The Pacific Northwest is proud of its wildlife. Here in Seattle, certain creatures have become local mascots, like the salmon swimming up Pipers Creek, the ever adorable sea otters at the aquarium, and the endangered Southern Resident Orca struggling to survive in our waters. But what can our relationship to these animals tell us about our regional identity? What do they have to say about our past, our present, and our uncertain future?

Beasts of Seattle examines the intertwined human-animal history of our area through the lens of six wondrous, wild things. From the extinct Salish Wool Dog to the Sasquatch who may still be wandering our woods, Beasts of Seattle takes the listener on a journey through time and across species, interviewing artists, ecologists, chefs, historians, and more. If these animals can teach us who Seattleites are, they also hold the keys to who we could become.

In this trailer, we'll hear snippets from forthcoming interviews with Shey Ruud, Esteban Camacho Steffensen, Lynda Mapes, and more. The first episode — all about the salmon — will release Wednesday, October 13th at 1 PM Pacific time.

This podcast is presented by Town Hall Seattle and it was produced as part of Town Hall Seattle’s Podcast Artist-in-Residence Program. The music for this podcast was written and performed by John Gould. You can find more of John’s music at johngould.bandcamp.com. The art for this podcast was made by Sadie Collins.