Ryan Johnston, a fly fishing guide of 24 years and founder of the youth mentorship nonprofit Cast Hope, discusses guiding the South Fork of the Snake River in Idaho and Wyoming and, more recently, Montana's Flathead Valley. He explains how Cast Hope, which he founded...
Andrew Mergen, faculty director of Harvard Law School's Emmett Environmental Law and Policy Clinic and a 33-year veteran of public lands litigation at the Department of Justice, and Justin Pidot, a University of Arizona law professor and former general counsel of the...
A close look at what protecting 219 miles of wild river actually requires. The Three Forks of the Flathead River in northwest Montana didn't just earn Wild and Scenic designation — they inspired the law that made it possible. In the 1950s, a proposed dam at Spruce...
What it takes to keep wild places healthy and accessible for generations to come Kaitlin de Varona is the executive director of Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS), the nonprofit that has spent more than a decade building a community of skilled, committed...
Gregg Treinish, who founded Adventure Scientists in 2011 after a 7,800-mile trek along the spine of the Andes, and Lara Birkes, the organization's executive director as of 2026, discuss how the group trains outdoor athletes to collect scientific data on issues...
A message of hope rooted in action, collaboration, and the fact that the technical solutions we need already exist Dr. Erica Smithwick, a distinguished professor of geography at Penn State University and director of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, joins...
What matters most is that forests continue to function for people, wildlife, and the climate. Dr. William Keeton is a forest ecologist and silviculturalist at the University of Vermont who has spent most of his career studying old-growth forests in the eastern United...
In this special remastered conversation, The Wild Idea revisits a timely and essential discussion about one of America’s most important conservation tools: the Roadless Rule. As the rule approaches its 25th anniversary, hosts Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds reintroduce...
Exploring what it really takes to care for wildlife over time. Martha Williams, former Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, joins us for a grounded conversation about what it really takes to care for wildlife over time. Drawing on decades of experience at...
Telling big, complicated stories in a way that still leaves you feeling hopeful. Environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb joins us for a wide-open conversation about how roads shape wildlife, ecosystems, and the public lands we depend on. Ben breaks down the stuff most...