Kindred

In this week’s episode, we speak with Dr. Wai-Ming Wong, the director of small cat conservation science for the organization Panthera. Dr. Wong introduces us to only a few of the 33 small wild cat species (there’s a fishing cat?!?) and breaks down why we know so little about them! We love learning about the little ones out there, and it turns out these small creatures have BIG lives and personalit...

In this week’s episode, we speak with Rachel Gardner, the conservation translocation officer for the executive agency Forestry England, about her job in species reintroductions.  Rachel takes us on a walk  back in time into England’s ancient forests and shows us what the future of forests and the landscape could look like. She talks about her work in species reintroductions and recovery projects w...

In this week’s episode, we speak with Matt Rader, the President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. We dig deep into environmental justice and what it means for people to have access to green spaces and the many positive effects it has not only on the aesthetic of a city but the many mental, physical, social, and overall health benefits.  We’ve been wanting to cover this for a long time and...

In this week’s episode, we speak with wildlife photographer Meaghan Garrahan. Meaghan talks to us about why she got into wildlife photography, what it means to her, and what she hopes to offer not only us but the world she captures. Two things stand out about Meaghan’s work. One is the detail, intensity, and mood that her images hold, and two, the fact that this is a relatively recent focus for he...

In this week’s episode, we speak with wolf researcher, interpreter, and award-winning author, Rick McIntyre. Wolves are one of our favorite beings to talk about and to be able to speak with Rick about them is an honor and an absolute joy. In 1996, wolves were relocated from Canada to Yellowstone National Park and thus began the Wolf Reintroduction Project. What would follow would not only greatly...

In this week's episode, we speak with Dr. Andy Suarez, head of the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on all things ants. Although we didn't get a chance to cover all 15,000 different species of ants, Dr. Suarez takes us underground into the life of ants, how they operate, and what an absolutely critical part they play in all ou...

In this week's episode, we are checking in with Dr. Kate Stafford about the state of the Arctic. Dr. Stafford talks about her latest trip back and what's been going on with the Bowhead whale in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, north and northwest of Alaska. Dr. Stafford talks about the rapid pace of the melting ice, and the impact this is making not only to the sweet Bowhead whale but to the...

In this week's conversation, we speak with Tracy Wilson, the Nevada State Director for American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) on a critical subject we knew little to nothing about the wild Mustangs and Burros of the West and North Western United States. She walks us through their challenges, the critical edge they live on, and why we must save this iconic historical animal. AWHC believes "Th...

Welcome back to Season 4 of The Kindred Podcast! We are so excited for this next season. We continue to explore the intricate and interdependent relationship that humans have with animals and the environment. And we dig deeper into how we are not above but equal to the Natural world. And through our conversations with people who make this their life work, we work to inspire a new consciousness in...

We’ve asked Shawn Heinrichs to drop in and walk us through what has happened at a few of the big conventions, like COP 15, COP 27, and CITES, as far as what concrete action has been implemented in support of slowing climate change and specifically in context to protecting the high seas and marine wildlife. He gives us the reality check we all need, and more importantly how our oceans and the being...

In this week's episode, we speak with Rebby Sebei, conservationist and manager at Ruko Wildlife Conservancy.  Rebby talks about her work uniting two warring communities and how through saving the endangered Rothschild's Giraffes, land, and a deeply divided community, can be restored and healed. It's a beautiful story of how the giraffe became a sign of peace and hope. Baringo Conservan...

In this week's conversation, we speak with Tony Incashola Jr., forest manager for CSKT (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), and Stephanie Gillin, information and education program manager and former wildlife biologist for the CSKT at the Flathead Indian Reservation. Tony and Stephanie walk us through the history of fire and what it means to their tribes and how the criminalization of the...

In this week's conversation, we speak with Dr. Kelly Slattery of Home & Shore Vet about grief in specific context to the non-human members of our families. Grief and losing a loved one, human or non-human, is something nearly all of us have experienced and we feel the topic of grief is a really important one to cover and one that is often shied away from because, well, it's a tough sub...

In this week's conversation, we speak with Dr. Elaine Ostrander about all things dogs and why they look like they do. In layman's terms, Dr. Ostrander explains how dogs don't often look like their closest genetic relatives, the wolf. She answers the long standing question and for us the mystery, of how Freddy the Great Dane doesn't look like Franky the Dachshund. We might even have...

This episode consists of Part 1 & Part 2. In this week's conversation, we speak with Ecologist Monica Gagliano about her groundbreaking research with plants in context to perception, learning, memory, cognition, and intelligence. Her work opens a new awareness of how we perceive the plant world and challenges traditional thinking about plant and animal intelligence, and how we might connec...

In this week's conversation, we speak with Ecologist Monica Gagliano about her groundbreaking research with plants in context to perception, learning, memory, cognition, and intelligence. Her work opens a new awareness of how we perceive the plant world and challenges traditional thinking about plant and animal intelligence, and how we might connect on a much deeper level than we ever thought....

In this week's conversation, we speak with Itsaso Velez del Burgo about her work at the Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Center in the Democratic Republic of Congo rescuing and rehabilitating chimps and other vulnerable species. She talks to us about how the devastating effects of extreme poverty and hunger lead to poaching and the trauma that echoes through the chimpanzees and their families. We...

In this week's conversation, we speak with Ph. D. Student Shelly Eshleman about the incredible journey migrating birds take every year. Shelly talks about her ongoing research and her work at Willistown Conservation Trust tracking migrating birds along the East Coast of the United States with the MOTUS Avian system. We get a peek into the long and sometimes dangerous journey of migrating birds...

In this week's episode, we speak with Dr. May Berenbaum on all things insects and her work focusing on interactions between insects and plants and the intricate reciprocal relationship they have with each other, some of which is focused on honey bees. Dr. Berenbaum walks us through a field of information highlighting the extraordinary way bugs keep our world clean, and fruitful, and full of all th...

In this week's episode, we speak with Dr. Kristyn Vitale, whose work focuses on companion animal behavior, specifically cat social cognition, cat behavior, and human-cat interaction. Kristyn walks us through why cats can be misunderstood and how we can understand them better, and busting myths that have persisted for far too long. Turns out Spot and Fido aren't the only ones who can be tau...

Welcome back to Season 3 of Kindred! We are so excited to be back and sharing more great conversations. Look out for us wherever you listen to podcasts because we have excellent content coming your way. Thanks for listening and please share Kindred with your friends and family and strangers!  Lots of Love! Kate & Jenn Kindred is hosted by Kate Coffin and Jenn Asplundh. Find out more info...

In this week's episode, we speak with Sterling "Trap King" Davis about his non-profit organization, Trap King Humane Cat Solutions, doing 'T-N-R' (Trap, Neuter, Return) in communities around the Atlanta area and the country, working to help support and control cat colonies. We take a deep dive into how he is working to break down stereotypes about cats, and those who work wit...

In this week's episode, Kate & Jenn look back on Season 2 and talk about what their big takeaways were, and how each conversation with guests impacted them. We are so grateful to each guest for the time and care they gave to us this season. The knowledge, depth of understanding, and connection they have to the topics we covered are so inspiring and enabled us to go places and gain new awarenes...

In this week's episode, we speak with Willa Powless, a member at large on the Klamath Tribes Council from Oregon about how "land back" is a beginning to heal broken hearts and what land means to her and her tribes. Jenn and Kate were honored to speak with Willa and learn about the deep connection and obligation she feels to land, and how that connection stretches back to the time of...

In this week's episode, Kate and Jenn take a deep dive into Robin Wall Kimmerer's book  Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Knowledge, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants .   In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer takes us beyond the science of plants and into the intricate reciprocal relationship we have to plants and plants have to us through her deep understanding and experience of...