Wild For Change

Today on the Wild For Change podcast, we will be speaking with Sara Newton, Head of Content and Creative Strategist for Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Sara is also one of the main cinematographers for the organization. For over forty years, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been patrolling the seas to help coastal and island governments from illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. With marine life facing a multitude of threats, Sea Shepherd is a formidable force on the open seas. 

In this podcast, we will learn more about Sara's specialized role within Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, what life is like living out at sea, and the various campaigns they have launched, such as "Stop The Grind" in the Faroe Islands, their efforts to protect the Vaquita porpoise in Mexico's Upper Gulf of California, and their monitoring of waters in Antarctica due to the exploitation of krill, a major food source for whales and penguins.

We will also learn how to support Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in general and contribute to the fight against the exploitation of krill. Your support can make a major difference in the lives of marine animals.

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On a new Wild For Change podcast, we speak with Kayah George.  Kayah George is from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, part of the Coast Salish peoples of Victoria, Canada.  Despite Kayah’s young age, she has spoken for half her life about indigenous and environmental issues like the transmountain pipeline and chemicals leaking into the Burrard Inlet.  

She recently wrote and directed a documentary titled ‘Our Grandmother The Inlet’ that looks at the lives of Kayah and her grandmother Ta7a and their profound connection to water amidst the background of industry dominance as water is now seen as a commodity.  

Beyond using her voice and remarkable story-telling abilities to support indigenous and environmental issues, Kayah is creating a docu-series in conjunction with National Geographic about the Orcas of Oak Bay, Victoria.  Kayah has a very special connection with the Orcas.  We will learn the history of the relationship of the Coast Salish peoples with the Orcas, how their lives parallel each other, the unique abilities of the Orcas, the threats they face and how traditional ecological knowledge has been instrumental in supporting the Orca population.  

To learn more about Kayah George and her work, you can find her on Instagram at @kayahgeorge.  To learn more about the Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s efforts to stop the Trans Mountain Expansion tanker and pipeline project go to www.twnsacredtrust.ca.

A poem by Kai George’s great-grandfather, Chief Dan George

Get to know the animals around you,

Get to know the birds,

Get to know the land…

the water,

Because what you don’t know

you won’t understand,

And what you don’t understand,

you will fear.

And what you fear, you will destroy. 

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We welcome back to the Wild For Change podcast Grand Chief Judy Wilson, a member of the Secwepemc Nation to discuss the importance of our interconnection with nature.

Nothing is separate.  For example, more than 70 of the 100 crops responsible for providing 90% of the world’s food are pollinated by bees. But the bee population is crashing from the use of pesticides.  Understanding the interdependence between us and nature is essential for our future. 

If we look at the wild spaces on earth, everything we have come to know in modern society originated here such as the creation of civilizations, food, medicine, and our dwellings. These wild spaces are also home to many species of wildlife.

But these wild spaces have been dramatically downsized due to human growth, yet they are necessary for us to thrive.  The biodiversity and health of ecosystems worldwide are essential for our future.  It is also important to note that other species like wolves and elephants help maintain ecosystems' health and biodiversity.  

Because of Grand Chief Judy’s extensive traditional ecological knowledge and her close relationship with nature, I felt it would be enlightening to hear about her view on nature and to learn how to foster care and compassion for this precious life we all share on earth. 

As we went further into our conservation about reconnecting with nature, Grand Chief Judy Wilson made a point to say that when we reconnect back to ourselves, we can more easily reconnect with nature;

“When you’re more conscious aware of yourself, then you’re more conscious of the interconnection to Mother Earth, the water, all of creation and your reconnection and the interconnection of your purpose, place, and role in this world…”

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Today on the Wild For Change podcast, we are speaking with Teresa Becher and Mandy Migura from Alaska Wildlife Alliance (AWA) about the special population of endangered beluga whales who live in the Cook Inlet in the central Gulf of Alaska.  

Teresa is the Beluga Whale Monitoring Coordinator who coordinates monitoring sessions of a whole team of volunteer community scientists and is the go-to expert on the beluga whales' behaviors in the Kenai and Kasilof rivers.  

Mandy is the Deputy Director and Marine Program Officer for AWA.  One of her responsibilities is to coordinate a group of nonprofits who advocate for the recovery of Cook Inlet beluga whales, a position she is uniquely suited for given her prior 11-year experience as the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Recovery Coordinator when she worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service (now called NOAA Fisheries). NOAA Fisheries is the federal agency responsible for the management of Cook Inlet beluga whales.

The beluga whales of the Cook Inlet live explicitly in this inlet and because of this limited habitat, they also must face continued threats such as water waste pollution, noise pollution, climate change affecting their food availability as well as the rising temperature of the water in which they live, disease, habitat loss, as well as vessel strikes to name a few.  Their numbers have declined so dramatically, that approximately 300 beluga whales remain in the inlet.  They are now listed as endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.  

Alaska Wildlife Alliance is on the front lines, researching the various threats to the beluga whales, addressing these threats to ensure this very specialized group of beluga whales have a chance at surviving as well as raising awareness of how we can become involved and support this small group of beluga whales.  

• If you live in Alaska near the Cook Inlet and would like to volunteer to monitor the beluga whales, please go to www.akbmp.org to learn more.  
• If you would like to provide support for the beluga whales via your smartphone, text beluga to (833) 541-0408. 
• If you encounter any stranded marine mammal along a coastal area, please call NOAA at (877) 925-7773.  

To learn more about AWA’s work, please go to https://www.akwildlife.org.

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Today, we are speaking with Ron Sutherland, Chief Scientist of Wildlands Network who is their in-house animal and rewilding expert.  The mission of Wildlands Network is to reconnect, restore and rewild North America so that life in all its diversity can thrive.  

Ron has over 25 years of experience in wildlife research.  His extensive knowledge of wildlife and natural spaces provides us with a formidable fact-based approach towards conservation.  

Rewilding is giving back to the wildlife and giving back to the land.  The more we can support wildlife and nature by reconnecting, rewilding and restoring habitats and ecosystems, the more we will see balance, biodiversity and regulation of ecosystems return and flourish.

You can learn more about Wildlands Network and support their work online at www.wildlandsnetwork.org, on Instagram @wildlandsnetwork, Facebook: @Wildlands Network, X: @wildlandsnetwrk.

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On today’s Wild For Change podcast, we will be discussing freshwater availability with Lis Mullin Bernhardt, a United Nations Programme Officer for Water.  Her previous work for the UN includes Coordinator for the Global Adaptation Network, an initiative that helps the world build resilience to climate change. 

Water is essential in order for us to survive but as climate change disrupts freshwater availability, water scarcity has become more prevalent around the globe.  

According to Drought in Numbers, a 2022 UN report, found that one billion people face water stress annually for periods of time.  Ms. Bernhardt states that estimate can go up to 3.5 billion people in the next ten years.  

We will learn what is a freshwater source, how climate change disrupts freshwater availability but how water can also mitigate climate change. 

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On today’s Wild For Change podcast, we speak with John Jurko II, creative director of Global Conservation Corps and lead producer and director of the film RHINO MAN.  

Global Conservation Corps is a non-profit organization that is bridging the gap between communities and wildlife.  The film RHINO MAN was the first project of Global Conservation Corps and was created to support the rangers protecting the rhino and to share their stories. 

Rangers are the front line, the boots on the ground, protecting our diminishing population of rhino that deserve to be here but are being poached for their horn.  These rangers put their lives on the line to protect the rhino. This is what makes a ranger so special and formidable.  This is truly where passion meets purpose.  

To learn more about the film RHINO MAN and how to support ranger training and the families of fallen rangers, go to https://rhinomanthemovie.org or follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rhinomanthemovie/.

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On a new Wild For Change podcast, we speak with Hannah Matthews, a Water Programs Manager of charity: water.

Water is the foundation for all life, without water, we couldn’t survive.  Lack of fresh water largely influences a person’s physical and mental health, time, education, and livelihood.  And as we are seeing the effects of climate change, chronic water scarcity has become more prevalent around the globe.

703 million people lack access to clean and safe drinking water.  This means women and girls in 8 out of 10 households without water on premises around the globe walk an estimated 200 million hours collecting water every day.  

However, since 2006, charity: water is on a mission to end the global water crisis and provide access to clean water for communities.  Listen how charity: water has delivered on its promise and has funded over 135,000 water projects around the globe!

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Growing up April and her husband Tyler dreamed of having a pet pig.  After watching a video of a mother pig living in a horrific gestation crate, April knew in her heart she wanted to dedicate her life to rescuing and saving pigs and finding them their forever home.  This was the impetus of Chicagoland Pig Rescue. 

But April and Tyler aren’t stopping at rescuing pigs and finding them sanctuary placement.  They are documenting the intricacies and rich inner worlds of pigs’ lives to raise awareness that pigs are highly intelligent and sentient and deserve more in life than to be treated as a commodity or pest.  

Did you know in a natural setting, pigs live in herds, have hierarchies, and death rituals?  This and so much more is shared in this podcast. 

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Wetlands are crucial ecosystems for the filtration of excessive water in some parts of the world and for storing carbon, preventing the overheating of the atmosphere. This is why they are often called the ‘kidneys’ of the landscape. Moreover, they are home to numerous flora and fauna species and thus are vital as a variety of habitats. However, human interventions sometimes have catastrophic impacts on wetlands.

according to some estimations, over the last 50 years, our planet has lost around 35% of wetland area, and the rate of degradation is increasing. Moreover, wetlands are actually dying three times quicker than trees.

Why does losing wetlands pose numerous risks linked to the future of the environment and humans? Some of the major problems associated with the loss of wetlands include:

Loss of biodiversity

A large number of various species of plants and animals can be found exclusively in wetlands and would risk extinction if these are destroyed.

Water purification

Wetlands serve as natural water filters that remove contaminants and extra nutrients from water before it reaches rivers, lakes and seas. Iin the absence of wetlands, water quality may deteriorate.

Flood control

During periods of heavy precipitation and snowmelt, wetlands behave as natural sponges, soaking up and decelerating the flow of water. This means that a lack of wetlands would cause floods to be much more intense and destructive.

Wetland Restoration and Training LLC was established in 2014 by Tom Biebighauser with the mission of encouraging and helping people build naturally appearing and functioning wetlands.

He has designed over 6,000 wetland projects and has successfully supervised the construction of over 2,800 wetlands in 26-states, 3-Canadian provinces, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, and Taiwan. He carries a deep and long-standing concern for the environment and finds it rewarding to assist individuals who are interested in restoring wetlands and streams. 

Tom has 43 years of experience helping to build 2,850 wetlands. 

Tom has interviewed and worked alongside numerous seniors who spent their lives draining wetlands and moving streams, documenting their practices so others can be successful in restoring these ecosystems. This knowledge has allowed him to identify over 50-signs on the landscape showing where wetlands once occurred. 

He specializes in restoring wetlands, streams, and rivers that provide habitat for endangered and threatened species. Tom has developed techniques for building wetlands that improve habitat for rare species including the Blandings turtle, burbot, California red-legged frog, Chiricahua leopard frog, grizzly bear, Eastern spadefoot, Great Basin spadefoot, Indiana bat, marbled salamander, mole salamander, Northern bat, Northern leopard frog, Sandhill Crane, Trumpeter Swan, Virginia big-eared bat, Western painted turtle, white sturgeon, and the wood frog.

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