Episode 01: Show Notes.

Welcome to the All Things Wild Podcast, where we talk about wildlife across our beautiful planet through conversations with experts and nature lovers alike! Today we are joined by one of the world's leading authorities on the brains of dolphins and whales, Dr. Lori Marino. Lori is the founder and president of The Whale Sanctuary Project, has a long history in the field of neuroscience, and was featured in the landmark film, Blackfish. She joins us on the show to talk about intelligence in dolphins and whales, explaining the limitations of our understanding and how the field of research in this area has progressed over the last few decades. We also talk about Lori's own journey and research, and some of the amazing studies she has been a part of. We spend some time thinking about the complexity of intelligence, and how outdated and oversimplified perspectives of humans as the sole most intelligent life form on earth have been so clearly disproved. The conversation also covers the topics of captivity, emotional intelligence, and what we can and cannot learn from brain size and the encephalization quotient. Dr. Lori shares a wealth of insight and knowledge and her considered and open-minded approach is truly inspiring, join us to hear it all!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Dr. Lori became interested in studying the brains of cetaceans. 
• Dr. Lori's early work with bottle-nosed dolphins in captivity and the study on mirror recognition. 
• Studies on metacognition in dolphins and how this relates to self-awareness. 
• Considering the different scientific definitions of intelligence and Lori's personal perspective. 
• Dolphin interpretations of human intelligence!
• The impact of captivity on displays of skills and intelligence. 
• Syntax and understanding of sentences in dolphins, and studies in this area.
• The massive similarities that exist in nature and the lack of actual divides between many species.
• Developments in brain size and how this occurs in the evolutionary process. 
• The activities that utilize the more impressive parts of the dolphin mind.
• Unpacking the encephalization quotient and what it illuminates.
• The primary areas to look at in the brain when studying intelligence levels.
• Comparing the neocortex in dolphins and whales with that in primates. 
• Cultural conservatism in orcas and the studies on their restricted diet.
• Weighing the emotional landscape of dolphins and the clear differences from human EQ.
• Some information on The Whale Sanctuary Project and what Dr. Lori and her team are aiming for.

Tweetables:

“They process information pretty quickly and they are pretty impatient, and you are always trying to catch up with them.” — @Whale_Sanctuary [0:06:01]

“It really speaks to how bright they are because even under the circumstances of living in a concrete tank that is really sparse and limiting, they are still able to be engaged in very complex tasks.” — @Whale_Sanctuary [0:15:21]

“It is pretty amazing that they are able to work with a human-based system, a human-based language, and they are able to do that successfully.” — @Whale_Sanctuary [0:17:51]

“There is no bright line in nature that divides humans and non-humans.” — @Whale_Sanctuary<

Episode 2: Show Notes.

Today's episode sees us welcome researcher Avery Shawler to talk about her work studying wolves and livestock, the interesting area of the conflict between these two groups, and what her investigations are showing about this relationship. Avery is a Ph.D. student at the University of Berkley California, and she conducts her fieldwork in Wyoming, taking multiple trips a year into the wilderness! The exact focus of her study is the elk migrations in the area, and how the wolf-livestock conflict affects these routes. We have a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, covering wolf ecology, chronic wasting disease, conservation of habitats, and the interesting ins and outs of working in Grizzly country! Near the end of the episode, we also get into Avery's amazing and scary story of survival in Idaho, when she was injured, stranded and alone, and very nearly didn't make it back alive. Listeners can expect to get a great background on what a path into this field of conservation biology can look like, and Avery's passion and excitement about her work are certainly contagious! Avery gives us some great insight into the dynamics present on ranches in relation to wolves, the danger they present, and how ranchers are trying to deal with that. Vastly knowledgeable as well as considered and balanced, Avery shares her perspective on the different interests involved, offering some observations around rancher culture that may surprise listeners. We also talk about bears, survival skills, cutting edge technology, and more, so make sure to join us to catch it all!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Avery's background, moving around as a child, and how she became interested in conservation biology.
• Some of the jobs that Avery has had in the field of ecology and conservation.
• Understanding chronic wasting disease and how it spreads through deer and elk populations. 
• Wolf predatory habits and patterns and how important it is to understand these in relation to studies of elk.
• Methods used for elk capture and monitoring and developments in the field.
• Elk migrations and charting the average timespans and routes. 
• Getting to grips with the wolf-livestock conflict and historic attitudes towards wolves.
• The economic problems that wolves cause for ranches — cycles of the ongoing battle. 
• Methods that are used to deter wolves and the constant updates needed.  
• Different breeds of cattle and how ranchers are trying to make cows more resilient against predators.
• Lethal control against wolves and why Avery believes it has a place on ranches.
• Avery's research into how wolves set up den sites and their travel patterns. 
• Short and long-term strategies for Avery; the questions at the top of the list.
• The array of work that is keeping Avery busy at present — research, teaching, and more!  
• Learning about wolf predatory patterns by tracking and monitoring through GIS.
• Avery's experiences with grizzly bears and how bears generally react to human presence.
• The legal status of killing bears and the litigation involved, even in self-defense cases.
• Avery's amazing story of survival alone in Idaho!
• The mountaineering and wildness skills that Avery acquired that came in handy during her crisis.
• Avery's thoughts on going out into the wildness now, after her near-death experience. 
• Closing thoughts from Avery on conservation and how to connect and support her work! 

Tweetables:

“It is really important that we keep these working lands and ranches intact because they are the places that wildlife c