Rewildology

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with two awesome Nepali conservationists that are experts in Himalayan wildlife. First, you’ll hear from Sonam Lama who is the Program Coordinator for the Red Panda Network. We recorded his episode shortly after I returned from Nepal, as we weren’t able to connect in-country. Hopefully, I’ve done a good enough job editing the jet lag out of my voice. Afterward, you...

In today’s episode, I’m taking you with me to a very special place: Chitwan National Park in southeast Nepal. This area is world-renowned for its immense Asian Greater-One Horned Rhino population, in addition to a vast diversity of birds, mammals, reptiles, and endangered species like tigers and the gharial crocodile.  As I’m sure you can imagine, living with such charismatic wildlife can both a b...

Welcome, friends, to Part Two of the ‘Nepal: Coexisting with Giants’ series. Today’s guest, Jack Kinross, and I met in Bardia National Park, a land known for its remote locale and infamous tiger population. Located in the terai, this area is characterized by grasslands, sal forests, and marshes. Picture Disney’s Jungle Book and BBC’s Planet Earth II Grasslands Episode, and you’ll have a good idea...

Welcome, everyone, to the first episode in the Nepal: Coexisting with Giants series. In this episode, I’m chatting with Sam Helle who is a Ph. D. student and has been studying human-wildlife conflict in Nepal for multiple years. She sets the foundation for my understanding of conflict in the area and how amazingly dedicated the local communities are to protecting their wildlife, even when it cause...

Nepal. The land of rugged mountains, rich grasslands, and unparalleled biodiversity. In March 2021, my fellow globetrotting partner, Courtney Gonzalez, and I traveled to Nepal to experience conservation firsthand in this ecologically abundant country. What we learned blew our minds. We met with multiple conservationists working tirelessly to protect both wildlife and people in a country that’s exp...

This week’s guest, Jesse Weiland, takes me through his rather unique path into becoming a park ranger in the Rocky Mountains, losing three ranger jobs in a row to COVID, and launching an outdoor education company called Rugged Research along with other Rocky Mountain National Park Rangers ( @RuggedResearchTV ). If any of you are considering entering the national park service or are currently looki...

Hello and welcome back to Rewildology! In this episode, I’m chatting with Kathayoon Khalil, PhD. We explore her experiences growing up in an all-white community, how she discovered her love for wildlife conservation through her many summers at the Oregon Zoo and how she gained her parent’s approval for pursuing a path in conservation. Kathayoon’s PhD research and career are as fascinating as they...

No matter how the past year turned out for you, you’re going to relate to this week’s guest, Sheridan Samano. Sheridan is the co-founder and owner of Reefs to Rockies, a boutique travel company that specializes in creating the best nature and wildlife itineraries. Her goal is to give her clients the greatest nature experiences of their life while having as little impact on the environment as possi...

Today, Anne and I chat in-depth about the 1994 Rwanda genocide. She discovered her passion for the topic when she joined a study abroad trip in undergrad to learn more about the event. She was hooked. It combined her curiosity in human psychology, her love of history, and how to help communities avoid similar atrocities in the future. Don’t worry, there’s a strong conservation undertone throughout...

In this episode, I’m chatting with Eric Schmidt, who is the Executive Director of Wildlife Protection Solutions. WPS’s mission is to use technology to conserve endangered species and ecosystems, and boy are they good at it. Eric and I chat about how WPS came to be, the technology they’ve deployed around the world, and he even shares a few stories about catching poachers in the act. We also talk in...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Daniella, we explore the struggles she’s encountered throughout her career and what she’s had to overcome to continue moving forward. We also chat about when she thinks she’ll finally have reached success and gives fantastic life advice that you’ll want to hear. If you’re digging the show, please follow and share wherever you’re listening. Sharing is the best way...

In this week’s episodes, I’m chatting with a very interesting researcher, Daniella Chusyd, Ph. D. who is studying elephants to better understand ourselves. In Part 1, we go back in time and learn about her childhood, international experiences, and opportunities that led her to academia. We go into depth about her current research, and let me tell you, it’s fascinating. From studying elephant menta...

On today’s show, we’re traveling back to the Galapagos Islands to hear Part 2 of my conservation with Josy Cardoso. We chat about a very interesting citizen science project she recently joined as a team lead called Barcode Galapagos, why the Galapagos Islands are so special and should be on every nature-lovers bucket list, and how we can all do our part to protect and restore nature. This has me t...

In this week’s episodes, we’re traveling to South America and the beautiful Galapagos Islands to chat with my phenomenal friend, Josy Cardoso.  Josy is a naturalist guide for Galapagos National Park and is very active in her local community. In Part 1, we chat about what COVID has done to the islands and how she has been killing time while she waits for tourists return, what it’s like growing up a...

Hey everyone! I’m really excited to release this special bonus episode. My last guest, Jon Rossi of the Rossifari Podcast, had me on his show and this is my interview with him. We chat about my history, how I discovered conservation travel, and why I launched Rewildology. Subscribe to the Rossifari Podcast: https://www.rossifari.com/podcast Follow Rossifari on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/...

Welcome to Part 2 of the 2 part series with Jon Rossi of the Rossifari Podcast. In this part of the conversation, we dive deep into how Jon made the Rossifari Podcast happen including connecting with zookeepers and conservation organizations, plus all of the hoops that are involved to make them happen. And let me tell you, there’s a lot. We also chat about some personal struggles, like battling me...

Today is Part 1 of a 2 part series with Jon Rossi of the Rossifari Podcast. If COVID turned your life upside down like I know it has so many of us, then you’ll definitely relate to Jon’s story. Jon is a professional drummer with a very successful career touring across the US sharing his talents. But when COVID hit, all of his work – and his strongest passion – were ripped away from him. While on t...

In this episode, I’m chatting with Judith Wanda, who is the International Relations Director and an Assistant Professor at St Augustine University of Tanzania. She has been through more than you can imagine. She was orphaned at a young age after losing both of her parents, and her and her brother found strength through education. Her surviving family members encouraged her to work as hard as she c...

Have you ever wondered how a species gains protection in Congress or what the process is for getting an area or species listed? I’ve asked myself these questions several times, and so I connected with my good friend Hailey Hawkins to learn more. Hailey works for the Endangered Species Coalition and works with the public and political leaders to put conservation into legal action. We dive deep into...

Holy smokes, am I excited to release this episode. Today I’m chatting with Arthur Leforestier, who is an awesome friend of mine and is absolutely crushing it in wildlife photography. We discuss his tumultuous road that led him to wildlife photography, the ethics and common misconceptions of the field, and Arthur gives some great advice for anyone considering making a big life change or feeling a l...

In this episode I’m chatting with Court Whelan, PhD, who is an entomologist and ecotourism expert. We chat about his interesting path into entomology and photography guiding, why he chose a career over entrepreneurship, and the importance of tourism for wildlife conservation.  This one is a goodie and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. See full show notes at rewildology.com Watch this episode o...

In this episode, I’m chatting with Jawnie Payne, who is revolutionizing the look of conservation. We explore her decision late in college to change her major and pursue zookeeping. She gives a perfect blueprint to follow for anyone contemplating entering this field. We also dive deep into what it’s like being a black zookeeper. I highly recommend that anyone who’s in charge of hiring at their cons...

Welcome, friends, to Episode 2 of Rewildology! Today I’m chatting with Dave Johnson who may be one of the nicest human beings I’ve ever met. We explore his personal journey to discovering what he really wanted to do in life, why he made the big career shift to starting his own non-profit, and what it was like as a gay man growing up in a conservative household. We also share his mindset while trav...

Welcome to today’s episode of Rewildology. In this show, I’m chatting with Corrin LaCombe who is a primate conservation biologist and has been all over the world studying a wide range of species. She’s worked at some of the top conservation organizations in the US, started her own non-profit, Primate Connections, and has contributed to several on-the-ground sustainability efforts worldwide. She’s...

Welcome to Episode 1 of Rewildology! I thought it was only right to kick off this show with my first guest, Bill Given of The Wild Source. Bill is a mentor of mine and a huge reason why I am where I am today. We chat about how his company is disrupting the safari industry, how to persevere through a global pandemic that practically shuts down your business, and that it’s okay to change your career...