The Wolf Connection

Dr. Jeff Reed is a computational linguist who is based just beyond the northern border of Yellowstone National Park. Working in tandem with the Yellowstone Wolf Project, the Cry Wolf Project records wolf sounds 24 hours a day from up to 60 recorders. One of the many goals is to explore wolf communication, what it may mean, and how we can better understand what they are relaying to one another. Dr. Reed went into great detail about how he is able to decipher wolf sounds from other species, how to read those harmonics and frequencies on a spectrogram, the many types of sounds they've found thus far, and how the data collected could help research and coexistence in the future. Languages of Life (Cry Wolf Project)@thelanguagesoflifeAI Powered Devices Track Howls to Save WolvesA New Way to Help Save Yellowstone's WolvesA Bioacoustics Study in Greater Yellowstone (Yellowstone Forever) @thewolfconnectionpod

Kayla Fratt is the Co-Founder of K9 Conservationists, whose mission is to unite highly trained conservation detection dog teams with researchers to collect scientific data. They aim to provide mentorship, education, and foster collaboration among scientists, novice handlers, and local communities.We spoke about the process of selecting dogs for this research, the types of projects Kayla and her team are working on, how their teams collect data, and what types of research they are helping to shed light on.  @k9.conservationists@girl.looking.under.rocksK9 Conservationists Website@thewolfconnectionpod

Kurt Holtzen has been a Conflict Mitigation Specialist for around 20 years. He has spent the last 4 years in Colorado helping create relationships to foster coexistence and promote good conflict mitigation methods as wolves were set to be reintroduced to the state.Kurt went into great detail about the conflicts and situations he witnessed during the first 9 months of the wolf reintroduction, conversations he’s had with multiple groups of people, new techniques for conflict mitigation and how he hopes to help when the next group of wolves are introduced into the state. @kurt_holtzen_wwcmWestern Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Website@thewolfconnectionpod

Daniel Mallwitz has been the Head of Field Work for the County Board in Vastmanland, Sweden for about 10 years. He is in charge of monitoring and managing many of the large carnivores in his county, including wolves, bears, lynx and wolverine. Daniel went into great detail about his work with wolves, building relationships within the communities of his county, and shared his experiences in the field. @vilt.och.rovdjur@thewolfconnectionpod

Sarah Hanafin has been volunteering with both Wolves of Maine and Wolf Hollow for almost a decade. She uses her Instagram platform to promote wolf education and conservation, while sharing her stories with wolves and wolfdogs from around the country. Sarah spoke about her early years of volunteering, how her platform has been able to help wolves and people in their individual journeys, and her visit to Wolf Connection. @wolfgirl_maineWolf Hollow WebsiteWolves of Maine Website@thewolfconnectionpod@wolf_hollow_ma

Wendy Keefover has been the Senior Strategist for Carnivore Protection at The Humane Society of the United States for over 10 years. She has been a wildlife advocate and working to protect carnivores for over 30 years. We talked about multiple topics with Wendy, including the numerous initiatives that The Humane Society is involved in, the motivations for killing carnivores, trophy hunting, issues surrounding predator control and the disconnect between institutions and citizens on wildlife. The Humane Society of the United StatesWriters on the Range - Wendy Keefover@humanesociety@thewolfconnectionpod

Jeremy SunderRaj has been a Science Technician with the Yellowstone Wolf, Elk and Cougar project for over 5 years. Prior to his work in Yellowstone, he spent three summers trapping and collaring wolves for the State of Montana. Jeremy shared many stories about those summers in Montana, detailing his encounters with wolves, experiences working within Montana, and how influential this time was for his career trajectory. @critter_chaserResearch Gate for Jeremy@thewolfconnectionpod

Kira Cassidy has been a Research Associate with the Yellowstone Wolf Project for over 12 years. She has always been a source of important facts & research of the wolves in Yellowstone National Park. Kira spoke about Wolf 907F, who has reached the age of 11.4 years old, the dynamics of the Junction Butte Pack which she's been a part of her entire life, and discussed important topics regarding wolf elders and their roles in the pack. @kira_cassidyCBC Article on 907F@thewolfconnectionpod

Forrest Galante has many titles, a wildlife biologist, television host and explorer just to name just a few! His mission is to inspire and educate people about animals and adventure through the media, including hosting programs on Animal Planet, on-camera expert interviews, and production of his own wildlife and natural history shows. Forrest came to Wolf Connection to visit the pack, shared his thoughts on wolves, wildlife, biodiversity and where his next ventures are. Forrest Galante Website@forrest.galanteForrest Galante YouTube@thewolfconnecitonpod

Taylor Rabe has been a Wildlife Technician in Yellowstone National Park for the Wolf, Cougar and Elk Projects for over 2 1/2 years. She is also the Inaugural Fellow for Conservation Nation. Taylor updated us on what's happening inside Yellowstone National Park, the new Bioacoustics Program they are using to help identify populations of wolves, cougars and other animals, how they're dealing with wolf, bear and elk habituation issues and touched on the upcoming conference, Wolves Across Borders, taking place in The Netherlands in June of 2025. Conservation Nation: Taylor Rabe @taylorlrabe@thewolfconnectionpod