Wild For Change

What if I told you that eating plants could be delicious, satisfying, and joyful—and also help protect animals, preserve natural spaces, and reduce our impact on the climate? Just outside Chicago is a restaurant that brings all of this together. It’s called Spirit Elephant.  A 100% plant-based restaurant where every dish is thoughtfully prepared without compromising flavor, creativity, or comfort....

Life on Earth unfolds through complex, living relationships.  Forests, oceans, animals and microorganisms sustain the cycles that make life possible, circulating oxygen, regenerating soils, and shaping climates.   Humans are part of these systems, not separate from them.  Our lives depend on the integrity of these relationships, even as they exist far beyond us.   Yet the natural world is often tr...

Step outside your front door for a moment… what do you notice?  Concrete, cars—maybe a few scattered trees. Now imagine that same street alive with birdsong, pollinators, and wild nature woven into everyday life.  What if that transformation wasn’t just possible—but already within reach? Today, we’re exploring how we can begin to rewild our urban spaces—starting right outside our own front doors....

On today’s Wild For Change podcast, we’re speaking with Laurent Lebreton, whose work focuses on ocean plastic research at The Ocean Cleanup.   In 2013, at just 18 years old, Dutch inventor Boyan Slat founded The Ocean Cleanup with an ambitious idea to remove plastic from the world’s oceans. Today, The Ocean Cleanup is a nonprofit organization developing advanced technologies to rid our oceans and...

On today’s Wild For Change podcast, we explore forest bathing with our guest, Jackie Kuang, Business Director at the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. I was recently introduced to forest bathing by a friend, and I found it to be a deeply impactful and authentic way to connect with nature and myself. Given how fast-paced our society is, we have forgotten how to slow down and reconnect with...

This past summer, I finally marked off a destination from my bucket list: the California Redwoods State and National Parks.  Entering the parks was one of the most magical experiences I have ever had.  I felt like I was going back to prehistoric times.  Some of the Redwoods have been on Earth for thousands of years and knowing this while hiking among these giants felt inconceivable, yet at the sam...

On a new Wild For Change podcast, we will learn about the importance of outdoor nature-based learning with our guest, Teresa Weed, who is the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator from Illinois Early Childhood Outdoors. We can learn so much from spending time in nature. Being in nature encourages exploration and inspiration, sparks a sense of wonder and connection, and provides a space for reflection an...

WasteNot Composting  On this Wild For Change’s podcast, we’re speaking with Liam Donnelly, CEO of WasteNot, a zero-emissions composting collection service in the Chicagoland area.  Composting is a crucial means of reducing food waste in our landfills, yet only 4.1% of food waste in the U.S. is composted annually.  In this podcast, we will learn about WasteNot’s mission and how their service works....

On a new Wild For Change podcast, we spoke with Kay McKeen, the Executive Director of SCARCE, an acronym which stands for School & Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education .   It is an award-winning environmental education non-profit that supports teachers, children, and the community in creating a brighter future for our planet and ourselves through engaging and accessible...

For those of you who are wondering what you can do right now to help nature, the answer lies in your own backyard, literally.   Our guest today is Dr. Doug Tallamy.  He is an entomologist, ecologist, conservationist, and co-founder of Homegrown National Park. We’ll be discussing his book, Nature’s Best Hope, A New Approach to Conservation That Starts In Your Yard .  I consider Nature’s Best Hope t...

On a new Wild For Change podcast, our guests are three remarkable women from the Hinsdale Humane Society in Illinois:   Lauren Osborne ; Director of Operations  Erin Palumbo ; Director of Development  Carla Wudi ; Foster Program Manager  Hinsdale Humane Society is a private, nonprofit organization providing care and adoption services for displaced animals.  It is a lifeline in the heart of the com...

The Wild For Change podcast welcomes back Nicole Schmitt, Executive Director of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance to discuss Alaska’s Wildlife Management.   In January, the Alaska Board of Game deliberated on a proposal, named Proposal 75, given by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, suggesting aerial gunning of black and brown bears and wolves via helicopters in central and southwest Alaska.  In t...

Wild For Change is thrilled to announce our 50th podcast episode! It's been an incredible three-year journey, during which I've had the honor of engaging with a diverse range of inspiring individuals committed to creating a positive impact on our planet. In this special episode, I'm excited to showcase all the wonderful guests who have played a part in this amazing adventure. As I r...

Wild For Change is excited to celebrate its 50th podcast! Over the past three years, I've had the privilege of speaking with numerous inspiring individuals who are dedicated to making a positive impact on life on earth. In this special podcast, I'll be highlighting all of the amazing guests who have contributed to this incredible journey. Website : http://www.wildforchange.com Twitter :...

In a recent episode of the Wild For Change podcast, I had a conversation with Ellie Laks, the founder of the Gentle Barn, about her new book, "Cow Hug Therapy." The book is a touching account of how the animals at the Gentle Barn have taught her valuable lessons about life and death and everything in between.  I have always found solace in the company of animals. Being around them brings...

On a new Wild For Change podcast, we speak with Brooks Bonner, Program Director of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation.  E.O. Wilson, was an American biologist, naturalist, ecologist, entomologist, and the author of many books, including Half-Earth . The premise of Half-Earth proposes that to save the planet, half of the Earth’s lands and seas need to be preserved and protected.   In this podc...

On a new Wild For Change podcast, we welcome back Damien Mander, environmentalist and founder of Akashinga, the first all-women, anti-poaching organization formerly known as the International Anti-Poaching Foundation.   We also welcome Nyaradzo Hoto, a Biodiversity Officer of Akashinga who focuses on research and data analysis collected by the Akashinga rangers.    The Akashinga rangers are not on...

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. Wi...

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...

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 interdepende...

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 expe...

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 for...

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...

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 protecti...

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 aro...