The Wolf Connection

Hannah Rheaume has been a professional photographer for 5 years. She has traveled the globe, sharing her stories through the lens of her camera, while aiming to explore the complexities of humans and their impact on the natural world.  Hannah spoke about her interactions with the pack at Wolf Connection, the photo workshop she hosted in Yellowstone, and her encounter with a yearling wolf inside th...

Dan Flores is A. B. Hammond Professor Emeritus of the History of the American West at the University of Montana-Missoula. He has authored ten books, including his New York Times Bestseller Coyote America , along with American Serengeti and Wild New World.  We had a powerful conversation about how coyotes have shaped both Indigenous and early American storytelling, the rise and impact of extirpatio...

Nadia Steinzor is a collaborative environmental professional for over 25 years, whose knowledge ranges through environmental issues, policies, and regulations to help produce reports, outreach materials, comments, and testimony. Nadia works with the Rewilding Institute to ensure that wolves and other carnivores thrive and roam in the Northeast and beyond. We discussed what goes into drafting envir...

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 three books, Wolfer, Wolf Land, and The Other Ten Wolves, which can be purchased through multiple book retailers.  Carter spoke about his latest literary entry...

Matt James is the Chief Animal Officer for Colossal Biosciences. Colossal Biosciences is dedicated to genetic engineering and de-extinction projects to advance conservation efforts for current species, like red wolves, ecosystems and biodiversity throughout the globe with cutting-edge biotechnology.  Matt went into detail about the mission of Colossal, long term goals with the dire wolf and red wo...

Jonny Hanson is an Environmental Social Scientist, award-winning social entrepreneur, snow leopard conservationist and former community farmer. He is particularly interested in understanding coexistence between livestock farming and large carnivore conservation. He recently published his first book Living with Lynx, Sharing Landscapes with Big Cats, Wolves and Bears.  Jonny spoke about the history...

Tom McPherson has been guiding for 21 years and running Seaforth Expeditions for 6 years. His work with sea wolves has been featured on Netflix with Island of the Sea Wolves, and guiding BBC shoots for the Americas series on NBC.  Tom and his family were able to spend some time at Wolf Connection, meet the pack, and sit down for a brief podcast. We spoke about his experiences at the sanctuary, the...

Mich Biesbroek has been tracking wildlife since he was a young boy. He is one of the group leaders and guides for the White Wilderness weeks of Slovak Wildlife Society, where they monitor large carnivores in Slovakia with the help of volunteer citizens scientists. He is also a core member of Werkgroep Wolf Nederland.  Mich spoke about his experiences tracking animals, his guiding practices when he...

Luigi Boitani has been studying, researching and propelling the conservation of wolves in Italy for over 50 years. He is currently a Professor Emeritus at the University of Rome, Italy, and Chair of the IUCN Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe.  Luigi went into great detail explaining his initial experiences researching wolves, how wolves, other predators and ungulates have had to adapt to a cha...

Bridgett VonHoldt and Kristin Brzeski are the Director and Co-Director of the Gulf Coast Canine Project. The GCCP was created to encompass their research and the community-based approach they are developing to understand, monitor, and manage the unique canines persisting across the Gulf Coast. Bridgett and Kristin gave updates on genomics research, community scientific engagement, expansion of non...

Mollie Cameron is the Wolf Campaigner for Pacific Wild in British Columbia. She has extensive field experience monitoring carnivores, studying their behavior through remote camera traps, investigating wildlife signs, and documenting predation events. She discussed the impact of old-growth forest loss, the history and current status of the wolf cull, habitat destruction, and how these factors are r...

Michelle Valberg has been a fixture in the photography world for over 40 years. A Nikon Ambassador, she was honored with the prestigious Order of Canada in 2022 for her contributions to the craft. Additionally, she is a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. In our conversation, Michelle shared the story of her photographic journey, discussed how she mentors newcomers to the art of pho...

Ian Wargo is a first generation Montanan who is a member of the Region 1 FWP Citizen Advisory Council and FWP Mule Deer Citizen Advisory Council. He is an avid outdoorsman, hunter and concerned resident on the state of the land, herds and practices impacting wild spaces in Northwestern Montana.  Ian discussed changes he's been witnessing on the landscape, practices that have impacted land man...

Ian Wargo is a first generation Montanan who is a member of the Region 1 FWP Citizen Advisory Council and FWP Mule Deer Citizen Advisory Council. He is an avid outdoorsman, hunter and concerned resident on the state of the land, herds and practices impacting wild spaces in Northwestern Montana.  We discussed potential common ground issues between the non-consumptive and hunting communities, includ...

Brenna Cassidy started her work with Colorado Parks & Wildlife as the Wolf Monitoring and Data Coordinator in late 2023. She had a pivotal role in both wolf translocations, bringing wolves from Oregon and B.C.  Brenna went into detail about her new position at CPW, the data she is looking for with the new wolves in Colorado, how she is able to track collar information, and what this data is go...

Caitlin McLean is studying Ecology and Conservation Biology at the University of Stirling and recently returned from tracking predators with The Slovak Wildlife Society.  She explained the absence of predators in her home country of Scotland and the impacts on the landscape, her deep connection to nature, the experiences she had in Slovakia, and her engagement in conflict mitigation with groups in...

Hannah Rheaume has been a professional photographer for 5 years. She has traveled the globe, sharing her stories through the lens of her camera, while aiming to explore the complexities of humans and their impact on the natural world. She spoke at length on her process when preparing to go on photo shoots, how  photography is unique to her vision, promoting wild places and human spaces to help wit...

Amy Porter is the Director of Conservation with Wolf Haven International and is part of the Wolf Advisory Group with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. She has done research in Congo, working with communities on conservation efforts and conflicts within the region. She has translated much of her experience from that work in Congo, to her efforts in Washington state with wolves. Amy...

Mike Koshmrl has been an environmental reporter and journalist for over a decade. He previously worked with Jackson Hole News & Guide and currently writes for WyoFile, reporting on environmental, conservation and natural issues concerning the state of Wyoming. Amanda Eggert has been an environmental reporter with Montana Free Press since 2021. She has also written for other publications includ...

KC York is the President & Founder of Trap Free Montana since its inception in 2013. They represent hikers, anglers, hunters, wildlife watchers, ranchers, pet owners and outdoor enthusiasts concerned about or adamantly opposed to trapping. KC spoke about the updated trapping regulations for bears, wolves and other furbearers in the state of Montana, the issues that trapping and snaring bring t...

Courtney Vail is the Board Chair and Community Outreach Advisor for Rocky Mountain Wolf Project. As a wildlife biologist and social scientist with a deep background in environmental policy and psychology, she has provided leadership for the design and implementation of diverse domestic and international programs, campaigns, and initiatives. Courtney spoke about recent events dealing with the wolf...

Delia Malone is the Wildlife Chair for the Colorado Chapter of the Sierra Club, and an Ecologist for the Colorado Natural Heritage Program at Colorado State University. She has also been at the forefront of wolf reintroduction efforts for the state of Colorado. Delia spoke at length on ecosystem balance, the roles wolves and other species play in the broader ecological picture, and how Colorado st...

Angie Ruiz is a writer, director, and producer of award-winning documentaries Forever Faithful & Black Beauty Breed that can be seen on Apple+, Amazon Prime, and Vimeo On Demand. Her new film, Wonders of the Wolf , will be screening at film festivals in 2025. Angie shared insights into the filmmaking process, the influences that shaped her work, and the message she hopes to convey through the...

Matt Hyde and Mauriel Rodriguez are both Postdoctoral Researchers helping with California Wolf Project. California Wolf Project seeks to develop a model for how to bring universities, government agencies, and local communities together around the science and practice of improving human-wildlife interactions on a shared landscape. Matt and Mauriel described the research objectives and goals for the...

Ellen Dymit is a doctoral student at Oregon State University and is one of the researchers who has studied coastal sea wolves along the Katmai Coast in Alaska in 2021. The majority of her findings detail the prey base of these wolves and their hunting patterns in a coastal setting. Ellen went into great depth describing her research on coastal sea wolf diet, how they are collecting data from scat...