Our Wild Lives

Wildlife vehicle collisions are responsible for more than $10 billion in damage in the United States each year. They also kill or injure a massive number of wild species. Management tools such as overpasses, underpasses, and more help reduce these conflicts around the world.   

In this episode of Our Wild Lives, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett of The Wildlife Society are joined by TWS members, Patty Cramer, Founder of the Wildlife Connectivity Institute, and Renee Callahan, Executive Director at ARC Solutions, to learn more about the science of wildlife transportation ecology.  

Cramer and Callahan discuss how dat...

What started as an op-ed in The Wildlife Professional has turned into a society-wide, member-led initiative to illuminating and elevating (LGBTQIA+) wildlifers.  

In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” co-organizers of Out in the Field (OiTF), Silas Fischer and Adam Janke, join hosts Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett to discuss how OiTF is helping to make the wildlife profession more open, visible, and inclusive. 

Fischer and Janke recount their personal experiences as wildlife professionals, unpack the mission behind this TWS member-led effort, and explore how allies can meaningfully support the work of OiTF. 

Learn m...

Cliff Bampton’s career in wildlife management traces the origin of the profession. From graduate school dropout to chief of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission's Division of Game, Bampton helped define modern wildlife management.  

In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” host Katie Perkins sits down with long-time TWS member, Cliff Bampton. The conversation spans from his early adulthood experiences trapping black bears (Ursus americanus) in the Adirondack Mountains to his decades of experience at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and Ducks Unlimited.  

Despite the challenges he faced, such as trouble in school, color bl...

The National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have proposed four rule changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  

This episode of “Our Wild Lives” unpacks the four-rule proposal that could narrow ESA consultations, limit critical habitat, remove automatic protections for threatened species, and elevate economic considerations.  

TWS staff members , Cameron Kovach, Kaylyn Zipp and Kelly O’Connor explain why these changes are happening, how they affect wildlife professionals and communities , and how to submit substantive public comments, which can be submitted until December 22, 2025.  

Learn more: 

Proposed R...

A century ago, black bears in North Carolina were on the brink. Today, they’re thriving in mountains, coastal swamps, and even neighborhoods.

In this episode, we sit down with Colleen Olfenbuttel, TWS member, longtime bear biologist and the NCWRC game mammals and survey unit supervisor, to unpack how science-based management helped the once-rare species rebound. They also talk about how wildlife managers are tackling coexistence in a quickly urbanizing state. 

Colleen takes us inside the state’s pivotal moves in the 1970s—mandatory harvest reporting, protections for females and cubs, and the creation of bear ma...

A century ago, wild turkeys were a rare sight in many parts of the United States. Populations were estimated to be 200,000 or less across the country. Through science-based conservation and management, education, and sound policy, the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) helped grow turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) populations to over 6 million.  

In this episode, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett of The Wildlife Society join Mark Hatfield, former national director of science and planning, Jen Davis, hunting and shooting R3 coordinator for Michigan and Teresa Carroll, education and outreach program coordinator of the NWTF at turkey camp to share h...

How do a lifetime of “firsts” and a fearless curiosity reshape everything we know about the world’s top predators?

In this episode, we sit down with Maurice Hornocker—TWS member, Aldo Leopold Memorial Award winner, and a widely considered godfather of carnivore research—to uncover the work that helped write the playbook for studying large predators.

Hornocker helped pioneer the practice of marking individual animals, and transformed wildlife research in the process. Along the way, he built something just as critical: the credibility and community trust needed to turn data into policy that lasts.

From...

The U.S. Virgin Islands is a picture of paradise, with pristine beaches, and postcard views of green hills and turquoise waters. But their name and the beautiful landscape disguise the fact that islands like St. Croix have experienced massive ecological change over the past few centuries. Invasive species like feral cats, mongoose and a number of introduce plants have driven many of St. Croix’s endemic species to extinction while others are barely hanging on. But some wildlife managers are working hard to turn back the destructive tide born from a legacy of colonialism.  

Learn speaks wit...

How can the worlds of wildlife conservation and music come together in perfect harmony? 

This episode brings together longtime members of The Wildlife Society, Emily Thoroski and Merlin Shoesmith, to show how science and art collide.

Emily shares how she works with children in her school workshops to co-write songs about nature. Merlin brings a lifetime of wildlife experience, including an incredible story about facing over a dozen grizzlies in Yellowstone. Together, they explore the balance between the scientist’s need to explain everything and the songwriter’s goal to say just enough.

Their...

How does a voter mandate become a wolf reintroduction program? 

In this episode, Katie and Ed sat down with Brenna Cassidy and Eric Odell of Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to unpack the Colorado gray wolf (Canis lupus) reintroduction program. 

The conversation explores ecological and behavioral questions surrounding gray wolf reintroduction. Can wolves trigger trophic cascades and change rivers? How are ungulate populations, such as elk (Cervus canadensis) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), altering their behavior? Are predator dynamics shifting as wolves reestablish their range? 

Odell and Cassidy share their tips for navigating con...

You signed up for wildlife science to work with animals—then discovered most of the job is working with people...

In this episode, Katie sits down with Dr. Anna Chalfoun in Pinedale, Wyoming, to unpack the soft skills that drive great science: building a healthy lab culture, mentoring with intention, and navigating conflict without burning bridges.

Anna shares candid lessons you can use whether you’re a new professor, a grad student searching for the right advisor, or a professional trying to make your team work better.

Conflict is inevitable, so we share tool...

What if the wildest place you visit this week is the tiny park down your street? Urban wildlife biologist Sam Kieschnick of Texas Parks and Wildlife joins us to show how Dallas–Fort Worth’s “mosaic of green and gray” holds more life than most people imagine—over 12,000 documented species and counting. 

Sam walks us through the people-centered work of urban ecology: helping residents share space with coyotes, guiding park managers to support pollinators and birds, and translating observations into decisions that make cities cooler and healthier. We dig into iNaturalist as a gateway for wonder and a serious t...

You signed up for wildlife science to work with animals—then discovered most of the job is working with people. In this episode, Katie sits down with Dr. Anna Chalfoun in Pinedale, Wyoming, to unpack the soft skills that quietly drive great science: building a healthy lab culture, mentoring with intention, and navigating conflict without burning bridges. From her unexpected pivot into conservation biology to her current role as a co-op unit scientist, Anna shares candid lessons you can use whether you’re a new professor, a grad student searching for the right advisor, or a professional trying to make...

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Ever wondered what it really takes to do wildlife fieldwork? In this episode, head into the sagebrush with three graduate students studying shrikes, pygmy rabbits, and sagebrush songbirds. Hear about the honest, useful details: how to prep for a season that vanishes in a blur, what gear actually matters (sunshirts, yes; sandals are…controversial), and how to recover when things go sideways. This conversation shows why being there changes what we can know.

We talk about finding the right lab and advisor, applying to technician roles with volume and intention, and writing cover letters that are specific, ea...

In this episode, we delve into the life of sagebrush songbirds with Emily Schertzer, a PhD candidate at the University of Wyoming. Emily shares her journey into ornithology, her methods for tracking these tiny birds, and the impact of human development and climate change on their habitats. We explore the intricacies of these songbirds' lives, their nesting habits, migration patterns, and the importance of clear scientific communication. Emily also describes the different species she studies, including Brewer's sparrows, sagebrush sparrows, and sage thrashers, and their interactions with each other and their environment. Lastly, we discuss the future of songbird...

This conversation brings together three Aldo Leopold Award winners and past presidents of The Wildlife Society to explore how a profession found its purpose and how we keep it honest, relevant, and resilient. 

From there, we unpack what TWS really is: not just a membership, but a community of practice that transcends workplaces and fuels collaboration. You’ll hear how standards and journals legitimized wildlife management as a science, how policy engagement turned research into action, and how the annual conference built a durable network of peers who can challenge assumptions, share methods, and solve problems together. 
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Come join us for our first episode of the Our Wild Lives podcast, where we dive into the roots of The Wildlife Society. Ed takes you back to the 1920s and Aldo Leopold’s influence on the early days of the organization, and we follow its journey to becoming a leading professional society with over 10,000 members. You’ll hear about the creation of the Journal of Wildlife Management, the growth of sections, chapters, and working groups, and our own stories of finding our way into wildlife conservation. We talk about how TWS has shaped our careers, why communication is so i...