Don't Forget Your Boots

Nina Fascione of the International Rhino Foundation

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Nina Fascione of the International Rhino Foundation, and we talk about the differences between the 5 species of rhinos, IRF's reforestation efforts to help save the Sumatran rhino in Indonesia (there are less than 70 left), and how COVID has impacted the efforts to help rhinos. 

 

Helpful Links

• International Rhino Foundation

• International Rhino Foundation YouTube

Rob Whitehair and Alex Finden of Mammalz

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Rob Whitehair and Alex Finden of Mammalz, a user-generated content app that allows anyone to create and upload content, while enabling users to follow and tip content creators who interest them. 

 

To help secure app funding, Mammalz is doing a trip giveaway to one of three locations, including a diving liveaboard in Raja Ampat, Indonesia, a tiger safari in Ranthambhore National Park, India, and an 11-day safari in Botswana, to anyone interested in investing as low as $100. 

 

For every $250k they raise, they will do a random drawing for one of each of the trips. The deadline to invest and be entered into the drawing is July 31, 2020 at 11:59pm EST, more information can be found here: https://wefunder.com/mammalz

 

Finally, there is a lot of great content on the site already, and here are some Mammalz user accounts to take a look at:

 

• Angus Hamilton: @Life_Gone_Wild  https://mammalz.com/profile/391
• Kevin O’Briant: @kmobriant  https://mammalz.com/profile/207
• Sarah Bell: @SarahsGoneWild https://mammalz.com/profile/1048
• Dillon Jones: @DillonTheBiologist https://mammalz.com/profile/91
• Mushroom Larry Evans: @fungaljungal https://mammalz.com/profile/2120
• George Schnipper: @geolms https://mammalz.com/profile/1818
• Natalie Clements: @natalieclements https://mammalz.com/profile/2073
• Bethy Driscoll: @BethyScuba https://mammalz.com/profile/174

Mike Leahy of National Wildlife Federation

In this quick episode of the podcast, I speak with Mike Leahy, the Director of Wildlife, Hunting & Fishing Policy at National Wildlife Federation, just in time for the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works’ July 22 hearing on zoonotic diseases.

 

This critically important, not only given the fact that COVID-19 originated as a wildlife disease, but also given the wide range of other wildlife diseases that could make the leap to humans.

 

Show support and reach out to the senators on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, visit here: https://www.senate.gov/general/committee_membership/committee_memberships_SSEV.htm

 

Help with Recovering America’s Wildlife Act: https://www.nwf.org/Our-Work/Wildlife-Conservation/Policy/Recovering-Americas-Wildlife-Act

Thai Nguyen of Save Vietnam’s Wildlife

In this episode, I speak with Thai Nguyen, the Executive Director of Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, a non-profit based in Vietnam that focuses on wildlife rescue, veterinary care, and rehabilitation of pangolins and other critically endangered species, and by helping Save Vietnam's Wildlife (https://www.svw.vn/) you can directly protect critically endangered species such as pangolins, otters, leopard cats, and binturong.

Andy Wink of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Andy Wink of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, which helps protect the incredible Bristol Bay fishery in southern Alaska. 

Andy and I speak about a lot of things, but most of the conversation revolves around the proposed mine in Bristol Bay that is jeopardizing the natural beauty and sustainable salmon runs the area currently has to offer. With the current administration sprinting to get this over the goal line, time is running out. 

Even if you don't listen to the podcast, please take a minute out of your day to review some of the facts/inconsistencies of the plan and tell your representatives what you think about Pebble Mine. You can help preserve this incredible part of the Last Frontier. 

Pebble Mine resource: 

• Tell your representatives to stop Pebble Mine https://choicevoicevote.org/home

 

Bristol Bay resources:

• Find Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon near you: https://find.bristolbaysockeye.org/
• Salmon recipes: https://bristolbaysockeye.org/

Maggie Howell of the Wolf Conservation Center

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Maggie Howell of the Wolf Conservation Center, where we talk about the need for wolves in America, the harsh benefits of looking at wolves through an economic lens, and their chances of survival. 

By the way, let's pretend to not notice that Maggie has the absolute best last name for someone who works with wolves... 

If you like this episode of the podcast, please rate, review, and subscribe, it helps a lot. 

Paul Wheaton, The Duke of Permaculture

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Paul Wheaton, the Duke of Permaculture, owner of Permies.com and RichSoil.com, and author of the recent book “Building A Better World In Your Backyard Instead of Being Angry at Bad Guys”, which teaches readers how to save money, conserve energy (and even create your own), and save the environment—all while living a more luxuriant life. 

Paul and I have an engaging conversation about moving beyond sustainability, his now-famous Wheaton Eco Scale, and how to lower your 30 tons of carbon footprint impact to -400 tons!

Paul is giving away free copies of his book for the first 72 hours that the podcast is up, so if you'd like to get a copy of Building A Better World In Your Backyard Instead of Being Angry at Bad Guys, email paul@richsoil.com and tell him I sent you! 

Copies of Building A Better World In Your Backyard Instead of Being Angry at Bad Guys can be found at: permies.com/bwb

Wilderness Guide and Stand-Up Comedian Monte Montepare

In this episode of the podcast, I have Monte Montepare. Monte is the co-owner of Kennicott Wilderness Guides in Alaska, and he works as a wilderness guide during the summer and a standup comedian in LA during the winter. He first moved to Alaska when on a whim he was 19, and has been there for the last 15 years.

We go deep, and talk about anxiety and second-guessing choices we make in our youth, how Alaska has changed over the years, and doing intense things that require presence to trick yourself into quieting an overactive brain.

 

Also, make sure to check out his videos on his YouTube page and Instagram (links below), he gets in tons of jokes and an emotional crescendo, all in just a few minutes.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/montemontepare/?hl=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQbrzanMn2duh6wDKIBpVCQ

Marine Biologist and Ecologist Carl Safina

In this episode of the pod, I speak with Carl Safina about his expansive career, positives in conservation, and his new book, Becoming Wild: How Animal Cultures Raise Family, Create Beauty and Achieve Peace.

Carl is an ecologist and conservationist for over 40 years, he’s won the Pew and Guggenheim Fellowships, book awards from Lannan, Orion, and the National Academies, and the John Burroughs, James Beard, and George Rabb medals.

He named one of the “100 Notable Conservationists of the 20th Century by Audubon magazine.

He won the MacArthur Genius Award in 2000...the man has credentials. 

If you enjoy this episode please like, rate, and subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you kids get them these days!

 

Interview with Brian Pope of Lubee Bat Conservancy

In the recent episode of the podcast, I speak with Brian Pope of Lubee Bat Conservancy. Brian has been working with animals his entire life, and but joined Lubee and started working with bats full time in 2007. 

I learned a lot speaking with Brian, mainly that bats love playing with toys and taking things apart, that they can eat nearly 5,000-7,000 insects a night, that they are the only things that can pollinate agave plants (which are crucial in the production of tequila), and that they are being used by the Center for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, and the US Army Medical Research of Infectious Diseases to find cures for some of the world’s deadliest diseases.

Brian puts a lot of myths about bats to rest, including that they are blind, that they are all nocturnal, and that they don’t all echolocate.