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

Laurie Cousins is a Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Teacher who has been with Wolf Connection since 2018. Known for her work in healing trauma and addiction recovery, Laurie focuses on treating the cyclical root causes of compulsive behaviors while building self-love and resiliency. 

She spoke about the ways that nature based therapy can help us reconnect with the environment, how those practices intertwine with the programs at Wolf Connection, and how we can listen to our bodies while becoming more in tune with our nervous systems. 

Healing with Mindfulness

@mindfully_laurie

[email protected]

@thewolfconnectionpod

Alma "Rosie" Sanchez is the Carnivore Biologist for the Nez Perce Tribe and is also a PhD student at The University of Colorado Boulder. She combines Indigenous political ecology and carnivore ecology in both fieldwork and research. Rosie has focused on revitalizing management plans, deploying field projects to determine occupancy and migration, and expanding opportunities for community involvement in conservation. 

She spoke about her career journey that led to working with the Nez Perce Tribe, some of the research she's working on at the moment, and the rise of traditional ecological knowledge she's seen in collaboration within agencies. 

Nez Perce Tribe Website

Nez Perce Tribe Wildlife Division

@rorosanchie

Howl Podcast (Wolf Reintroduction Series)

@thewolfconnectionpod