30% Wild

A special message for listeners at the end of Season 1 of "30% Wild," and looking forward to Season 2! You can find all the new developments at thirtywildpod.com , as well as the episode notes for all the Season 1 episodes. Thanks for listening!

You love wildlife and you want to do something to help it, but what can you do? If the problems facing wildlife look insurmountable, this episode is for you! Plus make a peaceful backyard refuge from everything else scary for yourself, a tiny vacation you can take daily. Learn how to make a difference, one backyard at a time, and (re)build for wildlife in the places where we live. Take a trip into...

What is it we see, when what we see is “impossible”? Have you ever had something unsettling happen in the woods that you couldn’t explain? Whether animals way out of place, cryptids, or mysterious noises and lights, we wander through the possibilities of what’s going on when you can’t believe what you see. We also take a nighttime stroll through a legendary woods where everything depends on the ey...

Wily hero, despised villain, or something in between? Love coyotes or hate them, don’t bet against them being in your backyard, under your porch, or even trotting down your city’s streets. What makes these wild canines icons of resilience? We also watch a race on those city streets, myth vs myth, to see who spreads fastest or maybe who cheats best. Peggy Anesi, Educator on Natural Resources, Envir...

Wily hero, despised villain, or something in between? Love coyotes or hate them, don’t bet against them being in your backyard, under your porch, or even trotting down your city’s streets. What makes these wild canines icons of resilience? We also watch a race on those city streets, myth vs myth, to see who spreads fastest or maybe who cheats best. Peggy Anesi, Educator on Natural Resources, Envir...

Is that dark shape outside your window a bear or just your imagination? As black bears move into new places and get closer to humans, the answer may surprise you. Are backyard bears dangerous, and when will they arrive in your town? We also spy on a woodland meeting between five very different bears, all headed for YOUR house. Dr. Tracy Rittenhouse, Associate Professor with the Department of Natur...

Is that dark shape outside your window a bear or just your imagination? As black bears move into new places and get closer to humans, the answer may surprise you. Are backyard bears dangerous, and when will they arrive in your town? We also spy on a woodland meeting between five very different bears, all headed for YOUR house. Dr. Tracy Rittenhouse, Associate Professor with the Department of Natur...

When is a pig not a pig? When it’s the worst invasive species anywhere. Whether wild boar, razorback, or wild pig, feral swine top the list of ecological worries across most of the US, and much of the world. What makes feral pigs so scary and so very hard to control, and are they coming to a backyard near you? We also look through the eyes of a very special escapee from a very particular ship, cen...

Fluffy cow or climate hero? Which is scarier - how much our past and future depends on the bison’s unbelievable impact, or how close we came to losing that impact forever? Or maybe the scariest thing is a 2000 lb buffalo thundering toward you with ill intent? While you ponder, come with us on a visit to a barnyard where the full moon remembers the prairie’s past a little *too* well. Trevor Edmonso...

Fluffy cow or climate hero? Which is scarier - how much our past and future depends on the bison’s unbelievable impact, or how close we came to losing that impact forever? Or maybe the scariest thing is a 2000 lb buffalo thundering toward you with ill intent? While you ponder, come with us on a visit to a barnyard where the full moon remembers the prairie’s past a little *too* well. Trevor Edmonso...

If any animal in the eastern US has a myth, it's the fisher, also sometimes called the fisher cat. What's true about this giant weasel and what's just a story around the campfire? If you've never heard of fishers, should you be afraid of them? As they retake new territory, when are they coming to your backyard, or could they live there already? Most importantly, are they really cats? If fishers ar...

What makes a place creepy, and most especially, what makes the woods spooky? Is it just the animals that are scary, or is there something else waiting off the trail? From abandoned cabins to strange echoes, we run away with our imaginations and delve into the research on what we like and don’t like about potentially threatening places in the outdoors. Plus how to have the best haunted house or fro...

What past life is in your yard, waiting to be resurrected? What do zombies have to do with ecology? In the spookiest way possible, we dig into rewilding your yard, neighborhood, or even whole regions. Get all the basics on bringing nature back to a space near you, including why you’d want to and how you’ll benefit. Plus pro tips about how to start with a tiny rewilded patch, right in your own back...

Mountain lions, cougars, panthers, pumas - by any name, they’re the scariest animal out there, at least in our imaginations. On “30% Wild,” we look at the prospect of these big cats returning to the eastern part of the United States, where we know they live right now, and how they can show up virtually anywhere from time to time. How dangerous are these top predators? How do you stay safe during w...

Mountain lions, cougars, panthers, pumas - by any name, they’re the scariest animal out there, at least in our imaginations. On “30% Wild,” we look at the prospect of these big cats returning to the eastern part of the United States, where we know they live right now, and how they can show up virtually anywhere from time to time. How dangerous are these top predators? How do you stay safe during w...

Face your fear of sharks and dare to go back in the water - as long as you’re watching for the scary invasive species lurking in your neighborhood lakes and rivers. We discuss where you’re most at risk from shark attacks and where else the bull shark might turn up. What do people see when they report sharks far from the ocean, and is it dangerous? We also follow a lost bull shark through urban flo...

Face your fear of sharks and dare to go back in the water - as long as you’re watching for the scary invasive species lurking in your neighborhood lakes and rivers. We discuss where you’re most at risk from shark attacks and where else the bull shark might turn up. What do people see when they report sharks far from the ocean, and is it dangerous? We also follow a lost bull shark through urban flo...

What’s that huge shadow sweeping overhead? We explore the “death from above” that is raptors, and learn how ravens are on the move from legend and myth to your backyard courtesy of rewilding. We talk about the conservation victory of the return of eagles, ospreys, and their kin and what this shifted baseline tells us in the struggle against climate change. We also watch as the semi-supernatural th...

Track the Big Bad Wolf from fairy tales and metaphors to the real animal, and learn that everything you think you know about this elusive predator is probably wrong. Where do wolves show up, where do we know they live, and are they coming back to your neighborhood? How dangerous is the real animal? We also eavesdrop on an interview at the coffeehouse between a certain young professional dressed in...

Introducing “30% Wild,” the podcast that explores the adventure of life in a rewilding world. We start with “Scary Animals in the Backyard,” asking what’s behind reports of predators close to where you live. Stay safe, and know who’s watching you in the woods - or just outside your door. How this show is for you if climate doom is getting you down. What’s...

What’s the scariest thing in the woods? Howls and cries echoing through the night. Half-seen shadows flitting through the trees. 30% Wild delves into these encounters – and the science behind them. Learn how to stay safe out there, feel at home in the outdoors, and hear stories that revolutionize how you see your surroundings. Feed your thirst for the wild world outside your door, and...