The Wolf Connection

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 about Martha Williams, who is the current Director of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, her ties to Montana Fish & Wildlife Management, the status of wolves review for federal protections in the Northern Rockies, and how grizzly bears may soon be removed from the Endangered Species Act.  @ryandevereauxIn Reviewing Wolves' Endangered Status, Martha Williams Confronts Her Montana PastThe Fight To Stop Republicans From Killing Wolves And Grizzlies

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 the wolf conservation debate. He also shared how wolf vitriol and extreme management actions are pushing to privatize wildlife for commercial purposes. 

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 for all wolves across the country.We talked about their thoughts on the symposium, the direction wolf management is headed throughout the country and the world, and what still needs to happen to protect wolves and predators in the wild. @wolves_of_the_rockiesWolves of the Rockies LinktreeWolves of the Rockies Website

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 impact the symposium had for her and what she was taking away from her time in Minnesota.@taylorlblandYellowstone Wolf ProjectInternational Wolf CenterConservation Nation

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 Denali National Park wolf studies, the impact the symposium has on research and collaboration, and what she was looking to take away from her time in Minnesota. @denalinpsBridget Borg Bio & Research

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 morphology and behavior.We discussed their work both individually and as colleagues, and their experiences being at The International Wolf Symposium for the first time. Gulf Coast Canine ProjectBrzeski Conservation Genetics LabJoey Hinton Website@thebeeps

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 ecosystem along the coastline, and the many encounters he has experienced photographing and studying sea wolves. Seaforth Expeditions Website@seaforthexpeditions@thewolfconnectionpod@wolfconnection

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 Wolf Symposium in Minnesota next month.The Role of Weather and Long-Term Prey Dynamics on Wolf PopulationsDeterminants of Gray Wolf Sightings in Denali National ParkBridget Borg Bio

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 mammals and the mummified gray wolf puppy Zhur from the Yukon. Wolves in Natural Trap CaveDire Wolf DNAMummified Pleistocene Gray Wolf Puppy (Zhur)@thewolfconnectionpod

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, and the effects of it on wolf behavior.@kira_cassidy@connor__meyer@thewolfconnectionpod