The Wild Idea

Latest Episodes:

Conrad Anker: Mountains of Perspective Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

In this episode Bill and Anders talk with alpinist and conservation champion Conrad Anker about how his time in the mountains has brought him into the world of activism for people and place. We talk about seeing climate change in real time and how Conrad has worked to support the communities in Nepal. Yes - we talk a bit about mountain climbing and George Mallory too.

Learn more our guest, Conrad Anker, and the other resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com

The Wild Line: Chief Links Roadless Rule and Wildfire, BLM Joins the Rescission Party Sep 12, 2025

Show notes

This week on the Wild Line we cover testimony from the Chief of the Forest Service, where he attampts to link the popular Roadless Rule to wildfire risk. The Bureau of Land Management announces plans to rescind the Public Lands Rule which has given equal footing for conservation efforts to those held by industry, there were a number of hearings in DC on public land issues, and we celebrate an unsung hero of public lands - all in this episode of the Wild Line.

Learn more about the topics covered today and find the links and resources mentioned at our website, thewildidea.com.

Brooklyn Bridge Park: From Piers to Parklands Sep 09, 2025

Show notes

This week on The Wild Idea, Bill and Anders sit down with Rashid Poulson and Bella Ciabattoni, the horticulture leaders at Brooklyn Bridge Park, to talk about one of New York City’s most surprising wild spaces. What was once a stretch of abandoned shipping piers has become 85 acres of thriving wetlands, meadows, and woodlands along the East River, offering both locals and visitors a chance to reconnect with nature in the heart of the city. The conversation dives into what it takes to keep an urban waterfront alive with birdsong and tree canopy, from creative planting strategies to the value of having a dedicated team who knows the land season after season. At its heart, the story of Brooklyn Bridge Park is about more than plants; it is about people finding joy, curiosity, and connection in a place that feels both wild and welcoming.

Learn more about today's guests, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the other resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com

The Wild Line: Congress Targets Land Management Plans, EPA Silences Critics Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

This week on The Wild Line we cover congressional action to scrap resource management plans in three states, authorize the controversial Ambler Road project in Alaska, and to remove protections for the Mexican Gray Wolf. Over at EPA the agency fires employees critical of the Trump administration and the Department of Energy is taken to task by leading climate scientists. We also have Border Patrol arresting wildland firefighters and Scarlett Johansson chasing wolves away from cattle. These stories and more in under 15 minutes.
Learn more about the topics covered today and find the links and resources mentioned at our website, thewildidea.com.

Chris Hill: Community Power for Public Lands Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

In this episode Bill and Anders talk with Chris Hill, the CEO of the Conservation Lands Foundation. Chris highlights CLF's commitment to the National Conservation Lands System and the communities that adjoin these special areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management. They talk about the 25th anniversary of the Conservation Lands System, grass-roots cultivation and how to never forget why you got into the work in the first place.

Learn more and find the resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Labor Day: The Human Cost of Federal Cuts Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

This Labor Day, we’re turning the spotlight on the people behind our public lands. In this bonus episode, Bill and Anders sit down with three former federal employees who thought they had found their dream jobs in service to the land and the public, only to have those jobs abruptly taken away.

Learn more and find the resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Refuge Expansion Stopped, Act Now To Save The Roadless Rule Aug 29, 2025

Show notes

This week on The Wild Line, we dig into major developments for America’s public lands. The USDA has extended the comment period on its controversial Forest Service reorganization plan. At the same time, Secretary Rollins has opened public comment on a move to rescind the Roadless Rule, threatening 45 million acres of backcountry lands. In Texas, plans to expand Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge have been abandoned, even as a court ruling weakens protections for the lesser prairie chicken. We also bring you updates from Montana’s Western Policy Caucus, the Alaska Oil and Gas Association meeting, new wildfire research in California, and a union vote among Yosemite rangers.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Southern Currents: Environmental Injustice and Energy Innovation in Virginia Aug 28, 2025

Show notes

How do we turn the scars of environmental injustice into real innovation for a healthier future? For the fourth part of our Southern Currents series, Bill talks with Josephus Allmond, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, about environmental justice and the push for fair energy solutions in Virginia.

Learn more and find the resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Theodore Roosevelt IV: Americans for Alaska Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Bill and Anders sit down with Theodore Roosevelt IV, who they call Ted, to talk about Alaska, public lands, and what it means to carry forward a legacy of stewardship. From the North Slope to the Tongass, the conversation reveals a personal history in our 49th state with some critical policy and legislation data in the dialogue as well.

Find the resources and links mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Southern Currents: Appalachia In Recovery Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

In this Southern Currents episode, Bill traveled back to Southern Appalachia early in the spring, just months after Hurricane Helene, to trace the impacts of a storm that has reshaped the region’s communities and forests hundreds of miles inland. We sit down with longtime conservation allies, Josh Kelly of MountainTrue, Ben Prater of Defenders of Wildlife, Sam Evans of the Southern Environmental Law Center, and later Jill Gottesman of The Wilderness Society, to reflect on what recovery really looks like. The conversation moves from personal stories of evacuations, power outages, and neighbors sharing water, to bigger questions about resilience, both human and ecological.

Find the resources and links mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.