Our Wild Lives

How can the worlds of wildlife conservation and music come together in perfect harmony?  This episode brings together longtime members of The Wildlife Society, Emily Thoroski and Merlin Shoesmith, to show how science and art collide. Emily shares how she works with children in her school workshops to co-write songs about nature. Merlin brings a lifetime of wildlife experience, including an incredi...

How does a voter mandate become a wolf reintroduction program?  In this episode, Katie and Ed sat down with Brenna Cassidy and Eric Odell of Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to unpack the Colorado gray wolf ( Canis lupus ) reintroduction program.  The conversation explores ecological and behavioral questions surrounding gray wolf reintroduction. Can wolves trigger trophic cascades and change rive...

You signed up for wildlife science to work with animals—then discovered most of the job is working with people... In this episode, Katie sits down with Dr. Anna Chalfoun in Pinedale, Wyoming, to unpack the soft skills that drive great science: building a healthy lab culture, mentoring with intention, and navigating conflict without burning bridges. Anna shares candid lessons you can use whether yo...

What if the wildest place you visit this week is the tiny park down your street? Urban wildlife biologist Sam Kieschnick of Texas Parks and Wildlife joins us to show how Dallas–Fort Worth’s “mosaic of green and gray” holds more life than most people imagine—over 12,000 documented species and counting.  Sam walks us through the people-centered work of urban ecology: helping residents share space wi...

Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here! Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/ Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/ Follow us on  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/...

In this episode, we delve into the life of sagebrush songbirds with Emily Schertzer, a PhD candidate at the University of Wyoming . Emily shares her journey into ornithology, her methods for tracking these tiny birds, and the impact of human development and climate change on their habitats. We explore the intricacies of these songbirds' lives, their nesting habits, migration patterns, and the...

Ever wondered what it really takes to do wildlife fieldwork? In this episode, head into the sagebrush with three graduate students studying shrikes, pygmy rabbits, and sagebrush songbirds. Hear about the honest, useful details: how to prep for a season that vanishes in a blur, what gear actually matters (sunshirts, yes; sandals are…controversial), and how to recover when things go sideways. This c...

This conversation brings together three Aldo Leopold Award winners and past presidents of The Wildlife Society to explore how a profession found its purpose and how we keep it honest, relevant, and resilient.  From there, we unpack what TWS really is: not just a membership, but a community of practice that transcends workplaces and fuels collaboration. You’ll hear how standards and journals legiti...

Come join us for our first episode of the Our Wild Lives podcast, where we dive into the roots of The Wildlife Society. Ed takes you back to the 1920s and Aldo Leopold’s influence on the early days of the organization, and we follow its journey to becoming a leading professional society with over 10,000 members. You’ll hear about the creation of the Journal of Wildlife Management , the growth of s...