The Wild Idea Podcast

Author Malcolm Brooks joins us for a conversation that moves from the landscapes that shaped his fiction to the messy realities of modern wildlife management. We talk about how he sees place as part of his storytelling, then shift to the story he has been tracing since the mountain lion attack on his nephews and the California policy changes that may have set the stage for it. We finish with his newest project, a deep dive into the history and contradictions of Butte, America.

Environmental historian Frank Uekötter joins Bill and Anders for a thought-provoking conversation about how good intentions and bad systems can collide, and what history can teach us about the moral boundaries of environmental action.

Author and essayist Barret Baumgart joins Bill and Anders for a Halloween special that leans into the stranger side of wild nature. In a conversation that ranges from natural history to horror, they dig into what the Joshua Tree reveals about human nature, the stories we project onto wild places, and the uneasy line between wonder and fear.

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.

Rachel Franchina, Executive Director of the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals, joins Bill and Anders for a conversation about leadership, resilience, and the people behind America’s favorite wild places. It’s a grounded, hopeful look at the future of the profession that keeps us all outdoors.

Faith, land, and stewardship come together in this episode with Joel Gill, Executive Director of Ferncliff, a 1,200-acre camp and conference center outside Little Rock, Arkansas. Joel joins Bill and Anders for a thoughtful conversation about creation care, a faith-based approach to conservation that blends theology, ecology, and the everyday choices we make to care for the land and for one another.

Journalist Chris Keyes, former Editor in Chief at Outside magazine and now the founder of RE:PUBLIC, a nonprofit newsroom focused entirely on public lands, joins Bill and Anders to discuss why independent reporting matters, and how RE:PUBLIC is stepping in to tell the stories that often get overlooked about the 600 million acres of land we all share.

This special episode marks our first live recording, in partnership with the National Wilderness Coalition during National Wilderness Week in Washington, DC. Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota joined us to talk about the Boundary Waters, a place she calls one of her favorites on earth. She shares how the wilderness shaped her family’s story, why it’s a national treasure, and how being there offers restoration and a deeper connection to history and place.

Conrad Anker has spent a lifetime chasing peaks, from his early days in the Sierra Nevada to the tallest and most technical mountains around the world. Along the way he has become one of the world’s most respected alpinists and a passionate advocate for wild places and the people who care for, and depend on, them.
In this rich conversation, Conrad reflects on what a life in the mountains has taught him about humility and responsibility. He talks about watching glaciers retreat firsthand, the cultural and spiritual meaning of sacred peaks, and his work co-founding the Khumbu Climbing Center in Nepal to train and support local climbers. He also shares candid thoughts on climate change, the contradictions we all face in how we live, and why giving back to the wild places we love matters now more than ever.

“If wild places are meaningful to you, however you visit them, give something back. They have no voice, so it’s up to us to be their advocate.” — Conrad Anker

What happens when abandoned shipping piers get a second life as wild parkland? In this episode of The Wild Idea, Bill and Anders talk with Rasheed Polson and Bella Ciabattoni, who lead the horticulture team at Brooklyn Bridge Park. They share the story of how community voices turned a post-industrial site along the East River into 85 acres of thriving wetlands, meadows, and woodlands.

From planting for floods and wind to keeping invasive species in check, Rasheed and Bella describe the creative practices that sustain this young urban ecosystem. They also reflect on the role of volunteers, interns, and curious visitors in shaping the park’s future, and why a city park can feel just as wild, joyful, and awe-inspiring as the backcountry.