WCS Wild Audio

S7 E7: A New Biography Captures Conservation Luminary Dr. George Schaller

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:02:00 -0000

George Schaller is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern field biology — a scientist whose work helped transform how we study animals in the wild. From gorillas in the Congo to snow leopards in the Himalayas, his research has shaped conservation for decades. This week, WCS Wild Audio caught up with author Miriam Horn to discuss her new biography of Schaller, Homesick for a World Unknown, and the legacy of a life spent observing wildlife.

Reporting: Nat Moss

Guest: Miriam Horn

S7 E6: Bronx Bees Star in Award-Winning "Keeper" at REEL WILD New York Film Festival

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:59:00 -0000

WCS’s REEL WILD™️ New York Film Festival returns to showcase fresh, powerful stories about people and nature from around the world. One of this year’s featured films is "Keeper"—a documentary short that follows a Bronx beekeeper and his daughter. The film was shortlisted for an Oscar Award. You can see it on Friday, April 24. Get tickets at www.reelwild.org.

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guests: Sean Flynn, Hannah Rafkin

S7 E5: A Life Illuminated: Dr. Edith Widder’s Ocean Discoveries | REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:05:00 -0000

The REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival returns April 23–26, 2026, celebrating filmmakers and wildlife stories that inspire action and conservation impact.

WCS’s Hannah Kaplan sat down with Dr. Edith Widder, star of A Life Illuminated, winner of Best Exploration Film and Best in Fest. The documentary follows Dr. Widder - one of the first women in her field and first people to explore the ocean’s twilight zone - as she descends 3,300 feet into the deep, capturing the first-ever footage of the elusive giant squid and uncovering bioluminescent phenomena that could transform our understanding of life on Earth.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan
Guest: Dr. Edith Widder

S7 E4: This Month in Brazil, Renewed Hope for the World’s Migratory Species

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 15:12:00 -0000

This month between March 23-29, governments from around the world will gather in Campo Grande, Brazil, for the triennial conference of parties to the Convention on Migratory Species, or CMS.

It’s a treaty focused on animals that cross borders—birds, whales and sharks, big cats, freshwater fish—that no one country can conserve alone.

As the meeting approaches, WCS Wild Audio spoke to CMS Executive Secretary Amy Fraenkel about the state of the world’s migratory species — and what’s at stake at this year’s conference.

Reporting: Nat Moss

Guest: Amy Fraenkel

S7 E3: Gold Mining and Mercury in the Amazon

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 19:34:00 -0000

Across the Amazon Basin, the search for gold has unleashed a crisis both environmental and human. Illegal and small-scale gold mining depends on mercury to separate gold from stone. That mercury seeps into rivers, the air, and the food people eat, poisoning ecosystems and communities alike. This week, WCS Wild Audio has the story of how—from Ecuador to Bolivia —conservationists and Indigenous leaders are fighting back.

Reporting: Nat Moss

Guests: Sebastian Valdivieso, Óscar Loayza

S7 E2: An Urgent Effort to Protect Canada’s Peatlands

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:58:00 -0000

Peatlands don’t get the attention they deserve. Worldwide, these wetlands provide crucial ecosystem services. They are vital for Indigenous livelihoods and as carbon storage powerhouses. Canada has some of the world's largest remaining intact peatlands. Now, WCS Canada has a new national strategy to safeguard them before it’s too late.

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guest: Victoria Goodday

S7 E1: Resilience Is at the Heart of WCS’s New Coral Reef Conservation Strategy

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 21:56:00 -0000

Coral reefs are facing unprecedented pressure from overfishing, pollution, and climate change. But scientists are finding that some reefs are more resilient than others — and that protecting those reefs could shape the future of coral conservation worldwide. The Wildlife Conservation Society has developed a new strategy focused on identifying and safeguarding those places of resilience.

Reporting: Nat Moss

Guest: Emily Darling

As we launch this new coral reef conservation strategy, WCS would like to thank Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, and The Tiffany & Co. Foundation for their longtime partnership with the WCS Coral Reef Program. Their support, in addition to several other dedicated donors and multilateral partners, has helped us to propel this work.

S6 E16: At CITES COP20, A Chance to Protect Sharks and Rays

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 19:05:00 -0000

Sharks and rays are some of the ocean’s most iconic species, but they are in crisis. At the upcoming CITES COP20 meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, governments will decide on dozens of proposals to regulate global trade in wildlife and wildlife products. That includes whether or not to give certain shark and ray species the highest level of international trade protections—a full ban.

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guests: Luke Warwick, Dana Tricarico

S6 E15: Introducing Adam Falk, WCS’s New President & CEO

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 18:06:00 -0000

This summer, the Wildlife Conservation Society welcomed Adam Falk as its new president and CEO. Previously the president of Williams College and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Adam brings to his new role a deep commitment to science, a passion for education, and a belief in the power of collaboration. As WCS begins a new chapter, Adam sat down with Wild Audio to share his excitement for his new position and the opportunity to lead the Wildlife Conservation Society as it confronts the urgent conservation challenges of the moment.

Reporting: Nat Moss

Guest: Adam Falk

S6 E14: Yasina Conservation Deed—Indigenous Leadership in Forest Conservation

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 13:52:00 -0000

In Papua New Guinea’s Eastern Highlands, five clans have come together to formally protect 2,000 hectares of ancestral forest through the Yasina Conservation Deed. This landmark agreement shows how Indigenous communities can lead conservation, safeguarding biodiversity while preserving their cultural traditions.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan

Guests: Harshad Hemant Karandikar, Bennie W Atigini

S6 E13: Addressing the Pet Trade at the IUCN World Conservation Congress

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 15:45:00 -0000

Every four years, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, brings together governments, NGOs, scientists, and Indigenous leaders at the World Conservation Congress. Soon, it will be convened in Abu Dhabi. The growing threat of the pet trade in terrestrial wildlife is one of the important issues that will be addressed.

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Bennett

S6 E12: The New World of Darkness

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:46:00 -0000

Many New Yorkers have great memories of the Bronx Zoo's World of Darkness. It was a groundbreaking exhibit when it opened in 1969. This summer, the zoo opened a new version that features some fascinating species. From naked mole rats to aye ayes to vampire bats, the updated space offers a rare glimpse into the lives of animals that thrive in the dark.

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guest: Keith Lovett

S6 E11: Freedom to Roam | Defending the Guanaco’s Grassland Home

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 17:46:00 -0000

Guanacos—fleet-footed cousins of the llama—roam the windswept grasslands of South America in one of the world’s longest overland migrations. But fences, hunting, and competition with livestock are putting their survival at risk.

Ahead of the 2nd International Guanaco Day, WCS Argentina is joining forces with local communities and the government to secure vast migration corridors, promote sustainable livelihoods, and bring guanaco populations back from the brink.

From live—shearing innovations to landmark land protection, this story reveals how conservation is turning the tide for these resilient creatures—and why their future matters for ecosystems and people alike.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan

Guests: Dr Andrés Novaro, Dr. Susan Lieberman

S6 E10: WCS’s New York Aquarium Helps Rescue Confiscated Corals

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 17:55:00 -0000

Recently, staff at WCS’s New York Aquarium got a call from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The authorities had intercepted an illegal shipment of corals and they needed WCS’s help. When corals come into the country like this, they typically can’t be returned to the wild. So the Fish and Wildlife Service turns to accredited facilities like the New York Aquarium to care for the animals.

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guests: Aaron Brett, Camilla Piechocki

S6 E9: The Graduate Scholarship Program

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 14:57:00 -0000

Talented, passionate local conservation leaders are critical for the durable conservation of wildlife and wild places around the world. To address the need for them, WCS launched the Graduate Scholarship Program in 1996 to provide financial support for the highest quality, graduate-level academic training to promising conservationists.

Over its nearly 30 years, the program has awarded 163 scholarships to conservationists from 42 different countries to pursue advanced degrees. With those skills, recipients are able return home and make a significant impact on their countries.

They now lead conservation efforts in governments, universities, local organizations, and WCS itself—building lasting conservation capacity from within and delivering tangible conservation results on the ground.

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guests: Denise Garcia, Richard Malonga, Peter Umunay

S6 E8: The WCS 30x30 Ocean Accelerator Is Leveraging $40 Million for Marine Conservation

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 11:40:00 -0000

Participants from around the world have gathered in Nice this week for the third United Nations Oceans Conference. It’s an opportunity to assess the current state of marine conservation and seek ambitious new opportunities to achieve progress toward ocean protection. WCS was there with a big announcement to make.

Reporting: Nat Moss

Guests: Stacy Jupiter, Pamela Castillo

The 30x30 Ocean Accelerator is made possible through funding support from the Thomas L. Kempner, Jr. Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, BlackRock, The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, the Shark Conservation Fund, and several other visionary private donors, with multilateral partners now engaged to expand its reach.

S6 E7: Small Fish, Big Impact

Wed, 28 May 2025 15:54:00 -0000

In today’s episode, we journey to the heart of the Amazon Basin—home to the largest freshwater system on Earth. These waterways don’t just support rich biodiversity—they’re a vital source of food and nutrition for millions across South America, where fish are often the most affordable and accessible source of protein.

But this life-sustaining resource is under threat. Mercury contamination, overfishing, and the pressures of a globalized food market are putting fish populations—and the health of the people who rely on them—at risk. In this episode, we explore how conservationists are working to reimagine food systems in the Amazon—blending traditional knowledge with science to protect rivers, restore fisheries, and ensure a healthy, sustainable future for communities and ecosystems alike.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan

Guests: Silvia López Casas, Sebastian Heilpern

S6 E6: This Endangered Species Day, Uncovering the Secrets of the Rainforest

Fri, 09 May 2025 13:51:00 -0000

A leopard. A giant pangolin. A group of forest elephants. They can be almost impossible to spot in the wild. But in February, WCS and wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas released a series of high definition camera trap photos of these species and more from the Republic of Congo’s Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. The hope is that sharing these remarkable pictures of rarely seen animals in their natural environment will inspire people to protect them.

See some of the photos: https://www.wcs.org/get-involved/updates/unseen-rainforest

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guest: Will Burrard-Lucas

S6 E5: The Conservation Leadership Programme Turns 40

Wed, 07 May 2025 11:31:00 -0000

For four decades, the Conservation Leadership Programme, or CLP, has been providing critical early career funding awards to emerging conservationists. Born out of a partnership between Birdlife International, Fauna & Flora, and the Wildlife Conservation Society, the CLP has opened the door countless scientists working across the globe in countries rich in biodiversity but often lacking resources for their protection. As the program turns 40, we checked in with a few alumni to hear how the program has helped them to advance in their journey to become conservation leaders.

Reporting: Nat Moss

Guests: Camila Kass, Jorge Parra, Deepshikha Sharma

S6 E4: This Earth Day, Working to Save the Heart of the Wild

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 14:32:00 -0000

As Earth Day turns 55 this year, it seemed like a good moment to reflect on WCS’s mission to protect wildlife and wild places. Why does the protection of biodiversity carry with it so many other benefits for people and the planet? What are the approaches that work and what are the challenges? And what can the average person do to make it a priority in their lives? WCS Wild Audio knew just the right person to ask.

Reporting: Nat Moss

Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Bennett

S6 E3: Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant & Peter Gros of NBC’s Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Host “Family Day” at the REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival, April 5

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 13:45:00 -0000

In Part 3 of our series featuring the inaugural REEL WILD New York Film Festival, which launches in New York City this week, we talk to the hosts of the popular television series Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom “Protecting the Wild.” They’ll be on hand for the screening of several of the show’s episodes in an exciting and inviting family-friendly program on Saturday, April 5.

Reporting: Nat Moss

Guests: Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, Peter Gros

To learn more about the festival and purchase tickets, go to https://www.wcs.org/reelwild

S6 E2: Stories That Inspire, Films That Matter | REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 16:15:00 -0000

In the second episode of our three-part series on WCS's REEL WILD New York Film Festival, we go behind the scenes to uncover the inspiration behind this inaugural event celebrating remarkable filmmakers and extraordinary wildlife stories from around the globe.

From Namibia’s resilient desert lions to a massive annual walrus gathering in the Russian Arctic, this year’s lineup aims not only to captivate audiences but also to spark meaningful conservation action. Hannah Kaplan has this report.

Get your tickets for The REEL WILD™ NEW YORK Film Festival: reelwild.org

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan

Guests: Natalie Cash, John Calvelli

S6 E1: Oscar-Nominated Documentary “Haulout” Comes to the First Annual REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 16:20:00 -0000

This spring, the inaugural WCS-curated REEL WILD New York Film Festival comes to Manhattan. Taking place April 4-5, this two-day event showcases award-winning natural history films and offers a unique chance to hear directly from the filmmakers and experts behind the stories. In the first of a 3-part series on the festival, we look at one of those films, the 2022 Oscar-nominated documentary “Haulout,” which explores the impact of climate change on walrus habitat in the Arctic.

Reporting: Nat Moss

Guests: Evgenia Arbugaeva, Martin Robards, Jonathan Slaght, Natalie Cash

Learn more about the festival and purchase tickets at: https://www.wcs.org/reelwild.

[Parts of this episode originally aired in March 2023.]

S5 E13: An Impactful Partnership That’s Helping Save Snakebite Victims

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 15:29:00 -0000

The Bronx Zoo’s Herpetology Team cares for a number of venomous snakes at the zoo’s World of Reptiles. As professionals, they know what they’re doing. Just in case, though, the zoo team keeps antivenom on site and a thorough plan in place to address any potential emergencies. Fortunately, it hasn’t been needed any time in recent memory. Instead, that antivenom, and the team, are helping to save lives outside the zoo through an impactful partnership with nearby NYC Health and Hospitals–Jacobi.

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guests: Kevin Torregrosa, Dr. Joshua Z. Silverberg

S5 E12: The Mongolian Khulan | Nomads on the Edge

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 10:24:46 -0000

The khulan - a species of wild equid - is a true nomad, covering distances unmatched by any other land mammal. Yet, their survival in Mongolia’s harsh Gobi desert is a constant battle. Populations already strained by overhunting and harsh winters – exacerbated by climate change – are now facing a growing threat from rapid road and railway construction, which fragments the landscape and cuts them off from essential resources.

Now, WCS is developing innovative solutions that benefit both this vital species and the local communities that share its habitat.

WCS wishes to thank Cartier for Nature for their invaluable support of WCS Mongolia’s efforts with local communities. To learn more about Cartier for Nature visit cartierfornature.org.

We also extend our deepest gratitude to Fondation Segré for their commitment to khulan conservation in Mongolia. To learn more about Fondation Segré, visit fondationsegre.org.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan
Guests: Buuveibaatar Bayarbaatar, Bayarmaa Chuluunbat, Batbayar Galtbalt

S5 E11: An Update on Avian Influenza

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 14:12:20 -0000

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is having an unprecedented and devastating impact on wildlife. We have the latest on its path and where it may be headed, including whether or not it could pose an even bigger threat to humans.

Reporting: Dan Rosen
Guest: Dr. Christian Walzer

S5 E10: Protecting the Protectors | The Crucial Support Behind Conservation's Frontline Heroes

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 14:23:00 -0000

Rangers are the frontline guardians of conservation efforts, regularly putting their physical and mental health at risk to protect our planet. But they can't do it alone—they need more support and resources to stay safe and effective in their vital work.

That’s where URSA, the Universal Ranger Support Alliance—which supports the International Ranger Federation and counts WCS among its members—steps in to ensure they get the backing they deserve.

Visit wcs.org and ursa4rangers.org to learn more.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan
Guests: Alexa Montefiore, Rohit Singh, Yahaira Urbina

S5 E9: Miamba Yetu | Incentivizing Investment to Protect Climate-Resilient Coral Reefs in East Africa

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 22:15:59 -0000

Roughly 90 percent of coral reefs globally face collapse by 2050 due to human activity. At the same time, close to a quarter of all marine life is found in coral reef ecosystems, which support some one billion of the world's population. Miamba Yetu is a creative new financing mechanism designed to help protect coral reefs off the coasts of Kenya and Tanzania that are resilient to climate change, while supporting the communities that depend on them.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guests: Fahd Al-Guthmy, Ray Victurine, Evelyn Namvua

S5 E8: Chile’s Karukinka Natural Park Turns 20, Part 2: An Extraordinary Gift for Conservation from Goldman Sachs

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:29:35 -0000

In 2004, the investment bank and financial services firm Goldman Sachs came into possession of a group of distressed assets that included a 680,000-acre parcel of land at the bottom of South America. In Part 2 of our celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Chile’s Karukinka Natural Park, we dive into the exceptional story of how Goldman came to gift this pristine landscape to WCS for conservation.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guests: Bob Christie, John Calvelli, Larry Linden, Kent Redford, Steven Sanderson

WCS wishes to acknowledge the important contributions of the following individuals to the successful transfer of land from Goldman Sachs to the Wildlife Conservation Society for the creation of the Karukinka Natural Park in Tierra del Fuego, Chile: Chris Austin, Kathy Barclay, John Bryan, Norman Christensen, Bob Christie, Dale Cooney, Brad D Gillman, Max Gitter, Salman Kahn, Nico Kogan, Adam Levine, Larry Linden, Kim Maxfield, John O’Leary, Kevin Padrick, Hank Paulson, Juan Robayo, John F.W. Rogers, Peter Rose, Jed Schaefer, Don Stern, Doug Tompkins, Kris Tompkins.

This proud achievement could not have been accomplished without the extraordinary dedication and commitment of WCS staff at that time, including: John Calvelli, Claudio Campagna, Avecita Chicchón, Craig Groves, Graham Harris, Bill McKeown, Andrés Novaro, Kent Redford, John Robinson, Bárbara Saavedra, and Steven Sanderson, among others. The current WCS regional team, led by Martin Mendez, is sustaining and building on this legacy for the continued conservation of Karukinka.

S5 E7: Chile’s Karukinka Natural Park Turns 20, Part 1: How a Conservation Commitment Blossomed in Tierra del Fuego

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 14:53:32 -0000

The 300,000-hectare Karukinka Natural Park was created in 2004 after land in Chilean Tierra del Fuego was donated to the Wildlife Conservation Society by Goldman Sachs. As the park celebrates its 20th anniversary, we begin a two-part series on how its establishment helped to spur both the development of an ambitious WCS Country Program in Chile and the expansion of the country’s national conservation efforts.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guests: Bárbara Saavedra, Melissa Carmody, Rodrigo Munzenmayer

The creation of the Karukinka Natural Park could not have been accomplished without the extraordinary dedication and commitment of WCS staff at that time, including: John Calvelli, Claudio Campagna, Avecita Chicchón, Craig Groves, Graham Harris, Bill McKeown, Andrés Novaro, Kent Redford, John Robinson, Bárbara Saavedra, and Steven Sanderson, among others. The current WCS regional team, led by Martin Mendez, is sustaining and building on this legacy for the continued conservation of Karukinka.

S5 E6: This Bat Week, a Promising Solution to a Scourge Devastating North America’s Bat Populations

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:12:54 -0000

It’s Bat Week. White-nose syndrome is a deadly fungus that’s wiping out bats across North America. New research makes the case that it’s having a direct negative impact on human health, too. WCS Canada has an innovative solution to address the problem.

Reporting: Dan Rosen
Guest: Cori Lausen

S5 E5: The U.S. Government’s Role at CBD COP16

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 19:08:40 -0000

The United States is one of only two UN Member States that is actually not a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Back in the 1990s, the Senate failed to ratify the treaty. But, when the parties meet in Colombia next week at COP16, the U.S. is expected to have a significant presence.

Over the years, the U.S. government has been successful at driving ambition in policy, action, and nature finance pledges. In our 3rd episode exploring the themes of the coming CBD COP, Wild Audio checked in with WCS Executive Director of Federal Affairs & Policy Kelly Keenan Aylward to learn more.

Reporting: Dan Rosen
Guest: Kelly Keenan Aylward

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S5 E4: In Colombia, Making “Peace with Nature”

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 12:37:58 -0000

Cali, Colombia will soon play host to the biennial gathering of parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The theme of this important international meeting will be “Peace with Nature.” WCS will have a significant delegation on the ground.

For our 2nd episode highlighting the CBD’s 16th Conference of the Parties, or COP, WCS Wild Audio caught up with a few critical members of that delegation to hear their thoughts on the coming meeting and what WCS’s priorities will be.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guests: Susan Lieberman, Catalina Gutiérrez, Jose Luis Gomez

S5 E3: The Global Conservation Community Prepares for Action on Biodiversity Protection in Colombia

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 16:39:50 -0000

The 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity—or CBD COP16—convenes in Cali, Colombia beginning on October 21. More than 14,000 participants are expected to attend, representing national governments, NGOs, Indigenous groups, the private sector, and others.

In the first of a three-part series on the coming COP, WCS Wild Audio spoke with CBD Deputy Executive Secretary David Cooper to learn more about what brings the conservation community to Latin America and what they hope to achieve there.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guest: David Cooper

S5 E2: New York Climate Week, Part 2 | Investing in Healthy Forests for People and the Planet

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 13:29:00 -0000

In Part 2 of our podcast series exploring the themes of New York Climate Week, we look at a new initiative being piloted by the WCS Forests and Climate Change program to attract investment in large tropical areas with healthy ecosystems. The High Integrity Forest Investment Initiative, or HIFOR, provides a novel approach to compensate nature and its protectors for the services they provide.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guests: Ashley Camhi, Tom Evans

S5 E1: New York Climate Week, Part 1 | How Ecological Restoration and Innovation are Restoring Forests and Reconnecting Landscapes

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 15:22:46 -0000

Season 5 of the WCS Wild Audio podcast begins with a two-part series looking to NY Climate Week, which runs during the US General Assembly this month. For Part 1, we explore how WCS is focusing on ecological restoration, transforming degraded lands into thriving habitats with the collaboration of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and innovative tools enabling real-time tracking of conservation progress. Hannah Kaplan explores how restoration, technology, and community partnerships are shaping a sustainable future.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan
Guests: Tim Rayden, Diane Detoeuf, Itma Selene Torres Rodríguez

WCS Wild Audio Summer Series, Part 6: Reducing Single-Use Plastics from Our Waste Stream to Protect Marine Wildlife and the Planet

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:04:36 -0000

The world produces over 400 metric tons of plastic every year today. Single-use plastics—from utensils and straws to soda bottles and packaging—enter our waste stream at an alarming rate. Less than 10 percent of all plastic is recycled.

For Part 6—and the final episode—of our summer series on marine conservation, we investigate the impact of plastic pollution on marine life and steps being taken to reduce single-use plastic consumption at WCS and its home in New York City.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guests: Margaret Spring, Niko Radjenovic, Greg Edgar, Chris Durosinmi

Today's episode of WCS Wild Audio is brought to you by our partners at Armitron. Armitron aims to bring awareness and inspire action to help protect marine ecosystems around the world, particularly as it pertains to single-use plastics. Armitron's ocean plastic watches, the Wave and Reef Collections, are crafted from recycled ocean-bound plastic, blending eco-consciousness with impeccable design.

WCS Wild Audio Summer Series, Part 5: Turns Out the World’s Second-Largest Animal is Found Off the Big Apple All Year Round

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:18:33 -0000

The waters off New York City are some of the busiest in the world with both ships and marine life. In fact, new research co-authored by WCS shows that fin whales can be found in these waters all 12 months. And that has important conservation implications.

Reporting: Dan Rosen
Guests: Carissa King-Nolan, Dr. Melinda Rekdahl

WCS Wild Audio Summer Series, Part 4: Can We Ride the Wave of Momentum in Time to Help Sharks?

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 16:48:51 -0000

As top predators, sharks help maintain healthy and productive ocean ecosystems. They also play important roles in coastal livelihoods and food security through fisheries and tourism. But time is running out to save them says Luke Warwick, Director of the WCS Sharks & Rays program. In Part 4 of our WCS Wild Audio marine-themed Summer Series, Luke argues that we must turn recent international policy progress into concrete results to protect these vulnerable species.

To learn more about WCS's shark and ray conservation efforts, follow this link.

Reporting: Dan Rosen
Guest: Luke Warwick

WCS Wild Audio Summer Series, Part 3: Too Important to Fail | Community Fisheries' Critical Role in Marine Conservation

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 15:37:50 -0000

Small Scale fisheries are the cornerstone of livelihoods and economies across the world, providing essential micronutrients to more than 4 billion people. What's more, they also employ over 150 million people in the industry, the majority of whom live in the Global South, and are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

In Part 3 of our marine-themed summer series, Wild Audio's Hannah Kaplan talks to WCS's Hoyt Peckham, Director of Community fisheries, who manages a team supporting 30 Country programs as they work to achieve a more sustainable and equitable approach to managing our marine resources.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan
Guest: Hoyt Peckham

WCS Wild Audio Summer Series, Part 2: The Edge of Known Things | Will Hudson Canyon Be Named a National Marine Sanctuary?

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 15:36:08 -0000

“With all this strangeness, there is also beauty beyond words.” That’s how the famous scientist and explorer William Beebe described an underwater marvel off the coast of New York and New Jersey in the late 1920s. In Part 2 of our marine-themed summer series, we return to the Hudson Canyon, which has been nominated as a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary. As WCS Wild Audio’s Dan Rosen learned from Noah Chesnin and Dr. Merry Camhi, there’s still a lot we don’t know about this massive canyon.

Reporting: Dan Rosen
Guests: Noah Chesnin, Merry Camhi

WCS Wild Audio Summer Series, Part 1: Posing for the Iconic “Jaws” Poster | An Interview with Allison Maher Stern

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 21:41:55 -0000

Season 4 of WCS Wild Audio is in the books. Today we begin a summer series highlighting marine conservation stories. First up, our interview with WCS Life Trustee Allison Maher Stern, who was the model for the swimmer in the famously provocative marketing campaign for Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster film Jaws.

While shark incidents with people are statistically very rare, each event understandably creates fear among beachgoers contemplating a swim in the ocean. Nothing has influenced the public’s attitude toward sharks more than Jaws. WCS Wild Audio caught up with Allison to ask about her historic modeling job half a century ago and why sharks need our conservation support now more than ever.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guest: Allison Maher Stern

S4 E14: A Beautiful Tortoise Falls Victim to the Illegal Pet Trade

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 13:24:30 -0000

Turtles and tortoises are facing extinction like few other species groups. Nearly half of the 300+ species are at risk. The international pet trade is a major reason why. WCS’s Bronx Zoo, as a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is working to tackle the problem and the case of the radiated tortoise is a good example.

Reporting: Dan Rosen
Guests: Kevin Torregrosa, Dr. Susie Bartlett

S4 E13: How the American Bison Became the U.S. National Mammal

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 17:51:00 -0000

Last week in Part 1 of our series on bison conservation, we explored the historical role that WCS and Indigenous and other partners played in helping to save the American bison from extinction and begin to restore this iconic species on tribal lands in the west. In Part 2, we look at how critical partnerships across lines of geography, culture, and politics helped to establish the bison as the national mammal of the United States.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guests: Keith Aune, John Calvelli, Dave Carter, Jim Stone

S4 E12: Restoring the Prairie's "Landscape Architects" to Their Rightful Home

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 08:13:28 -0000

For millennia, tens of millions of bison roamed the plains of North America. By the end of the 19th century, westward expansion and overhunting at the hands of settlers had devastated these populations. The fate of one of the America’s most iconic animals teetered on the edge of extinction.

Hannah Kaplan looks at how collaboration between the Bronx Zoo, many other organizations, and Indigenous Peoples helped pull one of North America’s most endangered species back from the brink.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan
Guests: Pat Thomas, Jason George, Madeleine Thompson

S4 E11: World Oceans Day | Young Voices Are Speaking Out to Protect the Hudson Canyon

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 13:58:19 -0000

One of WCS’s priorities is protecting an underwater marvel off the coast of New York and New Jersey. Along the way, the goal is to deepen the connection of the more than 28 million local residents to our treasured ocean resources. There are a number of voices contributing to the effort, including young people.

Reporting: Dan Rosen
Guests: Leslieann Peers-Roman, Brynn Heller

Today's World Oceans Day episode of WCS Wild Audio is brought to you by our partners at Armitron. Armitron aims to bring awareness and inspire action to help protect marine ecosystems around the world, particularly as it pertains to single-use plastics. Armitron's ocean plastic watches, the Wave and Reef Collections, are crafted from recycled ocean-bound plastic, blending eco-consciousness with impeccable design.

S4 E10: Assessing the Challenges and Opportunities for Jaguar Conservation

Mon, 20 May 2024 15:43:00 -0000

When the Cat Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, met in San Diego in 2019 they were keen to identify fresh insights in jaguar conservation. Delayed due to COVID, the effort got back on track in 2023 and this winter its findings were published. It seemed like a good moment to check in with some of WCS’s leading jaguar conservationists to see how Latin America’s biggest cat is faring.

Read the IUCN Cat Specialist Group jaguar status report HERE.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guests: Esteban Payan, Rob Wallace, Mariana da Silva

Endangered Species Day Archive Episode: Why It Matters That So Many Species Are Vulnerable to Extinction

Fri, 17 May 2024 14:43:14 -0000

This week for Endangered Species Day we revisit a report from a year ago by WCS Wild Audio’s Dan Rosen with WCS Vice President for Species Conservation Elizabeth Bennett. The scale of the current species extinction crisis is dangerous and unprecedented, according to experts. Dan talks to Liz about why it demands our attention and what we can all do to stop it.

Reporting: Dan Rosen
Guest: Elizabeth Bennett

S4 E9: Empowering Fisherwomen in Belize's Marine Conservation Efforts

Thu, 09 May 2024 16:47:20 -0000

WCS supports the government of Belize in the management of two marine reserves in Belize, protected by a dedicated team of local rangers and monitored by experienced local and international scientists.

Beyond preserving marine ecosystems, their focus extends to supporting the livelihoods of fishing communities there.

Ralna Kay Lamb Lewis, WCS Belize's Assistant Director, says it's about ensuring that communities—especially women who have often been underrepresented—have the tools to manage resources, ensuring their own incomes and quality of life.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan
Guest: Ralna Kay Lamb Lewis

S4 E8: Earth Day Inspiration from an African-Led Initiative in Southern Africa

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 14:38:49 -0000

It’s been over 50 years since the first Earth Day in 1970. As we commemorate this year’s edition, says WCS’s John Calvelli, there is a great deal of concern about our future. But there is also reason for optimism. One example comes from the Miombo Woodlands in Southern Africa.

Reporting: Dan Rosen
Guest: John Calvelli

S4 E7: Why Are the World’s Foremost Tiger Conservationists Gathering in Bhutan on April 22-23?

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 18:28:20 -0000

April 22 is Earth Day, which could not be a more fitting occasion for conservationists, ministers, and development experts to gather in Bhutan hosted by the Royal Govt of Bhutan, under the Patronage of Her Majesty The Queen, Jetsun Pema Wangchuck. The goal: to develop a long-term plan for sustainable funding to protect tigers across their range.

To understand the stakes and the opportunity, we turned to several representatives of the global Tiger Conservation Coalition, which includes: the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), Fauna & Flora, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Natural State, Panthera, TRAFFIC, the United Nations Development Programme (UNPD), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF), and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guests: Stuart Chapman (WWF), John Goodrich (Panthera), Joob Jornburom (WCS), Phurba Lhendup (IUCN), Maxim Vergeichik (UNDP)

You can follow all the action in Bhutan on Monday, April 22 and Tuesday, April 23 at these streaming links (Bhutan time is GMT +6):

YouTube
Day 1 (April 22): https://youtube.com/live/UWHhgF0JttA
Day 2 (April 23): https://youtube.com/live/_3dQIcaW6DU

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1069989520755200/

S4 E6: Turns Out the World’s Second-Largest Animal is Found Off the Big Apple All Year Round

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 16:12:12 -0000

S4 E5: Climate Change and Bear Conservation in Mongolia Come Together in an Award-Winning New Documentary

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 13:00:46 -0000

Winner of the Conservation Prize at this year’s New York Wild Film Festival, Hamid Sardar’s documentary film Mongolia: Valley of the Bears highlights a clash between the traditions of a nomadic community in northern Mongolia and one dedicated ranger’s mission to conserve wildlife in the boreal “taiga.”

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guest: Hamid Sardar

S4 E4: Avian Influenza, Part 2 | Cambodia's Conservation Progress At Risk

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:51:52 -0000

In the second episode of our two-part series on the current avian influenza crisis, WCS Wild Audio’s Hannah Kaplan looks at the rise of this new, more deadly strain in domestic poultry farming.

In places like Cambodia, such farms have become a breeding ground for the virus, and the last five years have seen a dramatic increase in rates of infection of wild birds that share the same habitats.

Meanwhile, scientists continue to track the growing threat to mammals, with the recent transmission to dairy cows in the US causing new concerns of potential new spillover to wildlife and people.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan
Guests: Dr Emily Denstedt and Robert Tizard

S4 E3: Avian Influenza Part 1 | A Deadly Virus Spills Over to Mammals

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 22:21:23 -0000

WCS’s Global Health team has been closely watching the spread of avian influenza—first as it decimated populations of bird species around the world, and more recently when it jumped to mammals. In this two-part series, we look at the potentially devastating impacts of this growing wildlife pandemic and what is being done to slow its spread.

Reporter: Hannah Kaplan
Guests: Dr Christian Walzer, Dr Paulo Colchao

S4 E2: Protecting WCS's Film History to Inform Its Conservation Future

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 11:07:08 -0000

Film Archivist Leopold Krist has been steeped in a century’s worth of WCS history as he catalogues and digitizies historic archive films documenting conservation work globally, and across New York’s zoos and aquariums.

Thanks to funding from the Leon Levy Foundation, which allowed WCS to create the Shelby White and Leon Levy WCS Archives Film Initiative, he is preserving footage of everything from studies of biomechanics of crabs, to the growth of the Bronx Zoo, to polar research expeditions.

To see the full catalogue of films, launching in Spring 2024, visit https://library.wcs.org/

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan
Guest: Leopold Krist

S4 E1: The United Nations Development Programme Has a Nature Pledge

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 06:10:09 -0000

The United Nations Development Programme, or UNDP, works in 170 countries and territories around the world to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. Not surprisingly, that work aligns in a variety of ways with nature conservation. Leading the UNDP’s Nature Hub is Midori Paxton. WCS Wild Audio checked in with her to discuss the work of the hub and the implementation of its Nature Pledge.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guest: Midori Paxton

Get Ready for Season 4 of the Award-Winning WCS Wild Audio Podcast

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 13:05:52 -0000

WCS Wild Audio returns for its 4th season on March 6 with a conversation with Midori Paxton, who heads the Nature Hub for the United Nations Development Programme.

During our break, we were thrilled to receive the Audience Honor in both the Podcasts and the Conservation & Preservation categories, and the juried Gold Honor in the Conservation & Preservation category, of the Shorty Impact Awards, which recognize short form digital content for a better world.

As we look to the launch of a new season, check out these highlights from Season 3. You can hear all of our previous episodes at this site and, as always, thanks for listening!

WCS Wild Audio Returns March 6 with Season 4

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 18:45:56 -0000

Thanks for joining us for Season 3 of the WCS Wild Audio podcast. We'll be back in a couple weeks with Season 4, featuring all new stories from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s global conservation program, zoos and aquarium, and conservation partners. In the meantime, here are some highlights from our recent conversations with WCS staff and colleagues working across the planet to protect wildlife and wild places.

Special Episode: The Push to Unite the Amazon Basin Around a Pair of Catfish Species

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 13:37:46 -0000

Many people think of the Amazon as this vast, highly intact tropical forest, but it is also the largest freshwater system in the world. It’s the most biologically diverse place on Earth. Home to hundreds of Indigenous Peoples and traditional cultures. And also, two important species of catfish. Those will be up for discussion at the upcoming Convention on Migratory Species meeting. This is a special episode of the WCS Wild Audio podcast. We'll be back soon with our 4th season.

Reporting: Dan Rosen, Hannah Kaplan
Guests: Mariana Montoya, Susan Lieberman

Special Episode: Assessing the Stakes of the UN Climate Conference | A Conversation with WCS President and CEO Monica Medina

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 22:40:44 -0000

This week representatives from across the globe are gathering in Dubai for the 28th Conference of the Parties, or COP, of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Wildlife Conservation Society will have representatives there focused on issues essential to addressing the climate crisis that range from preserving ecological integrity to the empowerment of Indigenous peoples. WCS President and CEO Monica Medina leads the delegation and spoke with Wild Audio for this report.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guest: Monica Medina

S3 E14: Confronting the Illegal Trade of Mexican Spider Monkeys into the United States

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 13:03:26 -0000

For too many species, the rise of social media has created a growing market for the illegal smuggling and possession of wildlife. In the case of the Mexican spider monkey, whose status is Endangered on the Red List of threatened species maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the growth of the illegal pet trade into the United States has reached a crisis point. In the conclusion to our third season, WCS Wild Audio wanted to find out what’s driving this trade and how conservationists are responding.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guest: Keith Lovett

S3 E13: A Bold Bipartisan Initiative to Leverage Public-Private Finance for Conservation

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 17:27:41 -0000

Protected and conserved areas across the globe safeguard critical biodiversity, contribute to local economies, and support U.S. development and foreign policy objectives. But too often they are underfunded. Making its way through the congress now is a bill that would leverage U.S. funding with philanthropic contributions to provide sustainable financing for protected areas. In this episode we hear from WCS’s John Calvelli and two Senate allies to learn more.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guests: John Calvelli, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham

S3 E12: Pathogen Spillover and the Bigger Public Health Picture in Alaska

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 09:25:15 -0000

WCS researchers are embarking on a two-year study of Covid transmission in Alaskan wildlife. Working closely with Indigenous Communities, the team is on a mission to better understand the overlap between human, environmental, and animal health. In doing so, they can get a better sense of the “big picture” of how pathogens develop, jump between species and ultimately, how we can avoid the next global pandemic.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan
Guest: Sarah Olson

S3 E11: Too Important to Fail | Community Fisheries’ Critical Role in Marine Conservation

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 14:57:53 -0000

Small Scale fisheries are the cornerstone of livelihoods and economies across the world, providing essential micronutrients to more than 4 billion people. What's more, they also employ over 150 million people in the industry, the majority of whom live in the Global South, and are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Wild Audio's Hannah Kaplan sat down with WCS's Hoyt Peckham, Director of Community fisheries, who manages a team supporting 30 Country programs as they work to achieve a more sustainable and equitable approach to managing our marine resources.

Keep an eye out for additional WCS Wild Audio stories about sustainable fisheries, with insights and solutions from the communities who manage them, in Season 4.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan
Guest: Hoyt Peckham

S3 E10: New York Climate Week Series, Part 3 | Investing in At-Risk Forests with the REDD+ Framework

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 16:10:31 -0000

During New York's Climate Week, WCS is exploring bold approaches to the growing climate crisis in a three-part series. In our final episode, we look at REDD+ and market-driven approaches to forest conservation.

WCS Executive Director of Markets, Todd Stevens, wants to find sustainable, financially viable incentives for protecting nature. Linking field-based conservation to private sector funding under the REDD+ framework, his goal is to use capital to ensure positive, environmentally friendly economic development in and around conservation sites.

This model rewards restoration and protection of the environment, ultimately linking healthy ecosystems to healthy economies. At the heart of this markets-based approach, says Todd, lie at-risk forests, which absorb harmful Co2 emissions. Hannah Kaplan has the story.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan
Guest: Todd Stevens

S3 E9: New York Climate Week Series, Part 2 | Why We Need Climate Adaptation

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 16:31:41 -0000

During New York's Climate Week, WCS is exploring bold approaches to the growing climate crisis in a three-part series. In Part 2, we look at the need for anticipating, and adapting to, a changing climate.

The most important thing we can do to address climate change is reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Protecting intact nature can also be a big part of the solution. But let’s say we do those things and we manage to constrain climate change. What type of world will be left for us to live in, if we don't intentionally change our conservation strategies now? That’s where climate adaptation has a part to play.

Reporting: Dan Rosen
Guests: Liz Tully, Paul Elsen

S3 E8: New York Climate Week Series, Part 1 | Why Is Forest Integrity So Important?

Sat, 09 Sep 2023 14:20:22 -0000

In anticipation of New York Climate Week taking place later this month during the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, WCS Wild Audio presents the first in a 3-part series exploring forward-thinking approaches to the growing climate crisis. For Part 1, we look at why maintaining the ecological integrity of forests is so important and what can be done both to avoid further degradation and restore what’s been lost.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guests: Tom Evans, Kemen Austin

S3 E7: A Wildlife-Friendly Farming Approach with Ibis Rice | An Interview with Nicholas Spencer and Keo Socheat

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 09:12:00 -0000

At a time when 80 percent of the world’s forests have been degraded for agriculture and other human activities, a new approach is taking shape in Cambodia’s Northern Plains.

There, an initiative to support sustainable rice production is reducing deforestation and helping to protect endangered bird species like the giant and white-shouldered ibis.

The WCS-managed Ibis Rice links jasmine rice farmers to international consumer markets to achieve environmental protection and fairtrade prices to local communities.

For more information on Ibis Rice and its products, visit: https://ibisrice.com/

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan
Guest: Nicholas Spencer and Keo Socheat

S3 E6: Posing for the Iconic “Jaws” Poster | An Interview with Allison Maher Stern

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:51:48 -0000

While shark incidents with people are statistically very rare, each event understandably creates fear among beachgoers contemplating a swim in the ocean. Nothing has influenced the public’s attitude toward sharks more than the 1975 film Jaws. WCS Life Trustee Allison Maher Stern was the model for the swimmer in the film’s famously provocative marketing campaign. WCS Wild Audio recently caught up with her to ask about that historic modeling job half a century ago, and how it has affected her life since then.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guest: Allison Maher Stern

S3 E5: Hand Raising Scarlet Macaws in Guatemala

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:38:52 -0000

The 5 Great Forests from Mexico to Colombia contain 7.5 percent of the world’s biodiversity and support five million people. One of the iconic species there is the scarlet macaw. In Guatemala, protecting these bright red birds from habitat destruction and poaching for the pet trade is a major challenge. The WCS team there has taken an interesting approach.

Reporting: Dan Rosen
Guests: Rony Garcia, Gabriela Ponce Santizo, Jeremy Radachowsky

S3 E4: The King of the Jungle Is Vulnerable, But WCS Has a Strategy for Recovery

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 14:26:09 -0000

August 10 is World Lion Day. To learn more about how these majestic felines are doing across their range in Africa, and how WCS is working to conserve them, we turned to WCS’s chief big cat expert and his colleagues in Uganda, where anti-poaching efforts and community-based conservation to reduce human-wildlife conflict are part of a larger strategy to recover lion populations across east and central Africa.

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guests: Luke Hunter, Joshua Mabonga, Caroline Twahebwa

S3 E3: ICCB 2023 is Held in Kigali, Rwanda

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 15:38:00 -0000

The 31st International Congress for Conservation Biology is happening this week. It’s a meaningful event. For only the second time in its history, ICCB is being held in Africa—in Kigali, Rwanda. WCS has a big presence there, which includes over 40 young conservationists from across the continent. WCS Wild Audio’s Dan Rosen spoke with WCS senior conservationist Tony Lynam about the significance.

S3 E2: Can We Ride the Wave of Momentum in Time to Help Sharks?

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 15:24:00 -0000

As top predators, sharks help maintain healthy and productive ocean ecosystems. They also play important roles in coastal livelihoods and food security through fisheries and tourism. But time is running out to save them, says WCS’s Luke Warwick. We must turn recent international progress into concrete results. Ahead of Shark and Ray Awareness Day, WCS Wild Audio’s Dan Rosen spoke with Luke for the latest.

S3 E1: Costa Rica Points the Way on Energy and Environmental Policy | In Conversation with GEF CEO & Chair Carlos Manuel Rodríguez

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 15:43:35 -0000

At its annual gala, the Wildlife Conservation Society recently honored Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, the CEO and Chair of the Global Environment Facility, or GEF. WCS Wild Audio’s Nat Moss sat down with Carlos Manuel to discuss his long career of conservation leadership, the work of the GEF, and the extraordinary example set by Rodríguez’s home country of Costa Rica for environmental stewardship, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity protection.

Last Season on WCS Wild Audio

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 12:21:58 -0000

Thanks for joining us for Season Two of WCS Wild Audio. We'll be back soon with new stories from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s field sites, zoos and aquarium, and conservation partners. In the meantime, check out some of the highlights of our conversations with WCS staff from across the world working to protect wildlife and wild places.

Special Episode | A Great Day for Conservation: WCS Has a New President and CEO, Monica Medina

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 09:17:12 -0000

This week, the Wildlife Conservation Society welcomes a new president and CEO, Monica Medina. She arrives from the US State Department, where through this April she served as Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and was the nation’s first Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Water Resources.

WCS is thrilled to have at its helm a new leader with vast experience and a passion for conservation. Wild Audio’s Nat Moss recently caught up with her as she steps into her new role.

Last Season on WCS Wild Audio

Wed, 24 May 2023 08:56:06 -0000

Special Endangered Species Day Episode: Why It Matters That So Many Species Are Vulnerable to Extinction

Mon, 15 May 2023 14:55:25 -0000

You may have heard about the large scale of the current species extinction crisis. It’s unprecedented and dangerous according to experts. For Endangered Species Day on May 19, Wild Audio's Dan Rosen talks to WCS’s Elizabeth Bennett about why it matters and what we can all do to stop it.

Last Season on WCS Wild Audio

Wed, 10 May 2023 08:26:16 -0000

Last Season on WCS Wild Audio

Wed, 03 May 2023 09:06:04 -0000

S2 E15: Earth Day Inspiration from Pope Francis on How to Frame Our Future

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 22:17:12 -0000

In November 2021, the Wildlife Conservation Society launched a new campaign to address the crisis of climate change called Framing Our Future. The effort was premised on partnerships with a wide range of civic, cultural, and academic institutions across the United States. One of those partners, the Bronx’s Fordham University, has embraced the campaign as part of its own Green Plan to live out the inspirational call to protect nature found in Pope Francis’s 2015 Laudato si’ encyclical.

S2 E14: Our Oceans Are Our Natural Capital - Conserving Madagascar's Marine Biodiversity

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 12:14:13 -0000

Subsistence fishing has long been a staple of Malagasy culture. The rich biodiversity that makes Madagascar so famous also underpins local economies, providing not only food, but income through for-profit fishing and tourism.

However, a host of threats are not only putting pressure on ecosystems, but the very communities who are so intrinsically tied to them. Ravaka Ranaivoson, Marine Conservation Director for WCS Madagascar, believes that the solution lies in supporting “natural capital” – training communities to identify and manage natural resources for healthy, sustainable economies.

Wild Audio’s Hannah Kaplan spoke with Ravaka about the challenges, and opportunities, in working to protect the country’s rich ecosystems.

Read the transcript of this epsiode here.

S2 E13: When Pandas Skirted the Pearl Harbor Attack and other Stories from the WCS Library & Archives

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:42:37 -0000

For over 125 years, the Wildlife Conservation Society has been protecting species and their habitats across the globe—all the while inspiring visitors to care about conservation at the Bronx Zoo and WCS’s other wildlife parks in New York City. Recording those efforts is the focus of the WCS Library and Archives. WCS Wild Audio’s Nat Moss recently spoke to archive director Madeleine Thompson to learn how she and her team are working to preserve a rich and dynamic history.

Learn more about the WCS Library and Archives at library.wcs.org. You can purchase mugs, t-shirts, hats, pillows, shower curtains and other items with illustrations from the WCS Department of Tropical Research at the WCS Archive Red Bubble online shop: www.redbubble.com/people/wcs-archives/shop.

S2 E12: Inside the Largest Global Conservation Hub in the World: The Cambridge Conservation Initiative

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 13:48:29 -0000

At the heart of the University of Cambridge sits a collaborative center which is changing the way that organizations and academic institutions work together to address immediate environmental challenges. The Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI) is an innovative approach, bringing together 11 leading NGOs and world-class researchers in one creative hub. It’s mission? To change how we approach science-based conservation models.

Hannah Kaplan spoke to Executive Director of CCI, Dr Mike Maunder, to learn more.

To learn more about CCI, visit www.cambridgeconservation.org

S2 E11: How Forests Can Help Us Address Earth’s Pressing Crises

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 15:55:07 -0000

We need to act fast to address the three interrelated crises facing our planet—climate change, biodiversity loss, and the threat of zoonotic pandemics. We must not only protect the last of the wild, but also actively restore wildlife and wild places. WCS Wild Audio recently spoke with John Lotspeich, Executive Director of Trillion Trees— a conservation partnership attempting to meet the scale needed at this critical time.

To learn more about Trillion Trees, read their 2022 Impact Report.

S2 E10: Climate Change and Walrus Habitat Come Together in Oscar-Nominated Short Doc “Haulout”

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 20:13:06 -0000

This week a 25-minute documentary, “Haulout,” will headline the New York Wild Film Festival as its Best in Festival winner. That prize can be added to prestigious awards for “Haulout” from the International Documentary Association and the American Film Institute on its way to the Academy Awards, where it competes for best documentary short on March 12.

WCS Wild Audio spoke to representatives of the film, the festival, and WCS’s scientific programs to learn more. Watch the film at The New Yorker.

[NOTE: This episode contains spoilers].

S2 E9: Working with Local Communities to Stem the Tide of Latin America’s Illegal Jaguar Trade

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 10:39:21 -0000

Jaguars are the Americas’ mightiest big cat, with roughly 150,000 of this extraordinary species scattered across its range from southern Arizona to northern Argentina. Today they face a growing threat from the illegal wildlife trade in their teeth, skin, and other parts. Wild Audio recently spoke to Kurt Duchez, the Counter-Wildlife Trafficking Officer for the WCS Mesoamerica region, to learn about the scope of the problem and what can be done to confront it.

S2 E8: The Edge of Known Things - Will Hudson Canyon Be Named a National Marine Sanctuary?

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 11:24:34 -0000

“With all this strangeness, there is also beauty beyond words.” That’s how the famous scientist and explorer William Beebe described an underwater marvel off the coast of New York and New Jersey in the late 1920s. Today, Hudson Canyon has been nominated as a National Marine Sanctuary. But, as WCS Wild Audio learned from Noah Chesnin and Dr. Merry Camhi, there’s still a lot we don’t know about this massive canyon.

WCS Wild Audio Introduces "Wild World with Scott Solomon"

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 14:58:41 -0000

We're taking a break from WCS Wild Audio this week to share a new podcast, "Wild World with Scott Solomon," hosted by field biologist and science communicator Scott Solomon. The show explores the natural wonders of our planet through the voices of the people who explore, study, and protect them.

In today’s episode, you’ll join Scott as he speaks with WCS's own Dr Boris Arevalo, who is working to protect the spectacular scarlet macaw in his home country of Belize. Dr Arevalo's efforts to study this beautiful bird and reintroduce hand-reared chicks back into the wild have contributed to a resurgence in scarlet macaw populations in the region.

If you like what you hear, follow "Wild World with Scott Solomon" on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. We’ll be back next week with a new episode of WCS Wild Audio.

https://www.wildworldshow.com/

S2 E7: Documenting the Extraordinary Biodiversity in Bolivia’s Madidi National Park

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 10:22:10 -0000

Madidi National Park, in northeastern Bolivia, boasts a jaw-dropping concentration of some of the richest biodiversity on the planet. The vast landscape ranges from the Amazon River basin up nearly 6,000 meters to the peaks of the Andes.

A comprehensive WCS survey has documented thousands of plants and animals, some new to science, that are informing conservation in the region. Wild Audio spoke to WCS Bolivia’s Rob Wallace to learn more.

S2 E6: Protecting Africa’s Rarest Great Ape, the Elusive Cross River Gorilla

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 15:00:00 -0000

The Critically Endangered Cross River gorilla is the rarest and most elusive of Africa’s four subspecies of gorilla. Found exclusively in the densely forested jungles between Nigeria and Cameroon, it is thought that there are as few as 300 animals left in the wild.
But despite the persistent threats of habitat loss, gene fragmentation, and poaching, there is hope, says WCS Nigeria Director of Cross River Landscapes, Inaoyom Imong.

S2 E5: Protecting Marine Species in the Canadian Arctic’s Increasingly Noisy Waters

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 17:11:59 -0000

Across the globe, climate change is reshaping land and seascapes. In the Arctic, melting sea ice is opening up shipping traffic into and out of the region. The increasingly noisy underwater environment created by these commercial vessels now threatens marine mammals that rely on sound for communication, food, and safety. WCS Canada’s Bill Halliday and Steve Insley have been studying this growing problem and spoke to WCS Wild Audio for this report.

S2 E4: A Tenacious Predator Faces an Unrelenting Opponent—Climate Change

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 09:47:49 -0000

The Arctic is currently warming four times faster than the rest of the planet. Drastic changes are happening. We still don’t know all the different ways this is impacting local wildlife. WCS Wild Audio spoke with Tom Glass of the University of Montana and Martin Robards from WCS about what they’ve learned about how one unheralded species—the wolverine—is adapting to a changing climate.

S2 E3: Canada Is Identifying Key Biodiversity Areas, or KBAs, Critical to Protecting Species and their Habitats

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 19:11:51 -0000

In 2016, thirteen of the world’s leading nature conservation organizations launched an ambitious new Key Biodiversity Areas partnership to identify sites that are important for the persistence of biodiversity. With the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity taking place in Montreal, WCS Wild Audio checked in with Peter Soroye of WCS Canada to learn how the initiative is going in his country.

S2 E2: The Meeting in Montreal That Could Help Save the Planet

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 02:17:20 -0000

After two years of delay due to the COVID pandemic, the long-awaited 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity is upon us. As we look to the start of the meeting in Montreal, Canada, WCS Wild Audio spoke with Sue Lieberman, Justina Ray, and Alfred DeGemmis to find out what it all means and gain some insights into what to expect.

S2 E1: “Together for Conservation” in the Amazon

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 11:05:46 -0000

WCS Wild Audio launches its second season in conversation with Mariana Varese, the Peru-based director of WCS’s Amazon Landscapes program. Mariana describes a new initiative, “Together for Conservation,” that seeks to conserve biodiversity while preventing environmental crime in the Amazon. The project brings Indigenous Peoples and local communities together with journalists, private companies, and civil society groups to develop conservation solutions that can be expanded or replicated across the Amazon.

Last Season on WCS Wild Audio

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 16:55:28 -0000

Thanks for joining us for Season One of WCS Wild Audio. We'll be back on November 29th with new stories from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s field sites, zoos and aquarium, and conservation partners. In the meantime, check out some of the highlights of our conversations with WCS staff from across the world working to protect wildlife and wild places.

Special CITES Edition 2: A Push to Expand Global Protections for Sharks and Rays

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 21:02:59 -0000

On Nov 14, conservationists from across the globe will come together in Panama City, Panama for the triennial meeting of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species—or CITES. In this special Wild Audio rebroadcast, WCS Executive Director for Shark and Ray Conservation Luke Warwick discusses anticipated action for sharks and rays at CITES, including a proposal to list the entire family of Requiem Sharks for protection. Nat Moss reports.

Special CITES Edition 1: In Panama, Attention Turns to the International Wildlife Trade

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 23:44:28 -0000

This month representatives from across the globe will gather in Panama City, Panama. It’s the 19th convening of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora—or CITES. WCS’s Sue Lieberman leads WCS’s delegation to the meeting. She recently spoke to Wild Audio’s Nat Moss to share her thoughts on what’s to come.

Last Season on WCS Wild Audio

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 12:50:34 -0000

Last Season on WCS Wild Audio

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 11:10:42 -0000

WCS Wild Audio Introduces "Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant"

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 14:24:40 -0000

While we're busy preparing our second season of WCS Wild Audio, we wanted to share a podcast from our friends over at PBS. "Going Wild," hosted by wildlife ecologist and Nat Geo explorer Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, explores the personal stories and human drama behind a life in conservation.

In today’s episode, you’ll join Dr. Wynn-Grant as she travels to Panama to study jaguars, with her toddler in tow - definitely giving a whole new meaning to “take your child to work day!” That’s just one glimpse into what it’s like being a wildlife conservationist – and a black female scientist at that. There are many more heart-pounding, and heartfelt, stories in the new season of "Going Wild."

If you like what you hear, follow "Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant" on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, or your favorite podcast app. And tell them we sent you!

Last Season on WCS Wild Audio

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 17:12:34 -0000

S1 E14: Talking Climate Adaptation During New York Climate Week

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 21:09:34 -0000

Timed to the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Climate Week brings together global leaders in business, government, and the climate community. This year, the theme is “Getting It Done,” so Wild Audio asked WCS climate adaptation scientist Lauren Oakes what she thinks about when it comes to adaptive strategies to confront the climate crisis.

S1 E13: More Trees, Fewer Cows: Protecting Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve for People and Wildlife

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 11:49:00 -0000

The Selva Maya represents the largest continuous forest in Central America. Encompassing parts of Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, it includes Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve, where a government campaign to target illegal ranching is reversing years of destructive deforestation. Wild Audio checked in with WCS Guatemala Country Director Gabriela Ponce Santizo to find out what that means for the people of the region and the wildlife that lives there.

S1 E12: Protection of Big Cat Prey in Laos Might Aid a Return of the “Big Guy”

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 15:10:38 -0000

Big cats today face multiple threats—from poaching and habitat loss to snares and human conflict. But also key to their survival is the presence of preferred prey. The WCS Laos program’s Akchousanh Rasphone knows which species are prized on the menu of the country’s clouded leopards and, one day, might help sustain a return of “the big guy,” as she refers to the tiger—now functionally extinct in Laos.

S1 E11: Monitoring Biodiversity at the Top of the World

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 18:45:20 -0000

More and more scientists today are using environmental DNA—or eDNA—to identify species or organisms inhabiting a particular area by measuring genetic traces found in water, soil, or air. In 2019, a group of researchers co-led by WCS’s Tracie Seimon surveyed Mt. Everest to explore high elevation biodiversity there using eDNA. Now that they have begun publishing their findings, WCS Wild Audio checked in with Tracie to find out what they learned.

S1 E10: A New Internship Program to Promote Greater Equity and Diversity in the Conservation Field

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 18:13:21 -0000

Internships in the science and conservation field have for too long failed to reach the full diversity of young people. To address that inequity, the WCS Education Department—based at the Bronx Zoo and led by Karen Tingley—recently launched a new internship program designed to proactively help more young people get a head start on a conservation career. Nat Moss spoke with Karen for WCS Wild Audio to learn more.

S1 E9: From Climate to Cannoli - Leveraging Conservation Science in the Policy Arena

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:29:23 -0000

Science is at the heart of effective conservation. It factors into everything WCS does at its global field sites and its New York City-based zoos and aquarium to better understand wildlife and wild places. But translating that knowledge into policy and action requires creative engagement with the public and lawmakers. Executive Vice President for Public Affairs John Calvelli oversees that effort in the U.S. and recently discussed with Wild Audio why it’s so important.

S1 E8: Peatlands - The Carbon Storage Powerhouse Protecting Us from Climate Change

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 13:41:29 -0000

Any discussion of climate change must consider the role of peatlands. These water-soaked ecosystems comprised of decaying mosses and other plant matter cover a mere 3 percent of the earth’s surface yet store more carbon than all of the world’s forests. But a debate in Canada now pits the mining of minerals essential to renewable energy against protection of critical peatlands. To learn more, WCS Wild Audio checked in with Lorna Harris, a scientist and the program lead for WCS Canada’s national program for Forests, Peatlands, and Climate Change.

S1 E7: Good News for Wild Tigers

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 14:07:52 -0000

When the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, recently reported that wild tiger numbers had increased by 40 percent since 2010, WCS Tiger Species Coordinator Dale Miquelle wasn’t surprised. He was one of several scientists who contributed to the report. WCS Wild Audio’s Nat Moss recently caught up with him to find out what’s making the difference in tiger conservation today.

S1 E6: A Push to Expand Global Protections for Sharks and Rays

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 09:18:50 -0000

This November scientists, policymakers, and advocates from across the globe will gather in Panama for the next meeting of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). WCS Executive Director for Shark and Ray Conservation Luke Warwick has his eye on a proposal to list the entire family of requiem sharks for protection. WCS Wild Audio recently sat down with him to understand the urgency and strategy behind that goal.

S1 E5: How New Technology is Transforming Conservation

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 01:08:05 -0000

Whether it's drones recording video in previously inaccessible areas, artificial intelligence sorting through thousands of camera trap images, or microphones in the ocean recording whale sounds to determine which species are present, technology is transforming the practice of conservation today. To find out how WCS is using technology to up its conservation game, Nat Moss checked in with Jonathan Palmer and Danielle LaBruna from WCS's Conservation Technology team.

S1 E4: Reducing Human-Elephant Conflict in Thailand

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 13:50:15 -0000

WCS Thailand’s Manoon Pliosungnoen describes a unique fencing structure that has been successfully deployed to deter elephants from raiding local farmers’ cropland adjacent to Thailand’s Kaeng Krachan National Park. Since the fencing went up, the number of human-elephant conflict incidents has fallen from more than 400 in 2005 to about 40 incidents in 2020. WCS's Nat Moss has the story.

S1 E3: Preventing Pandemics at the Source

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 12:34:33 -0000

Since the onset of the COVID pandemic, we’ve developed strategies to confront the crisis where we live—expanding supplies of protective equipment and following guidelines to avoid catching the virus. But as the pandemic continues, WCS Executive Director for Health Chris Walzer and WCS Vice President for International Policy Susan Lieberman say we now need to focus on reducing pathogen spillover at the source. Wild Audio’s Nat Moss spoke to them for this story.

S1 E2: The Bronx Zoo Is Working to Save Some of the World's Most Threatened Turtle Species

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 09:25:19 -0000

After serving as the Bronx Zoo’s Curator of Herpetology for 11 years, Don Boyer retired this year. Before he left, WCS Wild Audio’s Nat Moss toured the Bronx Zoo’s Turtle Propagation Center with Don to discuss some of the highlights of his inspiring career and the Bronx Zoo’s efforts to breed highly threatened turtle species and return them to the wild.

S1 E1: Protecting Coral Reefs Amidst a Global Bleaching Crisis

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 15:41:00 -0000

Emily Darling directs WCS's global coral reef conservation program. Working with WCS programs in roughly a dozen countries, she thinks a lot about how to save these sensitive ecosystems—most importantly from climate change. Wild Audio’s Nat Moss checked in with her to learn more about the recent bleaching event on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and what it suggests about the larger goal of reef conservation.