Our Wild Lives

As a kid, Rae Wynn-Grant dreamed of traveling the world to tell stories about wildlife science. But the path to realizing this dream wasn’t always clear. 

In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Rae Wynn-Grant, large carnivore ecologist, author, podcast host and co-host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild recounts the long days in the field, advanced college degrees and harsh rejections that led to her dream career as a nature show host. 

This episode spans tales from her work with bears and lions to the challenges she faces as a Black woman in conservation. She also shares her advice for other wildlife scientists looking to communicate their work in a new way.

“Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts, Katie Rohrbach and Ed Arnett, of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices. 

Further reading:

Meet Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant: https://www.raewynngrant.com/

Listen to the newest season of Mutual of Omaha’s: Wild Kingdom “Back from the Brink” podcast:  https://www.mutualofomaha.com/wild-kingdom/the-podcast

“You Belong in the Wild” childrens book - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/824938/you-belong-in-the-wild-by-dr-rae-wynn-grant/

Watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild: https://www.youtube.com/@wildkingdom

Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here!

Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/

Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/

Connect with us on

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society

Since the first mass wildlife casualty events at commercial windfarms in the early 2000s, conservationists have raised concerns about the impacts of wind energy development. 

In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Misti Sporer, senior director of Environment and Permitting at Deriva Energy and Greg Forcey, senior principal scientist at Normandeau Associates, Inc. talk about their experiences working as wildlife biologists in wind energy projects. 

Together they share the advancements in mitigation technologies like smart curtailment and acoustic monitoring as well as the policies and practices in place to protect wildlife at wind farms.

“Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts, Katie Rohrbach and Ed Arnett, of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices. 

Resources:
Connect with Misti - https://www.linkedin.com/in/misti-sporer-7218637a/
Connect with Greg - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregforcey/

Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here!

Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/

Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/

Connect with us on

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society

Plastic waste travels from your doorstep to the most remote places. In the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, currents concentrate vast amounts of marine debris along the shores of what should be a wildlife paradise. 

Within the protected waters of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, plastic debris and derelict fishing nets threaten endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals (Neomonachus schauinslandi), seabirds, sea turtles and fragile coral reef systems. These islands have become the frontline in the fight against ocean plastics.

In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” reporter Kaylyn Zipp and Kevin O’Brien from Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project reveal the realities of marine debris cleanup in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. From intense breath-holding training sessions to the successes and ongoing challenges of removing tons of plastic from sensitive habitats, the conversation highlights both the scale of the problem and the lifelong dedication of those working to solve it.

Learn more

Read the full story, “Plastic Prisoners”: https://wildlife.org/plastic-prisoners-2/

Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP): https://www.pmdphawaii.org/

“Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world bringing you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices. 

Cover photo: Thousands of pounds of marine debris collect on the atolls and throughout Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument every year. Photo by Holly Richards / U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here!

Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/

Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/

Connect with us on

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society

Somewhere deep in British Columbia’s boreal forest lives a small population of unique and secretive carnivores most humans never see.

The fisher (Pekania pennanti) is a critter exceptionally good at eluding even the most talented wildlife trackers. But for today’s guests, who have spent many cold mornings out in the field to learn more about these mustelids, even the stealthiest of fishers couldn’t keep all of their secrets. 

In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Katie Perkins-Rohrbach, TWS digital content manager, is joined by Alexia Constantino, a PhD Candidate at the University of Victoria and Rich Weir, a senior wildlife biologist at Artemis Wildlife Consultants, to explore their combined decades of experience researching fishers. 

“Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts, Katie Perkins-Rohrbach and Ed Arnett, of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices. 

Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here!

Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/

Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/

Connect with us on

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society

Ecotourism can bring great benefits to a struggling economy and conservation attention and investment to fragile biomes and struggling species. 

But is everything that glitters made of gold? This week, TWS’ associate editor Joshua Rapp Learn joins host Katie Perkins as they travel through South Texas to learn more about the positive and negative impacts of ecotourism on an otherwise struggling economy. 

In this episode—the companion piece to the cover feature in the latest issue of The Wildlife Society’s member magazine, The Wildlife Professional—Perkins and Learn follow tour guides in search of rare ferruginous pygmy owls, javelinas and other wildlife in South Texas. 

“Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett, of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices. 

Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here!

Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/

Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/

Connect with us on

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society

Indigenous people have been involved with wildlife conservation and management in the Americas for thousands of years. But it’s only since the 1980s when different Tribes in the U.S. organized into the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society.

In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Julie Thorstenson, executive director of the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society (NAFWS) and a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation discusses her background working with black-footed ferret reintroduction on Tribal land. 

She also talks about her experience collaborating with Tribes and First Nations through the NAFWS and the ways that Indigenous knowledge contributes to wildlife management.

“Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett, of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices.

Further reading:

Native American Fish and Wildlife Society - https://www.nafws.org/

From the Field Publication - https://www.nafws.org/from-the-field

Connect with NAFWS

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/nafws/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nativeamericanfishandwildlifesociety#

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHRrVRBn8Lt6bDrnSm3ivig

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nafws_insta/

Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here!

Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/

Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/

Connect with us on

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society

Every year, millions of birds make some of the most arduous journeys in the natural world. The Hudsonian whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus) travels from its breeding grounds in Alaska’s High Arctic to as far south as Argentina. 

Two endurance athletes are preparing to embark on their own journey to follow the paths of three GPS-tracked whimbrels.

In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Timm Döbert, tropical ecologist and scientific explorer, and Leanna Carriere, extreme athlete, join us to talk about their upcoming 30,000 kilometer expedition titled, “Wings of Survival.’’

Döbert and Carriere will spend the next nine months on their bikes for 10 hours a day, crossing through 15 different countries along their route. Along the way, they will host virtual classrooms, conduct scientific studies and use the power of storytelling to bring awareness to migratory bird conservation. 

“Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett, of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices. 

Further reading:  

About Wings of Survival - https://www.wingsofsurvival.com/

About the hudsonian whimbrel - https://abcbirds.org/birds/whimbrel/

Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here!

Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/

Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/

Connect with us on

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society

How does harvesting timber impact wildlife around the world?

In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Darren Miller, vice president of forestry programs for the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) and director of research programs for the NCASI Foundation, and Jessica Homyack, director of environmental research and operational support at Weyerhaeuser, explore how commercial timber forests can coexist with wildlife conservation. 

As the forest industry undergoes organizational shifts and public expectations around sustainability grow, managed forest land has become increasingly important for global biodiversity. 

“Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett, of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices. 

Further reading:

About Jessica Homyack - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-homyack-phd-cwb-52877a16/

About Darren Miller - https://ncasi.org/about-ncasi/staff-directory/darren-a-miller_vp-forestry/

Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here!

Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/

Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/

Connect with us on

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society

Since their introduction to North America in the 16th century, uncontrolled populations of wild pigs have wreaked havoc across North America.They can disrupt native wildlife, decimate riparian ecosystems, cause billions of dollars in agricultural damage and more. 

Reducing the population has proved complex, but the state of Missouri has successfully removed feral swine populations from nearly 10 million acres throughout the state since 2016. 

In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Alan Leary, wildlife management coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation and Travis Guerrant, state director for both the Missouri and Iowa U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services programs, join us to explain how they approach eliminating this invasive species from the landscape.

Read more: 

TWS Issue Statement: Feral Swine in North America: https://wildlife.org/tws-issue-statement-feral-swine-in-north-america/

Why has Missouri succeeded in wild pig control?: https://wildlife.org/why-has-missouri-succeeded-in-wild-pig-control/

Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here!

Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/

Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/

Connect with us on

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society

For Remington Bracher, working on the reintroduction of bison back to Canada is not only a win for his wildlife career, but also for his culture as a Nêhiyaw (Cree) member of Muskoday First Nation. 

In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Bracher, an Indigenous Liaison with Parks Canada and graduate student at the University of British Columbia, shares how growing up hunting and fishing led him into wildlife conservation. His current research combines policy analysis with quantitative population modeling to see what a sustainable Indigenous bison (Bison bison) harvest could look like. He hopes it will further his dream of one day seeing Indigenous bison hunts in national parks. 

Alongside his experiences working with bison, Bracher also discusses the importance of relationship-building, co-creation, youth involvement, and respectful integration of Indigenous knowledge in wildlife management. 

“Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett, of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices. 

Further reading:

About Remington Bracher - https://wildlife.org/remington-bracher-earns-graduate-fellowship-in-wildlife-policy/

The Native Student Development Program - https://wildlife.org/working-groups/npwmwg/

Towards reconciliation: 10 Calls to Action to natural scientists working in Canada- https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2020-0005

Singing Back the Buffalo documentary trailer - https://youtu.be/xshtMcU6fZE?si=JfKEJ3r8s8FmyjU2

Photo Caption:  A bison stands in a grassland. Image by WikiImages from Pixabay

Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here!

Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/

Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/

Connect with us on

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society