Archives: Podcast

Ep. 23: Wild and Free Buffalo with Mike Mease

Ep. 23: Wild and Free Buffalo with Mike Mease

Revered as America’s national mammal, bison have made a spectacular recovery after near extinction in the late 19^th century. But the wild herds of bison roaming Yellowstone National Park have outgrown the space available for them in the Park, and authorities are harassing and slaughtering bison that migrate across Park boundaries to reach grasslands they need to survive. Gary Strieker talks with Mike Mease, co-founder and coordinator of the Buffalo Field Campaign, to review the reasons why bison are considered a threat to cattle ranches around the Park and what the Campaign is doing to ensure the last wild herds of bison can live free and thrive.

Ep. 22: Reversing Trump’s Assault on the Environment with Kieran Suckling

After four years of executive actions by the Trump Administration that have weakened and undercut environmental safeguards, what needs to be done to restore the laws and regulations intended to protect our clean air, water, landscapes and wildlife? Gary Strieker talks with Kieran Suckling at the Center for Biological Diversity about the environmental priorities facing the incoming Biden Administration.

Ep. 21: Restoring Wolves to Colorado with Rob Edward and Jason Blevins

The last gray wolf in Colorado was shot in 1945, but in the recent election voters in the state approved a proposition directing wildlife authorities to bring them back. Supported by a well-funded campaign, the initiative countered powerful opposition from ranchers and farmers and got critical support from urban and suburban voters. To understand how this happened and what this means for the survival of the species, Gary Strieker talks with Rob Edward, the strategic advisor of the Rocky Mountain Wolf Action Fund, which organized the initiative, and Jason Blevins, a reporter who covered the campaign for the Colorado Sun, an online news outlet based in Denver.

Ep. 20: Giant Snakes Invade Florida with Ian Bartoszek

Brought into the country as pets, Burmese pythons were released or escaped into the Everglades and have multiplied dramatically. Reaching as much as 20 feet in length and weighing 200 pounds, they have a tremendous appetite and are wiping out populations of small native mammals and reptiles. Gary Strieker talks with Ian Bartoszek, a wildlife biologist with the Conservancy of South Florida who is leading a radio telemetry project tracking the snakes.

Ep. 19: Threat to Tongass National Forest with Andy Moderow

The Tongass National Forest in Alaska now faces a revival of logging threats. The Trump Administration wants to lift federal protective rules and allow logging in the Tongass that could result in clear-cutting old-growth trees and destroying areas of rainforest habitat that makes the Tongass so special for biodiversity and as a buffer against climate change. Gary Strieker talks about this with Andy Moderow, the Alaska Director of the Alaska Wilderness League and an expert on the Tongass an…

Ep. 18: Birds of North America, and Race, with Jason Ward

Gary Strieker talks with Jason Ward, a naturalist, bird watcher and host of the documentary series “Birds of North America” on YouTube, focusing on how his show aims to reach people who might not normally engage in conservation efforts and learn about natural history – in particular young people, people of color, and people who live in cities. He’s a leading figure in this effort to promote inclusivity in conservation, and is now a community relations and outreach coordinator for the Nat…

Ep. 17: “Outdoors for All” with James Edward Mills

Gary Strieker talks with James Edward Mills about diversity and inclusiveness among people in America’s great outdoors – in our national parks, wildlife reserves, monuments, wilderness and other public lands — and the importance of those values in achieving the goals of conserving and restoring our natural resources. James Edward Mills is a journalist and founder of “The Joy Trip Project” and the author of “The Adventure Gap” , addressing why minority populations are much less likely …

Ep. 16: Black Birders Week with Tykee James

As a nation, we’re now at a time of serious self-examination, looking at our record of systemic racism in policing and elsewhere in our society. It’s a time of reckoning for all of us, including the conservation community, where most of us feel responsible for protecting our natural resources because of our experiences in the great outdoors. But the outdoors in America has not been totally welcoming for people of color, and that needs to change. Gary Strieker talks about this with Tykee Jam…

Ep. 15: Coyote “Invasion” with Dan Flores

Coyotes are literally everywhere now, roaming cities and suburbs across the country. They’ve been persecuted — hunted and poisoned by government agencies for more than a century – but they’ve thrived in spite of that. Gary Strieker talks with Dan Flores, author of “Coyote America”, a book that explores the history, folklore and science of coyotes and how they’ve managed to spread their territories right into our backyards.

Ep. 14: Salmon or Gold? The Pebble Mine Project with Stephen Lee

The huge Pebble Mine gold and copper project in Alaska has been revived by the Trump Administration against fierce opposition from environmentalists and the salmon industry downstream in Bristol Bay. Gary Strieker talks about this controversy with Stephen Lee, a reporter with Bloomberg Environment who has covered the saga for years.