Conservation Unfiltered

In this week's episode, Emily Burns returns to give us an update on the Border Wall. Emily is the Program Director for the Sky Island Alliance and has over 15 years experience helping wildlife. During Jason's conversation with Emily, she fills us in on the current state of construction on the border wall, the impact to wildlife they have documented, and a new wall being started in Texas. Emily also fills us in on how the newly built wall sections have held up over the past 2 years and why EVERYONE needs to watch the new documentary short, American Scar.

To hear Emily talking about the Border Wall on this podcast before, check out Episode 45 and Episode 56.

Check out the documentary, "American Scar": The Environmental Tragedy of the Border Wall on YouTube

In this week's episode, Jason talks with Dr. Krysten Schuler about the impact of lead toxicity in eagles and other scavenging birds. Dr. Schuler is the Co-Director of the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab and former Pennsylvania native. During the conversation, we will learn how scavenging birds are exposed to lead, side effects of lead poisoning, and if lead toxicity is causing a population wide impact. Dr. Schuler will also detail ways to reduce our contribution to lead poisoning and why hunting with lead has been banned before.

Follow Dr. Schuler on Twitter

Check out the North American Non-lead Partnership for tips and mission statements

In this week's episode, Jason talks with Tommy Serafinski about managing human/wildlife interactions. This discussion is based on the differences between the process in the United States with the process in Ireland. Tommy is outdoorsman, podcaster, blogger and YouTube creator. During the talk, Tommy helps us to understand our current relationship with nature, the process of managing wildlife in Ireland & how it differs from the US, and the ethics of hunting/angling.

Check out all Tommy has to offer over at TommysOutdoors.com

In this week's episode, Jason talks with Tamar Haspel about her new experiences in trying to live eco-friendly. Tamar is a columnist for the Washington Post and author of a new book, To Boldly Grow: Finding Joy, Adventure, and Dinner in Your Own Backyard. During the conversation, she will detail her experiences in trying to live and eat a more eco-friendly lifestyle. This includes trying to grow a garden, hunting, and the joys and frustrations each provide.

Follow Tamar on Twitter

Purchase To Boldly Grow: Finding Joy, Adventure, and Dinner in Your Own Backyard from Penguin Random House or Amazon

In this week's episode, Jason talks with Phil Shellhammer about cultivating businesses in the outdoor industry. Phil is currently the Director of Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP). Previously, he was a mechanical engineer with an MBA and had a  20 year corporate career that focused mainly in Merchandising and Strategy roles within retail. During the conversation, Phil tells us what GORP is, why an outdoor focused incubator is necessary, what Bentonville, Arkansas has to offer the outdoor industry, and what the future of GORP looks like.

Learn more about the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program

In this week's episode, Jason talks with Dennis Patton in an Arbor Day special! Dennis is a horticulturist with Kansas State University's Research and Extension program. He has a degree in horticulture and masters in education and focuses his extension work on home horticulture. Part of his current extension outreach includes writing for the Kansas City Star. During the conversation, Dennis shares his knowledge on a common ornamental tree, the Bradford Pear. Unfortunately, this tree has become an invasive tree throughout much of the United States. Dennis recounts the history of the tree, how it became invasive, why it's an issue for native vegetation, and gives some advice for those looking to plant an ornamental tree in their yard. You will also hear Jason's disdain for the Bradford Pear tree throughout the show!

In this week's episode, Jason talks with Jesse Bjorkman and Dylan Hooper about a unique classroom experience for their students. Jesse and Dylan are Teachers in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District in Alaska. They are both Hunter Information and Training (HIT) Program volunteer instructors and have found a creative way to combine their careers and volunteer opportunities. Started in 2013, an extended learning opportunity-Alaska Outdoor Explorations-provides students a way to experience a long tradition in their home state, HUNTING. During the episode, Jesse and Dylan explain how the idea to provide a science experience through hunting to their students, what type of information is taught to the students, student reactions, and community support for the experience.

To find a Hunting Training course, or become an instructor, check out the International Hunter Education Association-USA

To support this podcast, visit our Patreon page!

In this week's episode, Jason talks with Margaret Young about the ancient practice of Falconry. Margaret was born and raised southeastern PA and currently lives in Berks County. She has been a licensed falconer for 7 years and has experience working with birds of prey since 2013-formerly a volunteer at her local Audubon chapter. She has owned her team of ambassador raptors since 2019 and presents educational workshops for children and adults. During the conversation, Margaret defines Falconry and provides a brief history of the practice. She will also fill us in on how to become a Falconer-how to get a bird of your own, training, and Falconry seasons in Pennsylvania.

For more information about Falconry, visit the North American Falconers Association

Follow along on Margaret's adventures on Facebook

To support this podcast, visit our Patreon page!

In this week's episode, Susan Edwards returns for the conversation with Jason. Susan is a member of United Blood Trackers, an organization dedicated to helping hunters find their lost game with the use of dogs and originally appear on Ep 59: The Benefits of Blood Tracking Dogs. In that episode, they talked about Susan's 2 accomplished beagles that she uses to help hunters in Pennsylvania find deer and bear after they have been shot. They talked about how the dogs work, why this is an important tool for hunters, and the do's and don'ts of tracking game before calling in the dogs.

This week, the focus is on training dogs. Susan gives us the general step by step process she uses to train her dogs to track. Some of the steps make perfect sense, others make sense once she explains her reasoning. If you have ever trained a dog, you'll understand that aspect! If you have thought about training your dog to track deer and bear when there is not a blood trail present, you'll want to listen to this one.

To find Susan or a tracker near you, go to unitedbloodtrackers.org

To support this podcast, visit our Patreon page!