Project Upland Podcast

Fish and Game Commissions Sit at the Intersection of Science, Politics, and Public Responsibility for Wildlife In this “Civics of Conservation” episode of the Project Upland Podcast, AJ and Gabby are joined by veteran journalist and former Montana Fish and Wildlife commissioner Andrew McKean to explore the often misunderstood world of fish and game commissions and the powerful role they play in sh...

How the Public Trust Doctrine Built the Uniquely American Idea of Publicly Owned Wildlife and Wildlife Management In this episode, AJ and Gabby explore the origins of the Public Trust Doctrine with Leon Szeptycki and examine how a series of legal and political turning points helped shape wildlife conservation in the United States. From Roman law and medieval England to landmark Supreme Court cases...

GPS tracking reveals American woodcock re-nesting movements across the Atlantic Flyway In this episode, AJ and Gabby talk with Colby Slezak, a recent PhD graduate from the University of Rhode Island, about a surprising breakthrough in American woodcock ecology: evidence that female woodcock can be itinerant breeders. Colby explains how new GPS tracking technology, combined with on-the-ground nest...

In Texas and Arizona , white-winged doves are culturally significant and a part of each state’s hunting heritage. Biologists are actively studying these unique migratory birds; in fact, the first research project to ever outfit white-winged doves with GPS transmitters is currently underway in Texas. In this episode, AJ and Gabby talk to Owen Fitzsimmons , the webless migratory game bird program le...

In the Project Upland Podcast episode “The Birds Aren’t Alright,” hosts Gabby Zaldumbide and A.J. DeRosa speak with Dr. Michael Brasher, senior waterfowl scientist at Ducks Unlimited and co-chair of the State of the Birds Report Science Committee, to uncover what the latest data reveal about bird population trends—and what is at stake if federal funding for avian research disappears. Bird species...

In this episode, AJ and Gabby take a break from their regular programming to discuss the sale of public lands as part of the federal budget reconciliation bill.  On June 11, 2025, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing to Examine the President’s Budget Request for the Department of the Interior for Fiscal Year 2026 took place. In it, senators discuss “The “Mandatory Disposal of Bureau...

How an 1885 dissection unraveled a hidden story about invasive worms and the migration routes of the American woodcock in North America. In 1887, Frederick Webster, a taxidermist from Washington, D.C., wrote a short article in a scientific journal. In it, he described dissecting a woodcock from Martha’s Vineyard that had a crop filled entirely with ferns. Why did this woodcock stray from its usual...

In this episode, Gabby and AJ explore the mystery of ruffed grouse drumming—starting in the 1700s, when naturalists first theorized about the sound, and tracing the evolution of human technology that finally unlocked the truth behind this unique behavior. Along the way, they talk to biologist Alaina Roth, Wisconsin’s statewide ruffed grouse specialist , who sheds light on grouse life history, drum...

In this episode, Gabby and AJ talk about the North American Upland Bird Hunting Survey, which has been conducted annually since 2018. The eighth iteration of this survey explores everything from hunting dogs and shotguns to upland bird species—and just how much and how people hunt them. The 2025 edition includes an expanded opinion section covering current and historical policies, environmental is...

In this episode, Gabby and AJ talk to Mark Avery , author of A Message from Martha . As a biologist and conservationist, Mark takes us back in time to reconstruct the biology, habitat, and final era of the Passenger Pigeon . The Passenger Pigeon's extinction is one of the most dramatic extinction stories of the 20th century, resulting in the loss of the most numerous bird on Earth. This episo...

In this episode, Gabby and AJ talk to Associate Professor and Rangeland Wildlife Extension Specialist at Utah State University, Dave Dahlgren. As a sage grouse researcher and scientist, Dave explores the threat of cheatgrass and fire in the Great Basin to habitat. He also shares his experience with changing technology in radio telemetry and GPS tracking and how his pointing dogs have played a role...

In this episode, Gabby and AJ talk to Utah-based sage grouse expert Dave Dahlgren. As a sage grouse researcher and biologist, Dave teaches us about huge amounts of habitat sage grouse need to survive and explains human-centric issues impacting their continued existence. This is the first episode of a two-part series about sage grouse in Utah. --- Visit projectupland.com The Project Upland Podcast...

Project Upland presents the new Project Upland Podcast, a cinematic and science-based production that delivers on the independent storytelling you have come to love.  Cohosts AJ DeRosa and Gabby Zaldumbide learn from researchers, biologists, and subject matter experts about birds, nature, conservation, dogs, and more.  Join us as we travel into the deepest, most obscure, and nerdiest realms of the...