guest is Laird Lucas, the executive director for Advocates for the West, a non-profit environmental law firm that has dedicated itself to protecting our most valuable and vulnerable natural resource: Mother Nature. Their team is a roaring voice and strong ally in the environmental movement, and their strides in land and wildlife protections across the country and beyond, have paved the way for improved laws and legislation in favor of conservation efforts. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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So I’m guessing that folks have started to notice that we’ve been lagging behind on our typical weekly release schedule with the show. We are going through a bit of a transition period with the show, and with Wild Lens as a whole - in fact one facet of this transition will be discussed in detail on today’s episode. But regarding the podcast - I just want to assure you that we aren’t going anywhere - we are planning lots of exciting interviews for the coming months and will be back to our weekly schedule very soon. Now we had to make the vaquita the focus of this episode because I am about to embark upon what could be the most dramatic shoot of my career. In less than 2 weeks the vaquita capture effort will begin, and our Wild Lens crew will be there to capture whatever happens. As if the capture effort itself wasn’t exciting enough, we also have an exciting update to share about our film project itself. This will be discussed in detail on today's episode of the show - but just to give you a teaser - we have partnered with several other large production companies to produce the feature length version of our film. We’re super excited about this collaboration and everything that it means for both vaquita awareness generally and Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Katelyn Spradley and Kat Cannell recently undertook a fascinating journey - all in the name of protecting endangered salmon. These two women tracked the path of salmon migration on horseback, traveling from the Pacific coast all the way to the remote mountains of central Idaho. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guest, Marcus Eriksen, founded an organization tasked with addressing the many pervasive threats that plastics pose to wildlife and ecosystems all around the globe. The issue of plastic pollution in our oceans has been getting more and more attention recently, and the 5 Gyres Institute has been at the forefront of this movement for almost a decade. This unique organization was launched back in 2008 with a research voyage across the Pacific Ocean, which was conducted on a small raft made with over 15,000 plastic bottles and a variety of other re-purposed plastic materials. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today we are discussing a truly unique and fascinating project that has been implemented in Scotland, called Project Wolf. Now despite the title, this is not an actual wolf re-introduction project. Although the organization managing the project, Trees for Life, is interested in eventually re-introducing wolves in Scotland, they recognize this to be a long-term goal. So in the meantime, they have organized human wolf packs. These are small groups of people tasked with wandering through the Scottish landscape replicating certain aspects of wolf behavior. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Many of our listeners are likely aware that this past Saturday was International Save the Vaquita Day, and we spent a lot of time putting together a very special city-wide event here in Boise, ID where I reside. Our partners for this event included the Mexican Consulate Office here in Boise, the Discovery Center of Idaho, JUMP Boise, the Aquarium of Boise, and local Mexican restaurant El Gallo Giro. We held screenings of our film, Souls of the Vermilion Sea, gave presentations about the vaquita, and held a vaquita march. The vaquita march was perhaps the highest profile component of this city-wide International Save the Vaquita Day event - we had 22 hand painted and creatively designed vaquita banners to represent the approximate number of vaquitas remaining on the planet. We met at the Idaho State capital building, and marched down 8th street in downtown Boise. On Saturdays 8th street hosts the Boise farmer’s market and is open only the pedestrian traffic, so it was an ideal route for our march. We turned a lot of eyes as this strange procession of vaquita advocates marched through the crowded open air market, and hopefully got some people thinking about endangered species conservation. Of course, we weren’t the only ones hosting events for International Save the Vaquita Day this year. There were events taking place across three continents, including several events in China and numerous events in Mexico. This was the 5th annual International Save the Vaquita day, and it was Aidan Bodeo-Lomicky, who actually played a central role in the creation of this annual event back in 2013, which is why we’ve decided to re-broadcast the interview that we recorded with him over a year ago for episode 44 of the show. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Already this summer we have experienced record-breaking heat waves. As I prepare this episode for release on our nation’s independence day, it’s over 100 degrees where I live in Boise, Idaho. Of course, every time I see news of record breaking temperatures I’m reminded of our rapidly changing climate - but these days I’m also reminded of something else. The solar panels that were recently installed on my roof. Long hot days mean that those panels are generating more energy - actually more than we can use often. So today we are bringing you a group discussion about rooftop solar. Here in Boise, ID, we have a fantastic campaign going on right now called Solarize the Valley. The campaign is run by the Boise-based non-profit organization Snake River Alliance, and it’s goal is to promote and encourage more people to install solar panels on their roof. So we are joined today by an excellent panel of guests who are involved in this campaign. Liz Paul is the main organizer of the Solarize the Valley Campaign for the Snake River Alliance, Micah Hornback is a technical sales representative with Altenergy, one of the two solar contractors involved in the solarize campaign, and Rick and Rinda Just are participants in the Solarize the Valley campaign who recently installed solar panels on their house. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today we are digging into our interview archives to explore a particularly bizarre and fascinating question - how can an endangered species recovery program assist in solving a missing-persons case? The interviews that you’ll be hearing in today’s episode were recorded during production for my first film, Scavenger Hunt, an hour long documentary about California condor recovery and the issue of lead poisoning from spent ammunition. In addition to former condor recovery program field manager Eddie Feltes, you’ll also be hearing from condor field biologist Sean Putz, as well as from myself. I spent 4 years working as a condor biologist, and recorded several self-interviews while working on this film project almost a decade ago. Now, most of the time when we discuss the benefits that saving an endangered species might have on human populations, we’re talking about the intrinsic beauty of an animal, or the biological role that animal plays in an ecosystem. Sometimes we might even delve into the topic of ecosystem services - what benefits does an ecosystem as a whole provide to human communities and how does this one species help that ecosystem thrive. But today, we’re talking about how California condors are able to directly assist law enforcement officers in the recovery of the bodies of people who go missing in Grand Canyon National Park. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guest on the show rode his bike over 2,000 miles from Canada to Mexico along the Pacific coast - carrying a trailer with a life-sized rhino behind him! Matt Meyer is a South African safari guide who was inspired to take action to help protect declining rhino populations - and just this past week he completed what he calls the Rhino Ride! Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guests on the show are working to empower local entrepreneurs and bring solar power to the Buffer Zone communities of Nepal. Moira Hanes is the co-founder and board chair of Empowered by Light, and Anya Cherneff is the co-founder and executive director of Empower Generation. These two organizations have come together to implement a project that will provide solar power to ranger stations within Chitwan National Park in Nepal. These rangers are on the front lines of protecting wildlife from poaching, which is serious problem in this unique National Park. But Empowered by Light and Empower Generation are doing so much more than just assisting park rangers in protecting wildlife - they are empowering local entrepreneurs, and demonstrating the ability of solar power technology to leapfrog fossil fuel infrastructure. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guest on the show is Monica Bond from the Wild Nature Institute. Monica was one of our first guests on the podcast - she was featured in episode 6 of the show. At that time we had recently completed two short films about the research and conservation work being conducted by the Wild Nature Institute in Tanzania - and we’ll get a quick update on these important conservation projects going on in East Africa before delving into the main topic of today’s conversation - the ecological importance of the hottest, most intense forest fires. In addition to today's podcast episode, we have just released a new short film, produced in partnership with the Wild Nature Institute on this topic of forest fire ecology and research, called A New Message for Smokey. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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In today’s show we are exploring and comparing the extinction crises experienced by two very different wildlife species - the California condor, and the vaquita. If you’ve been following the latest news about the vaquita, then you’ve probably already heard a number of comparisons between the situation faced by this small species of porpoise and that faced by the condor in the early 1980s. A lot of folks have been drawing this comparison between these two high profile endangered species issues - but how similar are the situations faced by these two animals really? Having spent six years of my life working very closely with the California condor recovery project - first as a biologist, then as a filmmaker and storyteller, I have been steeped in the natural history and the conservation history of this unique scavenging species. This is in part why I was so interested in getting involved in telling the story behind the vaquita - I saw it as an opportunity to document this species’ extinction crisis as it unfolds. So let’s start with the most obvious similarity that folks have been pointing to - the rate of decline and the low population numbers. The wild population of California condors dropped to 21 individuals in 1981. This is quite similar to the latest population estimate that we’ve gotten for the vaquita - 30 individuals as of fall 2016. Listen in to hear more about these two unique endangered species issues, including interview clips from prominent experts on both the condor and the vaquita. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today we are bringing you a very special episode from Eyes on Conservation correspondent Kristin Tieche. Some of you may recognize Kristin’s voice from the episode that we did on the March for Science - she was reporting from the San Francisco March for Science event in episode 119 of the show. As many of our listeners are likely aware, the following Saturday after the March for Science was another day of action - the People’s Climate March. Kristin didn't just participate in this march - she volunteered with Rock the Bike, an organization that creates pedal-powered events and activities. This is the story behind what Kristin experienced at the People's Climate March in Oakland, CA. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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We’re taking this week off, but thought we’d dig into our archives and re-visit one of our most popular episodes of the show - episode 53 about the occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. This interview with the conservation director of the Audubon Society of Portland, Bob Sallinger, was conducted back in January of 2016 while the occupation was still going on. Bob put the situation in context by providing some important historical background on the refuge, which was created back in 1908. Bob also told the fascinating story behind the establishment of a new set of management goals that were recently created for the refuge, and how local residents were included in this decision making process in an unprecedented way. It’s been over a year since the armed occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Since this episode aired we saw the dramatic conclusion to the standoff, as well as the acquittal of those who participated in the armed occupation. A new Frontline documentary, called American Patriot tells the story behind this armed occupation, as well as the larger movement behind the occupation. The film premiered on PBS just this week, and is available to stream online - follow the link below to check it out. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guest on the show is Zak Smith from the Natural Resources Defense Council. Zak is a Senior Attorney at NRDC, and has been running the group’s Marine Mammal Protection Project for the past 10 years. Through this work, he has become deeply involved in efforts to save the vaquita from extinction. If you’re wondering what a vaquita is - it’s a small species of porpoise found in the northern Gulf of California, and is considered to be the world’s most endangered marine mammal with fewer than 30 individuals remaining on the planet. If you’re a regular listener of the show - you’re likely very familiar with the vaquita issue since we’ve been covering it extensively here on the show for the past two years, and just released a 30-min documentary about the struggle to save it from extinction. The film, by the way, is called Souls of the Vermilion Sea, and is available for free online streaming if you click here. Zak’s most recent role in the fight to prevent the vaquita’s extinction has been the implementation of a boycott of Mexican shrimp. Although the vast majority of shrimp fishing that goes on in Mexican waters does not impact the vaquita (because it occurs outside the vaquita’s range), Zak hopes that this boycott will put pressure on the Mexican government to step up enforcement of the existing regulations that are designed to protect the vaquita - including the ban on the use of all gillnets in the region. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today on the podcast we are discussing a particularly interesting viral media story that I’m guessing a bunch of folks out there in the audience may have come across recently. Researchers Evan Buechley and Ethan Frehner recently published a scientific paper about an interesting and previously undocumented behavior of a very common species here in the North American West - the American badger. Evan and Ethan captured time-lapse footage showing a badger bury an entire cow carcass. Now not only did they publish a scientific paper about the discovery of this behavior of badgers, but they also released a clip of the timelapse video footage showing this badger bury the carcass over the course of several days. The video, and the entire story went viral. The original video clip uploaded to the University of Utah’s YouTube channel now has well over 1 million views, and the story has been covered by the New York Times, National Geographic, NPR, Science Magazine, USA Today - and countless other mainstream news outlets. So Evan and Ethan have been busy giving interviews and talking about a species that they didn’t even intend to be the subject of their research! Luckily for us - Evan is a close friend of mine - we worked together as California condor field biologists 10 years ago, and Evan actually joined us for an early episode of the EOC podcast - episode 16 about his research on Egyptian vultures in Ethiopia. So I was able to convince Evan to join us again for today’s episode - but I also wanted to take this opportunity to talk about the reasons why this story went viral. As scientists and science communicators, we’re constantly striving to reach people beyond our inner circle with important research and information about science and conservation, and this story presents an unique example that we can learn from. To aid in this learning process I also invited Dr. Brad Okdie, who studies the psychology behind viral media at Ohio State University. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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As many of our listeners are likely aware, we engaged in an experiment this past weekend and sent five EOC correspondents out to cover five different March for Science events all across the US. Today’s episode is the end result of that experiment! The episode starts off in Washington, D.C. - the main event this past Saturday, Earth Day 2017. The Washington, D.C. march was attended by tens of thousands of people, and featured a number of prominent speakers. Although many scientific issues were raised, a common theme throughout the day was climate change. Speakers addressed the need for politicians to recognize the scientific consensus regarding our role in causing this crisis, as well as the role of science in finding ways to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Our goal with this episode was to create something of a soundscape, allowing listeners to understand what it felt like to participate in one of these March for Science events. In addition to the Washington, D.C. march, you'll hear interviews and audio from marches in San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, OR and Boise, ID. The interviews range from highly prominent scientists and researchers, to curious onlookers experiencing their very first event of this type. In addition to this podcast episode, many of our EOC March for Science correspondents were recording live footage directly to our Eyes on Conservation facebook page, and these videos are still available to view on that page. If you want to share an experience that you had at a March for Science event, we encourage you to either leave a comment at the bottom of this page, or head on over to our EOC podcast facebook group (we keep this group private to protect people's privacy, so you'll have to request access if you want to join the discussion) where we'll be facilitating ongoing conversation about the March for Science and other upcoming events. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today we are bringing you a special Earth Day bonus episode of the show! We have a lot going on this Earth Day - today marks the online release of our newest documentary film, Souls of the Vermilion Sea - about the struggle to save the vaquita from extinction. We’re super excited to be releasing this new 30-min doc for free online streaming! Click here to watch the film, or go to vaquitafilm.com. We are celebrating this online release with today’s bonus episode of the show, in which we are featuring an interview with California state Assembly member Todd Gloria, who recently introduced a new bill to the California state legislature that would restrict the import of certain seafood products in an attempt to help protect the vaquita. Before we jump into today’s interview however, I have to mention our exciting collaborative project to cover the March for Science. As many of our listeners likely are aware, Earth Day 2017 is a day of action for scientists all around the globe, who will be marching in over 400 cities to send a message to our government and the Trump administration that we will not stand idyl as science is de-funded and scientific truths are outright denied. We have seven Eyes on Conservation correspondents covering seven different March for Science events all across the US, from Washington, D.C. to Hawaii, and we’ll be using the audio and video that is captured to put together a very special episode of this podcast. We will also be live streaming from a number of March for Science events directly to our Eyes on Conservation Facebook page - so if you’re not able to attend a march, or if you want to see what some of the other events in places like Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco look like - you can tune into our EOC Facebook page to get live updates. And when you get back home from participating in the March for Science, you can settle in with a good movie - our film Souls of the Vermilion Sea about the struggle to save the vaquita from extinction. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guest on the show is Rosalyn LePier. Rosalyn is an environmental historian, ethnobotanist, and indigenous writer. She is a professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Montana, a research associate an the National Museum of Natural History, and is currently a visiting professor of Women’s studies, Environmental Studies and Native American religion at the Harvard Divinity School at Harvard University. She is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Tribe and also identifies as Métis. Rosalyn is also on the steering committee for the March for Science, and has been involved in the March for Science since the birth of this concept shortly after the Women’s March and President Trump’s inauguration. The March for Science will be taking place this coming Saturday, April 22nd - Earth Day - and although the main event will be taking place in Washington D.C., there are hundreds of satellite events happening all around the globe, providing ample opportunity for folks to participate. We are actually launching a new experiment here at the Eyes on Conservation podcast that is connected to the upcoming March for Science - we will be covering the March from a variety of perspectives this coming Saturday. We have seven Wild Lens correspondents involved in this little experiment - and each of them will be attending a different March for Science event. These correspondents will be capturing audio to use for an upcoming episode of the podcast, as well as video footage for a potential short film. A select few will also be streaming live video from the Marches directly to our Eyes on Conservation Facebook page. So if you’re not able to attend a March for Science event - or if you want to get a feel for what some of the larger events in Washington D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco look like - stay tuned to our Eyes on Conservation Facebook feed to get live updates. In the meantime - we hope that you will enjoy today’s conversation with Rosalyn LaPier, in which we’ll explore some of the connections between science, Native American religion, and the environmental movement. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guest on the show is Annette Berkovits, an author and educator focused on wildlife conservation who has written the new book, Confessions of an Accidental Zoo Curator. We talked with Annette about her path towards becoming a key architect of what has now become a worldwide standard for wildlife and conservation education programs. Annette worked for three decades with the Wildlife Conservation Society, and took a unique approach towards designing conservation education programs - an approach that has been hugely successful in reaching students and zoo visitors all across the globe. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today's guest on the show is Beth Pratt, who is the California Director for the National Wildlife Federation. Beth has spearheaded the #SaveLACougars campaign, and has helped raise a lot of awareness for mountain lion research. We are particularly interested in hearing about the new proposed wildlife crossing at Liberty Canyon in Southern California, which Beth has been involved with. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today's guest on the show is writer and activist Kimberly Fanshier. Kimberly seeks to use writing and critical reading as community building, anti-oppressive tools. Her research interests revolve around place-based rhetorics: Kimberly writes about wolves in Oregon, pop country radio, internet comment sections, and frontier violence to unpack the discourses of belonging, home, identity, and borders. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today we are revisiting the issue of lead poisoning in wildlife. This is a topic that I’ve spent quite a bit of time investigating, as it was central to the story behind my first film, Scavenger Hunt - which was about the connections between California condor conservation efforts and the issue of lead poisoning from spent ammunition. This issue has been in the headlines recently - the Obama administration in its final weeks in office issued an order to phase our lead-based ammunition and fishing tackle from all lands managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - these areas included all National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges. The response to this action was predictable - it was applauded by many conservation groups, and provoked lead ammo industry lobbyists to repeat their claims that there’s no proof of lead’s negative impact on wildlife populations. Once Donald Trump became our president - his new head of the Department of the Interoir Ryan Zinke moved to overturn this plan to phase out the use of lead ammo on these federally managed lands - again, a predictable move. Today we are sharing with you an archival interview, recorded while we were working on our film Scavenger Hunt, with the founding director of the USGS Wildlife Health Center, Milton Friend. Milton worked for decades to get lead shot banned from use in waterfowl hunting, and is therefore intricately familiar with the type of political maneuvering that we’re seeing right now in regard to the lead ammunition issue. He points out many similarities between his fight to end the use of lead shot for waterfowl hunting and the current incarnation of this fight against the use of lead based ammunition for hunting generally. Just to be clear - the use of lead shot for waterfowl hunting was officially banned by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 1991 - although there were complications with the implementation of this ban as you’ll hear Milton discuss. Although this interview was recorded back in 2012 - it remains extremely relevant to our current situation with the lead ammunition issue. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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This week we are bringing you a very special episode of the Eyes on Conservation podcast - this is about as close to a live show as we've gotten. Today's episode was recorded just a few hours before being released - and we recorded it on location in San Felipe, Mexico where fellow EOC co-host Sean Bogle and I are engaged in a series of community screenings of our new film Souls of the Vermilion Sea. These community screenings of our film were organized in collaboration with today's guest on the show, Samantha Young from San Diego Zoo Global. Samantha has been working down here in San Felipe for several years, with the goal of building community support for the conservation. While the vaquita is certainly a central focus of this project, Samantha's goals are much broader than simply saving the vaquita from extinction. We had a wonderful conversation with Samantha that ultimately delved into a comparison of the conservation challenges faced by the California condor to those faced by the vaquita. Enjoy! Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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I am extremely excited to announce that we have added a fresh component to the EOC marque that embraces all art forms in how these diverse creative mediums can convey conservation information. All of us respond differently to a variety of media. Some us connect with video and radio, while others may connect to paintings, song, or dance. It is important that the issues, actions, and efforts that concern the natural world of our planet are received by as many people as possible. So we introduced the Eyes on Conservation Art Scene! The Eyes on Conservation Art Scene (EOCAS) is a community where artists can fuse together, share ideas and show case their individual works that focus on conservation. The mission of the EOC Art Scene is a place of unity and raising awareness about wildlife issues, not to mention a place where cool art is created! Recently, we launched the first EOC Art Scene exhibit at the Les Bois Film Festival, which we co-host with the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley in Boise, Idaho. Our first amazing collaborators to premiere this exhibit are the SWELL Artist Collective and the Endangered Species print project. The exhibit is currently on display at the SWELL Artist Collective gallery, which we attended on it's opening night this past Thursday - and this takes us into today’s show. The goal of the exhibit is to raise awareness of species in the Idaho and Pacific Northwest region and as well as international species and how these species share commonalities as well as our connections to all species. SWELL artists produced 35 original works of art of these species and the Endangered Species Print Project presented 5 art pieces coupled with a map showing their migrations. These two organizations are wonderful examples of an artistic community with a shared love and appreciation for wildlife while inspiring others. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guest on the show is Fitz Cahall. Fitz is a podcaster, filmmaker and storyteller at Duct Tape Then Beer. He is the producer and host of the Dirtbag Diaries, one of the most popular podcast series focused on outdoor adventure, and he’s also the director of the new film, Paul’s Boots. I had a lot of fun talking with Fitz - there aren’t too many other people out there that share my same passions for both filmmaking and podcasting! I was particularly interested to hear about Fitz’s approach towards producing and directing his film, Paul’s Boots. Paul’s Boots is about a unique journey across the Appalachian Trail - any anyone who follows this podcast series knows that that Appalachian Trail holds a very special place in my heart. I produced my own film about a trip across the Long Trail in Vermont - the trail that inspired the creation of the Appalachian Trail. Beyond my own fascination with long distance hiking however, I’m also excited about this conversation with Fitz because we are actually screening his film Paul’s Boots as a part of Les Bois Film Festival, the local Boise film fest that we co-host with the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley. So our listeners in Boise will actually have the opportunity to see this film up on the big screen at the Egyptian Theatre this coming Saturday. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today we are bringing you a panel discussion focused on conservation oriented filmmaking in Idaho. We put together a panel of Boise-based filmmakers who are screening films at this year’s Les Bois Film Festival - an event that Wild Lens actually helped found. This is the second year that we are co-hosting Les Bois Film Festival alongside the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley, and we’re extremely excited about this year’s event. We’re screening 20 short films across three separate screening blocks all at the Egyptian Theatre in downtown Boise on Saturday, March 4th. One of the aspects of this festival that we’re most proud of is the emphasis on locally produced films, and this is why I’m so excited about today’s panel discussion. We brought together all of the Boise-based filmmakers that are screening films at Les Bois this year for a conversation about the intersection between filmmaking and conservation here in Idaho. In addition to being aired on this podcast series, this conversation will also air on our community radio station here in boise (Radio Boise, KRBX 89.9), in collaboration with our favorite local radio show, Building a Greener Idaho. I was joined in the studio by today’s co-hosts, Remington Buyer from Building a Greener Idaho, and Julia Rundberg, who is the new development and communications manager at the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guest on the show is Dr. Frances Gulland, senior scientist at the Marine Mammal Center, and a member of the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita. This committee is composed of the world’s top vaquita experts, and they just released a new report which contains some shocking revelations. Before we jump into our interview with Frances however, I’m going to check in with EOC producer Sean Bogle to get an update on our vaquita documentary project, Souls of the Vermilion Sea. We have a new half hour film associated with this project that we are about to release, and Sean’s here to explain the inspiration behind this new release as well as our outreach goals moving forward. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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On today’s show we are joined by Sarah Kaizar, an amazing artist out of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Sarah’s work first caught my attention when I was browsing the internet for Christmas gifts, and I stumbled upon a series of recycled notebooks featuring endangered toads. Toads being among some of my favorite animals, I had to check out more of her work and was so glad I did. The series we will focus on today is her body of work titled Endangered Species, which features intricate pen and ink portraits of species on the US Endangered species list. This series calls into question many ideas of vulnerability, environmental ignorance, and what it means to be human in an ever-changing world, and our conversation tackles big picture questions about the future of the environment, our interactions with the natural world and as Sarah says “chipping away” at the greater conversation to make environmental dialogue more relatable and meaningful to a broader audience. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guest on the show is Deia Schlosberg. Deia is an extremely talented filmmaker, who was unexpectedly arrested after documenting a civil disobedience action in Northern North Dakota back in October of 2016. There was a wave of arrests of journalists working to document pipeline protests in the fall of 2016, but Deia’s arrest really shook the filmmaking world because she was charged with three counts of conspiracy and was facing a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison, without having actually committed a crime. I was one of the many filmmakers and journalists impacted by this spate of arrests - it was Deia's story that, in part, inspired me to travel to Standing Rock and get involved in covering these types of issues here on the podcast. So I am extremely excited to have Deia on as our guest for today’s show - in addition to her recent work covering issues related to oil pipelines and civil disobedience, she was a producer on Josh Fox’s most recent film How to Let Go of the World and Love all the Things Climate Can’t Change - which in my opinion is one of the most powerful climate change films to be released in recent years. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Todays guest on the show is Rob Gay - a paleontologist, biologist, educator, and author. Rob and I worked together as condor field biologists in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah almost 10 years ago now, and when I found out that Rob had played an important role in the recent designation of Bears Ears National Monument, I reached out to see if he’d be willing to share his story. I’m super excited to have a paleontologist on the show for the very first time - in part because this is a subject that I’ve long been fascinated with, but also because this conversation with Rob highlights just how interconnected the field of paleontology is with conservation and advocacy. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guests on the show are Ari Herman and Liz George. Ari and Liz both spent extended periods of time living at Standing Rock, North Dakota and participating in various ways in the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Liz has a background in wildlife filmmaking, while Ari - who contributed to our last podcast episode about Standing Rock - is a writer and an aspiring journalist. Both of them were living at the camps at Standing Rock during what was probably the most tumultuous period of the movement thus far - from mid-November through early December. We talked with Liz and Ari about their personal experiences at Standing Rock, from the moment that they decided to go there, to the moment that they left after the Army Corp of Engineers denied the easement for the pipeline to cross the Missouri River. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today we are once again delving into the Wild Lens archives to share with you an interview that was recorded for our film project Bluebird Man. One of our first shoots for this film project took place in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. Fellow producer Neil Paprocki and myself spent about a week in Canada shooting with the then-president of the North American Bluebird Society, Sherry Linn. While visiting with Sherry, we were able to also connect with PhD student Catherine Dale from Queens University, who was in the Okanagan Valley studying bluebird migration! Neil and I were lucky enough to spend a day out with Catherine at one of her field sites and get some footage of her banding adult male bluebirds. After a long day out in the field, we sat down with Catherine for at interview, which we are sharing with you today for the very first time! In addition to her research on bluebirds, Catherine is also one of the creators of Dispatches from the Field - a blog site focused on stories about field work from all around the globe. A few of us Wild Lens folks have contributed to her site, and we’re all really big fans of the work Catherine and her collaborators are doing with the blog. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s interview was conducted by one of our newest contributors to the show, Courtney Rae. Courtney brings a very different perspective on wildlife and conservation issues to the show, and I’m super excited to have her on board. Courtney is deeply embedded in the conservation and environmental community in Portland and beyond through her work as a community organizer with Bark as well as other environmental groups, and she’ll be continuing to explore the intersection between conservation and social justice in future episodes of the show. For this first episode of 2017, Courtney talked with Esther Forbyn, who is the creator of a unique conservation outreach project called 30 Birds to Know in Portland. Courtney and Esther had a wide ranging conversation focused on the connections between birding, conservation, and social justice. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guest on the show is Tom Jefferson, a marine mammal researcher and the director of Viva Vaquita, an NGO dedicated to the conservation of the vaquita. jg5ps89q Here at Wild Lens, we’ve been actively involved in vaquita conservation for a year and a half through our work producing the documentary, Souls of the Vermilion Sea. 2016 was a milestone year for vaquita conservation - efforts to save the species from extinction were ramped up considerably and the species received more mainstream media coverage than ever before. Despite this, the vaquita population in the upper gulf of California has continued its precipitous rate of decline, with the increased conservation efforts having no measurable impact. This culminated just a few weeks ago when the Mexican Minister of the Environment, Rafael Pacchiano, announced that Mexico would take steps in 2017 to launch a captive breeding program for the vaquita. Although vaquita experts have been discussing this option for a number of years, it was always viewed as a last ditch effort - something only worth attempting if all other options had been expended. Well - it is now clear that we have reached that point. EOC producer Sean Bogle and I got Tom on the line to do a year in review for the vaquita, as well as to answer some of our burning questions about the what a captive breeding program for the vaquita may look like. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today’s guest on the show is Carole Dean, a veteran of the film industry and an expert on how to fund film projects. Carole’s path through the world of filmmaking is absolutely fascinating - she’s been working to help independent filmmakers get their films made for decades, but her approach towards achieving this goal has been constantly evolving. Today she runs a filmmaker grant program, manages fiscal sponsorships, and provides mentorships for independent filmmakers. She is the author of the seminal book, The Art of Film Funding and the host of a podcast series of the same name (which I would highly recommend for anyone interested in filmmaking). Although Carole is not focused specifically on films that address conservation issues, the advice that she has to share is highly relevant to anyone looking to fund a conservation project - whether it’s a documentary film, a conservation outreach project, or scientific research. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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It’s been two years since we launched this podcast, and it’s amazing to me that we have already released close to 100 interviews. This show began as an experiment, but it has moved well beyond that to become a central hub of the internet for folks who are interested in conservation. We’ve interviewed biologists, researchers, filmmakers, activists, artists, politicians, musicians, authors, educators, chefs, entrepreneurs - all of whom are involved with conservation in some way. Today’s show is special - not just because we are celebrated 100 episodes - but because we are introducing two new contributors to the show! Sarinah Simons and Courtney Rae will be helping us expand the scope of Eyes on Conservation. No longer will you be hearing solely my voice here on the show, but the voices of Courtney and Sarinah, as well as EOC producer Sean Bogle. In today’s discussion we’ll be talking about the future direction of this show, and sharing our perspectives on the current state of the conservation movement. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: On today’s show we have a follow-up conservation with one of our most well-received guests on the show – Nathaniel Stinnett from the Environmental Voter Project. Nathaniel... Read more » The post EOC 099: Post-Election Breakdown with Nathaniel Stinnett from the Environmental Voter Project appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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The American Kestrel North America’s smallest falcon species, the American Kestrel is a unique and fascinating animal. It is our most colorful raptor, and also one of the few raptors... Read more » The post The American Kestrel appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Our guest on today’s show is Jake Kheel. Jake is the co-director and producer of the new documentary film, Death by a Thousand Cuts – which is about... Read more » The post EOC 098: Documenting the Illegal Charcoal Trade in the Dominican Republic with Jake Kheel appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the podcast we are talking about a conservation issue that has been getting lot’s of mainstream media coverage over the past several months – the fight... Read more » The post EOC 097: Inside the Fight Against the Dakota Access Pipeline appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s guest in Roxanne Beltran, a PhD student at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, and an expert on the Weddel Seal – a species found in relative... Read more » The post EOC 096: Weddell Seal Research in Antarctica with Roxanne Beltran appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: We thought that it would be appropriate on the day after this historic presidential election to bring you an episode focused on science, reason, and the importance of... Read more » The post EOC 095: The Science Communicators – How to be a Skeptic with Brian Dunning appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Back in March of this year I put together a quick bonus episode of the podcast after participating in the largest presidential caucus in US political history. Despite... Read more » The post EOC bonus episode: Voting for Conservation, part 2 appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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The Whizpops make music for kids, but they are so much more than just another kid’s band. They employ clever songwriting and highly skilled musicianship to create music that any... Read more » The post The California Condor Song by the Whizpops! appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Todays guests on the show are “Wildman” Steve Brill along with his daughter Violet Brill. “Wildman” Steve and his daughter Violet are expert foragers – they lead... Read more » The post EOC 094: Eat the Weeds with “Wildman” Steve Brill and his Daughter Violet appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Our guests on today’s show are the co-founders of a group called, Conceivable Future – Meghan Kallman and Josephine Ferorelli. Conceivable Future is a woman-led network of... Read more » The post EOC 093: Conceivable Future – How Climate Change Threatens Reproductive Rights appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Our guest on today’s show is science filmmaker Nate Dappen. Like many of the folks that we choose to profile on this show, Nate has a background... Read more » The post EOC 092: The Science Communicators – Nate Dappen’s Path to Becoming a Science Filmmaker appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Noise pollution experts Heidi Ware and Jesse Barber discuss new research of the impacts of road noise on migrating songbird populations. This new research shows that, for many bird species,... Read more » The post The Invisible Source of Habitat Degradation appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s guest on the show is Brad Brooks who is the Idaho deputy regional director at the Wilderness Society. Brad and his collegues at the Wilderness Society... Read more » The post EOC 091: Public Lands – How They Became Publicly Owned, and Why They Should Stay That Way appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s guest on the show is Clare Perry from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). Clare has been working for EIA for 17 years, and she is the director... Read more » The post EOC 090: Collateral Damage – How the Environmental Investigation Agency Exposes Environmental Crime appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s guest on the show is the director of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (Muestra de Cine Medioambiental Dominicana), Natasha Despotovic. I was fortunate enough to... Read more » The post EOC 089: Inside the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival with Natasha Despotovic appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s guest on the show in Gena Bentall, who has been working with and studying Sea Otters for over a decade and is the program coordinator for a... Read more » The post EOC 088: Gena Bentall Explains the Importance of Sharing Space with Sea Otters appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are bringing you another example of art and conservation coming together. Our guests Chad Harmon, Phillip Lacinak, and Heidi Kniesl are the... Read more » The post EOC 087: Rhino Art 50 Ways with the Horns and Heroes Project appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today we have another episode focused on politics. As general election day approaches here in the US after a truly bizarre presidential election season in which each... Read more » The post EOC 086: The Struggles of the Green Party in the 2016 Presidential Election appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today we are delving into the Wild Lens interview archives to bring you a conversation that I had with Dr. Mark Pokras back in 2011. This interview... Read more » The post EOC 085: Loons and Lead Poisoning with Dr. Mark Pokras appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s guest on the show is the founder of the Environmental Voter Project, Nathaniel Stinnett. Nathaniel has an extremely powerful message to share with us about the... Read more » The post EOC 084: Nathaniel Stinnett Explains Why Voting is the Highest Form of Environmental Citizenship appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Our guest on today’s show is Crawford Allan, who is a senior director at Traffic, which is a wildlife trade network created through a collaboration between the World... Read more » The post EOC 083: Finding Solutions to Wildlife Crime Issues with Crawford Allan appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are featuring segments from an event that we participated in this past weekend called, Wildlife Awakening, which was presented as a part... Read more » The post EOC 082: Wildlife Awakening at the Sausalito Film Series at Cavallo Point appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Our guest on today’s show is Rosana Francescato, who is the Director of Communications for MyDomino. MyDomino is a concierge service that is helping people switch to 100%... Read more » The post EOC 081: Startup MyDomino Makes Clean Energy Decisions Easy appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s guest on the show is Phil Johnston, who is a wildlife tracker and a field biologist working with the elusive pacific fisher. Phil and I had... Read more » The post EOC 080: Tracking the Elusive Pacific Fisher with Phil Johnston appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s episode of the show is about the history of a truly unique National Conservation Area here in Idaho. The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds Of Prey National... Read more » The post EOC 079: The History of a Unique National Conservation Area with Mike Kochert appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are revisiting a project that was discussed back in one of our earliest episodes of the show – the New Roots program. ... Read more » The post EOC 078: Connecting Refugee Kids with their Local Environment appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are talking with Brendan Cummings, who is Senior Counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. Brendan has been working at the Center for... Read more » The post EOC 077: Using the Legal System to Save Endangered Species with Brendan Cummings appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are digging into the Wild Lens archives to bring you an interview with one of the central figures in the historic recovery... Read more » The post EOC 076: How the California Condor Came Back from the Brink of Extinction with Lloyd Kiff appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s episode of the podcast will feature an interview with one of the most unlikely guests we’ve had on the show thus far. Pat Butler is a real... Read more » The post EOC 075: Could a Sport Fishery for Totoaba Help Save the Vaquita? appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today we are talking with Marc McDonald, who is the founder of the International Coalition of Rhino Protection (ICORP), an organization committed to saving rhino populations in Southern Africa. Marc... Read more » The post EOC 074: How to Win the War Against Rhino Poaching with Marc McDonald appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we have two very special guests from a truly unique band – the Whizpops! The Whizpops make music for kids, but they are so... Read more » The post EOC 073: The Whizpops Know that Extinction Really Stinks! appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are talking with wildlife filmmaker Jake Willers. Jake’s path to becoming a wildlife filmmaker is really unique, and he has a lot... Read more » The post EOC 072: Master Wildlife Filmmaking with Jake Willers appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Our guest on today’s show is Sarah Chinn, a master’s student at Sonoma State University who is studying one of our most charismatic marine mammal species – the... Read more » The post EOC 071: New Research on the Southern Sea Otter with Sarah Chinn appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are featuring a conversation with Alex Olivera from the Center for Biological Diversity. Alex has been doing research on several of the government... Read more » The post EOC 070: Alex Olivera Explains How Government Corruption is Stalling Efforts to Save the Vaquita appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are talking with Ph.D. candidate from the University of Utah, Mark Chynoweth. Mark is conducting fascinating research on large carnivores in Eastern Turkey,... Read more » The post EOC 069: Studying Large Carnivores in Eastern Turkey with Mark Chynoweth appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today on the show we are sharing an interview with Chef Rob Ruiz. Rob is the Chef and Owner of the Land and Water Company, an award-winning restaurant in Carlsbad,... Read more » The post EOC 068: Eating Our Way Out of the Seafood Crisis with Chef Rob Ruiz appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today on the show we are airing a panel discussion that I moderated at this year’s International Wildlife Film Festival (IWFF) in Missoula, Montana! This was the third straight year that I... Read more » The post EOC 067: IWFF Filmmaker Panel with Jon Betz, Taggart Siegel, Roshan Patel and Eric Bendick appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are visited by Wild Lens producer Sean Bogle for an update on our current documentary project, Souls of the Vermilion Sea. Now... Read more » The post EOC 066: The Crisis Facing the Vaquita appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today on the show I am extremely excited to be bringing back someone who was a regular guest on the show early on – Ben Mirin. Ben was the... Read more » The post EOC 065: Making Music from Nature with Ben Mirin (AKA DJ Ecotone) appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today on the show we have a very special interview to share with the captain of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s Operation Milagro, Oona Isabelle Layolle. This interview is... Read more » The post EOC 064: On the Front Lines of Vaquita Conservation with Oona Isabelle Layolle appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are talking with the authors of a new children’s book about the Vaquita called, Vinny the Vaquita. Jen Gabler wrote this story with... Read more » The post EOC 063: A New Children’s Book about the Vaquita with Jen and Sander Gabler appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Voting for Conservation My Tuesday evenings are usually spent editing podcast interviews in preparation for our Wednesday Eyes on Conservation podcast release. Last night was different – I was participating... Read more » The post Voting for Conservation (EOC BONUS episode) appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show I am bringing you another edition of our ongoing series, From Field Biologist to Filmmaker, in which I share personal stories and lessons... Read more » The post EOC 062: From Field Biologist to Filmmaker – Part Six: Hosting a Screening Event! appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are talking about conservation travel in South Africa. African Conservation Experience pioneered this idea about connecting conservation-minded tourists with wildlife researchers,... Read more » The post EOC 061: Conservation Travel in South Africa with Ellen Sziede and Martin Bornman appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: For the past month or so on the podcast we have been focusing on the distribution end of wildlife and conservation filmmaking, with interviews highlighting film festivals... Read more » The post EOC 060: The First Wildlife Film Festival on the Planet with Mike Steinberg appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are talking with former National Geographic staff writer and editor Alan Mairson. Alan worked for the National Geographic Society for over 20 years... Read more » The post EOC 059: The Downfall of the National Geographic Society with Alan Mairson appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are continuing with our theme of environmentally-focused film festivals and the potential that these types of events have to impact conservation... Read more » The post EOC 058: Inside the D.C. Environmental Film Fest with Brad Forder appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are discussing a new project that we have undertaken here at Wild Lens – the creation of a new environmental and outdoor-themed film... Read more » The post EOC 057: A New Outdoor and Nature Themed Film Festival in Boise, Idaho appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are talking with raptor expert Jerry Liguori. Jerry works as a educator with HawkWatch International, a non-profit group dedicated to raptor research and... Read more » The post EOC 056: Raptor Identification in the 21st Century with Jerry Liguori appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are talking with Chloe Carothers-Liske along with her father, Andrew Carothers-Liske. Chloe and Andrew worked together on our newest Eyes on Conservation film,... Read more » The post EOC 055: Teaching Youth about Marine Mammal Conservation with Chloe and Andrew Carothers-Liske appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we are talking with children’s book author Matt Bergles. Matt’s new picture book Larry Saves the Prairie tells the true story of Larry Haverfield, a rancher... Read more » The post EOC 054: Matt Bergles is Teaching Kids about Prairie Ecosystem Conservation appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Our guest on today’s show is Bob Sallinger, the conservation director for the Audubon Society of Portland, a group whose history is intertwined with that of... Read more » The post EOC 053: The REAL Story behind Malheur National Wildlife Refuge with Bob Sallinger appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Our guest on today’s show is Lisa “Cali” Crampton, an expert on the forest birds of Kaua’i, the fourth largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. Cali’s work as the... Read more » The post EOC 052: The Forest Birds of Kaua’i with Lisa “Cali” Crampton appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: This is a very special BONUS episode of the podcast! We have been given permission by the Vermont Historical Society to air an archival interview with Catherine Robbins... Read more » The post EOC 051: The Three Musketeers on the Long Trail in 1927 appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s guest on the podcast is Cara Clifford Nelson – the granddaughter of Catherine Robbins Clifford, who was one of the first women to hike the Long Trail... Read more » The post EOC 050: Musketeers Too – A Family Legacy on the Long Trail appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today marks the first time that we’ve had a professional athlete as a guest on the show! Nikki Kimball is a distance runner specializing in the ultra-marathon, and she... Read more » The post EOC 049: Chasing the Fastest Known Time on the Long Trail with Nikki Kimball appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s guest on the show is the Executive Director of the Green Mountain Club (GMC), Mike DeBonis. The Green Mountain Club is the non-profit organization responsible for managing... Read more » The post EOC 048: The Mission of the Green Mountain Club with Mike DeBonis appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Our guest on today’s episode of the podcast is my mom, Candy Podolsky. A couple of years back my mom and I hiked 273 miles through the state... Read more » The post EOC 047: Thru-hiking Vermont’s Long Trail with Candy Podolsky appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Our guest on today’s episode of the podcast is biologist and filmmaker Erin Strasser. Erin has been a Wild Lens board member for serval years now, during which... Read more » The post EOC 046: Grassland Songbird Research and Conservation in Mexico with Erin Strasser appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today we have another installment of our series From Field Biologist to Filmmaker, in which I share lessons learned through the process of becoming a wildlife filmmaker. This is... Read more » The post EOC 045: From Field Biologist to Filmmaker – Part Five: Capturing Wildlife Footage! appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: In this week’s show we are taking a fresh look at vaquita recovery efforts with teenaged author Aidan Bodeo-Lomicky. Aidan first learned about the plight of the vaquita in... Read more » The post EOC 044: Vaquita Outreach for a Younger Audience with Aidan Bodeo-Lomicky appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: On today’s episode of the EOC podcast we’re talking with the co-creators of the Endangered Species Print Project (ESPP), an ongoing print series focused on raising both awareness... Read more » The post EOC 043: The Endangered Species Print Project with Jenny Kendler and Molly Schafer appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the podcast we have the fourth installment of our ongoing series, From Field Biologist to Filmmaker, in which I share personal stories about lessons that I’ve learned... Read more » The post EOC 042: From Field Biologist to Filmmaker – Part Four: The International Shoot appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we’re talking with Boise State University professor and kestrel researcher Julie Heath. Julie manages one of the largest and longest running kestrel research projects... Read more » The post EOC 041: Kestrel Research in Idaho’s Treasure Valley with Julie Heath appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Our guest on today’s show is the Senior Scientist for HawkWatch International, a Utah-based non-profit that has been studying raptor migration for almost three decades. Recently, Dave has... Read more » The post EOC 040: Kestrel Migration with Dave Oleyar of HawkWatch International appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we’re talking with the Director of the American Kestrel Partnership, Chris McClure. This collaborative project was initiated by the Peregrine Fund in 2012, and... Read more » The post EOC 039: The American Kestrel Partnership with Chris McClure appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we’re talking with Kristen Ruegg, a professor at UCLA who’s been studying the genetics of migratory birds. Kristen and her collaborators have developed a... Read more » The post EOC 038: The Bird Genoscape Project with Kristen Ruegg appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: On today’s show we’re bringing noise pollution researchers Jesse Barber and Heidi Ware back into the studio to talk about their newly published scientific paper. This is the... Read more » The post EOC 037: Phantom Road Part Two – The Invisible Source of Habitat Degradation appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Our guest on today’s show is filmmaker and conservationist Ben Masters. Ben is the mastermind behind the new feature length documentary Unbranded – a story about a 3,000 mile-long... Read more » The post EOC 036: Wild Horses in the American West with Ben Masters appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we’re talking with music composer Cody Westheimer. Cody has been composing and recording music scores for film and television for more than 10 years,... Read more » The post EOC 035: Scoring the Wildlife Doc with Cody Westheimer appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we have another chapter in our ongoing series From Field Biologist to Filmmaker. Part three of this series is focused on the interview. Conducting interviews... Read more » The post EOC 034: From Field Biologist to Filmmaker – Part Three: the Interview appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we’re talking with Mike Marshall from the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources. Mike spent five years working with the endangered Golden-cheeked warbler... Read more » The post EOC 033: The Golden-cheeked Warbler with Mike Marshall appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: We’re revisiting the Phantom Road this month on the show, and I’m very excited to have Dr. Jesse Barber and Heidi Ware joining me for this discussion about... Read more » The post EOC 032: Revisiting the Phantom Road – Birds and Road Noise with Jesse Barber and Heidi Ware appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Yesterday I went out on the bluebird trail with Al. I accompanied him on a trip to the Jordan Valley bluebird trail – this trail is up in... Read more » The post EOC 031: A Conversation with “Bluebird Man” Al Larson appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we’re talking with Dr. Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho who is the head of marine mammal conservation and research for the National Institute of Ecology and Climate... Read more » The post EOC 030: Vaquita Conservation in Mexico with “Mr. Vaquita” Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the podcast we’re talking with Jamey Stegmaier, the co-founder of Stonemaier Games, a board game design company. Jamey has run kickstarter campaigns for each of the... Read more » The post EOC 029: A Kickstarter Training Session with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Dr. Barbara Taylor is on a life-long mission to save the vaquita from extinction. She has been working with this critically endangered porpoise for over 30 years, and... Read more » The post EOC 028: Barbara Taylor’s Mission to Save the Vaquita appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s conversation topic on the show is one of particular interest to me as a fan of science fiction. Lucas Martell is a filmmaker and an animator who... Read more » The post EOC 027: Environmental Messaging in Science Fiction Storytelling with Lucas Martell appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Click on the photo above to jump to our kickstarter campaign for the film! Episode Summary: Today on the show we’re talking about vaquita conservation and a new Wild Lens... Read more » The post EOC 026: A New Film about the Struggle to Save the Vaquita with Sean Bogle appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the show we’re talking about the trade in illicit ivory. This is the focus of a new episode of the series, “Earth Focus” which airs on... Read more » The post EOC 025: The Illicit Ivory Trade with Raisa Scriabine, Kim Spencer and Miles Benson appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s episode of the podcast features an interview with wildlife researcher Aditya Gangadharan from the University of Alberta. Aditya has years of experience conducting wildlife research in India... Read more » The post EOC 024: Establishing Wildlife Corridors in Southern India with Aditya Gangadharan appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Today on the podcast we are talking with Jason Goldman, a science communicator who found his passion for science writing and sharing stories while working on his PhD research in... Read more » The post EOC 023: The Science Communicators: Jason Goldman appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s episode of the podcast is about seabird monitoring in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. This is a long term research and monitoring effort that has been going... Read more » The post EOC 022: Monitoring Seabirds in Extreme Isolation with Mikaela Howie appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: We have a very special episode of the podcast for you today – instead of one expert interview we have a series of interviews with a wide variety... Read more » The post EOC 021: Filmmaker Interviews at the International Wildlife Film Festival appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today on the EOC podcast we’re talking with Texas Tech University professor Robin Verble-Pearson. Robin was featured in our latest EOC film about the Texas Horned Lizard –... Read more » The post EOC 020: Fire Ecology and the Harvester Ant with Robin Verble-Pearson appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Dave McGraw and Mandy Fer write and record music inspired by wildlife and the natural world. Their new album, Maritime was intentionally written to evoke a strong sense... Read more » The post EOC 019: Music Inspired by the Natural World with Dave McGraw and Mandy Fer appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Rachel Granberg is a recent masters graduate from Texas Tech University who’s research was focused on Texas horned lizard habitat loss and degradation in central Texas, where the species has experienced... Read more » The post The Texas Horned Lizard appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: In today’s episode of the podcast we’ll hear from Texas Horned Lizard expert Rachel Granberg. Rachel shares with us her vast knowledge of this fascinating little animal, and... Read more » The post EOC 018: Texas Horned Lizard Research with Rachel Granberg appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Vulture populations in East Africa are facing the threat of very serious declines. Can the African vulture crisis be averted through outreach and education programs? There is hope, and in... Read more » The post Vultures of East Africa: Averting the Crisis appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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As a part of her doctoral research, Corinne Kendall used GPS technology to investigate the dramatic declines seen in vulture populations in Eastern Africa. By trapping and attaching GPS units... Read more » The post Vultures of East Africa: Investigating Declines using GSM-GPS Telemetry appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: In part two of our ongoing series, From Field Biologist to Filmmaker, I talk about the next stage of my transition into a full-time filmmaker. One of the most... Read more » The post EOC 017: From Field Biologist to Filmmaker – Part Two: the Shooting Guide appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s episode of the podcast is a continuation of this month’s theme of vulture conservation across the globe. Our guest is PhD candidate at the University of Utah,... Read more » The post EOC 016: Studying the Egyptian Vulture in Ethiopia and the Middle East with Evan Buechley appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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As a part of our vulture-themed month of March on the Eyes on Conservation podcast, we are updating and re-releasing our series of four short videos documenting the research of... Read more » The post The African Vulture Crisis appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: We are continuing this month’s theme of vulture conservation around the world with an interview with Yula Kapetanakos. Yula’s doctoral research involved the use of a unique method for... Read more » The post EOC 015: The Vultures of Southeast Asia with Yula Kapetanakos appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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In the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, Corinne Kendall works to learn more about some of East Africa’s most threatened birds – the vultures. Vulture species are declining worldwide,... Read more » The post Vultures of East Africa: The Soap of the Savannah appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s episode of the show is all about vultures. Our guest is Corinne Kendall, whose doctoral research on vultures in East Africa has played a critical role in... Read more » The post EOC 014: Vulture Research and Conservation in East Africa with Corinne Kendall appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Today’s episode is our second show produced in collaboration with the radio show, Building a Greener Idaho, which airs on Radio Boise each Tuesday at 3pm. Our interview... Read more » The post EOC 013: A Conservation Education Program for Refugee Kids with Liz Urban and Megan Jones appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: We have a brand new segment on today’s episode! The Birds and the Beats will be an ongoing current events segment hosted by the newest member of the EOC... Read more » The post EOC 012: Boise, Idaho’s Unique Science Education Program with Carolyn Volk and Karen Viscupic appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: Our second episode about sage-grouse conservation presents a very positive message about the work being done in an effort to reverse the declines faced by this species. Jeremy... Read more » The post EOC 011: The Plan to Save the Sage Grouse with Jeremy Maestas appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: We have dedicated the month of January here at the Eyes on Conservation podcast to Greater Sage-grouse conservation. We are releasing a brand new short documentary today, Greater... Read more » The post EOC 010: Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation and Research with Jen Forbey appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: This is our first episode in what will become an ongoing segment on the podcast – From Field Biologist to Filmmaker. In this new podcast segment, I’ll be... Read more » The post EOC 009: From Field Biologist to Filmmaker – Part One: the Story Outline appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: In this episode of the podcast we’re talking with the Executive Director of the Intermountain Bird Observatory, Greg Kaltenecker. The Intermountain Bird Observatory was our very first partner... Read more » The post EOC 008: Bird Migration Research with Greg Kaltenecker appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: In this episode of the podcast we’re talking with the Executive Director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Julian Fennessy. Julian has been studying wild giraffe populations in Africa... Read more » The post EOC 007: Giraffe Conservation with Julian Fennessy appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: In this episode of the podcast we talk with the principal scientist and co-founder of the Wild Nature Institute (WNI), Monica Bond. Monica, along with WNI co-founder Derek... Read more » The post EOC 006: Conservation of Giraffes and other ungulates in Tanzania with Monica Bond appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: We’re sticking with the theme of marine mammal conservation for the month of October – today’s conversation is with Tamyra Thomas, a volunteer from the Marine Mammal Center... Read more » The post EOC 005: The Importance of Volunteer Effort in Marine Mammal Conservation appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: In this episode of the podcast we talk with Guest Experience Manager at the Marine Mammal Center (TMMC), Adam Ratner. Adam oversees all of the education and outreach... Read more » The post EOC 004: Marine Mammal Conservation with Adam Ratner appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: In this episode of the Eyes on Conservation podcast we’re talking with Lauren Meads. Lauren works with the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of British Columbia (BOCSBC) where she... Read more » The post EOC 003: The Reintroduction of Burrowing Owls to British Columbia with Lauren Meads appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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Episode Summary: In this episode of the Eyes on Conservation Podcast we talked with the three researchers responsible for setting up what they call the Phantom Road study. Boise State... Read more » The post EOC 002: The Phantom Road – Noise Pollution and it’s Effect on Wildlife with Jesse Barber, Chris McClure and Heidi Ware appeared first on Wild Lens. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!
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