Grizzly Times Podcast

Gabriel (“Gaby”) Paun is a Romanian environmental and animal welfare activist, with two decades of experience in Romania and other parts of Europe, as well as Africa and Australia.

Gabriel (“Gaby”) Paun is a Romanian environmental and animal welfare activist, with two decades of experience in Romania and other parts of Europe, as well as Africa and Australia.

Manon Dene of Humane Society International (HSI)is a French animal rights activist advocating for wild animals at the European level and internationally. She works as a wildlife policy specialist for HSI to defend European large carnivores such as wolves, bears, lynx and wolverines, from persecution and trophy hunting.

Tim Preso is Managing Attorney for Earthjustice’s Northern Rockies regional office in Bozeman, MT. He a lead attorney on Earthjustice's suite of national forest protection cases, as well as on cases to block oil and gas leasing in the Wyoming Range and to protect wolves in Idaho and Wyoming from unlawful persecution.

You will be fascinated by Dr. Rob Wielgus’ carnivore research and what he shows about how to improve coexistence with wolves, grizzlies and mountain lions. Rob’s is also a tragic tale of what can happen when a world class scientist gets crossways with entrenched political interests – and the livestock industry.

Margot Kidder was an actress, activist, and visionary. Warning: this interview could change your life. Margot was a brilliant spokesperson for the underdog and the dispossessed, who cared deeply about wilderness and the fate of the planet. Margie was also my friend, and one of the most generous, hilarious, smart and beautiful people I have ever met. Margie enjoyed a successful career acting, known, in particular, for her role as Lois Lane in the Superman Series alongside Christopher Reeves. This interview was done in December, 2016, shortly after Margie returned from unprecedented protests at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota, aimed at stopping a pipeline from being built under the Missouri River. Within a week of this interview, the Trump administration ordered the razing of the protest site, forcible removal of all remaining protesters, and completion of the pipeline. The time then did not seem ripe to publish this piece, but Margie passed in May, 2018, and I feel that others could be em

Jack Locker is a rock and roll musician based in LA and a conservationist, who’s using his music and many other talents to save the environment, including grizzly bears.

Former Montana Congressman, Pat Williams, shares fascinating insights from his long career in politics and work to protect the environment – while demonstrating his chops as a terrific storyteller. Pat served nine terms (18 years) in Congress. In addition to conservation, Pat has been dedicated to strengthening America’s education system, making schools safer for our children, advancing the arts, and fighting for the underprivileged. Pat once remarked that he did not go to Congress as a conservationist, but he left as one. Pat sponsored legislation that designated the Lee Metcalf Wilderness north of Yellowstone Park and the Rattlesnake Wilderness north of Missoula, Montana. He led the successful legislative effort to save the Bob Marshall Wilderness from oil and gas development, and helped ban geothermal energy drilling near Yellowstone National Park.

Chris Genovali is the Executive Director of Raincoast Conservation Foundation and is a leading conservationist, prolific writer, and major voice for the voiceless creatures of British Columbia. Chris shares the inside story of a hugely successful campaign that recently stopped trophy hunting of grizzly bears in British Columbia.

Meet George Wuerthner, a prolific author, gifted photographer, and expert in natural history and Wilderness. He has logged countless miles on foot, canoe and skis to explore wildlands that support our wildlife, including grizzlies. George has several advanced degrees in field sciences, and, in the tradition of Wilderness champions such as Aldo Leopold and Bob Marshall, he has become one of the greatest living authorities of public lands and Wilderness. George has written more than 30 books –guides to Wilderness and natural history, as well as gorgeous yet terrifying coffee table books such as Clearcutting and Thrillcraft.

Nick Arrivo is an attorney for the Humane Society of the United States, who is challenging Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2017 decision to remove endangered species protections (“delist”) for the Yellowstone grizzly bear and to allow a trophy hunt of grizzlies.

Grizzly Times speaks with Doug Peacock, world-renowned writer, naturalist, vietnam veteran, and defender of the Wilderness, for his perspectives on the Yellowstone grizzly and what may happen if the recent removal of endangered species protections (delisting) is not reversed.

Grizzly Times speaks with Jim and Heidi Barrett. If you are feeling depressed by the state of our nation, take hope and a few minutes to listen to the stories of two conservation heroes, Jim and Heidi Barrett. Jim and Heidi are long-time residents of Silver Gate MT, near Cooke City on the doorstep of Yellowstone Park. They raised their son in the company of grizzlies, moose, wolves, and other wonders of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. With modesty and courage, they took on – and won -- some of the biggest environmental threats facing their wild corner of the ecosystem. They were leaders in the epic battle to stop a gold mine from being built at the edge of Yellowstone Park; they worked to bring under control the escalating use of off-road vehicles; and they played a major role in improving sanitation systems in an area that had long been a “black hole for bears” because widely available garbage had caused so many bears to be killed. Jim and Heidi Barrett are proof that a few people with big hearts and d

Grizzly Times speaks with Lyn Dalebout. This show is tailor made for these troubled times! Poet and educator Lyn Dalebout is a woman with many hats and talents: she is also a biologist and a sidereal astrologer, who writes a weekly blog called Earth Sky Oracle. (Check out the recent ones on Obama and other political figures). Lyn has a book of poems called Out of the Flames. Her writing has appeared in a number of anthologies. This week’s podcast is dedicated to our dear friend Anthony Birkholz, whose bright flame was tragically extinguished last week. Tony’s last project involved a film about grizzly bear delisting. Bon Voyage, Tony!

Grizzly Times speaks with Dr. Brad Bergstrom. Dr. Brad Bersgtrom, a mammalian ecologist, conservation biologist, and professor of Biology at Georgia State University. For nearly ten years, Brad chaired the Conservation Committee of the American Society of Mammologists, where he reviewed endangered species policies. Brad has been deeply involved with large carnivore issues, especially grizzly bears and wolves. His views on delisting and grizzly bear recovery are insightful, interesting and wise.

Grizzly Times speaks with author Rick Bass. A world renowned writer and conservation advocate, Rick shares his long experience fighting for Wilderness, bears and his beloved Yaak Valley. Hearing his words will make you fall in love with Wilderness, grizzly bears, wolves all over again! Here’s Rick: “Anytime you’re fortunate enough to see a bear, any kind of bear, it changes your day, changes your week, it re-calibrates how you think about yourself. You’re just struck by the sentience and intelligence of the animal. It re-calibrates this myth, this perception we have that because our brains are pretty big, we’ve got everything figured out.”

Grizzly Times speaks with Dr. Adrian Treves, an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Madison in Wisconsin! Adrian’s research focuses on finding a balance between human needs and those of large carnivores. In his latest paper, he and his colleagues pointed out the shoddiness of research design being used today to justify killing of carnivores. Drawing from lessons learned from the bio-medical research community, authors applied a “gold standard” for scientific inference, in order to evaluate lethal and nonlethal efforts to reduce human and livestock conflicts. They found that no research done in the last 40 years met this rigorous test, and few met even the more relaxed “silver standard.” The majority of recent studies of lethal methods found no effect, or a counter productive effect of increased livestock loss from carnivore killing. This led to the authors to recommend a moratorium or a suspension of lethal methods until "gold standard" experiments are completed.

Grizzly Times speaks with Dr. Marc Bekoff. Dr. Marc Bekoff brings infinite wisdom and compassion to our relationships with animals. He is a former professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and is a fellow of the Animal Behavior Society and a past Guggenheim fellow. His scientific research, which has includes animal behavior, cognitive ethology, which is the study of animal minds. With over 1000 articles and 30 books thus far, Marc is a leader in behavioral ecology, and pioneered the field of compassionate conservation.

Grizzly Times speaks with Jack Oeflke. Imagine the return of grizzly bear in Washington's vast North Cascades wilderness, where it fulfills its ancient role in the ecosystem! That is what Jack Oeflke of the North Cascades Park Complex discusses in this inspiring show. Ample habitat is available to support a population of several hundred grizzly bears, in an ecosystem that is on a par with Yellowstone and Glacier, but now lacks a reproducing population of bears. Public support is strong for the proposal to reintroduce bears, which could occur in the next few years. A final decision is expected by the end of 2017.  Join the conversation!

Grizzly Times speaks with Sam Jojola. Sam Jojola tells the gripping (and dangerous) story of his career as an undercover agent for the US Fish and Wildlife Service -- and his fascinating later career as an actor, which he says shares a lot with undercover work. For two decades, Sam worked on cases of illegal parrot smuggling, wildlife poisoning, and illegal trophy hunting by Safari Club types. His shares his serious concerns about the legal framework for managing grizzlies if federal protections are removed. Sam says "state and federal agencies need to work in tandem, both are important. With the limited number of bears in the world, and with six out of eight of the world's bear species imperiled, why take a chance with grizzly bears, that deserve everything we can possibly do for them?"