Our Wild Lives

Every year, millions of birds make some of the most arduous journeys in the natural world. The Hudsonian whimbrel ( Numenius hudsonicus ) travels from its breeding grounds in Alaska’s High Arctic to as far south as Argentina.  Two endurance athletes are preparing to embark on their own journey to follow the paths of three GPS-tracked whimbrels. In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Timm Döbert, tro...

How does harvesting timber impact wildlife around the world? In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Darren Miller, vice president of forestry programs for the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) and director of research programs for the NCASI Foundation, and Jessica Homyack, director of environmental research and operational support at Weyerhaeuser, explore how commercial timber...

Since their introduction to North America in the 16th century, uncontrolled populations of wild pigs have wreaked havoc across North America. They can disrupt native wildlife, decimate riparian ecosystems, cause billions of dollars in agricultural damage and more.  Reducing the population has proved complex, but the state of Missouri has successfully removed feral swine populations from nearly 10...

For Remington Bracher, working on the reintroduction of bison back to Canada is not only a win for his wildlife career, but also for his culture as a Nêhiyaw (Cree) member of Muskoday First Nation.  In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Bracher, an Indigenous Liaison with Parks Canada and graduate student at the University of British Columbia, shares how growing up hunting and fishing led him into...

Wild sheep are known for their tenacity to endure some of the harshest landscapes around the world, yet the global population of the subfamily continues to decline due to a bacterium,  Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovi). Pneumonia caused by this bacterium can wipe out entire herds.  In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Kurt Alt and Corey Mason from the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) join us to talk ab...

New evidence reveals that mountain lions can fit through small wildlife crossing cut-outs on the border wall dividing the U.S. from Mexico. But researchers are concerned about the future connection of the population of the big cats.  In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” carnivore ecologist Lisanne Petracca walks us through the monitoring being done to determine the potential effects of the constru...

Rex Brasher was one of the greatest bird artists of his time. His life’s mission was to see and paint every bird species in North America. But today, many people–even avid birders–have never heard his name.  In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Cynthia Carter Ayres and Matthew Schnepf from the Rex Brasher Association join us to tell the story of the man who painted 874 different bird species of No...

Birds have been declining since the 1970s. Now scientists, non-governmental organizations and everyday birders are doing everything they can to stabilize and rebound populations across the globe.  In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Katie and Ed are joined by Tammy VerCauteren, Executive Director at Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, and Steve Riley, Chief Conservation Officer at American Bird Cons...

As spring begins to emerge, so does the opportunity to support wildlife and increase biodiversity in your own yard.  In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” TWS member Shaun McCoshum, a botanist and landscape ecologist, tells us about what has been lost from North American landscapes and how homeowners can mimic missing ecological processes to support wildlife in their own yards.  McCoshum shares pra...

Wildlife lovers had a special treat at this year’s Super Bowl—Bad Bunny’s halftime show featured an endangered Puerto Rican toad. While it may have been the first time some viewers saw the species, the amphibian’s natural and cultural significance goes much deeper.   The Puerto Rican crested toad’s story is emblematic of both environmental destruction and more recent attempts at restoration on the...

For a few short weeks starting in late February, there is a window of opportunity to see an enormous congregation of geese, swans, ducks and other birds at a wildlife management area in Montana during their annual migration to northern breeding grounds.  In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Brent Lonner, a wildlife biologist with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and Ali Marschner, a farm bill biolo...

Richard Dolbeer has spent his career trying to strike out airplane collisions on birds–his pitch for a solution has always been to support management action with good science. In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” host Katie Perkins sits down to learn about Dolbeer’s storied career. From reducing agricultural conflicts with the Bye-Bye Blackbird Committee to sorting through the wreckage of the “Mir...

Our winter 2026 issue of The Wildlife Professional featured a special focus on the mental health of wildlifers with articles discussing burnout, rehumanizing the workplace, imposter systems and more.  In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” TWS digital content manager Katie Perkins is joined by TWS member and special focus contributing author Michelle Doerr. Together they explore Doerr’s path from ur...

With nearly 60% of the United States under private ownership and management, private landscapes are a significant opportunity for large-scale wildlife conservation. In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” TWS member Joe Roy, private lands wildlife biologist at Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Erik Glenn, CEO at Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust explain how easements, i...

After nearly 60 years of the National Environmental Policy Act, proposed changes could threaten the strength of this cornerstone conservation legislation.   In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” TWS members Natalie Jacewicz, assistant professor of law at the University of San Diego and Cameron Kovach, Juris Doctor and TWS Chief Program Officer, break down the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA...

Publishing peer-reviewed research in journals like the Journal of Wildlife Management shapes the wildlife profession every day, but where did it start and why does it continue?    The Wildlife Society’s Journal Manager, Anna Knipps, and Content Editor, Allison Cox, shed light on the scientific publishing industry and the role TWS journals play.   They share tips for first-time authors, discuss the...

After an unexpected early retirement from her 36-year-long career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, TWS member John Ann Shearer looks back on a career rooted in collaboration and resiliency in this episode of the “Our Wild Lives” podcast. Through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, Shearer guided private landowners to restore thousands of acres of habitat across the U.S. Southeast. ...

Wildlife vehicle collisions are responsible for more than $10 billion in damage in the United States each year. They also kill or injure a massive number of wild species. Management tools such as overpasses, underpasses, and more help reduce these conflicts around the world.    In this episode of Our Wild Lives, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett of The Wildlife Society are joined by TWS members, Patty C...

What started as an op-ed in The Wildlife Professional has turned into a society-wide, member-led initiative to illuminating and elevating (LGBTQIA+) wildlifers.   In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” co-organizers of Out in the Field (OiTF), Silas Fischer and Adam Janke, join hosts Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett to discuss how OiTF is helping to make the wildlife profession more open, visible, and in...

Cliff Bampton’s career in wildlife management traces the origin of the profession. From graduate school dropout to chief of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission's Division of Game, Bampton helped define modern wildlife management.   In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” host Katie Perkins sits down with long-time TWS member, Cliff Bampton. The conversation spans from his early adul...

The National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have proposed four rule changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA).   This episode of “Our Wild Lives” unpacks the four-rule proposal that could narrow ESA consultations, limit critical habitat, remove automatic protections for threatened species, and elevate economic considerations.   TWS staff members , Cameron Kovach,...

A century ago, black bears in North Carolina were on the brink. Today, they’re thriving in mountains, coastal swamps, and even neighborhoods. In this episode, we sit down with Colleen Olfenbuttel, TWS member, longtime bear biologist and the NCWRC game mammals and survey unit supervisor, to unpack how science-based management helped the once-rare species rebound. They also talk about how wildlife m...

A century ago, wild turkeys were a rare sight in many parts of the United States. Populations were estimated to be 200,000 or less across the country. Through science-based conservation and management, education, and sound policy, the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) helped grow turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo ) populations to over 6 million.   In this episode, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett of Th...

How do a lifetime of “firsts” and a fearless curiosity reshape everything we know about the world’s top predators? In this episode, we sit down with Maurice Hornocker—TWS member, Aldo Leopold Memorial Award winner, and a widely considered godfather of carnivore research—to uncover the work that helped write the playbook for studying large predators. Hornocker helped pioneer the practice of marking...

The U.S. Virgin Islands is a picture of paradise, with pristine beaches, and postcard views of green hills and turquoise waters. But their name and the beautiful landscape disguise the fact that islands like St. Croix have experienced massive ecological change over the past few centuries. Invasive species like feral cats, mongoose and a number of introduce plants have driven many of St. Croix’s en...