Doug Smith retired as the Senior Wildlife Biologist in Yellowstone National park after 28 years of service where he supervised the wolf, elk, and bird programs. Doug has studied wolves for 44 years, done over 2,000 interviews, and appeared on numerous documentaries about wolves and birds for National Geographic, BBC, and CBS 60 Minutes. He is a member of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Team, the Re-Introduction Specialist Group, and the Canid Specialist Group for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

He talked about the lessons he's learned from wolves, his experiences in captive facilities, including observations he made while visiting Wolf Connection, and his continued mission to advocate for wolves, wild places and and ecological restoration.

Wolf Connection 

@wolfconnection

@thewolfconnectionpod

Annick Hus is a Belgian Freelance Journalist who has studied Animal Welfare Science and Ethics and Law at the University of Winchester. Arie Trouwborst is a Nature Conservation Law Professor at Tilburg University. They have both chronicled the political, societal, and legal perspectives of wolves naturally recolonizing Europe. 

They both discussed the challenges within each of these categories, as each country within the European Union is looking to navigate coexistence with wolves and other predators on many levels. 

The Unravelling of a Success Story: How Politics Is Killing Europe’s Wolves

Wolves in Europe: From Conservation Icon to Political Flashpoint

Who Should Adapt: The Wolf or Us?

Large Carnivores and The EU Habitats Directive – Legal
Obligations to Restore and Coexist

@thewolfconnectionpod

John Potter grew up in the Upper Great Lakes region, spending his formative years immersed in the lush forests of the Great Northwoods, where he developed a profound love for the natural world that continues to inspire his work today.

After a successful 20-year career as an award-winning illustrator, John transitioned to painting full-time in 2002. 

John visited Wolf Connection for 3 days, immersing himself in the on-site programs, interacting with the wolf pack, and experiencing all the sanctuary had to offer. He spoke about his time at Wolf Connection and what impacted him the most. 

John Potter Website

@johnpotterart

@thewolfconnectionpod

Melissa Smith is the Executive Director & Founder of Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf & Wildlife and has served on D.C. environmental committees with a deep understanding of the Endangered Species Act.  

She explored the significance of sociological sciences within state policy management of species, how this influences the effectiveness of State Endangered Species Acts (SESA) and State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAP), and the way governmental agencies on all levels can be ineffective in implementing protection plans for all species. 

Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance/Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf & Wildlife

@endangeredspeciescoalition

@thewolfconnectionpod

Dr. John Vucetich has been working on the Isle Royale Wolf & Moose Project for over 30 years. He is a distinguished Professor at Michigan Technological University where he teaches Wildlife Ecology and Environmental Ethics. 

We discussed the global biodiversity crisis we are currently in at the moment, the value of species within the context of an environment, his co-authored paper titled Government agencies in the United States are obstructing native species restoration, creating regulatory pits for wildlife, and the ways regulatory pits for wildlife are created. 

Government Agencies in the U.S. are Obstructing Native Species Restoration

@wolvesandmooseofisleroyale

@thewolfconnectionpod

Leo Miranda was the USFWS Southeast Regional Director from 2018-2022, and is the Founder and CEO of Leo Miranda LLC which creates innovative wildlife conservation policy solutions. He also serves at the Executive Director for Conservation Without Conflict, a proven approach to conservation and a coalition of public and private partners with highly diverse goals who are united in their commitment to conserving wildlife while keeping America’s working lands working. 

Leo went into detail about how Conservation Without Conflict takes on different projects, they're approach to creating partnerships that help working lands, wildlife species and ecosystems simultaneously, and how communication is key within these agreements. 

Conservation Without Conflict

Leo Miranda LLC

@thewolfconnectionpod

Adam Bronstein has been with Western Watersheds Project since 2020 and is the Oregon Director for the organization. Adam grew up exploring the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, and received a BS from SUNY ESF in Syracuse, NY in Environmental Studies and Geographic Information Technologies.

He discussed the parameters of the Roadless Rule, explained specifics on protections for Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs), impacts logging, grazing and outdoor recreation takes on roadless areas, and the ways you can protect lands near you. 

Western Watersheds Press Release

USDA Press Release on Roadless Rule

Roadless Rule Maps & Litigation

@westernwatersheds

@thewolfconnectionpod

Lizzy Pennock has been the Carnivore Coexistence Attorney for WIldEarth Guardians for 4 years. Earlier in August, a federal district court in Missoula ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the Endangered Species Act (ESA) when it determined that gray wolves in the western United States do not warrant federal protections. 

Lizzy went into great detail describing Senior District Judge Donald Molloy's reasons for ruling in this manner. We went on to discuss at length the definition of  wolves range, discrepancies in population numbers, state management issues, inconsistencies within the USFWS arguments, and what this ruling could mean for the future of wolves in the western United States.

WildEarth Guardians Website

WildEarth Guardians Press Release

Jude Donald Molloy Ruling

@wildearthguardians

@centerforbiodiv

@thewolfconnectionpod

Axel Hunnicutt has been with California Department of Fish & Wildlife for over 4 years and is the State Gray Wolf Coordinator. He has previously worked in Africa with multiple endangers and threatened species, protecting habitats and wildlife while promoting coexistence benefits to the surrounding communities. 

Axel discussed the recolonization of wolves in California, their territories, pack sizes and possible dispersal patterns, the main issues surrounding wolf recolonization, and what the agency is doing to ensure coexistence measures are used when conflict occurs. 

Gray Wolf CDFW (Web Page) 

California Wolf Project

@hyena_man

@thewolfconnectionpod

James Holt has been a tribal member of the Nez Perce for 13 years and has worked in Environmental Sciences & Tribal Community Engagement for nearly three decades. He also specializes in tribal public policy, including natural resources and water policy development; climate change planning; wilderness management; and utilities administration for the Nez Perce. 

James shared insights into his upbringing with the lessons and guidance he was given as a young man, the relationship of the Nez Perce with the land and wildlife surrounding them, the history of the Nez Perce during westward expansion and the wolf reintroduction in 1995, along with their influence in environmental policy in the present day. 

Nez Perce Wildlife Division 

Nez Perce Website

Nez Perce Wolf History

@npt1855

@thewolfconnectionpod