The Wolf Connection

John Wood was a professional golf caddy for almost 25 years and is now an on-course reporter with the Golf Channel and NBC. When he's not on the course, John spends time in Yellowstone National Park watching wolves and other wildlife with veteran wolf trackers Rick McIntyre, Laurie Lyman and many others. John joined us at Wolf Connection for a visit after our paths crossed in Yellowstone. He...

Alex Few has been a Working Wild Challenge Coordinator for nearly 2 years with the Western Landowners Alliance. They work to create health and prosperity of working lands in the American West for ranchers, landowners and farmers. Western Landowners Alliance advances policies and practices that sustain working lands, connected landscapes, and native species.   Alex discussed her background before j...

For more than 30 years, National Geographic photographers Jim and Jamie Dutcher have focused their lives on the study and documentation of wolf behavior. As two of America's most knowledgeable experts on wolves, they are devoted to sharing their unique background for the betterment and understanding of this keystone species. Jim and Jamie spoke about their film project Living with Wolves, the...

Brett Ochs gave us the perspective of a hunter who is a pro-wolf advocate. Brett has been hunting the majority of his life and believes that wolves belong on the natural landscape. He is part of the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project, helping to re-establish wolves on the Western Slope of Colorado. He told us about his upbringing, his journey into conservation of carnivores and the plight of hunters who...

Alicia gave us the unique opportunity to speak with a former caretaker of one our very own Wolf Connection pack, Jax! She describes her history with Jax, the journey they took to get to Wolf Connection and valuable insight on finding placement for wolves and wolf dogs. @aliciaa_jones @wolfconnection Wolf Connection Pack

Wes is a Grammy nominated performer, songwriter and producer. He sat down and talked about his journey from Nashville to California, his career in music and the impact the wolves at Wolf Connection have had on his life. He also performs his song Beautiful Life off of the album All the Plans Have Changed Wes has recorded 3 albums Down In Flames, All The Plans Have Changed & Sheltering Sky   whi...

Laurie Lyman is a dedicated wolf watcher and advocate who has been studying wolves for over 15 years. She largely contributed to the book American Wolf  and can often be found in the field with noted wolf researcher Rick McIntyre. Laurie spoke about her path to wolf watching, the special relationship she had with Wolf '06 and how you can follow the daily updates on wildlife in Yellowstone Nat...

Sarah Michael is the Community Chair for the Wood River Wolf Project Steering Committee. She was elected to the Board of County Commissioners and served from 2000-2008. Sarah led the county’s initiative on the Wood River Wolf Project and county efforts to enact stronger protections for wildlife, water quality, agricultural lands, and to reduce urban sprawl. Sarah spoke about Idaho State Bill 1211...

Adrian Wydeven is a former Wildlife Biologist and Wildlife Manager for the Department of Natural Resources in Wisconsin. He headed up the Wisconsin wolf recovery program that included intense monitoring of the state wolf population from 1990 through 2013. He is currently a member of the conservation group Wisconsin's Green Fire and chair of the Timber Wolf Alliance. Adrian spoke about his tim...

Delia Malone is the Wildlife Chair for the Sierra Club's Colorado Chapter and an Ecologist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. Delia spoke about the ecological impacts that the wolf reintroduction could have on Colorado's West Slope, the history of wolves in Colorado and how the state is managing expectations for the reintroduction. Rocky Mountain Wolf Project Sierra Club Colorad...

Wolf Connection's Pack Services Manager, Elena Albanese, joins John, Stephen, and Renee to share their personal stories from their recent trip to Yellowstone National Park. They also recall the changing dynamics between bison and elk within the park and discuss the possibility of wolves evolving to kill larger prey. Wolf Connection @calfanation @srprodllc @reneealfero22 @elena_ny2ca

Podcast Producer Stephen Rivera, Wolf Connection Behavior Specialist Renee Alfero,  and host John Calfa recap their recent experience in Yellowstone National Park. Learn more about the amazing people they met, new information about wolves, Yellowstone’s ecosystem, and how humans affect the wildlife inside the park. Wolf Connection @wolfconnection @srprodllc @calfanation

Adrian Treves is the founder of the Carnivore Coexistence Lab based in Madison, Wisconsin. His research focuses on ecology, law, and human dimensions of ecosystems in which crop and livestock ownership overlaps the habitat of large carnivores from coyotes up to grizzly bears. Adrian earned his PhD at Harvard University in 1997 and is a Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Wiscon...

Ellen has studied and investigated the effects of pathogen infections on social groups within wolf and elk populations in Yellowstone National Park. Her research is focused in canine distemper virus, sarcoptic mange, and chronic wasting disease. She has also been involved in research that informs wolf management, such as disease risk analyses for endangered species act petitions and wolf re-introd...

Karin is the founder and director of Working Circle, a comprehensive community-based program dedicated to supporting working ranch stewardship to ensure that wolves, livestock, and people can thrive on shared landscapes in today's world. The effort continues to focus on sustainable and long-term strategies to reduce wolf-livestock conflict; strategies that unite rather than divide the values...

Rachel Tilseth has been a volunteer winter wolf tracker for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources since 2000. Rachel has also worked with the Wisconsin Wolf Recovery Program since 1998. She is an author for the Wolves of Douglas County News website as well as an artist, educator and environmentalist. Rachel joined us to discuss the recent wolf hunt in Wisconsin that took place in February...

Wendi McLendon-Covey is an actress and comedian who stars in the television series Reno 911!  (Comedy Central) & The Goldbergs (ABC) and played a supporting role in the movie Bridesmaids (2011). She has been in multiple movies and television shows over the course of her career and is currently involved in three new releases:  Sylvie's Love, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, and Long Week...

Suzanne has spent over 30+ years looking to restore wolves to the Rockies and Pacific Northwest. She was a member of both the Idaho and Yellowstone wolf reintroduction teams that restored wolves to central Idaho and Yellowstone National Park. She is co-founder of the Wood River Wolf Project which promotes the coexistence of livestock and wolves by proactively using non-lethal  measures to prevent...

Mike Phillips has played a key role in wolf conservation and recovery for 40+ years. He was part of the red wolf & gray wolf recovery efforts in the 1990's and is a founding member of the Turner Endangered Species Fund and Turner Biodiversity Divisions. As a former Democratic legislator in Montana, Mike helped inform the public about Colorado Proposition 114, which will be reintroducing g...

Carter Niemeyer retired from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in 2006 as the Wolf Recovery Coordinator for the state of Idaho. He was an integral part of the Federal Wolf Reintroduction in both Yellowstone and Idaho. Carter has authored two books, Wolfer and Wolf Land which can be purchased through multiple book retailers. He spoke about growing up in Iowa, his time spent as a government trapp...

**Click the link to view Kate's pictures that we discuss on the podcast**  https://www.instagram.com/p/CLe9h2eAgtg/?igshid=sg4hdl5rcgp1 Kate Ochsman is a wildlife photographer, certified South African Safari Guide and conservationist. She has traveled the globe photographing, guiding and conserving wildlife until it landed her in Montana - on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park. Kate sp...

Maddy Jackson is a Project Technician with the Yellowstone Wolf Project. She is currently working on studies pertaining to wolf scat and the information that can be gathered non-invasively from wolf packs. She has a B.S. in Ecology/Evolution/Behavior from the University of Minnesota and currently resides in Gardiner, Montana. Maddy described growing up in Minnesota close to the Superior National F...

Taylor Bland has been a wildlife guide and wolf observer for over 2 years with Yellowstone Wolf Tracker. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Zoology, studied abroad at Kruger National Park in South Africa and now sits on the board of the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota. Taylor talks about her guiding style when she takes groups around Yellowstone. She also dis...

Jack Rabe is currently obtaining his Master's Degree in Conservation Sciences at the University of Minnesota in conjunction with the Yellowstone Wolf/Elk/Cougar projects. Jack has studied all 3 species at length as a Biological Technician and examined the dynamics they have within Yellowstone National Park. He has a B.S. in Forest, Fishery and Wildlife from The Ohio State University. Jack dis...

Dylan Sanborn is an Avian Field Technician and Park Ranger in Yellowstone National Park. He has studied corvids and raptors for the last few years and their impact on the environment inside the park. Dylan joined us to discuss the unique dynamic between birds and wolves - specifically ravens - since wolves have rejoined the landscape. He spoke about foraging strategies and pack detections used by...