About Us
The Wild Idea is a growing media project rooted in a big, enduring question:
What does it mean to be human in a wild and changing world?
We’re driven by a deep curiosity about how people relate to the rest of the living world. Through honest conversation, documentary storytelling, and on-the-ground reporting, we dig into the stories and perspectives that reveal where that relationship is thriving, where it’s falling short, and where it might go next.
At the heart of it all is The Wild Idea Podcast, where we sit down with thinkers, doers, and big-question-askers to explore wild nature, human nature, and the messy overlap between the two. We talk about everything from the legacies of conservation icons to the complicated realities of human-wildlife dynamics, and how decisions made in D.C. ripple all the way out to remote landscapes. We ask who gets included (or left out) of the outdoor story, and we make space for voices that challenge what “wild” even means.
At the end of the day, The Wild Idea is a space for curious, occasionally uncomfortable, yet always thoughtful conversations about how humans and wild nature shape each other, and what it’ll take to build a future where both can thrive.
Our latest addition is The Wild Line. Every Friday, we bring you a short and sharp, to-the-point segment tracking what’s happening in D.C. and beyond – from public lands legislation and regulatory shake-ups to the big policy ideas shaping our collective future. It’s your weekly briefing on the laws, loopholes, and leadership decisions affecting wild places, and what you can do about them.
We believe that engaging with wildness—on the land and in ourselves—takes curiosity, courage, and community. And we know no story is told from a completely neutral place. Our team brings decades of experience in conservation, policy, organizing, and storytelling. We’ve spent time in the backcountry, in boardrooms, and in the halls of Congress. We’ve helped protect wild places through the National Wilderness Preservation System and beyond. That experience brings perspective, and admittedly a little bias. But we offer it openly, and we stay committed to growing, questioning, and carving away at our own blind spots. We don’t pretend to have all the answers. But we’re here to ask better questions, spark more honest dialogue, and invite a broader, more inclusive conversation about what it means to coexist with a living, changing planet.
If we’re doing our job right, you’ll walk away from each episode a little more informed, a little more fired up, and maybe even a little more in touch with the wildness both inside and around you.
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.