The saga of the Mexican Grey Wolf is about how politics interfere in the efforts of independent scientists to recover an endangered species. With my guest David Parsons, who formerly led the USFWS efforts to reintroduce the Mexican Grey Wolf to the American Southwest in 1990-to 99, we learn how difficult it is to reintroduce a species and save it from extinction when powerful vested interests who control legislators hijack the policy process down to even the scientific modeling results for how many wolves are needed to recover the species. The problem for these wolves is that all of the critic ..read more

Today, with Ashwell Glasson, we address deep-seated Wicked Problems as a root cause of civil unrest and social disruptions that are occurring globally, as a result of unrestrained economic growth leading to environmental problems. We gain an understanding that we cannot isolate environmental issues to a specific region as they have far-reaching effects and lead to interconnected series of problems on national and global scales. We must break our cycle of short-term thinking and pushing problems off, as we are only going to see more “day zero’s” with less and fewer resources. These underlying w ..read more

Today’s conversation with my guest Ashwell Glasson gives provides us with a view of the scale and scope of the challenges we are facing in securing biodiversity. What is being called for is an overhaul of the current models and mindsets driving conservation efforts in global landscapes under multiple pressures, including transnational wildlife crime at unprecedented levels. For the sake of frame of reference, our discussion is focused on rhino conservation as it holds markers of all that is changing and is at stake. The conversation takes multiple twists and turns as we unravel layers and iden ..read more

Join us today with special guest, investigative journalist Julian Rademeyer as we discuss his book Killing For Profit, which reads like an international thriller, but is a terrifying true story of greed, corruption, and ruthless criminal enterprise centered around the illegal trafficking of rhino horn and wildlife. This is a compelling, meticulous and revelatory account of one the worlds most secretive trades aiding in the decimation of one of our world’s unique endangered species, the Rhino. Since publication, Mr. Rademeyer attended the CITES 2013 in Bangkok, reporting first hand the human fo ..read more

Rewilding has long been a conservation term for connectivity and creating corridors for wildlife movement. In recent decades, it is the concept finding suitable existing habitats for species on the brink of extinction that may exist outside of where they currently live or are being extirpated. Today there is a new meaning. My guest Marc Bekoff, discusses his book, ‘Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence’. Rewilding in this sense brings us to an understanding if not to undo, at least find ways to fix what we’ve done, to transform and rehabilitate ourselves. From p ..read more

Despite the incredible successes in conservation, overall, something isn’t working. We are losing ground. What are the missing links? Delving deeply into this question, we keep butting up against the fundamental conflicts between economic growth and wildlife conservation. With my guest Brian Czech, we tackle this subject head-on., Brian documented the causes of species endangerment for US Fish and Wildlife Services only to have his findings squelched as a taboo subject in any conversation in government where politicians and officials are committed to growth as a policy goal, but also in NGOs a ..read more

A Wild Idea: It is easy to think that conservation is something going on in places so far away and exotic that it seems unimaginable that one person could have any significant impact on the greater outcome of a child, a community or even an entire species. This is an encore of our very first episode, the goal to help folks understand and learn about the big picture of what is involved in making conservation happen, and provide a platform to engage listeners to speak up about what is important to you, and how individuals can get involved in making a difference for your life and our future as a ..read more

Are conserving wildlife and protecting animals the same thing? Award winning environmental reporter, Glen Martin, guides us as this question applies to Africa's mega fauna. Conservation planning of large landscapes and species survival includes the cascades of biodiversity that depend upon them. Animal rights, animal activists, and animal welfare consider each individual life as critical, and that none should die because of us. Animal rights restrictions present a challenging paradox for making long-term species survival and large landscape conservation, workable. Through one-on-one conversati ..read more

Botswana Predator Conservation Trust is one of the longest running conservation research projects in Africa, and one of a handful of its caliber worldwide. Founded in 1989 as the Botswana Wild Dog Research Project, today it covers all the large carnivore species in Botswana. The goal of BPCT is to preserve Africa's large predators-African wild dog, cheetah, leopard, lion and spotted hyena-and their habitats by using scientific inquiry to better understand the behaviors and communication systems of these animals. Strengthening the links between conservation and environmental issues to decision ..read more

With cougar biologist John Laundré, today we discuss the matter of who owns wildlife. More and more we must consider the public costs of wildlife mismanagement in the United States, with increasing conflicts and polarization between hunting and anti-hunting, animal rights and animal welfare groups. From hunting groups invoking the European mindset of colonizers they contend the right to hunt is undeniable and essential to sound management of wildlife. Anti-hunting groups contend the ‘need’ to kill wildlife is unjustified and barbaric. However, the vast majority of citizens- wildlife watchers ..read more