About Us
Wild Idea Media is a collection of stories, people, and ideas.
We give voice to the non-human world while telling human stories
We are grounded in the concept of humans being a part of nature and having a responsibility to see the wonder of wild places endure so generations to come can experience them, and stand for them, like we try to do every day. We’re driven by a deep curiosity about how people relate to the rest of the living world. Through honest conversation, documentary storytelling, and real-time 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.
This endeavor began with 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.
In these weekly long-form conversations, we talk about everything from the legacies of our public commons to the complicated realities of human-wildlife dynamics, and how decisions made in D.C. ripple all the way out to remote communities. 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 Podcast 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.
The seas we navigate today gave rise to The Wild Line Podcast.
Every Friday, we bring you a short and sharp, to-the-point report, 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.
Connection to the wild out our window has become ever more important as screens and screen-time grab so much of our attention, and sadly more of the time our children spend every day is engaging with technology, not the natural world. From that crisis of attention was born Raising Wild.
In these conversations with scientists, educators, adventurers, and parents, host Ashley Arnold challenges us to raise our children, and ourselves, a little more feral – on purpose.
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. We ask you to join our community as a listener, subscriber, or sponsor, and we thank you for being on this ride with us.
Meet the Team
Bill Hodge is the co-host of The Wild Idea podcast, and co-founder of Wild Idea Media where he serves as President.
Bill has a background that spans careers in broadcast media, sports marketing and conservation leadership. He has served as the Chief Marketing Officer of Action Sports Media/SportsMyx Holdings, founder and Executive Director of Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards and has served in other leadership roles for public lands while serving on several boards for conservation non-profit organizations. He is also the co-founder of the award-winning Wilderness Skills Institute.
His work in conservation has earned him honors like the White House’s Champion of Change award, and the Bob Marshall and Chief’s Award from the United States Forest Service.
When he’s not busy serving public lands or talking about it on a podcast, Bill is actively engaged in documenting the best of America’s public lands as a photographer and inspiring a new generation of wilderness stewards.
Anders Reynolds is co-host of The Wild Idea Podcast and President & CEO of the Wilderness Land Trust
At the Wilderness Land Trust, he leads efforts to make federally-designated wilderness landscapes whole and healthy. He came to The Wild Idea after decades of land and water conservation work at the Southern Environmental Law Center and The Pew Charitable Trusts. Before that, he worked for the Obama Administration and worked on Capitol Hill. Anders brings to the podcast an inside view of how public lands decisions actually get made, and a track record of achieving durable land protection from the Mountain West to the Southeast.
Laura Hodge is the executive producer and co-founder of Wild Idea Media.
As executive producer, Laura helps shape the stories, conversations, and strategy behind The Wild Idea. From booking guests to producing episodes, she keeps the countless details behind the scenes moving so big ideas become great stories.
Her career has spanned conservation, nonprofit leadership, advocacy, community development, and the arts. She has built coalitions, led organizations, and managed campaigns that bring people together around shared goals. She spent nearly a decade working to successfully pass The Tennessee Wilderness Act (2018) which permanently protected 20,000 acres of the Cherokee National Forest.
Laura believes good stories can change the way we see the world and our place in it. Whether she’s producing a podcast or bringing people together around a shared purpose, she’s driven by curiosity, collaboration, and the belief that lasting change begins with meaningful conversations.
Ashley Arnold is the marketing and social media lead at Wild Idea Media.
Ashley is a storyteller, trail runner and photographer. In her work, she focuses on crafting stories that help people connect more deeply to the places they care about.
Ashley’s love of wild places was shaped early and deepened over time through miles on trails, long days outdoors and a belief that landscapes are best understood by moving through them. These days, that relationship is evolving as she shares those places with her husband and two young kids, learning alongside them what curiosity, care and stewardship can look like in everyday life.
Professionally, Ashley brings more than a decade of experience in brand, editorial and creative leadership across the running and outdoor space. She is the former director of brand at Fleet Feet and now works as a strategist, writer and content creator supporting mission-driven organizations and media projec
Holly Wielkoszewski manages the website, technical infrastructure, and operational strategy that keep Wild Idea Media’s shows running week to week.
After more than a decade in web design, marketing, communications, and project management, she founded Daypack Digital in 2017, and has since built a consulting practice serving small businesses and mission-driven organizations.
When she’s not at a keyboard, Holly is likely on a trail or underwater. She’s an ultra-runner, technical SCUBA diver, and committed wilderness recreationist across the Rocky Mountain West. Holly splits her time between New Mexico, where she and her husband are building an Earthship on their solar-powered homestead, and wherever the road takes her.