The Missing Stone: A Conversation About Conservation

This week I was excited to speak with Chris Smith, the Southwest Wildlife Advocate for WildEarth Guardians. Chris shared several stories from his experience discovering and developing his career as a wildlife advocate including an exciting story securing the final votes for a bill to pass the New Mexico State Senate! We discussed several of the projects Chris is working on including developing a b...

This week I was excited to speak with Dr. John Kominoski, Professor of Biological Sciences at Florida International University. I really enjoyed hearing about John’s journey, entering his Master’s program uncertain of what he wanted to do before discovering freshwater ecology. We discussed several of the research projects John has worked on including his role as the Lead Principal Inve...

This week I was excited to speak with Matt Lindenberg, Founder and Executive Director of the Global Conservation Corps. I was fascinated to talk with Matt about combination of luck and perseverance it can take to find your way in the field of conservation, as he worked his way from a volunteer at the Southern African Wildlife College to a position training Safari Guides for the college. We then do...

This week I was excited to speak with Dr. Michelle Lute, Vice President of the Board of the Rewilding Institute and Co-Executive Director of Wildlife for All. I was fascinated to talk with Michelle, discussing how growing up on a farm led her into a career advocating for wildlife, and the many research projects and advocacy campaigns that help shape her work today. Michelle discusses the goals of...

This week I was excited to speak with Brittany Bartlett, Ph. D. student at Oxford and the Co-Founder and President of the non-profit, The Next Swell. I really enjoyed my conversation with Brittany, focusing on her marine biology dreams, both those that are fulfilled and those still in progress. Brittany then dove into her pandemic project, The Next Swell, and the impact she has been able to make t...

This week I was excited to speak with Renee Seacor, Carnivore Conservation Manager for Project Coyote. Renee is a licensed lawyer and took the chance to explain the importance of using her law background to advocate for compassionate conservation. I had an amazing time talking with Renee, learning how a love of horses led to a career in conservation, the importance of exploring wild spaces, and ho...

Today I interviewed the Education and Outreach Manager for Project Coyote and a member of the Rewildling Leadership Council for the rewilding institute, Kelly Borgmann.  I had an amazing time talking with Kelly, diving behind the scenes as a safari guide in Africa, protecting manatees in central Florida, and discussing why she chose to return to school for not one, but two Masters. We then ex...

Today I spoke with Rachel Hutchens, Executive Director of the Bluff Lake Nature Center in Denver, Colorado. Bluff Lake Nature Center is both Denver’s largest open space managed for native habitat and the only nonprofit nature center in Denver. We discussed Rachel’s unique path into conservation, starting as an educator at the Missouri History Museum before finding her way into conserva...

Welcome back to The Missing Stone Podcast! Today I was joined by the Program Manager of the Sharks and Rays Conservation Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, Dana Tricarico. Dana and I spoke about the shark dive we met on outside of Jupiter, Florida, and Dana's memorable experience completing her Master's Degree at the University of Miami and her work with invasive lion fish. We then Dive...

Today I spoke with childrens book author and the founder and director of the Katie Adamson Conservation Fund (KACF), Dave Johnson. We talked about how conducting mountain lion research as a teenager led him on the path of wildlife biology and conservation, the summer of grizzly bear research in Alaska that changed his career trajectory, and the ability to make a difference by mentoring teenagers i...

Today I spoke with the Executive Director of the Rewilding Institute, John Davis. John is also the Rewilding Advocate for the Adirondack Council and a Land Steward for the Adirondack Land Trust. We tackled a wide range of topics from John's early passions for the outdoors, hitchhiking accross the country to write for Earth First, living life with as minimal an environmental impact as you can, the...

Denise Peterson is the founder and director of Utah Mountain Lion Conservation. We discuss how Denise's work on a research vessel encouraged her to return to school and pursue mountain lion conservation, the struggles of forming your own non-profit, the importance of blending education, research, and advocacy, and how Utah's house bill 469 is impacting mountain lions today. To learn more about Uta...

Today I spoke with Ecosystems and Nature Based Solutions Scientist Francesca Lauterman. We discussed her introduction to conservation and ecology while completing mandatory volunteer hours as a teenager, and how that ultimately led her to complete her masters in conservation biology studying paleo limnology. We then dive into her career as a biological consultant, what an average day looks like fo...

Today I spoke with Brian Schuh, Ph. D. Candidate and Cheetah Biologist about the field of conservation, realizing  your dreams, and human carnivore coexistance. We begin by discussing why he chose to become a conservation biologist, the experiences that helped him grow in this field, and how his getting his Master's changed his career trajectory. Next we dove into some of the work he is doing...

"The Missing Stone: A Conversation about Conservation" with Sean Sullivan. Each week we will bring you a guest from the conservation space to discuss their path in the field of conservation and dive deep into their research.