Lucii Simpson is a Nez Perce tribal elder and member of Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment, a tribal grassroots organization. The name Nimiipuu means “the people” which is what the Nez Perce call themselves. The group works to save Idaho and Eastern Washington's vast waterways, including the Salmon, Snake, and Clearwater Rivers and the salmon and aquatic life that depend on them. They also work on behalf of wolves, grizzlies, and other wildlife—the plants and their ecosystems.

Nez Perce tribal elder and member of Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment

Gabriel (“Gabi”) Paun is a Romanian environmental and animal welfare activist, with more than two decades of experience in Romania and other parts of Europe, as well as Africa and Australia. Gabi has a degree in ecology and served as an organizer for Greenpeace before founding the Romanian group, Agent Green, focused on animal welfare, forestry and wildlife issues.

He has enjoyed major success in stopping the spread of genetically modified crops in Romania, exposing illegal logging in the country’s forests, and investigating and exposing the cruelty of the live animal export industry. He also campaigns for protecting the well-being of farm animals and companion animals.

In 2016 Gabi won the prestigious European environmental award, EuroNatur, which was also enjoyed by Nelson Mandela and Mikhail Gorbachev.

Gabi has created -- and is actively promoting -- the idea of an international Peace Park on the border of Ukraine, Romania and other neighboring countries in the Carpathian Mountains, as a symbol of peace, coexistence and unity of people and wild animals in this wild ecosystem.

PLEASE consider contributing to Agent Green, which is also working in Romania to promote coexistence with bears in Europe’s largest remaining wildland ecosystem.

For the past 15 years, Tom Mazzarisi has worked as a bear ranger, with a focus on grizzlies, starting in Yellowstone and now in Glacier National Park – fulfilling a lifetime dream that started when he was 12 years old. In this interview, you can hear Tom’s conservation ethic shine through his stories of the challenges keeping grizzlies and people safe in some of the country’s most iconic landscapes – even as visitor use explodes. He also shares perspectives about management of wildlife in the western US and Africa, from years of experience leading natural history safaris with First Light Safaris with his wife Amy.

You might have heard the story -- broadcast on national news -- about how Tom reunited a teddy bear that had been accidentally dropped in Glacier last year to its 7-year-old owner, Naomi. Tom is also a passionate environmental advocate who also shares his views on delisting, trophy hunting and more.

Thomas D. Mangelsen is one of the most influential nature photographers in the world. Guided by a deep conservation ethic, Tom is legendary for his advocacy in seeking protection of rare and imperiled species. Tom has a special passion for grizzlies, wolves and mountain lions, and co-wrote The Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek, with Todd Wilkinson, that features a grizzly bear known as 399 -- perhaps the most famous grizzly in the world.

Tom and Louisa go way back, sharing a journey towards a more compassionate way of treating our fellow non-human travelers. In this wide-ranging conversation, Tom shares reflections on his evolution from hunting and trapping to carrying a camera instead of a gun, and his challenges as a conservationist speaking up for wildlife in an arena that promotes killing species like grizzlies, mountain lions and wolves -- for fun.

Thomas D. Mangelsen is one of the most influential nature photographers in the world. Guided by a deep conservation ethic, Tom is legendary for his advocacy in seeking protection of rare and imperiled species. Tom has a special passion for grizzlies, wolves and mountain lions, and co-wrote The Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek, with Todd Wilkinson, that features a grizzly bear known as 399 -- perhaps the most famous grizzly in the world.

Tom and Louisa go way back, sharing a journey towards a more compassionate way of treating our fellow non-human travelers. In this wide-ranging conversation, Tom shares reflections on his evolution from hunting and trapping to carrying a camera instead of a gun, and his challenges as a conservationist speaking up for wildlife in an arena that promotes killing species like grizzlies, mountain lions and wolves -- for fun.

Bruce Gordon is a veteran pilot who has spent decades offering journalists, decisionmakers and concerned citizens a bird’s-eye view of threatened landscapes across the American West. Flying over 10,000 hours of conservation missions for hundreds of groups, in bush and mountainous terrain, Bruce and his organization, EcoFlight, provide a unique aerial perspective in their advocacy for the protection of wild lands and wildlife. He and Ecoflight have received numerous awards, such as the Conservation Hero Award and Best Business Award in Conservation.

Louisa and Bruce go way back, working together to protect the wild country of the Northern Rockies, and species such as wolves and grizzlies. This is a wide-ranging conversation about the transformative power of seeing the big picture, Bruce’s long friendship with the singer and pilot John Denver who inspired Ecoflight’s work, and how climbing and flying can open up your consciousness.

Episode 46 - Reno Sommerhalder - Naturalist, Filmmaker, Author, Guide, and Expert on Bear Ecology by Louisa Willcox

Ellen is an acclaimed poet who has won many awards, including Pushcart Prizes, the Lamda Literary Award and the Pablo Neruda Prize, to mention a few. Her latest collection of poems, Indigo, was published by Copper Canyon Press this spring and it’s been called an instant classic and I can testify that my own copy is pretty dog-eared. Indigo also includes a gorgeous poem entitled “Grizzly.” Ellen teaches widely, including in the MFA writing program at Pacific University, and she founded poetry workshops at Salinas Valley State Prison and the Santa Cruz California jails.

Dr. Gay Bradshaw is a psychologist, ecologist and pioneer researcher on animal trauma whose latest book Talking with Bears: Conversations with Charlie Russell is about our mutual friend and “bear whisperer” who challenged our way of thinking about and relating to wild animals, especially grizzly bears. Charlie articulated a vision he called “fitting in,” that meant deep listening, becoming part of where you are rather than standing out and dominating other beings, that has led to so much destruction of the planet. Gay concludes that we must “recede, refrain and restrain,” and that we have a perfect opportunity to make a radical change in our culture and devote ourselves to nature's wellness by putting ourselves second to nature.