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Welcome to the WCS Wild Audio podcast, where you will find reported audio stories covering the latest news and newsmakers from the Wildlife Conservation Society's field sites, zoos and aquarium, and conservation partners. www.wcs.org Executive Producer, Co-Host, Reporter: Nat Moss Associate Producer, Co-Host, Audio Engineer: Hannah Kaplan Web Producer: Dan Rosen

Wildlife Conservation Society


    • Apr 17, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 7m AVG DURATION
    • 111 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from WCS Wild Audio

    S6 E4: This Earth Day, Working to Save the Heart of the Wild

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2025 8:39


    As Earth Day turns 55 this year, it seemed like a good moment to reflect on WCS's mission to protect wildlife and wild places. Why does the protection of biodiversity carry with it so many other benefits for people and the planet? What are the approaches that work and what are the challenges? And what can the average person do to make it a priority in their lives? WCS Wild Audio knew just the right person to ask.   Reporting: Nat Moss Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Bennett  

    S6 E3: Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant & Peter Gros of NBC's Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Host “Family Day” at the REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival, April 5

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 9:18


    In Part 3 of our series featuring the inaugural REEL WILD New York Film Festival, which launches in New York City this week, we talk to the hosts of the popular television series Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom “Protecting the Wild.” They'll be on hand for the screening of several of the show's episodes in an exciting and inviting family-friendly program on Saturday, April 5.    Reporting: Nat Moss Guests: Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, Peter Gros To learn more about the festival and purchase tickets, go to https://www.wcs.org/reelwild

    S6 E2 Stories That Inspire, Films That Matter | REEL WILD NY Film Festival

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2025 8:08


    In the second episode of our three-part series on WCS's REEL WILD New York Film Festival, we go behind the scenes to uncover the inspiration behind this inaugural event celebrating remarkable filmmakers and extraordinary wildlife stories from around the globe.    From Namibia's resilient desert lions to a massive annual walrus gathering in the Russian Arctic, this year's lineup aims not only to captivate audiences but also to spark meaningful conservation action. Hannah Kaplan has this report.   Get your tickets for The REEL WILD™ NEW YORK Film Festival: reelwild.org   Reporting: Hannah Kaplan Guests: Natalie Cash, John Calvelli 

    S6 E1: Oscar-Nominated Documentary “Haulout” Comes to the First Annual REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2025 9:53


    This spring, the inaugural WCS-curated REEL WILD New York Film Festival comes to Manhattan. Taking place April 4-5, this two-day event showcases award-winning natural history films and offers a unique chance to hear directly from the filmmakers and experts behind the stories. In the first of a 3-part series on the festival, we look at one of those films, the 2022 Oscar-nominated documentary “Haulout,” which explores the impact of climate change on walrus habitat in the Arctic.   Reporting: Nat Moss Guests: Evgenia Arbugaeva, Martin Robards, Jonathan Slaght, Natalie Cash   Learn more about the festival and purchase tickets at: https://www.wcs.org/reelwild. [Parts of this episode originally aired in March 2023.]

    S5 E13: An Impactful Partnership That's Helping Save Snakebite Victims

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2025 5:48


    The Bronx Zoo's Herpetology Team cares for a number of venomous snakes at the zoo's World of Reptiles. As professionals, they know what they're doing. Just in case, though, the zoo team keeps antivenom on site and a thorough plan in place to address any potential emergencies. Fortunately, it hasn't been needed any time in recent memory. Instead, that antivenom, and the team, are helping to save lives outside the zoo through an impactful partnership with nearby NYC Health and Hospitals–Jacobi. Reporting: Dan Rosen Guests: Kevin Torregrosa, Dr. Joshua Z. Silverberg

    S5 E12: The Mongolian Khulan | Nomads on the Edge

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 6:36


    The khulan - a species of wild equid - is a true nomad, covering distances unmatched by any other land mammal. Yet, their survival in Mongolia's harsh Gobi desert is a constant battle. Populations already strained by overhunting and harsh winters – exacerbated by climate change – are now facing a growing threat from rapid road and railway construction, which fragments the landscape and cuts them off from essential resources. Now, WCS is developing innovative solutions that benefit both this vital species and the local communities that share its habitat. WCS wishes to thank Cartier for Nature for their invaluable support of WCS Mongolia's efforts with local communities.  To learn more about Cartier for Nature visit cartierfornature.org.We also extend our deepest gratitude to Fondation Segré for their commitment to khulan conservation in Mongolia.  To learn more about Fondation Segré, visit fondationsegre.org.Reporting: Hannah KaplanGuests: Buuveibaatar Bayarbaatar, Bayarmaa Chuluunbat, Batbayar Galtbalt

    S5 E11: An Update on Avian Influenza

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2025 6:08


    Highly pathogenic avian influenza is having an unprecedented and devastating impact on wildlife. We have the latest on its path and where it may be headed, including whether or not it could pose an even bigger threat to humans.Reporting: Dan RosenGuest: Dr. Christian Walzer

    S5 E10: Protecting the Protectors | The Crucial Support Behind Conservation's Frontline Heroes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2025 10:37


    Rangers are the frontline guardians of conservation efforts, regularly putting their physical and mental health at risk to protect our planet. But they can't do it alone—they need more support and resources to stay safe and effective in their vital work.  That's where URSA, the Universal Ranger Support Alliance—which supports the International Ranger Federation and counts WCS among its members—steps in to ensure they get the backing they deserve. Visit wcs.org and ursa4rangers.org to learn more.Reporting: Hannah KaplanGuests: Alexa Montefiore, Rohit Singh, Yahaira Urbina

    S5 E9: Miamba Yetu | Incentivizing Investment to Protect Climate-Resilient Coral Reefs in East Africa

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 9:35


    Roughly 90 percent of coral reefs globally face collapse by 2050 due to human activity. At the same time, close to a quarter of all marine life is found in coral reef ecosystems, which support some one billion of the world's population. Miamba Yetu is a creative new financing mechanism designed to help protect coral reefs off the coasts of Kenya and Tanzania that are resilient to climate change, while supporting the communities that depend on them. Reporting: Nat MossGuests: Fahd Al-Guthmy, Ray Victurine, Evelyn Namvua

    S5 E8: Chile's Karukinka Natural Park Turns 20, Part 2: An Extraordinary Gift for Conservation from Goldman Sachs

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2024 18:56


    In 2004, the investment bank and financial services firm Goldman Sachs came into possession of a group of distressed assets that included a 680,000-acre parcel of land at the bottom of South America. In Part 2 of our celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Chile's Karukinka Natural Park, we dive into the exceptional story of how Goldman came to gift this pristine landscape to WCS for conservation.  Reporting: Nat MossGuests: Bob Christie, John Calvelli, Larry Linden, Kent Redford, Steven Sanderson  WCS wishes to acknowledge the important contributions of the following individuals to the successful transfer of land from Goldman Sachs to the Wildlife Conservation Society for the creation of the Karukinka Natural Park in Tierra del Fuego, Chile: Chris Austin, Kathy Barclay, John Bryan, Norman Christensen, Bob Christie, Dale Cooney, Brad D Gillman, Max Gitter, Salman Kahn, Nico Kogan, Adam Levine, Larry Linden, Kim Maxfield, John O'Leary, Kevin Padrick, Hank Paulson, Juan Robayo, John F.W. Rogers, Peter Rose, Jed Schaefer, Don Stern, Doug Tompkins, Kris Tompkins.

    S5 E7: Chile's Karukinka Natural Park Turns 20, Part 1: How a Conservation Commitment Blossomed in Tierra del Fuego

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2024 14:10


    The 300,000-hectare Karukinka Natural Park was created in 2004 after land in Chilean Tierra del Fuego was donated to the Wildlife Conservation Society by Goldman Sachs. As the park celebrates its 20th anniversary, we begin a two-part series on how its establishment helped to spur both the development of an ambitious WCS Country Program in Chile and the expansion of the country's national conservation efforts. Reporting: Nat MossGuests: Bárbara Saavedra, Melissa Carmody, Rodrigo Munzenmayer

    S5 E6: This Bat Week, a Promising Solution to a Scourge Devastating North America's Bat Populations

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2024 6:14


    It's Bat Week. White-nose syndrome is a deadly fungus that's wiping out bats across North America. New research makes the case that it's having a direct negative impact on human health, too. WCS Canada has an innovative solution to address the problem.  Reporting: Dan RosenGuest: Cori Lausen

    S5 E5: The U.S. Government's Role at CBD COP16

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2024 5:55


    The United States is one of only two UN Member States that is actually not a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Back in the 1990s, the Senate failed to ratify the treaty. But, when the parties meet in Colombia next week at COP16, the U.S. is expected to have a significant presence. Over the years, the U.S. government has been successful at driving ambition in policy, action, and nature finance pledges. In our 3rd episode exploring the themes of the coming CBD COP, Wild Audio checked in with WCS Executive Director of Federal Affairs & Policy Kelly Keenan Aylward to learn more.Reporting: Dan RosenGuest: Kelly Keenan Aylward

    S5 E4: In Colombia, Making “Peace with Nature”

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2024 10:14


    Cali, Colombia will soon play host to the biennial gathering of parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The theme of this important international meeting will be “Peace with Nature.” WCS will have a significant delegation on the ground.For our 2nd episode highlighting the CBD's 16th Conference of the Parties, or COP, WCS Wild Audio caught up with a few critical members of that delegation to hear their thoughts on the coming meeting and what WCS's priorities will be.  Reporting: Nat MossGuests: Susan Lieberman, Catalina Gutierrez, Jose Luis Gomez

    S5 E3: The Global Conservation Community Prepares for Action on Biodiversity Protection in Colombia

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2024 8:21


    The 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity—or CBD COP16—convenes in Cali, Colombia beginning on October 21. More than 14,000 participants are expected to attend, representing national governments, NGOs, Indigenous groups, the private sector, and others.In the first of a three-part series on the coming COP, WCS Wild Audio spoke with CBD Deputy Executive Secretary David Cooper to learn more about what brings the conservation community to Latin America and what they hope to achieve there.  Reporting: Nat MossGuest: David Cooper

    S5 E2: New York Climate Week, Part 2 | Investing in Healthy Forests for People and the Planet

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2024 7:51


    In Part 2 of our podcast series exploring the themes of New York Climate Week, we look at a new initiative being piloted by the WCS Forests and Climate Change program to attract investment in large tropical areas with healthy ecosystems. The High Integrity Forest Investment Initiative, or HIFOR, provides a novel approach to compensate nature and its protectors for the services they provide.  Reporting: Nat MossGuests: Ashley Camhi, Tom Evans

    S5 E1: New York Climate Week, Part 1 | How Ecological Restoration and Innovation are Restoring Forests and Reconnecting Landscapes

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2024 8:28


    Season 5 of the WCS Wild Audio podcast begins with a two-part series looking to NY Climate Week, which runs during the US General Assembly this month. For Part 1, we explore how WCS is focusing on ecological restoration, transforming degraded lands into thriving habitats with the collaboration of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and innovative tools enabling real-time tracking of conservation progress. Hannah Kaplan explores how restoration, technology, and community partnerships are shaping a sustainable future. Reporting: Hannah Kaplan Guests: Tim Rayden, Diane Detoeuf, Itma Selene Torres Rodríguez

    WCS Wild Audio Summer Series, Part 6: Reducing Single-Use Plastics from Our Waste Stream to Protect Marine Wildlife and the Planet

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2024 7:56


    The world produces over 400 metric tons of plastic every year today. Single-use plastics—from utensils and straws to soda bottles and packaging—enter our waste stream at an alarming rate. Less than 10 percent of all plastic is recycled.For Part 6—and the final episode—of our summer series on marine conservation, we investigate the impact of plastic pollution on marine life and steps being taken to reduce single-use plastic consumption at WCS and its home in New York City.  Reporting: Nat MossGuests: Margaret Spring, Niko Radjenovic, Greg Edgar, Chris DurosinmiToday's episode of WCS Wild Audio is brought to you by our partners at Armitron. Armitron aims to bring awareness and inspire action to help protect marine ecosystems around the world, particularly as it pertains to single-use plastics. Armitron's ocean plastic watches, the Wave and Reef Collections, are crafted from recycled ocean-bound plastic, blending eco-consciousness with impeccable design.

    WCS Wild Audio Summer Series, Part 5: Turns Out the World's Second-Largest Animal is Found Off the Big Apple All Year Round

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2024 5:52


    The waters off New York City are some of the busiest in the world with both ships and marine life. In fact, new research co-authored by WCS shows that fin whales can be found in these waters all 12 months. And that has important conservation implications.Reporting: Dan RosenGuests: Carissa King-Nolan, Dr. Melinda Rekdahl

    WCS Wild Audio Summer Series, Part 4: Can We Ride the Wave of Momentum in Time to Help Sharks?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2024 5:32


    As top predators, sharks help maintain healthy and productive ocean ecosystems. They also play important roles in coastal livelihoods and food security through fisheries and tourism. But time is running out to save them says Luke Warwick, Director of the WCS Sharks & Rays program. In Part 4 of our WCS Wild Audio marine-themed Summer Series, Luke argues that we must turn recent international policy progress into concrete results to protect these vulnerable species.To learn more about WCS's shark and ray conservation efforts, follow this link.Reporting: Dan RosenGuest: Luke Warwick

    WCS Wild Audio Summer Series, Part 3: Too Important to Fail | Community Fisheries' Critical Role in Marine Conservation

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2024 8:29


    Small Scale fisheries are the cornerstone of livelihoods and economies across the world, providing essential micronutrients to more than 4 billion people. What's more, they also employ over 150 million people in the industry, the majority of whom live in the Global South, and are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In Part 3 of our marine-themed summer series, Wild Audio's Hannah Kaplan talks to WCS's Hoyt Peckham, Director of Community fisheries, who manages a team supporting 30 Country programs as they work to achieve a more sustainable and equitable approach to managing our marine resources.Reporting: Hannah KaplanGuest: Hoyt Peckham

    WCS Wild Audio Summer Series, Part 2: The Edge of Known Things | Will Hudson Canyon Be Named a National Marine Sanctuary?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2024 8:16


    “With all this strangeness, there is also beauty beyond words.” That's how the famous scientist and explorer William Beebe described an underwater marvel off the coast of New York and New Jersey in the late 1920s. In Part 2 of our marine-themed summer series, we return to the Hudson Canyon, which has been nominated as a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary. As WCS Wild Audio's Dan Rosen learned from Noah Chesnin and Dr. Merry Camhi, there's still a lot we don't know about this massive canyon.  Reporting: Dan RosenGuests: Noah Chesnin, Merry Camhi

    WCS Wild Audio Summer Series, Part 1: Posing for the Iconic “Jaws” Poster | An Interview with Allison Maher Stern

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2024 8:31


    Season 4 of WCS Wild Audio is in the books. Today we begin a summer series highlighting marine conservation stories. First up, our interview with WCS Life Trustee Allison Maher Stern, who was the model for the swimmer in the famously provocative marketing campaign for Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster film Jaws.   While shark incidents with people are statistically very rare, each event understandably creates fear among beachgoers contemplating a swim in the ocean. Nothing has influenced the public's attitude toward sharks more than Jaws. WCS Wild Audio caught up with Allison to ask about her historic modeling job half a century ago and why sharks need our conservation support now more than ever.  Reporting: Nat MossGuest: Allison Maher Stern

    S4 E14: A Beautiful Tortoise Falls Victim to the Illegal Pet Trade

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2024 5:09


    Turtles and tortoises are facing extinction like few other species groups. Nearly half of the 300+ species are at risk. The international pet trade is a major reason why. WCS's Bronx Zoo, as a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is working to tackle the problem and the case of the radiated tortoise is a good example. Reporting: Dan RosenGuests: Kevin Torregrosa, Dr. Susie Bartlett

    S4 E13: How the American Bison Became the U.S. National Mammal

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2024 16:35


    Last week in Part 1 of our series on bison conservation, we explored the historical role that WCS and Indigenous and other partners played in helping to save the American bison from extinction and begin to restore this iconic species on tribal lands in the west. In Part 2, we look at how critical partnerships across lines of geography, culture, and politics helped to establish the bison as the national mammal of the United States.  Reporting: Nat MossGuests: Keith Aune, John Calvelli, Dave Carter, Jim Stone

    S4 E12: Restoring the Prairie's "Landscape Architects" to Their Rightful Home

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2024 13:33


    For millennia, tens of millions of bison roamed the plains of North America. By the end of the 19th century, westward expansion and overhunting at the hands of settlers had devastated these populations. The fate of one of the America's most iconic animals teetered on the edge of extinction. Hannah Kaplan looks at how collaboration between the Bronx Zoo, along with many other organizations and Indigenous Peoples, helped pull one of North America's most endangered species back from the brink. Reporting: Hannah KaplanGuests: Pat Thomas, Jason George, Madeleine Thompson

    S4 E11: World Oceans Day | Young Voices Are Speaking Out to Protect the Hudson Canyon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2024 5:37


    One of WCS's priorities is protecting an underwater marvel off the coast of New York and New Jersey. Along the way, the goal is to deepen the connection of the more than 28 million local residents to our treasured ocean resources. There are a number of voices contributing to the effort, including young people. Reporting: Dan RosenGuests: Leslieann Peers-Roman, Brynn HellerToday's World Oceans Day episode of WCS Wild Audio is brought to you by our partners at Armitron. Armitron aims to bring awareness and inspire action to help protect marine ecosystems around the world, particularly as it pertains to single-use plastics. Armitron's ocean plastic watches, the Wave and Reef Collections, are crafted from recycled ocean-bound plastic, blending eco-consciousness with impeccable design.

    S4 E10: Assessing the Challenges and Opportunities for Jaguar Conservation

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2024 12:22


    When the Cat Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, met in San Diego in 2019 they were keen to identify fresh insights in jaguar conservation. Delayed due to COVID, the effort got back on track in 2023 and this winter its findings were published. It seemed like a good moment to check in with some of WCS's leading jaguar conservationists to see how Latin America's biggest cat is faring.  Read the IUCN Cat Specialist Group jaguar status report HERE.Reporting: Nat MossGuests: Esteban Payan, Rob Wallace, Mariana da Silva

    Endangered Species Day Archive Episode: Why It Matters That So Many Species Are Vulnerable to Extinction

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2024 5:26


    This week for Endangered Species Day we revisit a report from a year ago by WCS Wild Audio's Dan Rosen with WCS Vice President for Species Conservation Elizabeth Bennett. The scale of the current species extinction crisis is dangerous and unprecedented, according to experts. Dan talks to Liz about why it demands our attention and what we can all do to stop it.Reporting: Dan RosenGuest: Elizabeth Bennett

    S4 E9: Empowering Fisherwomen in Belize's Marine Conservation Efforts

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2024 7:20


    WCS supports the government of Belize in the management of two marine reserves in Belize, protected by a dedicated team of local rangers and monitored by experienced local and international scientists.  Beyond preserving marine ecosystems, their focus extends to supporting the livelihoods of fishing communities there. Ralna Kay Lamb Lewis, WCS Belize's Assistant Director, says it's about ensuring that communities—especially women who have often been underrepresented—have the tools to manage resources, ensuring their own incomes and quality of life. Reporting: Hannah KaplanGuest: Ralna Kay Lamb Lewis

    S4 E8: Earth Day Inspiration from an African-Led Initiative in Southern Africa

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2024 4:44


    It's been over 50 years since the first Earth Day in 1970. As we commemorate this year's edition, says WCS's John Calvelli, there is a great deal of concern about our future. But there is also reason for optimism. One example comes from the Miombo Woodlands in Southern Africa. Reporting: Dan RosenGuest: John Calvelli

    S4 E7: Why Are the World's Foremost Tiger Conservationists Gathering in Bhutan?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2024 13:17


    April 22 is Earth Day, which could not be a more fitting occasion for conservationists, ministers, and development experts to gather in Bhutan hosted by the Royal Govt of Bhutan, under the Patronage of Her Majesty The Queen, Jetsun Pema Wangchuck. The goal: to develop a long-term plan for sustainable funding to protect tigers across their range.  To understand the stakes and the opportunity, we turned to several representatives of the global Tiger Conservation Coalition, which includes: the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), Fauna & Flora International (FFI), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Natural State, Panthera, TRAFFIC, the United Nations Development Programme (UNPD), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF), and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).  Reporting: Nat Moss  Guests: Stuart Chapman (WWF), John Goodrich (Panthera), Joob Jornburom (WCS), Phurba Lhendup (IUCN), Maxim Vergeichik (UNDP)  You can follow all the action in Bhutan on Monday, April 22 and Tuesday, April 23 at these streaming links (Bhutan time is GMT +6):  YouTubeDay 1 (April 22): https://youtube.com/live/UWHhgF0JttADay 2 (April 23): https://youtube.com/live/_3dQIcaW6DU   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1069989520755200/   

    S4 E6: Turns Out the World's Second-Largest Animal is Found Off the Big Apple All Year Round

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2024 5:52


    The waters off New York City are some of the busiest in the world with both ships and marine life. In fact, new research co-authored by WCS shows that fin whales can be found in these waters all 12 months. And that has important conservation implications.Reporting: Dan RosenGuests: Carissa King-Nolan, Dr. Melinda Rekdahl

    S4 E5: Climate Change and Bear Conservation in Mongolia Come Together in an Award-Winning New Documentary

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2024 8:32


    Winner of the Conservation Prize at this year's New York Wild Film Festival, Hamid Sardar's documentary film Mongolia: Valley of the Bears highlights a clash between the traditions of a nomadic community in northern Mongolia and one dedicated ranger's mission to conserve wildlife in the boreal “taiga.”Reporting: Nat MossGuest: Hamid Sardar

    S4 E4: Avian Influenza, Part 2 | Cambodia's Conservation Progress At Risk

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2024 9:15


    In the second episode of our two-part series on the current avian influenza crisis, WCS Wild Audio's Hannah Kaplan looks at the rise of this new, more deadly strain in domestic poultry farming. In places like Cambodia, such farms have become a breeding ground for the virus, and the last five years have seen a dramatic increase in rates of infection of wild birds that share the same habitats.  Meanwhile, scientists continue to track the growing threat to mammals, with the recent transmission to dairy cows in the US causing new concerns of potential new spillover to wildlife and people.Reporting: Hannah KaplanGuests: Dr Emily Denstedt and Robert Tizard

    S4 E3: Avian Influenza Part 1 | A Deadly Virus Spills Over to Mammals 

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2024 10:37


     WCS's Global Health team has been closely watching the spread of avian influenza—first as it decimated populations of bird species around the world, and more recently when it jumped to mammals. In this two-part series, we look at the potentially devastating impacts of this growing wildlife pandemic and what is being done to slow its spread.Reporter: Hannah KaplanGuests: Dr Christian Walzer, Dr Paulo Colchao

    S4 E2: Protecting WCS's Film History to Inform Its Conservation Future

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2024 8:34


    Film Archivist Leopold Krist has been steeped in a century's worth of WCS history as he catalogues and digitizies historic archive films documenting conservation work globally, and across New York's zoos and aquariums.  Thanks to funding from the Leon Levy Foundation, which allowed WCS to create the Shelby White and Leon Levy WCS Archives Film Initiative, he is preserving footage of everything from studies of biomechanics of crabs, to the growth of the Bronx Zoo, to polar research expeditions. To see the full catalogue of films, launching in Spring 2024, visit https://library.wcs.org/ Reporting: Hannah KaplanGuest: Leopold Krist

    S4 E1: The United Nations Development Programme Has a Nature Pledge

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2024 10:06


    The United Nations Development Programme, or UNDP, works in 170 countries and territories around the world to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. Not surprisingly, that work aligns in a variety of ways with nature conservation. Leading the UNDP's Nature Hub is Midori Paxton. WCS Wild Audio checked in with her to discuss the work of the hub and the implementation of its Nature Pledge. Reporting: Nat MossGuest: Midori Paxton

    Get Ready for Season 4 of the Award-Winning WCS Wild Audio Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2024 2:57


    WCS Wild Audio returns for its 4th season on March 6 with a conversation with Midori Paxton, who heads the Nature Hub for the United Nations Development Programme. During our break, we were thrilled to receive the Audience Honor in both the Podcasts and the Conservation & Preservation categories, and the juried Gold Honor in the Conservation & Preservation category, of the Shorty Impact Awards, which recognize short form digital content for a better world. As we look to the launch of a new season, check out these highlights from Season 3. You can hear all of our previous episodes at this site and, as always, thanks for listening!

    WCS Wild Audio Returns March 6 with Season 4

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2024 2:32


    Thanks for joining us for Season 3 of the WCS Wild Audio podcast. We'll be back in a couple weeks with Season 4, featuring all new stories from the Wildlife Conservation Society's global conservation program, zoos and aquarium, and conservation partners. In the meantime, here are some highlights from our recent conversations with WCS staff and colleagues working across the planet to protect wildlife and wild places.

    Special Episode: The Push to Unite the Amazon Basin Around a Pair of Catfish Species

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2024 6:11


    Many people think of the Amazon as this vast, highly intact tropical forest, but it is also the largest freshwater system in the world. It's the most biologically diverse place on Earth. Home to hundreds of Indigenous Peoples and traditional cultures. And also, two important species of catfish. Those will be up for discussion at the upcoming Convention on Migratory Species meeting. This is a special episode of the WCS Wild Audio podcast. We'll be back soon with our 4th season.Reporting: Dan Rosen, Hannah KaplanGuests: Mariana Montoya, Susan Lieberman

    Special Episode: Assessing the Stakes of the UN Climate Conference | A Conversation with WCS President and CEO Monica Medina

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2023 9:44


    This week representatives from across the globe are gathering in Dubai for the 28th Conference of the Parties, or COP, of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Wildlife Conservation Society will have a large delegation attending. They're focused on issues essential to addressing the climate crisis that range from preserving ecological integrity to the empowerment of Indigenous peoples. WCS President and CEO Monica Medina leads the delegation and spoke with Wild Audio for this report. Reporting: Nat MossGuest: Monica Medina

    S3 E6 (Redux): Posing for the Iconic “Jaws” Poster | An Interview with Allison Maher Stern

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2023 8:37


    This week word came of the sad passing of multi-talented illustrator Roger Kastel, whose painting for the cover of the paperback edition of Peter Benchley's “Jaws” would go on to become the image for the movie poster—one of the most iconic images in film history. This summer WCS Wild Audio had a chance to sit down with Allison Maher Stern, the model for that painting. She discusses the process for developing that famous image, working with Kastel, and her growing involvement in the wildlife conservation field.Reporting: Nat MossGuest: Allison Maher Stern

    From the Vault, Season 3: Hand Raising Scarlet Macaws in Guatemala

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2023 5:04


    The 5 Great Forests from Mexico to Colombia contain 7.5 percent of the world's biodiversity and support five million people. One of the iconic species there is the scarlet macaw. In Guatemala, protecting these bright red birds from habitat destruction and poaching for the pet trade is a major challenge. As Wild Audio's Dan Rosen discovered in this episode from our 3rd season, the WCS Guatemala team has taken an interesting approach.Reporting: Dan RosenGuests: Rony Garcia, Gabriela Ponce Santizo, Jeremy Radachowsky

    From the Vault, Season 2: When Pandas Skirted the Pearl Harbor Attack and other Stories from the WCS Library & Archives

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2023 9:11


    The bad news: WCS Wild Audio Season 3 has concluded. The good news: we have many great past espisodes to share as we prepare Season 4. In this episode we spoke to WCS Library and Archives Direct Madeleine Thompson to hear how she and her team are working to preserve a rich and dynamic history.Learn more about the WCS Library and Archives at library.wcs.org. You can purchase mugs, t-shirts, hats, pillows, shower curtains, and other items with illustrations from the WCS Department of Tropical Research at the WCS Archive Red Bubble online shop: www.redbubble.com/people/wcs-archives/shop.Reporting: Nat MossGuest: Madeleine Thompson

    S3 E14: Confronting the Illegal Trade of Mexican Spider Monkeys into the United States

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2023 7:02


    For too many species, the rise of social media has created a growing market for the illegal smuggling and possession of wildlife. In the case of the Mexican spider monkey, whose status is Endangered on the Red List of threatened species maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the growth of the illegal pet trade into the United States has reached a crisis point. WCS Wild Audio wanted to find out what's driving this trade and how conservationists are responding.Reporting: Nat MossGuest: Keith Lovett

    From the Vault, Season 2: Inside the Largest Global Conservation Hub in the World: The Cambridge Conservation Initiative

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2023 8:26


    At the heart of the University of Cambridge sits a collaborative center which is changing the way that organizations and academic institutions work together to address immediate environmental challenges. The Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI) is an innovative approach, bringing together 11 leading NGOs and world-class researchers in one creative hub. It's mission? To change how we approach science-based conservation models.Hannah Kaplan spoke to Executive Director of CCI, Dr Mike Maunder, to learn more.To learn more about CCI, visit www.cambridgeconservation.org

    S3 E13: A Bold Bipartisan Initiative to Leverage Public-Private Finance for Conservation

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2023 7:36


    Protected and conserved areas across the globe safeguard critical biodiversity, contribute to local economies, and support U.S. development and foreign policy objectives. But too often they are underfunded. Making its way through the congress now is a bill that would leverage U.S. funding with philanthropic contributions to provide sustainable financing for protected areas. In this episode we hear from WCS's John Calvelli and two Senate allies to learn more. Reporting: Nat MossGuests: John Calvelli, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham

    S3 E12: Pathogen Spillover and the Bigger Public Health Picture in Alaska

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2023 7:52


    WCS researchers are embarking on a two-year study of Covid transmission in Alaskan wildlife. Working closely with Indigenous Communities, the team is on a mission to better understand the overlap between human, environmental, and animal health. In doing so, they can get a better sense of the “big picture” of how pathogens develop, jump between species and ultimately, how we can avoid the next global pandemic. Reporting: Hannah KaplanGuest: Sarah Olson

    From the Vault, Season 2: Working with Local Communities to Stem the Tide of Latin America's Illegal Jaguar Trade

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2023 8:46


    Jaguars are the Americas' mightiest big cat, with roughly 150,000 of this extraordinary species scattered across its range from southern Arizona to northern Argentina. Today they face a growing threat from the illegal wildlife trade in their teeth, skin, and other parts. Wild Audio recently spoke to Kurt Duchez, the Counter-Wildlife Trafficking Officer for the WCS Mesoamerica region, to learn about the scope of the problem and what can be done to confront it.Reporting: Nat MossGuest: Kurt Duchez

    S3 E11: Too Important to Fail: Community Fisheries' Critical Role in Marine Conservation | An Interview with Dr Hoyt Peckham

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2023 8:29


    Small Scale fisheries are the cornerstone of livelihoods and economies across the world, providing essential micronutrients to more than 4 billion people. What's more, they also employ over 150 million people in the industry, the majority of whom live in the Global South, and are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Wild Audio's Hannah Kaplan sat down with WCS's Hoyt Peckham, Director of Community fisheries, who manages a team supporting 30 Country programs as they work to achieve a more sustainable and equitable approach to managing our marine resources. Keep an eye out for additional WCS Wild Audio stories about sustainable fisheries, with insights and solutions from the communities who manage them, in Season 4.Reporting: Hannah KaplanGuest: Hoyt Peckham

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