WILDERNESS AND WILDLIFE

Alissa talks about the research she did in Glacier National Park, studying lynx behavior. Support the show

This is Part 2 of George's narrative of running the Ivishak River in AlaskaSupport the show

George recounts his experience kayaking the Ivishak River in Alaska, summer 2024Support the show

Tom is a member of the Blackfoot Nation located in northern Montana. Tom works out of Washington, D. C. as a lobbyist on behalf of many tribes and focuses on environmental issues. This is Part 2 of an interview broadcast earlier. Support the show

Dr. Alston talks about his extensive experience in the region known as the Sonoran Desert - and of the various forms of wildlife that are unique to this part of the U.S. Part 2.Support the show

Tom Rodgers represents tribal positions in Washington, D.C. focusing on environmental & most notably wildlife issues. In this interview, Tom talks about the various issues of concern to tribes and his activity to work with Congressional representatives to achieve tribal objectives. Support the show

The Sonoran desert of the American Southwest has its own unique ecosystem with its own assortment of wildlife. Dr. Alston talks about his studies and research in this past of the country. Part 1Support the show

Dorothy is a veteran of conservation efforts in Montana, enjoying successes and enduring defeats. In this interview, she talks about her experiences and about the difficult situation Montana is facing with a Governor wo breaks the law to shoot what he wants, a legislature that seems hostile to wildlife conservation, and a pair of Congressional Representatives who are aligned with the Governor. Support the show

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has plans to reintroduce Grizzly bears to the Cascade Mountains in Washington state - and Wayne, as a USFWS officer is involved in that process. In this interview, he discusses how and when that will be done - and what it will mean for the North Cascades ecosystem. Support the show

Karen Frits is the Wildlife Conservation Officer for the Humane Society of the U.S. and discusses the HUS policy re: wildlife and what it does to abolish wildlife capture and killing contests as well as the use of snares and traps. Support the show

Rick is retired from the University of Alaska as a Marine Biologist and has been involved in the cleanup of the Exxon oil spill since the beginning. He talks about the lasting impact of that disaster and the prognosis for the time ahead. Support the show

Rick is retired from the University of Alaska and a marine wildlife specialist, working in Alaska. He has been involved in the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup and reports on its current status. Part 1.Support the show

Karen Garthwait is Acting Public Affairs Specialist for Canyonlands. Karen has been an Interpretation park ranger with the NPS since 2004 and stationed here in Moab for 18 years, starting out as a Park Guide giving walks and talks, then supervising Park Guide teams and interns, and now overseeing the park's media work and exhibit projects. Canyonlands National Park is in Southeastern Utah. Established in 1964, it preserves over 500 square miles of high-desert country through which flow the Green & Colorado rivers.  This is Part 2 of a one-hour interview.Support the Show.

Karen Garthwait, is Acting Public Affairs Specialist for Canyonlands. Karen has been an Interpretation park ranger with the NPS since 2004 and stationed here in Moab for 18 years, starting out as a Park Guide giving walks and talks, then supervising Park Guide teams and interns, and now overseeing the park's media work and exhibit projects. Canyonlands National Park is in Southeastern Utah. Established in 1964, it preserves over 500 square miles of high-desert country through which flow the Green & Colorado rivers.  Support the Show.

Denver Holt is Founder & President of Owl Research Institute in Charlo, Montana, about 20 miles south of Flathead Lake. Today, it is one of the premier owl research centers in the world. Denver has published numerous scientific papers and is a widely published author who has been featured in many articles from National Geographic to the New York Times, as well as in many television programs. He has educated and entertained people from all walks of life.  This the the second half of our one hour interview. Support the Show.

Denver Holt is Founder & President of Owl Research Institute in Charlo, Montana, about 20 miles south of Flathead Lake. Today, it is one of the premier owl research centers in the world. Denver has published numerous scientific papers and is a widely published author who has been featured in many articles from National Geographic to the New York Times, as well as in many television programs. He has educated and entertained people from all walks of life.   Support the Show.

Ryan Trimbath, a Biologist at Cuyahoga Valley National Park where he has worked for the last eight years. Prior to working for the NPS, Ryan got a degree in Wildlife & Conservation Biology from Ohio University (2007) then traveled around the country working as a field biologist on various research projects. During this time, he honed his skills as a field biologist and pursued his interests in forest and avian ecology. Ryan has the honor of being the only Ornithologist to ever hold a living Northern Parula x Cerulean Warbler hybrid which he discovered at Deep Lock Quarry in 2014, with a second bird found at Oak Hill in 2015. You can read more about this discovery in the Wilson Journal of Ornithology “Evidence for hybridization between Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) and Cerulean warbler (S. cerulea)” (Trimbath et al. 2019).Support the show

Ryan Trimbath, a Biologist at Cuyahoga Valley National Park where he has worked for the last eight years. Prior to working for the NPS, Ryan got a degree in Wildlife & Conservation Biology from Ohio University (2007) then traveled around the country working as a field biologist on various research projects. During this time, he honed his skills as a field biologist and pursued his interests in forest and avian ecology. Ryan has the honor of being the only Ornithologist to ever hold a living Northern Parula x Cerulean Warbler hybrid which he discovered at Deep Lock Quarry in 2014, with a second bird found at Oak Hill in 2015. You can read more about this discovery in the Wilson Journal of Ornithology “Evidence for hybridization between Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) and Cerulean warbler (S. cerulea)” (Trimbath et al. 2019).Support the show

Jay interviews Jihadda Govan, the Monument Manager of Sand to Snow National Monument in Southern California which encompasses 154,000 acres and is co-managed by the Bureau of Land Management (83,000 acres) and U.S. Forest Service (71,000 acres). Jihadda holds a bachelor's degree from California Polytechnic University, Humboldt, where she studied wildlife management with an emphasis in ornithology, botany, and environmental planning. She grew up in the Pasadena/Altadena areas, where she spent time hiking and exploring in the San Gabriel Mountains which sparked her love of the outdoors. Jihadda has previously worked as a wildland firefighter, wildlife biologist, and wildlife refuge and preserve manager.Support the show

Jay talks to Jessica Karjala about Footloose Montana and her efforts to end trapping in Montana. Mrs. Karjala served in the Montana Legislature in the House of Representatives for 8 years. The first bill she sponsored defined capture, spay/neuter, return programs from trapping, and Footloose Montana supported the bill. She fought alongside other Democrats against legislation to increase wolf quotas, bills to allow silencers on rifles when hunting, spotlight hunting, hound hunting, to name a few. At the end of her first term, Jessica was selected by House leadership to represent Montana at the National Conference of State Legislatures at a National Summit. In her 3rd session, Jessica passed legislation to appropriate millions of dollars to provide grant funding for suicide prevention for which she was honored alongside Senator Tester with the Impact Award by the Montana Conference on Suicide Prevention. Jessica was also selected as one of 20 lawmakers nationwide to participate in a fellowship with The Lawmaker Network. Prior to serving in the Legislature Jessica worked in the finance and investment industry, as a small business owner, and in the nonprofit sector. Jessica has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Montana with minor studies in Spanish and Nonprofit Administration. She resides in the Bitterroot Valley with her husband and 2 dogs who all hope to live within the city of Missoula within the next year. Jessica enjoys spending time with her daughters, stepsons, and grandson and enjoys hiking, camping, floating and skiing.Support the show

Jay is joined by Rick McIntyre, a Wolf Researcher in Yellowstone National Park. No one has spent more time observing and documenting wild wolves than retired National Park Ranger Rick McIntyre, who has watched wolves in America's national parks for more than forty years—twenty-six of those years in Yellowstone, where he has accumulated over 100,000 sightings. McIntyre is the author of the ongoing “Alpha Wolves of Yellowstone” series, including The Rise of Wolf 8, The Reign of Wolf 21, The Redemption of Wolf 302, and the just published Alpha Female Wolf. He is currently at work on a fifth book titled Thinking Like A Wolf, due out in October 2024. He is the recipient of numerous book awards, including an Amazon Best Science Book of the Year. He lives in Silver Gate, Montana, just outside of the NE Park entrance.Support the show

Jay is joined by Rick McIntyre, a Wolf Researcher in Yellowstone National Park. No one has spent more time observing and documenting wild wolves than retired National Park Ranger Rick McIntyre, who has watched wolves in America's national parks for more than forty years—twenty-six of those years in Yellowstone, where he has accumulated over 100,000 sightings. McIntyre is the author of the ongoing “Alpha Wolves of Yellowstone” series, including The Rise of Wolf 8, The Reign of Wolf 21, The Redemption of Wolf 302, and the just published Alpha Female Wolf. He is currently at work on a fifth book titled Thinking Like A Wolf, due out in October 2024. He is the recipient of numerous book awards, including an Amazon Best Science Book of the Year. He lives in Silver Gate, Montana, just outside of the NE Park entrance.Support the show

Michael Kellett is the co-founder and Executive Director of RESTORE: The North Woods. Michael has over 35 years of experience in the land conservation movement. In 1994, he wrote the first white paper proposing a 3.2 million-acre Maine Woods National Park & Preserve, and has been actively involved in efforts to restore the endangered wildlife such as the eastern wolf, Atlantic salmon, and Canada lynx; to protect federal and state public lands from unsustainable logging and development; and to revive the national parks movement. From 1986 to 1992, he was the Northeast Director and Michigan Representative of The Wilderness Society, where he helped to pass national forest wilderness and national recreation area legislation and developed a proposal for a Maine Woods National Reserve. Michael has served on the board of American Lands Alliance, Thoreau Country Conservation Alliance, Thoreau Farm Trust, and Walden Forever Wild. He has visited 258 National Park System units across America. He lives in Lincoln, Massachusetts.Support the show

Michael Kellett is the co-founder and Executive Director of RESTORE: The North Woods. Michael has over 35 years of experience in the land conservation movement. In 1994, he wrote the first white paper proposing a 3.2 million-acre Maine Woods National Park & Preserve, and has been actively involved in efforts to restore the endangered wildlife such as the eastern wolf, Atlantic salmon, and Canada lynx; to protect federal and state public lands from unsustainable logging and development; and to revive the national parks movement. From 1986 to 1992, he was the Northeast Director and Michigan Representative of The Wilderness Society, where he helped to pass national forest wilderness and national recreation area legislation and developed a proposal for a Maine Woods National Reserve. Michael has served on the board of American Lands Alliance, Thoreau Country Conservation Alliance, Thoreau Farm Trust, and Walden Forever Wild. He has visited 258 National Park System units across America. He lives in Lincoln, Massachusetts.Support the show

Amy Lewis is Chief Executive Officer of the WILD Foundation. For more than two decades Amy has worked as a social movement scholar and practitioner in the environmental and human rights sectors. In 2015, she brought a unique, social science approach to the WILD Foundation, first as its development officer, and later as its vice president of policy and communications, adding to her existing knowledge and insights about building effective social movements while working on wilderness policy processes in places as far-flung as India and China and as close-to-home as the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. Amy is committed to building global support for the protection of Half of Earth's lands and seas while also strengthening and expanding the land tenure of Indigenous Peoples, nature's best guardians.Support the show

Amy Lewis is Chief Executive Officer of the WILD Foundation. For more than two decades Amy has worked as a social movement scholar and practitioner in the environmental and human rights sectors. In 2015, she brought a unique, social science approach to the WILD Foundation, first as its development officer, and later as its vice president of policy and communications, adding to her existing knowledge and insights about building effective social movements while working on wilderness policy processes in places as far-flung as India and China and as close-to-home as the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. Amy is committed to building global support for the protection of Half of Earth's lands and seas while also strengthening and expanding the land tenure of Indigenous Peoples, nature's best guardians.Support the show

Erin is Executive Director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association and a trained marine biologist. She. continues her very informative discussion of the marine life found in the Salish Sea and the regulations whale watchers much observe. Support the show

Eric talks about seeing Orcas, Humpback Whales and other marine animals in the Salish Sea, NW of Seattle - and the regulations regarding whale watching. A very informative program: a two-part interviewSupport the show

Jay is joined by Maureen McGee-Bollinger and Blake McGann, officials at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. They discuss the park, its features, and its management.Audio PlayerSupport the show

Jay does a two-part interview with Myles Traphagen, the Borderlands Program Coordinator for the Wildlands Network. Myles keeps tabs on the Border Wall that has been partially completed along the 1954 border with Mexico. In these two interviews, he talks about the consequences in the region of the Border Wall and its effects on wildlife and plant life all along the border – and the efforts of Wildlands Network and other allied NGOs, tribal groups and communities to reverse these effects.Support the show

Jay does a two-part interview with Myles Traphagen, the Borderlands Program Coordinator for the Wildlands Network. Myles keeps tabs on the Border Wall that has been partially completed along the 1954 border with Mexico. In these two interviews, he talks about the consequences in the region of the Border Wall and its effects on wildlife and plant life all along the border – and the efforts of Wildlands Network and other allied NGOs, tribal groups and communities to reverse these effects. This is Part 1.Audio PlayerSupport the show

ay has a two-part interview with Sean O'Brien, the CEO of NatureServe, based in Arlington, VA. NatureServ collects and monitors wildlife data all across the U.S. This is  Part 2Audio PlayerSupport the show

Jay has a two-part interview with Sean O'Brien, the CEO of NatureServe, based in Arlington, VA. NatureServ monitors data about wildlife all across the country. This is part 1.Support the show

Jay interviews Scott Anderson, a ranger in Rainier National Park. Scott is one of the park's biological science technicians. He graduated from the University of Washington and has since worked for the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service, the University of Washington, and the University of Oregon.Support the show

Jay is joined by George Nickas, policy coordinator for Wilderness Watch. George joined the organization in 1996. Prior to Wilderness Watch, George served 11 years as a natural resource specialist and assistant coordinator for the Utah Wilderness Association. George is regularly invited to make presentations at national wilderness conferences, agency training sessions, and other gatherings where wilderness protection is discussed. This is Part 2 of a September  interview. Support the show

Jay is joined by George Nickas, policy coordinator for Wilderness Watch. George joined the organization in 1996. Prior to Wilderness Watch, George served 11 years as a natural resource specialist and assistant coordinator for the Utah Wilderness Association. George is regularly invited to make presentations at national wilderness conferences, agency training sessions, and other gatherings where wilderness protection is discussed. This is Part 1 of a two-part interview series.Support the show

Jay talks today with Marianna Trevino Wright, Executive Director of the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas. Marianna Wright grew up at a time when Cabbage Whites and Coral snakes were commonplace in south Texas. She is fervent in her desire to protect the special creatures and features peculiar to that area near the Rio Grande. As executive director of the National Butterfly Center, on the U.S.-Mexico border, she currently manages almost 500 acres of land in restoration and preservation on behalf of the North American Butterfly Association. Her fierce determination to protect access to a once-vibrant recreational waterway and the only source of freshwater for 6 million people, along with public and private green space, threatened and endangered species, and the integrity of a critical migration corridor were recognized by the Defenders of Wildlife with their Spirit of Defenders Award for Conservation Advocacy. A graduate of Columbia University and mother of six, she seeks to preserve the beauty and diversity of this land for generations to come. Support the show

George Wuerthner, ecologist, writer and photographer, and former hunting guide, has just returned from an exploratory trip to Alaska, checking out a proposed mining development project and road near the Kobuk River in the north part of the state. The access road required would intrude on wilderness and national park land. George has previously been a guest on Wilderness & Wildlife. He writes frequently about wildlife, deforestation and wildfire.Support the show

Jay interviews Bob DeGross, Superintendent of Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota. Bob studied forestry and natural resource management at Fox Valley College in Appleton, Wisconsin and has been a Park Service Ranger at Mammoth Cave, Everglades and Big Cypress National Parks and came to Voyageurs in 2016. In this interview, he talks about the wolves, moose, lynx and beaver that can be found at Voyageurs and the great campgrounds that are enjoyed by campers when not paddling across the many lakes in the Park.Audio PlayerSupport the show

Jerry Emory's latest book is about George Meléndez Wright, the first wildlife biologist for the National Park Service in the 1930s. Following research and work based out of both Latin America and the Western U.S. in the 1980s, Jerry spent a year at the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galápagos Islands and an equivalent amount of time in the Brazilian Pantanal for grad work. He became a professional writer and communications consultant. Jerry worked at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation in San Francisco in the early 2000s followed by 10 years at the California State Parks Foundation. A graduate of Stanford and U.C. Berkeley, he lives with his family in Mill Valley, California.Jerry has written dozens of magazine articles on the environment, conservation and science with a focus on Latin America and the Western U.S. He is the author of 5 books, including the San Francisco Bay Shoreline Guide and the Monterey Bay Shoreline Guide, and has served twice as a board member of The George Wright Society. Support the show

George Wuerthner, an ecologist, writer, photographer who has He recently published an article about the need to expand Yellowstone National Park to embrace the much larger Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.  George has studied, written about, and photographed natural habitats in many American locales, especially the mountains of the eastern U.S., the lake region of Minnesota, the Sierras, the Cascades, and the Rocky Mountains of the west. Holds degrees from the University of Montana and University of California Santa Cruz, and graduate work at MSU and U of Oregon. He's worked in many places in the U.S., border to border, and he specializes in studying predators. He is the author of 38 books and innumerable articles. Support the show

George Wuerthner is an ecologist, writer, photographer who has He recently published an article about the need to expand Yellowstone National Park to embrace the much larger Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. George has studied, written about, and photographed natural habitats in many American locales, especially the mountains of the eastern U.S., the lake region of Minnesota, the Sierras, the Cascades, and the Rocky Mountains of the west. Holds degrees from the University of Montana and University of California Santa Cruz, and graduate work at MSU and U of Oregon. He's worked in many places in the U.S., border to border, and he specializes in studying predators. He is the author of 38 books and innumerable articles. Support the show

Jenny Waddell is Research Coordinator at Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary at her office in Port Angeles, Washington. Jenny has been with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) since 2001 and with Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary since 2016. Her background is in marine conservation science, and she holds a Master's degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. She talks about the coastal responsibility of the OCNMS in the area which it monitors in the Strait of Juan DeFuca. Support the show

Jay interviews Leonel Arguello, the Deputy Superintendent at Redwoods National Park. He has been in that position for four months, but he worked for the National Park Service at Redwood National Park for many years. Prior to the current position, he worked in the Resource Management Science Division. He earned his Masters degree in Botany at Humboldt State University. In this part of the interview, Leonel talks about the wildlife that can be found in Redwoods N.P.Support the show

Jenny Waddell, Research Coordinator at Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, is interviewed by Jay from her office in Port Angeles, Washington. Jenny has been with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) since 2001 and with Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary since 2016. Her background is in marine conservation science, and she holds a Master's degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. She talks about the huge responsibility of the NMS for the coast along Juan De Fuca Strait. Support the show

Leonel Arguello, the Deputy Superintendent at Redwoods National Park is Jay's guest in this second half of the interview. He has been in that position for four months, but he worked for the National Park Service at Redwood National Park for many years. Prior to the current position, he worked in the Resource Management Science Division. He earned his Masters degree in Botany at Humboldt State University.Support the show

Jay is joined by Dr. Rick Toomey, cave resource management specialist and research coordinator at Mammoth Cave National Park, about the flora and fauna and distinctive features at the Park.Support the show

Lisa Bate is a Wildlife Biologist for the National Park Service in West Glacier, Montana. She specializes in the monitoring of birds and bats in the Park and in northern Montana. A graduate of the University of Idaho, she operated her own wildlife consulting business for several years before joining the National Park Service. This is a two-part series; the first part discusses birds in Glacier and the second is about Glacier's bats.Support the show

Lisa Bate is a Wildlife Biologist for the National Park Service in West Glacier, Montana. She specializes in the monitoring of birds and bats in the Park and in northern Montana. A graduate of the University of Idaho, she operated her own wildlife consulting business for several years before joining the National Park Service. This is a two-part series; the first part discusses birds in Glacier and the second is about Glacier's bats.Support the show

Dr. Robert Serrouya is a Wildlife Biologist and Director of Biological Pathways working out of his home in Revelstoke, British Columbia. Since 1952, he has been author or co-author of more than 100 studies on various forms of wildlife, involving the interactions of predators and prey as well as various influences on the behavior of each – methods used for obtaining reliable data and conclusions drawn for maintaining wildlife diversity during the time of global warming. Since they are now absent from the United States, we wanted to talk with him about caribou, how they are faring in Canada, and what the prognosis is for their continuing existence in the northern landscape.Support the show

Jay interviews Dr. Kristina Ernest, Biology Professor at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington, on I-90 about 50 miles east of Snoqualmie Pass. Kristina earned her Ph.D. in Biology from the University of New Mexico in 1993 and now teaches Mammology, Field Techniques, and Fisheries, Conservation and Community Ecology at CWU.Support the show