The Wolf Connection

Adrian Wydeven spoke to us about the new draft of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Wolf Management Plan. He described what changes have been made from prior years, and the pros and cons of the proposed plan.   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 in...

Kristin Combs is the Executive Director of Wyoming Wildlife Advocates. Wyoming Wildlife Advocates informs, educates, and empowers communities to preserve wild legacy, protect shared wildlife and modernize wildlife management across the state. Kristin discussed Wyoming's wolf management plans, the mission of the organization and the perception of wolves in the state. Wyoming Wildlife Advocates...

Lizzy Pennock is the Carnivore Coexistence Advocate with WildEarth Guardians. Recently, WildEarth Guardians and Project Coyote filed a lawsuit challenging  Montana's expanded wolf hunting program, established by the 2021 state Legislature. The ruling was successful in granting a temporary restraining order against the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the State of Montana, and the Fish and Wi...

Wolf Sanctuary of PA has been in operation for over 40 years, and is home to over 50 wolves and wolf dogs. Through their guided tours, they seek to dispel some of the common myths about wolves and provide a more accurate and respectful image of this keystone species. Michelle Mancini, the Education Director, spoke with us about the history and logistics of the organization and the impact they have...

Ryan Devereaux has been an investigative journalist for The Intercept for almost a decade. His two recent pieces titled "In Reviewing Wolves' Endangered Status, Martha Williams Confronts Her Montana Past " and "The Fight To Stop Republicans From Killing Wolves and Grizzlies " details the ongoing issues surrounding the wolf hunts in Montana. We spoke in depth with Ryan abou...

Nick Gevock does public policy and communications work on a wide range of conservation issues in Montana and the Northern Rockies. He previously served as the Conservation Director for the Montana Wildlife Federation for 8 years and as a newspaper reporter for 11 years in Montana covering wolf issues.  We talked with Nick about his background as a hunter, his work as a reporter and the history of...

This is the fourth and final episode of our podcasts recorded at The International Wolf Symposium in Minneapolis, Minnesota! Marc Cooke and Kim Bean are the President and Vice President of the non-profit organization Wolves of the Rockies. Since 2011, their mission has been to protect and defend the wolves of Yellowstone National Park & the Rocky Mountains while trying to enact positive change...

This is the third episode of our podcasts recorded at The International Wolf Symposium in Minneapolis, Minnesota! Taylor Bland has gone from being a wildlife guide in Yellowstone National Park, to a Biological Technician for the Yellowstone Wolf Project. She is also on the Board of Directors for the International Wolf Center. We talked about the changes happening in her professional life, the impa...

This is the second of our podcasts recorded at The International Wolf Symposium in Minneapolis, Minnesota! Bridget Borg is a Wildlife Biologist in Denali National Park where she has been studying wolves for over a decade. She is also the Principal Investigator for Denali National Park's wolf and caribou research programs. We talked about her plenary session that discussed the history of Denal...

This is the first of our podcasts recorded at The International Wolf Symposium in Minneapolis, Minnesota! Bridgett VonHoldt, Kristin Brzeski, and Joey Hinton are all co-founders of the Gulf Coast Canine Project. The goals of the project are to understand the genetic ancestry of the unique wild canines persisting along the Gulf Coast of the United States and study how red wolf ancestry affects morp...

Tom McPherson is the Director of Seaforth Expeditions in Sechelt, British Columbia. They share amazing wildlife encounters with photographers and filmmakers in the hopes that they produce works that inspire and educate the world about the fragility and beauty of the Pacific Northwest ecosystems. Tom spoke to us about the beginnings of Seaforth Expeditions, his knowledge of the wildlife and ecosyst...

Bridget Borg is a Wildlife Biologist in Denali National Park where she has been studying wolves for over a decade. She is also the Principal Investigator for Denali National Park's wolf and caribou research programs. Bridget spoke about her research on wolves in Denali, the environmental differences for wolves in Alaska and some of the topics she will be speaking about at the International Wo...

Julie Meachen is an Associate Professor of Anatomy, Vertebrate Paleontologist and Functional Morphologist at Des Moines University. She is the Lead Investigator at the Natural Trap Cave and has been excavating Pleistocene mammals from Rancho La Brea since 2003. We discussed her research and findings about gray wolves and dire wolves from the Pleistocene Era, along with studies on other Pleistocene...

Kira Cassidy has been a Biologist and Research Associate for Yellowstone Forever for over a decade. Connor Meyer is a PhD Student in Wildlife Biology at the University of Montana.   They are working on new research pertaining to Toxoplasmosis in wolves around Yellowstone National Park. Kira and Connor discussed what Toxoplasmosis is, the relationship between cougars and wolves with this disease, a...

Julia Huffman is an award winning independent documentary filmmaker who produced Medicine of the Wolf. Her latest works include the animated story Today As I Run, and The Wild One, based on an excerpt from Jim Brandenburg's book Brother Wolf. We caught up with Julia about her recent projects, how she handled the creative process during the pandemic, and how she hopes both films will help the...

Bridgett VonHoldt is the Associate Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University. She has been studying ecological epigenomics which address the ecological and evolutionary questions regarding animals adaptations & response to selection. Bridgett spoke to us about her work regarding the genomic & phenotypic diversity between dogs and wolves, and how captured coyot...

Ryan Devereaux has been an investigative journalist for The Intercept for almost a decade. His piece titled " Rocky Mountain Massacre", details the events leading up to, during, and after the recent wolf hunt in Montana. We discussed the article at length, discussing how he got involved in the story and what he learned from his time in Montana around Yellowstone National Park. Rocky Moun...

Aaron Bott is a Wildlife Biologist and a PhD student at Utah State University studying wolves across the American West. He has recently become an Associate Researcher for the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative. Aaron's family roots in the American West date back into the mid-1800's where they have lived ever since.  Aaron talked to us about his family heritage, where his passion f...

Bernd Blossey has been a Professor of Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell University for almost 30 years. His research has involved assessing impacts of deer on ecosystems and how large carnivores may, or may not, aid in ecosystem recovery.  Another focus of Bernd’s work is addressing the responsibility and accountability of humans on the conservation and management of these species....

Arthur Lefo is a French-American wildlife and conservation photographer, writer, nature guide and storyteller. His inspiring visual arts work has captured the attention of global audiences and has been featured by acclaimed outlets such as National Geographic & World Wildlife Fund. Arthur spoke to us about his personal journeys into photography & guiding, described his experiences while ph...

Marc Cooke and Kim Bean are the President and Vice President of the non-profit organization Wolves of the Rockies. Since 2011, their mission has been to protect and defend wolves from Yellowstone & the Rocky Mountains while trying to enact positive change for all wolves across the country. Marc and Kim joined us again to speak about the proposed Montana Wolf Hunting and Trapping Plan for 2022....

Wolf Tales is where you'll hear stories from Wolf Connection's staff and volunteers about their experiences. We'll also be speaking with musicians, artists, photographers and videographers about how the wolf has impacted their work. Edward Amaya is a former student who participated in the Wolf Connection youth program. He now works at Wolf Connection as a Program Assistant, mentorin...

Wolf Tales is where you'll hear stories from Wolf Connection's staff and volunteers about their experiences. We'll also be speaking with musicians, artists, photographers and videographers about how the wolf has impacted their work. Renee has been with Wolf Connection for 13 years and is the Lead of Pack Behavior. She has interacted with all the wolves that have come through the org...

Welcome to the 100th episode of The Wolf Connection Podcast! Thank you to all our guests and listeners who have been along for the journey. Here's to the next 100 episodes and beyond! HOWLS! Project Coyote is a national non-profit organization based in Northern California whose mission is to promote compassionate conservation and coexistence between people and wildlife through education, scie...

Brenna Cassidy is a PhD Candidate at the University of Montana where she is studying the recent effects of Montana's wolf harvest on the packs in Yellowstone National Park. Her research is vital to understanding how humans can impact the survival of wolves that live most of their lives inside Yellowstone. Brenna spoke to us about her love for the outdoors, how she was able to begin working in...