What happens when you follow curiosity wherever it leads?

In this episode of The Wild Life, I’m joined by Emily Hunter—a passionate environmental science educator, interpretation specialist, bushwalk guide, and nature communicator currently living and working along Australia’s Ningaloo Reef.

Emily shares her journey from being a "tree hugger" kid in Idaho to becoming a globe-trotting interpreter of nature's stories, using awe as a tool for connection. We explore the power of wonder as a precursor to knowledge, how interpretation helps break down scientific gatekeeping, and what it really means to talk on behalf of the land, sea, and sky.

Along the way, we dive into:

• Why knowledge alone doesn’t spark change—but wonder might
• The magic of the Ningaloo Reef
• What it's like to snorkel with first-timers and hike with strangers before sunrise
• Why environmental education needs weirdness, joy, and emotional honesty
• And how following a sticker or a Facebook post can change your life

Whether you’re a student wondering how to get started, a teacher trying to bring passion into your practice, or someone who’s just trying to rekindle that childhood spark of curiosity—this one’s for you.

🌏 You don’t have to live near a coral reef to live a rich, curious, nature-connected life.

Sometimes it starts with a question. Or a shell. Or a really good sunrise.

📣 Share this episode with someone who needs to be reminded that weird is good—and wonder matters.

What do a gaur, an aardvark, a flattened musk turtle, and a Matschie’s tree kangaroo have in common?

They’ve all been photographed beautifully, reverently, and intentionally by my next guest—wildlife and zoo photographer Jay Meredith.

In this episode, Jay shares the story behind his incredible project, The Animal Archives, documenting over 1,000 animal species across accredited zoos, aquariums, and conservation centers. But this is more than a numbers game. It’s a mission to help people fall in love with the overlooked, the endangered, and the often-forgotten.

We talk about how Jay transitioned from zookeeper to photographer, the difference between photographing wild vs. captive animals, what it means to truly see an animal, why education and storytelling are just as important as the image itself, and the little-known species Jay wants everyone to know about!

This episode is about photography, yes—but really, it’s about wonder. It’s about noticing. And it’s about how we grow empathy for the world when we take time to look closely.

📸 Follow Jay on Instagram: @photos_with_jay_108

🦥 Support The Wild Life and Get Early Access at www.patreon.com/thewildlife

Today is #WorldOceansDay and I’m feeling a whole lot of things. Wonder. Grief. Hope. Determination.

The ocean isn’t just a place to visit. It’s not just a good backdrop for photos.It’s breath. It’s mystery. It’s the engine of life on Earth. And right now? It needs us.

This isn’t a doom post. It’s a love letter.

To the sea slugs and phytoplankton.

To coral metropolises and whales that sing.

And to whoever has felt small in the best possible way, standing in front of something as vast and alive as our seas.

Let’s protect what’s left.

Let’s restore what we can.

Let’s be the kind of people the ocean would be proud of.

~Devon

What if the key to understanding our future was hidden in the teeth of creatures that lived millions of years ago? In this episode, we dive into the world of dental microwear with paleontologist Andrew Schwartz (@eyesonthedirt), who takes us from the fossil beds of ancient Wyoming to the jungles of Costa Rica and the highlands of the Wari Empire. Along the way, we uncover how past climate shifts reshaped life on Earth—and what that means for us today.

We explore:

• How capuchin monkeys and ancient Andean civilizations left clues in their teeth
• What the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) can teach us about modern climate change
• Why some mammals shrank while others thrived
• What a warming world could mean for our ecosystems, agriculture, and future survival

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about Andrew Schwartz’s research
• Deep dive into the PETM and its modern implications

Support The Wild Life on Patreon!

If you love deep dives into science and nature, consider supporting The Wild Life on Patreon. Your support helps me continue making episodes like this, bringing expert voices and fascinating stories. Plus, Patrons get bonus content, early access, and more! Join us at Patreon.com/TheWildLife.

Let me know what you think! Leave a review, share the episode, and keep exploring the wild world around you.

Giant river otters are social, intelligent, and deeply connected to the health of their ecosystems—but what happens when their food supply starts to dwindle? In this episode of The Wild Life, we’re joined by Katherine Foree, a researcher studying how these apex predators use their habitat in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. With a Fulbright grant supporting both her research and cultural exchange, Katherine is three months into her work at Cocha Cashu Biological Station and preparing for a second study on the impact of fish depletion on otter food-sharing behaviors. We also dive into her past experiences with orangutans, lemurs, and conservation challenges around the world. Join us as we explore the fascinating lives of giant river otters and what they can teach us about the delicate balance of the Amazon’s waterways, talk books, the often overlooked humanity of scientists, animal psychology, and so much more!

Support The Wild Life at www.patreon.com/thewildlife

Follow Kat on Instagram @a.kat.named.rin

Joining The Wild Life today is Dylan Beckham! She spent two years as a zookeeper caring for all sorts of exotics, including reptiles, invertebrates, fish, emus, wallabies, genets and Eurasian harvest mice. As a herpetology enthusiast, she was surprised to find it was the mice that stole her heart. This led to the development of her independent research project investigating their nesting behaviors in captivity, before ultimately leaving the zoo to pursue her passion for wildlife research. She managed to fit in an adventure to Canada, where she interned at a wildlife rehab facility, wrestled raccoons, and fell madly in love with a three-legged beaver! Now she's wading through nearly a hundred hours of harvest mouse data, while preparing to return to university for a top-up Bachelor's degree in September, where she'll be doing a research project on human-elephant conflict in Equatorial Guinea.

Whether you're fascinated by the world of zookeeping, curious about the nuances of data collection, or passionate about conservation, this episode is for you.

Follow Dylan on Instagram

Have questions, topic suggestions, or want to be on the show? Email me at [email protected] or dm me on Instagram or TikTok @devonthenatureguy

Support The Wild Life for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife

Where there's smoke, there's fire. But when that fire tears through a landscape, what happens next? Today, we dive into the world of pyrophytic ecosystems—those that not only survive but thrive on fire. Our guide on today's journey is Ross Barreto, a master's student studying native plant population dynamics and spatial ecology. He's also an Urban Forester and likes to experiment with native plant propagation, seed production, and outplanting for restoration and horticulture purposes. We explore the role of fire in Florida's ecosystems, native plants, and the resilience of nature.

Follow Ross on Instagram @barross0505

Have questions, topic suggestions, or want to be on the show? Email me at [email protected] or dm me on Instagram or TikTok @devonthenatureguy

Support The Wild Life for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife

Welcome to The Wild Life! On today's episode, we have a fascinating guest: wildlife cinematographer Jake Davis.

Jake’s career began by focusing on the wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Growing up, he spent his summers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where the Teton Range's jagged peaks and abundant wildlife fostered a deep love for nature and a desire to share and preserve it. Today, while Jake travels the globe to film the stories of vulnerable wildlife, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem remains his home.

As a cinematographer, Jake works on natural history productions for renowned platforms like BBC, National Geographic, Disney, Netflix, and Apple. Most recently, he spent five months filming snow leopards in Mongolia for the third installment of BBC's famous series "Planet Earth.” His recent work has been part of a series nominated for a 2023 Emmy and for Best Cinematography at the prestigious Jackson Wild Film Festival.

Jake’s work incorporates diverse filming techniques, including long lens, drone, and gimbals, but he is best known for his novel approach to filming wildlife with high-tech camera traps. He also created the world’s first collection of wildlife Ambrotypes, featuring images on glass plates. Among his accolades, Jake was a 2019 finalist in the renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition held by the London Natural History Museum, and his work has been displayed at the Smithsonian in the Exhibition of Nature's Best Photography. His nature greeting card line is sold in stores across the western United States, including REIs and the Yellowstone stores.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of understanding animal behavior and ecology to capture the perfect shot and effectively tell their stories. We explore the future and potential of artificial intelligence in wildlife filmmaking, the "chicken or the egg" question of wildlife cinematography, and the challenges of working off-grid. Jake shares his experiences with camera traps, the heart-wrenching decisions of the footage chopping block, and how to craft compelling narratives without words.

Join us for an in-depth conversation that highlights the blend of artistry and science required to bring the wild to our screens.

Check out his website and order some prints

Check out his gallery

Follow Jake on Instagram

Have questions, topic suggestions, or want to be on the show? Email me at [email protected] or dm me on Instagram or TikTok @devonthenatureguy

Support The Wild Life for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife

In this episode of The Wild Life, animal welfare scientist Maggie Herskowitz helps us navigate the tangled webs society has woven around the treatment of animals, both wild and domestic. Gray areas, moral calculations, trophy hunting, industrial-scale fishing and livestock, and the emerging field of conservation ethics. Our conversation spans a range of topics including sloth bears, baby chicks, wolves, porpoises, The Grind, social media's impact on monkeys, and the infamous case of Cecil the Lion.

Please be aware that this episode includes discussions about the death and killing of animals, mistreatment, and animal abuse, among other sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.

Join us for a thought-provoking and often challenging discussion that sheds light on the complex and sometimes uncomfortable realities of animal welfare. Let's dive in with Maggie Herskowitz and explore the critical issues at the heart of how we treat our fellow creatures.

Follow Maggie on X

Learn more about Maggie

Check out her YouTube!

Have questions, topic suggestions, or want to be on the show? Email me at [email protected] or dm me on Instagram or TikTok @devonthenatureguy

Support The Wild Life for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife

The world is full of science and, in turn, scientists, and not enough people who truly have that spark for communicating all of that discovery and wonder to the rest of the world. People like today's guest—Dr Carly Anne York (@BiologyCarly). She's an Associate Professor at Lenoir-Rhyne University, an Animal Physiologist, a Science Communicator, and an Author.

Today, science communication, children’s books, squid physiology, mindblowing animal facts, things that are true that are hard to believe, academic and environmental activism, holding onto hope in a world that seems insistent that we shouldn’t, and advice for future scientists

Check out her website

Carly on X

Carly on Instagram

Carly on TikTok

You can support The Wild Life by becoming a member on Patreon for as little as $1 per month

Have questions, guest recommendations, or want to join the email list? Contact me here OR at [email protected]