ScienceNatureSociety & Culture

The Wolf Connection

A Wolf Connection® Production

Welcome to 'The Wolf Connection' Podcast. Here, we explore the intricate relationship between humans, predators, and the natural world. Topics range from The Future Of Wild Lands, Biodiversity, Biology, Conservation, Co existing with wildlife for the benefit of our ecological future, and Re-discovering the human/wolf connection.

Finding common ground within these conversations may prove to be essential to our development as individuals, the cultivation of productive societies, and a sustainable civilization on this planet.

Immerse yourself in a broad range of subjects with a wide array of guests from Scientists, Authors, Conservationists, Visual Artists, Ranchers, Hunters, Naturalists and even Wolf Connection Staff & Volunteers!

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21 episodes
fortnightly
Avg 55 min
English

Episodes 21

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Wednesday · 1 hr 14 min
Episode #256 Jason Wise - Finding the Wild in Los Angeles
Jason Wise is a Certified California Naturalist, environmental educator, conservationist, trail guide, and LBGTQ activist with a Master's Degree in Environmental Policy. His passion is fostering a deeper connection between people and nature, and belief that access to and education about the natural world are essential for cultivating strong environmental advocates. Jason and I discussed how people can connect with nature in urban settings, the impact of environmental storytelling, what nature can teach us about coming together as a society, and the effects of big conservation efforts like the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. Jason Journey Man @jasonjourneyman @thewolfconnectionpod The Languages of Life
August 19 · 1 hr 7 min
Episode #255 Lizzy Pennock & Joanna Zhang - Wolves, Grizzlies, and the ESA
At WildEarth Guardians, Lizzy Pennock works as the Carnivore Coexistence Attorney alongside Joanna Zhang, the Endangered Species Advocate. In this episode Lizzy and Joanna came on to discuss three major issues: rollbacks affecting the Endangered Species Act, the state of Montana admitting its tracking models severely overestimated the actual wolf population, and The Department of the Interior introducing a revised proposal altering ESA Rule 4(d) guidelines for grizzly bears. WildEarth Guardians Rally For the Grizzly Webinar U.S. Department of Interior Rescinds 'Harm' Definition @wildearthguardians @thewolfconnectionpod The Languages of Life
August 5 · 37 min
Episode #254 Cassi Camara - Wolf Connection & Environmental Education
Cassi Camara is a Conservation Communications Consultant who recently completed her PhD in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. She is also an Environmental Education Specialist for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Collectively, her work integrates research and practice across governance, policy, education, and communication, with the aim of cultivating environmentally literate citizens, across the globe. Cassi spoke about her experience at Wolf Connection, some of the barriers in achieving environmental policy, and the positive impacts environmental education can have not only for students, but facilitators and teachers as well. Cassiopeia Consulting Cassiopeiacamara.com @thewolfconnectionpod
July 15 · 1 hr 7 min
Episode #253 Rick LoBello & Phillip Sozansky - Texas Lobo Coalition
Rick LoBello is one of the founders and Treasurer of the Texas Lobo Coalition, while Phillip Sozansky serves as the organization's Secretary. The Texas Lobo Coalition is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the natural restoration of the Mexican wolf to its native and historic habitats in Texas. In this conversation, Rick and Phillip explore Texas's ecological and cultural history, the mission of the Texas Lobo Coalition, and the science, challenges, and opportunities surrounding the return of Mexican wolves. They also share why they believe the time is right for this iconic species to reclaim its historic place in the Texas landscape. Texas Lobo Coalition (Website) @texaslobocoalition @thewolfconnectionpod A Handful of Dirt - Watch on YouTube
June 10 · 58 min
Episode #252 Carolyn Johnson - GuardUs Innovations & Coexistence in Colorado
Carolyn Johnson is the Founder/CEO/Mechanical Engineer of GuardUs Innovations. Their mission is to save animals, both domestic and wild. GuardUs Innovations strives to create a world where livestock are protected and our natural predators thrive. We plan to achieve this through novel and effective non-lethal predator deterrent innovations. Carolyn spoke about her background as a mechanical engineer, the livestock collar which aims to protect cattle & sheep in a non-lethal way, and promoting coexistence with wild predators. GuardUs Innovations Website @thewolfconnectionpod A Handful of Dirt - Watch on YouTube
June 3 · 1 hr 3 min
Episode #251 Sami Godlove - Oregon Wild & Public Land Issues
Sami Godlove is the is the Central Oregon Field Coordinator at Oregon Wild, which works to protect and restore Oregon’s wild lands, wildlife, and waters as an enduring legacy for future generations. Sami spoke about his early influential moments in nature, the importance of the Roadless Rule, potential large environmental rollbacks, and the effects these policies have on large ecosystems, old growth forests and other natural places that they protect. Oregon Wild @oregonwild @thewolfconnectionpod A Handful of Dirt - Watch on YouTube
May 20 · 1 hr
Episode #250 Marc Bekoff - Rewilding Our Hearts
Marc Bekoff is a professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Marc has published over 30 books and has won many awards for his research on animal behavior, animal emotions (cognitive ethology), compassionate conservation, and animal protection. He worked closely with Jane Goodall as co-chair of the ethics committee of the Jane Goodall Institute, and is a former Guggenheim Fellow. Marc discussed his book Rewinding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence, describing ways to bring compassion back into conservation work, understanding the human impacts on rewilding, how we can shape future generations to become passionate, compassionate conservationists, and his admiration for the late Jane Goodall. Marc Bekoff Website Rewilding Our Hearts Love In Their Hearts (Pre-Order) A Handful of Dirt - Watch on YouTube
April 22 · 55 min
Episode #249 Naïma Namaste - Art, Women, and Wolves
Naïma has been a professional artist for over 6 years, after her work as a graphic designer for a decade. She describes her connection through art in this way: "Each work is conceived as an intimate space, where anyone can project their own story, emotions, and memories. Over time, I’ve come to understand that this silent connection between a painting and the viewer lies at the heart of my work. It is in this resonance, often hard to explain, that the artwork truly finds its place." Naïma reflects on how her connection with wolves has shaped her path into art, sharing insight into her creative process and the deeper themes woven through her work. She explores the presence of the feminine, the wild, and the natural world in her paintings, and the lasting impact she hopes they leave with those who experience them. Naïma Fine Art @naimanamaste @thewolfconnectionpod
April 8 · 1 hr 5 min
Episode #248 Cadence Truchot - Reconnecting Indigenous Communities in Grand Teton
Cadence Truchot has been the Tribal Community Engagement Fellow with Grand Teton National Park for over a year and a half. Her work within the park helps underserved Indigenous communities reconnect with their ancestral lands in week long programmatic settings. Cadence shares her deep connection to the natural world and how those values shape the programs she leads in Grand Teton. She speaks to the vital role of tribal partners in guiding storytelling, leadership, and mentorship, and reflects on the ongoing repair and relationship-building between tribal nations and the National Park Service. @cadence_truchot Grand Teton National Park (website) Rebuilding Burned Bridges
April 1 · 55 min
Episode #247 Eric Washburn - The Future of Winter, Water, and Wildlife in Colorado
Eric Washburn is a fifth-generation Coloradan who is a big game hunter, who is a Senior Policy Advisor for Pioneer Public Affairs. PPA works on clean energy technologies and advocacy movements to combat the climate crisis, protect natural wonders, and empower marginalized communities across America. Eric discussed many issues from affecting winter, water and wildlife in Colorado, including the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease within elk and deer herds, pushing for the reintroduction of more beavers and wolves in the state, generational knowledge and traditions within the hunting communities, and climate change. @thewolfconnectionpod Colorado Politics Article The Future of Winter, Water and Wildlife in Colorado @rockymtnwolf
March 25 · 18 min
Episode #246 Brianna Godberson - A Journey with Wolves Part 2
Brianna Godberson is the host of the Find Your Wild podcast, an artist, and business owner of Femme Sauvage based in Long Island, NY. Brianna reflected on her transformative visits to three wolf sanctuaries in California alongside Candace Dyar, sharing the lessons, and teachings she's taking with her from the wolves and wolf dogs that she experienced on this trip. She spoke about taking a step back to recharge from her podcast and business, while being reinvigorated with new energy through these visits. @findyourwildpodcast @shopfemmesauvage Femme Sauvage Store Find Your Wild Podcast YouTube
March 18 · 28 min
Episode #245 Candace Dyar - A Journey With Wolves
Candace Dyar is a nature and conservation photographer, educator, wildlife & wolf advocate based in Washington State for two decades. She has used her platform to collaborate on environmental issues with organizations including Wildlife for All and Team Wolf. Candace reflected on her transformative visits to three wolf sanctuaries in California alongside Brianna Godberson, sharing the profound growth and expansion she experienced along the way. Through this journey, she offers a powerful message to women, rooted in the wisdom of wolves, about intuition, resilience, and reconnecting with one’s true nature. @candacedyar Candace Dyar Website @thewolfconnectionpod
March 4 · 1 hr 7 min
Episode #244 Eleri Lopp - Wolves In Estonia
Eleri Lopp is a photographer, videographer, and nature guide in Estonia. She has been tracking wolves for over a decade and observing ecological changes happening within her country. Eleri described wolf populations and movements within Estonia, the difference between EU protections and Baltic countries enforcing them for wolves, and the underfunding of science and research to conduct research on carnivores within Estonia. Eleri Lopp Photography @elerilopp_fromestonia @thewolfconnectionpod
February 25 · 47 min
Episode #243 Eleanor Keisman - New Animal
Eleanor Keisman is an American writer living in Vienna, Austria. She holds a BA from The New School and an MFA in creative writing from Drexel University. Her short stories, poetry, and essays have appeared in Litro Magazine, The Bangalore Review, Tough Crime, Last Stanza Poetry Journal, and The Wild Umbrella, as well as adapted for "The Other Stories" podcast. New Animal is her first novella. Eleanor described her path to writing, the influences that guided her in writing New Animal, and the overall themes that present themselves within the novella. Eleanor Keisman Website Purchase New Animal from Broken Tribe Press @e_keisman @thewolfconnectionpod
February 18 · 59 min
Episode #242 Paul Koberstein - The Importance of Old Growth Forests
Paul Koberstein cofounded Cascadia Times in 1995 and has been its editor ever since. Paul, a journalist for forty years, was a staff writer for The Oregonian and Willamette Week in the 1980s and 1990s. He is the co-author of Canopy of Titans examining the global importance of the Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest that stretches from Northern California to Alaska. Paul discussed the book Canopy of Titans which details the threats facing this vital environmental resource, and celebrates the beauty and complexity of one of the world's great forests. Cascadia Times OR Books (Order Canopy of Titans) @cascadiatimes @thewolfconnectionpod
February 11 · 1 hr 3 min
Episode #241 Malou Anderson - Generational Ranching & Coexistence in Tom Miner Basin
The Anderson family is a multi-generational ranching operation in Tom Miner Basin, the grizzly bear corridor near Yellowstone National Park's northern boundary. Rather than dominate nature, the Andersons work to prevent predation of livestock by coexisting more harmoniously with wildlife. Malou has implemented holistic regenerative grazing management so that these grasslands become more abundant and draw down more carbon into the soil. She discussed her personal relationship with the land describing peaceful partnerships, breaking down stereotypes within the ranching community, and how to promote “shared landscapes” where livestock and predators co-exist to protect ecosystems. @m.tealeye.a @tomminerbasin Tom Miner Basin Association The Forever Ranch Teal Tag
Dec 10, 2025 · 47 min
Episode #240 Doug Smith - Lessons From Wolves
Doug Smith retired as the Senior Wildlife Biologist in Yellowstone National park after 28 years of service where he supervised the wolf, elk, and bird programs. Doug has studied wolves for 44 years, done over 2,000 interviews, and appeared on numerous documentaries about wolves and birds for National Geographic, BBC, and CBS 60 Minutes. He is a member of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Team, the Re-Introduction Specialist Group, and the Canid Specialist Group for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He talked about the lessons he's learned from wolves, his experiences in captive facilities, including observations he made while visiting Wolf Connection, and his continued mission to advocate for wolves, wild places and and ecological restoration. Wolf Connection @wolfconnection @thewolfconnectionpod
Dec 3, 2025 · 1 hr 15 min
Episode #239 Annick Hus & Arie Trouwborst - The Challenges of Wolf Conservation in Europe
Annick Hus is a Belgian Freelance Journalist who has studied Animal Welfare Science and Ethics and Law at the University of Winchester. Arie Trouwborst is a Nature Conservation Law Professor at Tilburg University. They have both chronicled the political, societal, and legal perspectives of wolves naturally recolonizing Europe. They both discussed the challenges within each of these categories, as each country within the European Union is looking to navigate coexistence with wolves and other predators on many levels. The Unravelling of a Success Story: How Politics Is Killing Europe’s Wolves Wolves in Europe: From Conservation Icon to Political Flashpoint Who Should Adapt: The Wolf or Us? Large Carnivores and The EU Habitats Directive – Legal Obligations to Restore and Coexist @thewolfconnectionpod
Nov 5, 2025 · 27 min
Episode #238 John Potter - His Journey to Wolf Connection
John Potter grew up in the Upper Great Lakes region, spending his formative years immersed in the lush forests of the Great Northwoods, where he developed a profound love for the natural world that continues to inspire his work today. After a successful 20-year career as an award-winning illustrator, John transitioned to painting full-time in 2002. John visited Wolf Connection for 3 days, immersing himself in the on-site programs, interacting with the wolf pack, and experiencing all the sanctuary had to offer. He spoke about his time at Wolf Connection and what impacted him the most. John Potter Website @johnpotterart @thewolfconnectionpod
Oct 1, 2025 · 1 hr
Episode #237 Melissa Smith - Sociological Aspects of State Species Management
Melissa Smith is the Executive Director & Founder of Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf & Wildlife and has served on D.C. environmental committees with a deep understanding of the Endangered Species Act. She explored the significance of sociological sciences within state policy management of species, how this influences the effectiveness of State Endangered Species Acts (SESA) and State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAP), and the way governmental agencies on all levels can be ineffective in implementing protection plans for all species. Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance/Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf & Wildlife @endangeredspeciescoalition @thewolfconnectionpod

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