Saving Wildlife with Sam

George Shillinger has spent 40 years protecting sea turtles. His path started a pet box turtle that had literally been to space! I sat down with the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Upwell to talk about what it takes to protect an animal that crosses entire ocean basins, dives over a kilometre deep, and falls under the jurisdiction of dozens of governments. Here's what struck me most: we&...

A conversation about my favourite parrot! I had the pleasure of chatting with the Co-founder and Chair of the Kea Conservation Trust Tamsin Orr-Walker has spent 20 years protecting Kea, the world’s most curious parrot. Kea slide down rooftops for fun, dismantle cars out of curiosity, and once caused $30,000 in damage to forestry equipment in a single night. They’re also  endangered, with fewer tha...

Bill Sutherland is Miriam Rothschild Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Cambridge, Department of Zoology, and founder of Conservation Evidence. For over 20 years he’s been asking a deceptively simple question: if a doctor can look up the evidence for any treatment before prescribing, why can't a conservationist do the same? Conservation has long relied on tradition, intuit...

Jen Miller is Senior Manager of the Sea Otter Fund at the Wildlife Conservation Network, and her path has been anything but linear. A PhD from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies studying tigers and livestock depredation in India. Wolves and jaguar reintroduction policy at Defenders of Wildlife. International wildlife trafficking grants at the US Fish and Wildlife Service. And no...

Snow leopards live in some of Earth's harshest environments, hunting on vertical cliffs at elevations where oxygen is half that of sea level. They're sacred to the indigenous communities who share their landscape and they're threatened by human-wildlife conflict, climate change, and the challenges of survival in an increasingly unstable mountain ecosystem.  Ashleigh Lutz-Nelson, Exe...

Frank Pope, CEO of Save the Elephants, shares his unconventional journey into conservation This episode is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton (1942-2025), founder of Save the Elephants and pioneer of elephant research. His groundbreaking work transformed our understanding of African elephants and shaped modern conservation practices. Learn more about Save the Elephants: Website:...

Peter Damerell, Interim Director of the Saiga Conservation Alliance, shares his journey from aspiring wildlife filmmaker to leading conservation efforts across Central Asia for one of the world's most unusual antelopes. From the vast steppes of Kazakhstan to working with traditional medicine markets in Asia, Peter coordinates an alliance of organizations protecting a species that has crashed...

Most marine biologists dream of studying dolphins. Dr. Louisa Ponnampalam actually did it - and discovered that saving wildlife requires far more than science. Louisa shares her journey from teenage "dolphin obsession" to founding and running Marecet, Malaysia's leading marine mammal conservation organization. She opens up about the steep learning curve from field researcher to orga...

Rosamira Guillen shares her inspiring journey to becoming Executive Director of Proyecto Tití and shows us that conservation is more than just biology. We range from fun stories of the Cotton-tops, protecting their dry-forest and working finding ways to benefit local Colombian communities to values, culture and leadership!   Follow Rosamira and her team’s work https://www.facebook.com/proyectotiti...

Dr Colleen Begg, thought-leader in conservation, has dedicated her life to working with local communities and saving wildlife. She shares awe inspiring stories of her adventures and endurance: Wildlife and wilderness Catching Honey Badgers Elephants roaming through camp Learning traditions from local people Leadership and community A deadly attack by insurgents Conservation when security is uncert...

Rocio Palacios has dedicated her life to learning about and protecting one of the world’s most elusive cats. The Andean Cat Alliance works across the four countries where the cats are found. Their research and conservation involves local communities and their impact benefits cats and other wildlife in the high Andes. Rocio shares fun and inspiring stories of a life rich adventure and passion. Foll...