What happens when we let nature lead? How do we decide when to help and when to stay out of the way?

Award-winning author, environmental philosopher, and clean energy enthusiast Christopher Preston joins Bill and Anders to discuss his book Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think About Animals. He shares stories of wolves, whales, and beavers making remarkable comebacks, offering a hopeful look at what can happen when we give nature room to recover and thrive.

Together they explore ideas of rewilding, animal agency, and the ethics of when and how humans should intervene, or simply step back and watch the wild world flourish. The conversation weaves in lessons from Europe’s rewilding movement, Indigenous perspectives that resonate with modern conservation, and how compassion and curiosity can guide better care for the natural world.

It’s a grounded, inspiring discussion that leaves you thinking: What happens when we let nature lead? How do we decide when to help and when to stay out of the way? And how might things change if we saw wild animals as neighbors and teachers rather than symbols or resources?

Today, we explore:

• A Philosopher in Wild Country – how Christopher Preston’s path from England to Montana shaped his curiosity about wild places and his work as a philosopher focused on human and natural connections.
• Finding Hope in Nature’s Comebacks – why Tenacious Beasts was written as a “good news” book, gathering stories of wolves, whales, bison, and beavers rebounding when people stop killing them and reconnect their habitats.
• The Ethics of Intervention – an honest look at the gray areas in conservation, like whether saving one species sometimes means harming another, and how to decide when to step in or step back.
• Rewilding and Animal Agency – what it means to let nature lead, how animals shape their own futures, and why European rewilding efforts are inspiring new ways of thinking about restoration.
• Learning from Indigenous Knowledge – reflections on how traditional ecological wisdom often mirrors scientific discovery, reminding us to approach wildlife as teachers and partners in recovery.
• Compassion and Connection – exploring empathy toward wild beings, why imagining their experiences matters, and how compassion can guide more thoughtful land and wildlife management.
• Ethics Behind Every Decision – discussion of the RAD framework (Resist, Accept, Direct) and the idea that every management choice reflects our values about what matters most on the land.
• Redefining “Wild” and “Natural” – conversation about how the meaning of wilderness continues to evolve, what the Wilderness Act represents today, and how we balance protection with participation in the natural world.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, or at thewildidea.com.

Links & Resources:

Connect with Christopher

• Website
• Bluesky

Books & Films

• Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think About Animals – Christopher Preston’s hopeful exploration of species rebounding across continents, from wolves and whales to beavers.
• The Synthetic Age: Outdesigning Evolution, Resurrecting Species, and Reengineering Our World – Preston’s earlier book examining how technology is reshaping the natural world.
• The Human Footprint: Vanishing Act (PBS) – Preston offering his views on extinction and
  deextinction in conversation with host Shane Campbell-Statton

Organizations, Coalitions & Campaigns

• University of Montana – where Christopher Preston teaches philosophy and environmental ethics.
• American Prairie – Montana-based conservation project working to restore connected grasslands and wildlife habitat.
• Rewilding Europe – network of large-scale restoration projects allowing nature to reclaim and manage its own processes.
• The Wilderness Society – national nonprofit focused on protecting public lands and promoting ethical land management.

Places & Landmarks

• Missoula Public Library (Missoula, Montana) – site of the conversation and winner of multiple national and international awards for design and community impact.
• Beaverhead–Deerlodge National Forest(Montana) – public lands explored by Bill and Anders during their recording trip.
• Salmon–Challis National Forest(Idaho and Montana border) – another wild landscape discussed in the episode, known for rugged backcountry and wildlife habitat.
• Continental Divide Trail – national scenic trail that runs along the spine of the Rockies and passes through the landscapes mentioned.

Government & Policy References

• Wilderness Act of 1964 – landmark U.S. law defining and protecting designated wilderness areas.
• National Park Service RAD Framework (Resist, Accept, Direct) – a management approach used to guide decisions in response to ecological change.

People Mentioned

• Christina Eisenberg – ecologist and author mentioned in discussion of trophic cascades and Indigenous perspectives. (Listen to Episode 18: Cristina Eisenberg: Humility as a Tool for Protection and Stewardship)
• Ben Goldfarb – author and science writer referenced in conversation about wildlife crossings and bear movement.

• Diane Boyd – wolf biologist noted for her research on recolonizing wolf populations in Montana.

Christopher J. Preston is an award-winning writer and philosophy professor based in Missoula, MT. His work focuses on wildlife, technology, and climate change. Christopher’s essays have appeared in The Atlantic, Sierra, YaleE360, Smithsonian Magazine, Discover, Orion, The Conversation, the Wall Street Journal, and The BBC. His book, Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think About Animals won the 2024 High Plains International Book Award for non-fiction and made the New Yorker’s Best Books list of 2023. 

The Wild Idea is independently produced by Wild Idea Media. If you believe conversations like this matter, you can help us keep them going by subscribing, leaving a review, sharing the episode, or signing up for our newsletter at thewildidea.com. Together, we can protect what connects us.