Rewilding Earth Podcast

About Stuart Pimm is the Founder and President of Saving Nature and the Doris Duke Professor of Conservation at Duke University. His books include “The Balance of Nature,” and the acclaimed “World According to Pimm: a Scientist Audits the Earth.” He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the recipient of the 2006 Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences (from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences), and the winner of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement in 2010. And this year, Stuart was awarded the 2019 International Cosmos Prize, which is widely viewed as one of the most prestigious honors presented in the environmental field. The honor recognizes Pimm’s groundbreaking research on endangered species, as well as his work to promote practical approaches to help slow or reverse species’ declines by protecting and restoring shrinking habitats. Extra Credit: * Read Stuart’s article “Days of Fire“ * Visit and support Saving Nature * Visit Biodiversity Mapping Watch: Survival: Biodiversity and Extinction | Stuart Pimm About Saving Nature “Dr. Stuart Pimm founded Saving Nature in 2019 as part of his vision of restoring nature for sustainable gains and broader impact. It builds on the exceptional success with SavingSpecies, an organisation he founded in 2007 to create wildlife corridors in important areas for biodiversity. Saving Nature has developed a unique blueprint for leveraging local conservation action to solve global environmental challenges. It learns from past experiences and has a considerably expanded conservation mission. The team at Saving Nature focuses on nature in crisis in biodiversity hotspots where poverty and environmental destruction drive species extinctions and hardship for local communities.  We look for vanishing forests, grassland, wetlands, and other habitats with unique biodiversity, acquiring and restoring habitat to secure their future.” Read more… About Stuart Pimm is the Founder and President of Saving Nature and the Doris Duke Professor of Conservation at Duke University. His books include “The Balance of Nature,” and the acclaimed “World According to Pimm: a Scientist Audits the Earth.” He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the recipient of the 2006 Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences (from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences), and the winner of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement in 2010. And this year, Stuart was awarded the 2019 International Cosmos Prize, which is widely viewed as one of the most prestigious honors presented in the environmental field. The honor recognizes Pimm’s groundbreaking research on endangered species, as well as his work to promote practical approaches to help slow or reverse species’ declines by protecting and restoring shrinking habitats. Extra Credit: * Read Stuart’s article “Days of Fire“ * Visit and support Saving Nature * Visit Biodiversity Mapping Watch: Survival: Biodiversity and Extinction | Stuart Pimm About Saving Nature “Dr. Stuart Pimm founded Saving Nature in 2019 as part of his vision of restoring nature for sustainable gains and broader impact. It builds on the exceptional success with SavingSpecies, an organisation he founded in 2007 to create wildlife corridors in important areas for...

About Dan Dan Imhoff is a researcher, author, and independent publisher who has concentrated for over 20 years on issues related to farming, the environment, and design. He is the author of numerous articles, essays, and books including Farming with the Wild: Enhancing Biodiversity on Farms and Ranches; and Building with Vision: Optimizing and Finding Alternatives to Wood. Dan is a public speaker who lectures and conducts workshops on a variety of topics, from food and farming to environmental design and conservation. He’s appeared on hundreds of national and regional radio and television programs. He’s testified before Congress and spoken at numerous conferences, corporate and government offices, and college campuses. Dan is the president and a co-founder of the Wild Farm Alliance, a ten-year-old national organization that works to promote agriculture systems that support and accommodate wild nature. He lives on a small homestead farm in Northern California, and today, I speak with Dan about what it means to make farming more creaturly through rewilding practices and better farming policy. Topics * The terribly wasteful practices of over production and farm subsidies and how we can be more effective and efficient with resources. * Putting down permanent roots in places that should have never been plowed. * A great way to replace extremely marginal farmland with a billion trees. * What it’s like to farm with the wild. * Millions of miles of creeks, ditches, and rivers waiting to be rewilded. * Farmers markets: where we can educate consumers and support farmers’ continued education on rewilding. Extra Credit * Visit Wild Farm Alliance for more information and tons of great resources! * Listen to Episode 26: Jo Ann Baumgartner Farming With The Wild About Dan Dan Imhoff is a researcher, author, and independent publisher who has concentrated for over 20 years on issues related to farming, the environment, and design. He is the author of numerous articles, essays, and books including Farming with the Wild: Enhancing Biodiversity on Farms and Ranches; and Building with Vision: Optimizing and Finding Alternatives to Wood. Dan is a public speaker who lectures and conducts workshops on a variety of topics, from food and farming to environmental design and conservation. He’s appeared on hundreds of national and regional radio and television programs. He’s testified before Congress and spoken at numerous conferences, corporate and government offices, and college campuses. Dan is the president and a co-founder of the Wild Farm Alliance, a ten-year-old national organization that works to promote agriculture systems that support and accommodate wild nature. He lives on a small homestead farm in Northern California, and today, I speak with Dan about what it means to make farming more creaturly through rewilding practices and better farming policy. Topics * The terribly wasteful practices of over production and farm subsidies and how we can be more effective and efficient with resources. * Putting down permanent roots in places that should have never been plowed. * A great way to replace extremely marginal farmland with a billion trees. * What it’s like to farm with the wild. * Millions of miles of creeks, ditches, and rivers waiting to be rewilded. * Farmers markets: where we can educate consumers and support farmers’ continued education on rewilding. Extra Credit * Visit

Kim Crumbo leads Wildlands Network’s efforts to restore native carnivores to their rightful place on landscapes across the West. He works closely with diverse conservation partners and regional coalitions to engage scientists, communities, and elected leaders in the effort to secure species recovery and public support for wolves, bears, lynx, cougars, and other native carnivores. Kim served 20 years with the National Park Service in Grand Canyon, first as a river ranger and later as Wilderness Coordinator. He also worked as a river guide for a decade, and as Utah Wilderness Coordinator for the Sierra Club for 2 years. Beginning in 2000, Kim assumed various roles with the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, including a stint as the northern representative for the Arizona Wilderness Coalition. Before working on rivers and in wilderness activism, he spent 4 years with the Navy’s SEAL Team One, completing two combat deployments in Vietnam. Topics: * Current status in the ongoing saga of the battle to protect wolves in the United States * What 70 combat operations in Vietnam taught Kim about organizing in the conservation movement back home * Massive outcry against wolf delisting attempts by current administration * Conditional optimism and why it’s ok to have hope for the future (as long as you put your back into the work ahead!) Extra Credit: * The Saga of the Mexican Gray Wolf (el Lobo) * Michigan Attorney General Opposes Delisting of Gray Wolves * Science vs Policy: Future of the Mexican Wolf with David Parsons * The Psychology of Wolf Fear and Loathing Kim Crumbo leads Wildlands Network’s efforts to restore native carnivores to their rightful place on landscapes across the West. He works closely with diverse conservation partners and regional coalitions to engage scientists, communities, and elected leaders in the effort to secure species recovery and public support for wolves, bears, lynx, cougars, and other native carnivores. Kim served 20 years with the National Park Service in Grand Canyon, first as a river ranger and later as Wilderness Coordinator. He also worked as a river guide for a decade, and as Utah Wilderness Coordinator for the Sierra Club for 2 years. Beginning in 2000, Kim assumed various roles with the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, including a stint as the northern representative for the Arizona Wilderness Coalition. Before working on rivers and in wilderness activism, he spent 4 years with the Navy’s SEAL Team One, completing two combat deployments in Vietnam. Topics: * Current status in the ongoing saga of the battle to protect wolves in the United States * What 70 combat operations in Vietnam taught Kim about organizing in the conservation movement back home * Massive outcry against wolf delisting attempts by current administration * Conditional optimism and why it’s ok to have hope for the future (as long as you put your back into the work ahead!) Extra Credit: * The Saga of the Mexican Gray Wolf (el Lobo) *

Christopher Ketcham has written for dozens of publications, including Harper’s, National Geographic, and The New Republic. He has reported from the American West for more than a decade. This book is a product of those years in the last wild places. He currently lives in the Catskill Mountains of New York. About “This Land” “A hard-hitting look at the battle now raging over the fate of the public lands in the American West and a plea for the protection of these last wild places.” Viking Christopher has been documenting the confluence of commercial exploitation and governmental misconduct in the western United States for over a decade. His revelatory book takes the reader on a journey across these last wild places, to see how capitalism is killing our great commons. Ketcham begins in Utah, revealing the environmental destruction caused by unregulated public lands livestock grazing, and exposing rampant malfeasance in the federal land management agencies, who have been compromised by the profit-driven livestock and energy interests they are supposed to regulate. He then turns to the broad effects of those corrupt politics on wildlife. He tracks the Department of Interior’s failure to implement and enforce the Endangered Species Act–including its stark betrayal of protections for the grizzly bear and the sage grouse–and investigates the destructive behavior of U.S. Wildlife Services in their shocking mass slaughter of animals that threaten the livestock industry. Along the way, Ketcham talks with ecologists, biologists, botanists, former government employees, whistleblowers, grassroots environmentalists and other citizens who are fighting to protect the public domain for future generations. Topics: * Western public lands are not protected as they should be. * The depth and breadth of environmental destruction caused by unregulated livestock grazing on public lands in the west. * The need for the public to be outraged and engaged much more deeply. * How simply upholding the rule of law, such as the Endangered Species Act, would go a long way in protecting public lands. Extra Credit * Check out John Miles’ review of “This Land” * Grab “This Land” on Amazon through Amazon Smile. (Make sure to pick The Rewilding Institute as your designated nonprofit!) Christopher Ketcham has written for dozens of publications, including Harper’s, National Geographic, and The New Republic. He has reported from the American West for more than a decade. This book is a product of those years in the last wild places. He currently lives in the Catskill Mountains of New York. About “This Land” “A hard-hitting look at the battle now raging over the fate of the public lands in the American West and a plea for the protection of these last wild places.” Viking Christopher has been documenting the confluence of commercial exploitation and governmental misconduct in the western United States for over a decade. His revelatory book takes the reader on a journey across these last wild places, to see how capitalism is killing our great commons. Ketcham begins in Utah, revealing the environmental destruction caused by unregulated public lands livestock grazing, and exposing rampant malfeasance in the federal land management agencies, who have been compromised by the profit-driven livestock and energy interests...

About David David Johns teaches courses at the School of Government, Portland State University on US constitutional law and politics, politics and the environment, and politics and film. He has also taught at Oregon State University and the Institute for Policy Studies. He was an International Fellow at Columbia University, served in the Carter Administration in the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, and was an advisor to Environment Canada on the Earth Charter. Johns was a founding co-editor of New Political Science, served on the Wild Earth Board and serves on the boards of several NGOs, including the Wildlands Network and Marine Conservation Institute. David Johns has published and spoken widely on science, politics and conservation and is author of A New Conservation Politics, and his latest Conservation Politics: The Last Anti-Colonial Battle. Topics * What would biodiversity focused institutions and societies look like? * Breaking the machine. * Dismantling institutions of power dedicated to chewing up the Earth for profit. * At what point in history did we lose control of narcissists? (Find out how sadly long ago that was.) * How many calories we spend to put one calorie on the table. * Taking the right action, on the right plans, versus hand-wringing our way to the end. * Taking control of the whole enchilada: custom, culture, art, entertainment. A call for a “conservation Star Wars.” Extra Credit Read an excerpt from David’s latest book “Conservation Politics” right here on Rewilding.org. About David David Johns teaches courses at the School of Government, Portland State University on US constitutional law and politics, politics and the environment, and politics and film. He has also taught at Oregon State University and the Institute for Policy Studies. He was an International Fellow at Columbia University, served in the Carter Administration in the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, and was an advisor to Environment Canada on the Earth Charter. Johns was a founding co-editor of New Political Science, served on the Wild Earth Board and serves on the boards of several NGOs, including the Wildlands Network and Marine Conservation Institute. David Johns has published and spoken widely on science, politics and conservation and is author of A New Conservation Politics, and his latest Conservation Politics: The Last Anti-Colonial Battle. Topics * What would biodiversity focused institutions and societies look like? * Breaking the machine. * Dismantling institutions of power dedicated to chewing up the Earth for profit. * At what point in history did we lose control of narcissists? (Find out how sadly long ago that was.) * How many calories we spend to put one calorie on the table. * Taking the right action, on the right plans, versus hand-wringing our way to the end. * Taking control of the whole enchilada: custom, culture, art, entertainment. A call for a “conservation Star Wars.” Extra Credit Read an excerpt from David’s latest book “Conservation Politics” right here on Rewilding.org.

About Jo Ann Jo Ann is the Executive Director of the Wild Farm Alliance. She is the author of many publications on the intersection between biodiversity conservation and agriculture, including beneficial birds, the conservation mandates within the National Organic Program regulations, and the co-management of food safety and conservation. Before joining WFA in 2001, she addressed crop, livestock and fiber issues, was senior research editor for a book of California’s rare wildlife species, and was an organic farmer for over a decade. For her Master’s research in Environmental Studies Department at San Jose State University, she studied bird predation of insects in apple orchards. Her undergraduate degree is in Soil and Water Science from UC Davis. Jo Ann is based in Watsonville, CA. Topics * What it means to farm with the wild * Corridors, riparian areas & wetlands restoration * Managing farms for beneficial bird species and insects * Managing for pest species the right way * The size and growth of organic farming Extra Credit Get plugged in: Join Wild Farm Alliance’s (WFA) Mailing List Guides: * WFA’s Supporting Beneficial Birds and Managing Pest Birds * WFA’s How to Conserve Biodiversity on the Farm: A Continuum of Practices from Simple to Complex * WFA’s Biodiversity Conservation: An Organic Farmer’s and Certifier’s Guide * WFA’s A Farmer’s Guide to Food Safety and Conservation Great Resources * Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation * USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service About Jo Ann Jo Ann is the Executive Director of the Wild Farm Alliance. She is the author of many publications on the intersection between biodiversity conservation and agriculture, including beneficial birds, the conservation mandates within the National Organic Program regulations, and the co-management of food safety and conservation. Before joining WFA in 2001, she addressed crop, livestock and fiber issues, was senior research editor for a book of California’s rare wildlife species, and was an organic farmer for over a decade. For her Master’s research in Environmental Studies Department at San Jose State University, she studied bird predation of insects in apple orchards. Her undergraduate degree is in Soil and Water Science from UC Davis. Jo Ann is based in Watsonville, CA. Topics * What it means to farm with the wild * Corridors, riparian areas & wetlands restoration * Managing farms for beneficial bird species and insects * Managing for pest species the right way * The size and growth of organic farming Extra Credit Get plugged in: Join Wild Farm Alliance’s (WFA) Mailing List Guides: * WFA’s Supporting Beneficial Birds and Managing Pest Birds * WFA’s How to Conserve Biodiversity on the Farm: A Continuum of Practices f...

About Roland Kays Roland is a zoologist with a broad interest in ecology and conservation, especially of mammals.  He studies research questions that are scientifically interesting but also have real-world relevance through educational or conservation value. An expert in using new technologies to study free-ranging animals, especially to track their movement with GPS tags and camera traps, Roland has appeared as a regular contributor to wildlife shows on the Science Channel and on National Geographic’s “World’s Weirdest.” He combines high-tech work with traditional methods, collecting data through field work and studies of museum collections. Website * RolandKays.com * @RolandKays on Twitter Present Positions * Research Associate Professor, North Carolina State University * Head of the Biodiversity Lab,  NC Museum of Natural Sciences Other Affiliations * Research Associate, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History * Research Associate, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Education: * Ph.D. Zoology, University of Tennessee (1999) * B.S. Biology, Cornell University (1993) Podcast Topics * Wolf and coyote hybridization * Why coyotes are not fulfilling the role of wolves in the Eastern United States * Getting a better understanding of wildlife movement on the ground with tech tools and Twitter * The effect (or not) of coyotes on deer populations * How coyotes thrive under pressure (maybe not why you think!) * How to track anything – even seeds! * Roland’s upcoming podcast! Extra Credit * Check out live wildlife cam feeds and updates on @CamTrapLive on Twitter Watch Roland’s Videos Below And On His Site Here’s a great video describing camera traps including trap video of foxes that Roland has been tracking for several years. Watch more great videos on Roland’s video page here. About Roland Kays Roland is a zoologist with a broad interest in ecology and conservation, especially of mammals.  He studies research questions that are scientifically interesting but also have real-world relevance through educational or conservation value. An expert in using new technologies to study free-ranging animals, especially to track their movement with GPS tags and camera traps, Roland has appeared as a regular contributor to wildlife shows on the Science Channel and on National Geographic’s “World’s Weirdest.” He combines high-tech work with traditional methods, collecting data through field work and studies of museum collections. Website * RolandKays.com * @RolandKays on Twitter Present Positions * Research Associate Professor, North Carolina State University * Head of the Biodiversity Lab,  NC Museum of Natural Sciences Other Affiliations * Research Associate, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History * Research Associate, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Education: * Ph.D. Zoology, University of Tennessee (1999) * B.S. Biology, Cornell University (1993) Podcast Topics

For over three decades, Keith Bowers has been at the forefront of applied ecology, land conservation and sustainable design.  Founder and president of Biohabitats, Keith has built a multidisciplinary organization focused on conservation planning, ecological restoration and regenerative design.  His work has spanned the scale from site-specific ecosystem restoration projects involving wetland, river, woodland and coastal habitat restoration to regional watershed management and species conservation planning. Keith also founded and is a partner in Ecological Restoration and Management Inc., a restoration construction company providing native revegetation, invasive species management and coastal restoration throughout the mid-Atlantic. Keith served on the board of the Society for Ecological Restoration for more than 10 years and  on the board of the Wildlands Network for 8 years. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects and is a Professional Wetland Scientist. Topics * What ecological restoration/rewilding projects look like on the ground. * Connecting the groundwork to larger regional plans. * Restoration ecology * Myriad professional and volunteer ways to get involved in restoration/rewilding projects * What we know about putting ecological processes back together * B Corps and Benefit Corporations – a different kind of company Extra Credit Subscriber to Leaf Litter Quarterly, an e-publication for people interested in ecological restoration, conservation planning, and regenerative design.  Focused on a theme every quarter and interview experts, practitioners and advocates around the world.  There are many past issues that Rewilding folks may be interested in – just scroll down under Topics on the side bar. About Biohabitats – Part of the mission of Biohabitats is to… REVERE WILD NATURE “Nature, and the full array of life this planet has to offer, is at the very core of what we are about. Increasingly we find ourselves living in an artificial world. A world where ecosystem processes are compromised, and biodiversity is marginalized and commoditized. Nature, in its wildest and raw form, is at the essence of what we are about. Wild nature provides the blueprint for ensuring that we know how to conserve, restore, and regenerate the full expression of biological diversity and ecosystem functions to ensure our survival. It is at the heart of our collective souls.” ~Biohabitats “Roots” section of their “Headwaters Guide to [the company’s] Beliefs, Policies, and Cultural Practices.” For over three decades, Keith Bowers has been at the forefront of applied ecology, land conservation and sustainable design.  Founder and president of Biohabitats, Keith has built a multidisciplinary organization focused on conservation planning, ecological restoration and regenerative design.  His work has spanned the scale from site-specific ecosystem restoration projects involving wetland, river, woodland and coastal habitat restoration to regional watershed management and species conservation planning. Keith also founded and is a partner in Ecological Restoration and Management Inc., a restoration construction company providing native revegetation, invasive species management and coastal restoration throughout the mid-Atlantic. Keith served on the board of the Society for Ecological Restoration for more than 10 years and  on the board of the

About Terry Spahr Environmentalist and activist Terry Spahr left the corporate world to research, write and produce 8 Billion Angels, a documentary feature which exposes overpopulation as the upstream cause of all our environmental emergencies. Terry is the Founder and Executive Director of Earth Overshoot, a non-profit designed to promote public and private action to make ecological limits central to all decision-making. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania College of Arts & Sciences and Fels Center of Government, Terry lectures on issues of sustainability to students, investor groups, and civic organizations. He is a regular opinion writer for a variety of environmental publications. 8 Billion Angels OFFICIAL TRAILER from terry spahr on Vimeo. Topics: * Global population growth * How you would live if everyone lived within their ecological means * 8 Billion Angels documentary Extra Credit: * Visit 8 Billion Angels

What’s it like to have called for the end of industrial civilization as we knew it in the 1970’s, in order to prevent what is happening today, only to live through decades of more of the same? For Randy Hayes, its meant founding organizations, sitting on several boards, and doing the hard work of educating people on the importance of undoing the damage that modern civilization has inflicted on the Earth. In this episode of Rewilding Earth, Randy talks about biodiversity loss and the ever smaller window of opportunity we have to halt and reverse the very worst of the damage. His criticism of mainstream environmental groups is sobering and his recommendations on how people should get involved are different than most. About Randy Hayes Founder Rainforest Action Network, works from the U.S. as the USA Director at the World Future Council. Based in Hamburg, Germany, the World Future Council is a global forum composed of 50 respected individuals from around the world championing the rights of future generations and working to ensure that humanity acts now for a sustainable future. Hayes, a filmmaker in the 1980s, is a veteran of many high-visibility corporate accountability campaigns and has advocated for the rights of Indigenous peoples throughout the world. He served for five years as president of the City of San Francisco Commission on the Environment, and for two-and-a-half years as director of sustainability in the office of Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown. He also spent four years working at the International Forum on Globalization, a San Francisco-based think tank tasked with analyzing the cultural, social, political and environmental impacts of economic globalization. Randy sits on eight non-profit Boards of Directors and numerous Boards of Advisors including the Academic Advisory Board of the Presidio School of Management’s green MBA program. Hayes has a Master’s degree in Environmental Planning from San Francisco State University (Inducted in Alumni Hall of Fame scheduled May 2010). His master’s thesis, the award-winning film The Four Corners, won the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award for “Best Student Documentary” in 1983. He contributed to Alternatives to Economic Globalization: A Better World is Possible, published by San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., in 2004. Not satisfied with short-term thinking, his 500-year plan offers a vision of a sustainable society and how to get there. His corporate campaign activist peers honored Randy Hayes in 2008 with an Individual Achievement Award, given by the Business Ethics Network. Additionally he was one of the original set of inductees in the Environmental Hall of Fame. Randy Hayes has been described in the Wall Street Journal as “an environmental pitbull.” Topics: * Limits to Growth Club of Rome * 500 Year Plan: Short Term Thinking * The 9 major ways the life support systems of the biosphere are being undercut * The “roots” of radicalism * Nature Needs Half * The present zeitgeist of a window of opportunity for systemic change * Global economy versus bioregional economies * The Global Deal for Nature * The need for full, systemic change in government systems * Biospheric literacy * Degrowth * Taking our foot off the throat of nature * Ecological farming * How you can get involved Extra Credit: Read:  Randy’s 500 Year Plan. * “The New Green Deal – A 7 Point Plan For A Deep Planetary Emergency

About Ed Friedman Ed has been a resident of Bowdoinham near the shore of Merrymeeting Bay for over 35 years where he operates helicopter, welding, kayaking and farming businesses. His broad based background in the natural sciences includes over 45 years as an outdoor educator, some of that as a mountaineering instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School beginning in the early 1970’s. Ed has a B.S. in Environmental Science from SUNY with course and field work in wildlife ecology, glacial geology, hydrology, remote sensing, plant ecology and snow morphology to name a few. He has conducted glaciological and biological field research from the arctic to the Antarctic for, among others the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Species studied include barren ground caribou, sea otter, snowshoe hare, bald eagle, American eel and common carp. In 2001, Ed won an EPA Environmental Award of Merit and in 2011, was a finalist for the Natural Resources Council of Maine People’s Choice Award. He has extensive expedition and backcountry paddling, skiing and mountaineering experience in the North Cascades, Baffin Island, Iceland, northwest Greenland, Norway, northern Quebec, and East Africa. On the Friends of Merrymeeting Bay [FOMB] Steering Committee since the winter of 1993, Ed became Chair in 1996. In this work he has written millions of dollars in grants and initiated projects in the areas of conservation and stewardship [more than 1,500 acres and 11 miles of shoreline protected along with significant archaeological sites], research and advocacy [including 20 year water quality monitoring program], education [1,500 students served each year], and membership activities. Two research projects, Aquatic & Upland Habitat Assessment of Merrymeeting Bay utilizing historical and current aerial photography combined with GIS; and a Caged Bivalve Study on the Kennebec to monitor PCBs and dioxins have been the first projects of their type in the state of Maine and quite successful. A third innovative project studying circulation patterns in Merrymeeting Bay and its tributaries is complete and animated data are available on the FOMB web site. Most recently FOMB conducted a multi-year study of invasive common carp, present in the Bay since the 1880’s and implicated in decreased biological productivity caused by increased turbidity. Amongst the many FOMB accomplishments over the years, Ed considers listing the Atlantic salmon under the ESA, reopening the St. Croix River to river herring and halting in its tracks a proposed underwater 50 unit propeller-style turbine tidal generation project planned for the Chops to be the most significant. Topics * Pooping in Riparian Zones (the right way) * Bay Day * Fish Passages and Dam Controversies * American Eels * Turkeys are Wicked Smaht * Migratory Fish Restoration About Ed Friedman Ed has been a resident of Bowdoinham near the shore of Merrymeeting Bay for over 35 years where he operates helicopter, welding, kayaking and farming businesses. His broad based background in the natural sciences includes over 45 years as an outdoor educator, some of that as a mountaineering instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School beginning in the early 1970’s. Ed has a B.S. in Environmental Science from SUNY with course and field work in wildlife ecology, glacial geology, hydrology, remote sensing, plant ecology and snow morphology to name a few. He has conducted glaciological and biological field research from the arctic to the Antarctic for, among others the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Species studied include barren ground caribou, sea otter, snowshoe hare, bald eagle, American eel and common carp. In 2001, Ed won an EPA Environmental Award of Merit and in 2011,

George Wuerthner is a professional photographer, writer and ecologist. He has written more than two dozen books on natural history and other environmental topics. He is currently the ecological projects director for the Foundation for Deep Ecology. Wuerthner has visited hundreds of mountain ranges around the West, more than 380 wilderness areas, more than 180 national park units, and every national forest west of the Mississippi. George’s Books: On Amazon Topics: * What is public lands grazing? * The true cost of public lands grazing * The heavy subsidies and hidden hard and ecological costs of private businesses benefitting from public lands * Grazing Permit Buyouts * The big differences between arid western public lands grazing and beef production in the wetter eastern states Extra Credit: Get an on-the-ground view of the clash between livestock and wildlife in George’s article: Wildlife Versus Livestock in the Upper Green George Wuerthner is a professional photographer, writer and ecologist. He has written more than two dozen books on natural history and other environmental topics. He is currently the ecological projects director for the Foundation for Deep Ecology. Wuerthner has visited hundreds of mountain ranges around the West, more than 380 wilderness areas, more than 180 national park units, and every national forest west of the Mississippi. George’s Books: On Amazon Topics: * What is public lands grazing? * The true cost of public lands grazing * The heavy subsidies and hidden hard and ecological costs of private businesses benefitting from public lands * Grazing Permit Buyouts * The big differences between arid western public lands grazing and beef production in the wetter eastern states Extra Credit: Get an on-the-ground view of the clash between livestock and wildlife in George’s article: Wildlife Versus Livestock in the Upper Green

It’s been a long time since we’ve had a win like the one that is expected to be signed by the President soon. The conservation community is buzzing about the Charles Dingell Jr. Conservation Management and Recreation Act, and rightly so. The legislation permanently continues the federal Land Water Conservation Fund, which helps pay for critical conservation efforts nationwide. Oh, and it adds 1 million acres of new wilderness designation. Something of this scope hasn’t been passed since President Barack Obama signed into law the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. The legislation designated an additional 2 million acres in nine states as wilderness, representing the largest expansion of protected wildlands in over 25 years. This stuff doesn’t happen often. What does it mean to the conservation community and public at large to see bipartisan support for such a bill during one of the most divisive times in American history? And what will it do to inspire new conservationists to join the ranks in protecting what we have while advocating even more wildlands protection in the future? Find out on this episode of Rewilding Earth! About John Miles David Brower, then Executive Director of the Sierra Club, gave a talk at Dartmouth College in 1965 on the threat of dams to Grand Canyon National Park. John, a New Hampshire native who had not yet been to the American West, was flabbergasted. “What Can I do?” he asked. Brower handed him a Sierra Club membership application, and he was hooked, his first big conservation issue being establishment of North Cascades National Park. After grad school at the University of Oregon, John landed in Bellingham, Washington, a month before the park was created. At Western Washington University he was in on the founding of Huxley College of Environmental Studies, teaching environmental education, history, ethics and literature, ultimately serving as dean of the College. He taught at Huxley for 44 years, climbing and hiking all over the West, especially in the North Cascades, for research and recreation. Author and editor of several books, including Wilderness in National Parks, John served on the board of the National Parks Conservation Association, the Washington Forest Practices Board, and helped found and build the North Cascades Institute. Retired and now living near Taos, New Mexico, he continues to work for national parks, wilderness, and rewilding the earth. Topics: * John D Dingell Jr. Conservation Management and Recreation Act * How such a bipartisan success could come out of this Congress * Similarities between conservationists and Coyotes * Patterns in conservation history Extra Credit: Read a breakdown of what’s in the bill here. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a win like the one that is expected to be signed by the President soon. The conservation community is buzzing about the Charles Dingell Jr. Conservation Management and Recreation Act, and rightly so. The legislation permanently continues the federal Land Water Conservation Fund, which helps pay for critical conservation efforts nationwide. Oh, and it adds 1 million acres of new wilderness designation. Something of this scope hasn’t been passed since President Barack Obama signed into law the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. The legislation designated an additional 2 million acres in nine states as wilderness, representing the largest expansion of protected wildlands in over 25 years. This stuff doesn’t happen often. What does it mean to the conservation community and public at large to see bipartisan support for such a bill during one of the most divisive times in American history? And what will it do to inspire new conservationists to join the ranks in protecting wh...

Topics: * The fantastic biodiversity of southern Ohio * Wildlands Philanthropy: protecting key areas by buying them * Black bears and high population and industrial centers * Bugs, fireflies, and miracles * Native American heritage sites: earth works Nancy Stranahan serves as the Director of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System, and was one of the non-profit’s founders in 1995. In the span of directing the organization over the last 20-plus years, Nancy has cultivated a vigorous citizen advocacy network in Ohio, what Nancy likes to refer to as a tree-roots network.   The Arc has saved and preserved over 7000 acres of natural areas in Appalachian Ohio, representing 21 preserve regions and over 100 separate real estate negotiations and fund-raising campaigns. The Arc’s headquarters, the 2500-acre Highlands Nature Sanctuary, is the Arc’s largest and oldest preserve region, and is the hub of the Arc’s primary visitor services, offering over 16 miles of public hiking trails, overnight lodges, and an interpretive Museum.   A few of the many rare and common signature species protected within the Arc suite of nature preserves are Henslow sparrows, cerulean warblers, golden star lilies, northern long-eared bats and timber rattlesnakes. Under Nancy’s guidance, the Arc has also been instrumental in saving several 2000-year old Native American earthwork complexes, notably Spruce Hill, Glenford Fort, Junction, and Steel Earthwork sites. In addition, the Arc manages two long-protected earthwork sites – Fort Hill and Serpent Mound – working as a contract manager for the Ohio History Connection. Previously in her career Nancy served as Chief Naturalist for Ohio State Parks with the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources; and operated Benevolence Café and Bakery in downtown Columbus’ city market for 20 years, where she promoted healthy and intentional food choices. Topics: * The fantastic biodiversity of southern Ohio * Wildlands Philanthropy: protecting key areas by buying them * Black bears and high population and industrial centers * Bugs, fireflies, and miracles * Native American heritage sites: earth works Nancy Stranahan serves as the Director of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System, and was one of the non-profit’s founders in 1995. In the span of directing the organization over the last 20-plus years, Nancy has cultivated a vigorous citizen advocacy network in Ohio, what Nancy likes to refer to as a tree-roots network.   The Arc has saved and preserved over 7000 acres of natural areas in Appalachian Ohio, representing 21 preserve regions and over 100 separate real estate negotiations and fund-raising campaigns. The Arc’s headquarters, the 2500-acre Highlands Nature Sanctuary, is the Arc’s largest and oldest preserve region, and is the hub of the Arc’s primary visitor services, offering over 16 miles of public hiking trails, overnight lodges, and an interpretive Museum.   A few of the many rare and common signature species protected within the Arc suite of nature preserves are Henslow sparrows, cerulean warblers, golden star lilies, northern long-eared bats and timber rattlesnakes. Under Nancy’s guidance, the Arc has also been instrumental in saving several 2000-year old Native American earthwork complexes, notably Spruce Hill, Glenford Fort, Junction, and Steel Earthwork sites. In addition, the Arc manages two long-protected earthwork sites – Fort Hill and Serpent Mound – working as a contract manager for the Ohio History Connection. Previously in her career Nancy served as Chief Naturalist for Ohio State Parks with the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources; and operated Benevolence Café and Bakery in downtown Columbus’ city market for 20 years, where she promoted healthy and intentional food choi...

A biochemist by training, Mark Fisher has worked in the pharmaceutical industry and in pure science. In a change of direction, he qualified as a Permaculture Designer, and did work in landscape design. Mark launched a manifesto for rewilding Britain in 2003 having been inspired by hiking the National Parks and open spaces of Canada and America. He taught himself about wilderness ecology and rewilding, and explores these through his website Self-Willed Land, an advocacy website since 2003 for wild land and nature. His focus is the transformation of Britain through rewilding, a new future where landscapes of increasing naturalness will have open access to the public for physical discovery and spiritual enjoyment. Mark recently became a member of the IUCN Commission for Ecosystem Management as a result of setting up with others a Task Force on Rewilding in response to the drift in its meaning. Mark was a co-founder in 2005 of the Wildland Network, a voluntary organisation set up to further the concepts and development of wildland in Britain. The Network attracted a large cross-section of interest from professional ecologists, land managers, government agencies, voluntary organisations and individuals, to its program of theme-based meetings around Britain that were combined with local study visits. He was instrumental in the development of a database of rewilding projects in Britain for the Network. In 2009, Mark was a co-founder of the Wildland Research Institute at the University of Leeds where he advises on ecosystems and policy development. His work for the Institute includes research on the effect of visual and audio stimuli for perceptions of landscape; a report for the Scottish Government on the national protected area systems of Europe, their legislative basis and implementation, and their ability to protect wild land; a report for the John Muir Trust on options for the protection of wild land in Scotland; the production of a register of wilderness areas and indicator in Europe for the European Commission; a review of the social, economic and environmental benefits of wild land in Scotland for Scottish Natural Heritage; and a book chapter on the ecological values of Europe’s wilderness. Topics: * The drift in definition and focus of original definition and practice of rewilding in Europe. * Overcoming cultural prejudice. * Ecological amnesia. * How to find inspiration and purpose for a career or focus on rewilding work. A biochemist by training, Mark Fisher has worked in the pharmaceutical industry and in pure science. In a change of direction, he qualified as a Permaculture Designer, and did work in landscape design. Mark launched a manifesto for rewilding Britain in 2003 having been inspired by hiking the National Parks and open spaces of Canada and America. He taught himself about wilderness ecology and rewilding, and explores these through his website Self-Willed Land, an advocacy website since 2003 for wild land and nature. His focus is the transformation of Britain through rewilding, a new future where landscapes of increasing naturalness will have open access to the public for physical discovery and spiritual enjoyment. Mark recently became a member of the IUCN Commission for Ecosystem Management as a result of setting up with others a Task Force on Rewilding in response to the drift in its meaning. Mark was a co-founder in 2005 of the Wildland Network, a voluntary organisation set up to further the concepts and development of wildland in Britain. The Network attracted a large cross-section of interest from professional ecologists, land managers, government agencies, voluntary organisations and individuals, to its program of theme-based meetings around Britain that were combined with local study visits. He was instrumental in the development of a database of rewilding projects in Britain for the Network.