About Us
Our work grows from a curiosity about the present and future of human relationships to wild landscapes, and we feed that curiosity by finding the stories and voices that shed light on a range of perspectives about those relationships.
Whether we are going deep with a guest on The Wild Idea podcast, or following a story through the documentary lens, we hope that our own blind spots are illuminated, that our community can gain some new perspectives, and that we provide a diverse audience with a way to respond to what comes next for wild nature.
Humans have existed as a part of the natural cycle of life on the planet Earth for 300,000 years, and for 100,000 years our brains have been biologically basically the same. What has continued to evolve is how the human species finds its place within the natural world. As populations became communities and as those communities became societies, humans produced cultural, religious and even legal frameworks to explain and define how humans engage with the rest of the biosphere.
How did we get our current understanding of the human relationship to wild places, how is that relationship working or failing, and where could and should that relationship go from here – that is the journey we hope to share with you.
As a team – we are steeped in the American version of designating wild places, specifically we have a collective history of campaigning for and being a part of growing and stewarding the National Wilderness Preservation System. We have spent careers in the woods, in boardrooms and in the nation’s capital fighting to protect places, inspiring communities and working to leave something we recognize for the generations that come next. We share all this not to brag, but rather to be open about any bias we may bring to our work. Bias is a funny thing; it does carry some negative baggage – but it also means you show up with a perspective from doing some of the work – and we hope to lean into our experience and passion while chiseling away out our own rough edges.
We hope that those that engage with our passion and conversation find us open, honest and transparent – that we bring a good humor and a playful attitude.
We hope our work creates a larger dialogue and more informed and active conversations about how humans can be a part of a planet where wild nature and the wildness in our hearts can thrive.
Meet the Team
Bill Hodge is the co-host of The Wild Idea podcast, and co-founder of Wild Idea Media with his wife Laura where he serves as President, a role that mostly involves juggling big ideas and eyestrain.
With over 35 years of experience (and enough stories to fill a few campfire evenings), Bill has worked across the spectrum of media and conservation. He’s been behind the microphone, in the executive suite, and even wandering the halls of Congress—because why stop at just one career adventure? His professional journey started in 1987 in broadcast media, back when radio was king, and the phrase “streaming content” meant water over rocks.
After proving his chops in marketing, sales, and management in the radio industry, Bill took a detour into the world of college sports, helping build Action Sports Media into a successful venture. Because who doesn’t like mixing business with 3rd and 8?
In 2009, Bill swapped the corporate world for a trail map, diving into his lifelong love of public lands. He spearheaded legislative wins like the Tennessee Wilderness Act of 2018 and the National Forest Trail System Stewardship Act of 2016. Along the way, he founded Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS), co-founded the Wilderness Skills Institute, and served on the board of the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance. Basically, if there’s a group of people protecting wild places, Bill’s probably in the mix.
His work in conservation has earned him honors like the White House’s Champion of Change award in 2014 and a shelf-full of recognition from the U.S. Forest Service. Let’s just say, if there were a conservation Hall of Fame, Bill would already have his plaque (even if he made up the conservation Hall of Fame in the first place).
When he’s not busy serving public lands or talking about it on a podcast, Bill is brainstorming new ways to blend his love for running his mouth and wild places—or just trying to keep up with Laura, who always has the next wild idea ready to go.
Anders Reynolds is co-host of The Wild Idea Podcast and Federal Legislative Director at the Southern Environmental Law Center.
Anders has spent the majority of his career at the intersection of politics and public lands policy, working at The Pew Charitable Trusts on wilderness and other protective designations and as a legislative director for a Member of Congress. He served in the Obama Administration as a policy analyst for the Delta Regional Authority, and has extensive federal and state campaign experience.
As a lobbyist, Anders builds and maintains working relationships with Members of Congress and their staffs, offering policy expertise in tackling the unique conservation challenges faced by decision-makers who decide to engage on public lands preservation. Over the years, he’s built, lead, and participated in a number of resilient coalitions of diverse stakeholders, and his winning strategies have resulted in successful wilderness designations in Tennessee, Arkansas, Colorado, Nevada, and Southern Utah.
From 2015-2021, Anders served as a Board Member for the Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (including a term as Board Chair), and recently joined the Board of the Virginia Wilderness Committee.In the past, he’s been invited to speak at the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance Annual Workshop, the International Mountain Bicycling Association World Summit, and the Wilderness 50 Conference.
Unlike Bill, Anders has sadly not been recognized for his leadership in the conservation community. But in 2009 he was named one of Capitol Hill’s “most beautiful” people. And that is something Bill will never have.
Laura Hodge is one of the creative forces and logistical wizards behind Wild Idea Media, ensuring the wheels stay on, the stars (Bill and Anders) stay shiny, and the chaos stays mostly contained.
While the podcast’s frontmen are busy dreaming big and talking wild (or is it dreaming wild and talking big?), Laura is the one transforming their “wild ideas” into functioning realities. Armed with a to-do list, an abundance of patience, and an arguably unhealthy amount of caffeine, she makes the magic happen.
Her resume is an eclectic patchwork, blending community and nonprofit development, art and culture, and advocacy for public lands and other causes close to her heart. A passionate champion of wild places, Laura once led a diverse coalition of stakeholders through five relentless years of lobbying to pass the Tennessee Wilderness Act. The landmark legislation permanently protected 20,000 acres of the Cherokee National Forest as ‘Big W’ wilderness – a remarkable achievement that she shares with Bill and Anders.
And yet, despite her impressive accomplishments, Laura remains awardless, titleless, and perpetually overshadowed by her co-stars’ accolades. (Insert sad trombone here.)
Holly Wielkoszewski is the keeper of the website keys and works to keep all of the technical and production wheels in motion at Wild Idea Media.
After a 15+ year career that encompassed diverse customer service and communications roles ranging from non-profit IT support to foreign affairs, Holly launched her own business in 2017 and now partners with entrepreneurs, creative businesses, and organizations worldwide to support their digital communication needs.
Growing up in the mountain west, Holly grew to love the wild places of the world and is always looking for the next adventure to a far-flung destination. These days, Holly splits her time between red rock country, New Mexico, where she and her husband are building an Earthship on their solar-powered homestead, and traveling the world as a part-time digital nomad. When she’s not working on her land or consulting with clients, you’re likely to find her underwater: as a technical SCUBA diver, she’s particularly fond of the reefs of Indonesia and the National Marine Park in Bonaire, one of the oldest marine reserves in the world.