The Wolf Connection

Joel Cates has been the Facilities Manager for Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary since 2019 after starting as a volunteer in 2013.

He spoke about growing up around the wilderness in North Western Ontario, his journey in the early days of Yamnuska, and gave updates on recent rescues and projects happening around the sanctuary.

Yamnuska Website

@yamnuskawdsanct

@cates239

Emily Weidner has been a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Biologist at the Bend Field Office in Orgeon since 2017. She is the office lead for eagles, sage-grouse, bats and wolves.

Emily spoke about her role as a USFWS Biologist in Oregon, the types of research happening with wolves in their specific area, told us an incredible wolf encounter story, and about her experiences in the field.

@onebrownleg

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Bend, OR)

@thewolfconnectionpod

Screenwriter, director and producer Ashley Avis came back to Wolf Connection for the second time in 2 weeks! Ashley filmed at Wolf Connection for the new initiative, A Cry for the Wild, which will culminate in a 3-day event & rally for wolves and wildlife in Washington, D.C. this month. She also disclosed information about the next steps in the new film project, American Wolf.

Ashley is the President of The Wild Beauty Foundation, wrote, directed and edited Black Beauty  on Disney+ and directed the award winning documentary Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West.

**More details about "A Cry for the Wild" rally in Washington, D.C. below**

Cry for the Wild Website

@ashleyavis

@thewolfconnectionpod

Ashley Avis is a screenwriter, director and producer of 6 feature films and is the President of The Wild Beauty Foundation. She is the writer, director and editor for Black Beauty  on Disney+ and directed the award winning documentary Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West.

Ashley spoke about her visit to Wolf Connection, her new film project, American Wolf, and the similarities between her work with wild horses and wolves.

Watch the video podcast on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/coYPvvH-lYk

Ashley Avis Website

@ashleyavis

@thewolfconnectionpod

Cara Love is an Evolutionary Biologist and Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University. She has been studying wolves in the exclusion zone of Chernobyl for over a decade. Cara’s goal is to help further our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary ramifications anthropogenic stressors have on wildlife populations.

Cara described her research on how wolves are surviving in and around Chernobyl, the ways in which they are collecting data, and how radiation exposure in wolf populations could lead to possible cancer fighting genetics.

Cara Love Website

Wolves of Chernobyl (Website)

The Mutant Wolves of Chernobyl Have Evolved to Survive Cancer

@thewolfconnectionpod

This is the third edition of 'Wolf Tracks'! We discussed the Cody Robert's fallout in Wyoming, along with other stories pertaining to wolves with Carter Niemeyer.

Carter retired from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in 2006 as the Wolf Recovery Coordinator for the state of Idaho. He was an integral part of the Federal Wolf Reintroduction in both Yellowstone and Idaho. Carter has authored two books, Wolfer and Wolf Land, which can be purchased through multiple book retailers.

Here are the articles and content that were discussed in the podcast:

Forest Service/BLM Can't Ban Coyote Whacking

Hogs for Hope Fundraiser

H.R. 764 Passes the House (Trust the Science Act)

Ninth Circuit Upholds Temp. Protections for Grizzlies in Wolf Trapping Case

Dane County Judge Dismisses Lawsuit to revoke DNR wolf management plan

Idaho's Wolf Killings Decline

@thewolfconnectionpod

Bill Watkins has been part of the Transportation System and Wilderness Tour Guide at Denali National Park for over 30 years. He is also the Administrator for the Denali Wolves group on Facebook, and is a conservation, wildlife and landscape photographer.

Bill spoke with us about his experiences guiding in the park, the changing dynamics in tourism as wolf watching and bear viewing has been in decline, and the impacts that wildlife mismanagement has had on predators around Denali National Park.

Bill Watkins Website

Bill Watkins YouTube

Alaska Wildlife Alliance Website

@thewolfconnectionpod

Ramey Newell is an American-Canadian filmmaker, photographer, and multidisciplinary artist who splits her time between British Columbia and Oregon. Her new film, A Good Wolf, is a feature-length documentary that explores diverging viewpoints on what 'A Good Wolf' means to different individuals. Those views are explored within the context of this lengthy, emotionally charged, and continuing battle over how wolves (and bears) are managed at the northeast boundary of Denali National Park.

Ramey discussed her background in photography and filmmaking, what factors drew her to make the film, and how she balanced perspectives on such an emotionally charged issue.

A Good Wolf  premieres at the MountainFilm Festival in Telluride, CO May 23 - 27

Ramey Newell Website

A Good Wolf Website

MountainFilm Festival Website (Purchase Passes)

@rameynewell

@thewolfconnectionpod

Will Stenberg is a writer and musician, and his brother Zack Stentz is a writer and film producer know for his work on films like X-Men: First Class & Thor.

Stampede Ventures recently optioned the rights to Rick McIntyre's first 3 books in the Alpha Wolves of Yellowstone book series to Will and Zack to script a film adaptation.

Will and Zack spoke about their childhood experiences in nature, the journey of ultimately being selected to bring Rick McIntyre's books to the screen, and the challenges of adapting those stories for a larger audience.

@thewillstenberg

@musezack

'The Alpha Wolves Of Yellowstone’: Stampede Ventures Taps Zack Stentz, Will Stenberg To Script Film Based On Non-Fiction Book Series (Deadline)

@thewolfconnectionpod

This is the fourth installment of our podcasts regarding the Wyoming Wolf Incident. We spoke with Mike Kosmrl, reporter and investigative journalist from WyoFile.

Mike discussed how he first learned about the story, the challenges he's had getting information, the scope of the incident throughout Wyoming, and if statewide change would come to wildlife management or hunting practices in the state.

Mike Koshmrl has been and environmental reporter and journalist for over a decade. He previously worked with Jackson Hole News & Guide and currently writes for WyoFile, reporting on environmental, conservation and natural issues concerning the state of Wyoming.

**Check out all of Mike's reporting on this incident below**

Mike Koshmrl Wyoming Wolf Incident Reports (WyoFile)

Wyofile.com

@wyofile

@koshywrites

@thewolfconnectionpod