Saving Wildlife with Sam

Sam
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Get to know the extraordinary people who dedicate their lives to save wildlife and the places they call home. We go beyond the headlines to uncover their wildest encounters, toughest challenges, and what keeps them hopeful in the fight for nature.

Episodes

  1. 1D AGO

    Bill Sutherland: Using Evidence to Save Wildlife More Effectively

    Bill Sutherland is Miriam Rothschild Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Cambridge, Department of Zoology, and founder of Conservation Evidence. For over 20 years he’s been asking a deceptively simple question: if a doctor can look up the evidence for any treatment before prescribing, why can't a conservationist do the same? Conservation has long relied on tradition, intuition, and accumulated experience. But the tools being used today are often the same ones used 50 years ago, while every other field has been transformed by innovation. Bill's work is changing that. In this conversation: 0:00 - Introduction 9:50 - Conservation Evidence: the database changing how we save wildlife 27:03 - Indigenous and traditional knowledge: opportunities and challenges 46:18 - Horizon scanning: predicting the next big threats to biodiversity 49:50 - AI in conservation: promise and risk 53:10 - Where conservation is headed in the next 5 to 10 years About Bill Sutherland: Bill Sutherland is the Miriam Rothschild Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Cambridge and founder of Conservation Evidence. He coined the term "evidence-based conservation" and has spent over two decades building the tools and frameworks to make it a global standard. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2021 for services to evidence-based conservation. He also runs Conservation Concepts, a YouTube channel making ecology accessible to anyone curious about the natural world. CONNECT WITH SAVING WILDLIFE WITH SAM: Subscribe:    / @savingwildlifewithsam  Facebook:   / savingwildlife  Instagram:   / savingwildlifewithsam  Join the newsletter: https://forms.gle/3v5UCmN6CgLGGM3s5 Follow Sam on LinkedIn:   / sam-williams-0989483  Please like, comment, and share to help more people discover these conservation stories. 🌍

    55 min

  2. MAR 12

    Jen Miller: Sea Otters, Eco-Grief, and the Conservationist's Path Back to Hope

    Jen Miller is Senior Manager of the Sea Otter Fund at the Wildlife Conservation Network, and her path has been anything but linear. A PhD from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies studying tigers and livestock depredation in India. Wolves and jaguar reintroduction policy at Defenders of Wildlife. International wildlife trafficking grants at the US Fish and Wildlife Service. And now, one of conservation's most genuinely hopeful comeback stories: bringing sea otters back to 800 miles of coastline where they've been absent for over a century. Sea otters were once called "soft gold," hunted so relentlessly in the 18th and 19th century maritime fur trade that 99% of their population was wiped out. Today, with 3,000 in central California and real momentum building around reintroduction, they're at the center of one of the ocean's most important ecological recovery stories. As a keystone species, when sea otters return, kelp forests follow, and when kelp forests return, everything else follows too. But the biology might be the easy part. Getting to yes with fishermen, tribes, state and federal agencies, and coastal communities is where the real work happens. Jen also speaks honestly about the emotional interior of conservation: eco-grief, climate anxiety, burnout, and the working group she co-founded called Revive, a global community of practice helping conservationists build the resilience to keep going for the long haul. Bonus 5-Minute Guided Resilience Practice with Jen Feeling eco-grief, climate anxiety, or the everyday weight of change? Jen leads a short guided body sensing practice you can use anywhere, anytime. About the Sea Otter Fund The Sea Otter Fund at the Wildlife Conservation Network supports research, community engagement, and the logistical groundwork needed to reintroduce sea otters across their historic range. With 3,000 southern sea otters in central California and an 800-mile gap to close, the fund is focused on the science, the stakeholder relationships, and the socioeconomic research needed to get to yes, with tribes, fishermen, and coastal communities leading the way. In this conversation: 0:00 - Introduction16:10 - Sea otters: from 300,000 to near-extinction and back24:10 - Why great white sharks are accidentally blocking sea otter recovery37:00 - The Sea Otter Fund: closing the 800-mile gap43:20 - Revive: building emotional resilience in conservation58:50 - Guided 5-minute emotional resilience practice with Jen Learn more: Sea Otter Fund: https://wildnet.org/wildlife-fund/sea-otter-fund/Revive: https://www.reviveconservation.org/ CONNECT WITH SAVING WILDLIFE WITH SAM: Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@savingwildlifewithsamFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/savingwildlifeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/savingwildlifewithsam/Join the newsletter: https://forms.gle/3v5UCmN6CgLGGM3s5Follow Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-williams-0989483/ Please like, comment, and share to help more people discover these conservation stories. 🌊 🦦

    1h 5m

  3. FEB 11

    Ashleigh Lutz-Nelson: Coexistence of Snow Leopards and Remote Communities at 17,000 Feet

    Snow leopards live in some of Earth's harshest environments, hunting on vertical cliffs at elevations where oxygen is half that of sea level. They're sacred to the indigenous communities who share their landscape and they're threatened by human-wildlife conflict, climate change, and the challenges of survival in an increasingly unstable mountain ecosystem.  Ashleigh Lutz-Nelson, Executive Director of Snow Leopard Conservancy, works to lift up local conservationists protecting one of the world's most elusive cats across six countries in Central Asia. Track a snow leopard: Support conservation and follow a real snow leopard's journey with Fahlo's GPS tracking bracelets: https://myfahlo.com/products/snow-leo... Learn more about Snow Leopard Conservancy: Website: https://snowleopardconservancy.org/ Donate: https://wildnet.org/wildlife-programs... Facebook:   / snowleopardconservancy  Instagram: @snowleopardconservancy LinkedIn:   / snow-leopard-conservancy  CONNECT WITH SAVING WILDLIFE WITH SAM: Subscribe:    / @savingwildlifewithsam  Facebook:   / savingwildlife  Please like, comment, and share to help more people discover these conservation

    56 min

  4. JAN 28

    Frank Pope: Flying with Elephants and Fighting for Africa's Wild Future

    Frank Pope, CEO of Save the Elephants, shares his unconventional journey into conservation This episode is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton (1942-2025), founder of Save the Elephants and pioneer of elephant research. His groundbreaking work transformed our understanding of African elephants and shaped modern conservation practices. Learn more about Save the Elephants: Website: https://savetheelephants.org/ Donate:https://wildnet.org/wildlife-programs... LinkedIn:   / save-the-elephants  Facebook:   / savetheelephants.kenya  Instagram: @savetheelephants CONNECT WITH SAVING WILDLIFE WITH SAM: Subscribe:    / @savingwildlifewithsam  Facebook:   / savingwildlife  Join the newsletter: https://forms.gle/3v5UCmN6CgLGGM3s5 Follow Sam on LinkedIn:   / sam-williams-0989483

    1h 9m

  5. JAN 14

    Peter Damerell: The Ice Age Antelope's Crash and Comeback

    Peter Damerell, Interim Director of the Saiga Conservation Alliance, shares his journey from aspiring wildlife filmmaker to leading conservation efforts across Central Asia for one of the world's most unusual antelopes. From the vast steppes of Kazakhstan to working with traditional medicine markets in Asia, Peter coordinates an alliance of organizations protecting a species that has crashed twice and recovered dramatically—and could crash again at any moment. In this conversation: 19:03 - What is a saiga? The biology of an Ice Age relic 32:12 - How the Saiga Conservation Alliance works 40:28 - When conservation succeeds: new challenges emerge 1:00:06 - Vision: Ecosystems where saiga and people flourish together Learn more about Saiga Conservation Alliance: Website: https://saiga-conservation.org/ Donate: https://wildnet.org/wildlife-programs... Facebook:   / savesaigas  Instagram: saiga_conservation CONNECT WITH SAVING WILDLIFE WITH SAM: Subscribe:    / @savingwildlifewithsam  Facebook:   / savingwildlife  Instagram:   / savingwildlifewithsam  Please like, comment, and share to help more people discover these conservation stories!

    1h 5m

  6. 12/29/2025

    Louisa Ponnampalam: From dolphin dreams to conservation reality in Malaysia

    Most marine biologists dream of studying dolphins. Dr. Louisa Ponnampalam actually did it - and discovered that saving wildlife requires far more than science. Louisa shares her journey from teenage "dolphin obsession" to founding and running Marecet, Malaysia's leading marine mammal conservation organization. She opens up about the steep learning curve from field researcher to organizational leader, the surprising skills conservation work demands, and why protecting animals means understanding the humans around them. In this conversation:  → The baby dugong encounter that took 11 years to happen  → Why marine mammals are legally protected but their habitats aren't  → Building trust with fishermen to reduce dolphin bycatch  → The reality of conservation funding and facing "get a real job" criticism  → Making marine conservation accessible to marginalized communities Key timestamps: [UPDATE WITH FINAL TIMES]  0:00 - The baby dugong encounter  8:00 - Why Louisa founded Marecet and filling knowledge gaps  10:30 - The turning point: Conservation is more than science  25:00 - Working with fishermen on bycatch solutions  32:00 - Marine debris and habitat threats  40:00 - Getting research into policy and protected areas  44:00 - Learning to lead and communicate  53:00 - "Just because it's never been done doesn't mean it can't be done" About Louisa: Dr. Louisa Ponnampalam is a Pew Fellow and co-founder of Marecet, living the childhood dream she never gave up on. She's spent nearly two decades researching dolphins, dugongs, and whales, and has helped establish multiple internationally recognized marine protected areas in Malaysia while training the next generation of homegrown marine conservationists. Learn more about Marecet:  Website: https://www.marecet.org/ Donate: https://wildnet.org/wildlife-programs/dolphins-and-dugongs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marecet-research-organization/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marecetresearchorganization Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marecet/ CONNECT WITH SAVING WILDLIFE WITH SAM:  Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@savingwildlifewithsamFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/savingwildlifeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/savingwildlifewithsam/Join the newsletter: https://forms.gle/3v5UCmN6CgLGGM3s5Follow Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-williams-0989483/Please like, comment, and share to help more people discover these conservation stories! Weddell Seal audio from NOAA

    1 hr

  7. 12/06/2025

    Rosamira Guillen: The architect turned conservation leader saving the world’s cutest little monkey!

    Rosamira Guillen shares her inspiring journey to becoming Executive Director of Proyecto Tití and shows us that conservation is more than just biology. We range from fun stories of the Cotton-tops, protecting their dry-forest and working finding ways to benefit local Colombian communities to values, culture and leadership!   Follow Rosamira and her team’s work https://www.facebook.com/proyectotiti Instagram: Proyecto Tití (@proyectotiti) · Barranquilla Support the protection of the world’s cutest little monkey: https://wildnet.org/wildlife-programs/cotton-top-tamarin/ Signup for the Saving Wildlife With Sam email https://forms.gle/3v5UCmN6CgLGGM3s5 More about Saving Wildlife with Sam https://www.facebook.com/savingwildlife  Please support the channel and subscribe to help more conservationists tell their story!

    1h 13m

  8. 11/05/2025

    Dr Colleen Begg: Life on conservation’s front line! From honey badgers to an attack by insurgents!

    Dr Colleen Begg, thought-leader in conservation, has dedicated her life to working with local communities and saving wildlife. She shares awe inspiring stories of her adventures and endurance: Wildlife and wilderness Catching Honey Badgers Elephants roaming through camp Learning traditions from local people Leadership and community A deadly attack by insurgents Conservation when security is uncertain Women empowerment The future for conservation Follow Colleen and her work https://www.facebook.com/colleen.begg https://www.facebook.com/niassalionproject https://www.facebook.com/WomEnviroAfrica Instagram: @Niassalionproject Support Colleen’s team and the protection of wildlife in Niassa: https://wildnet.org/wildlife-programs/lion-niassa/ Signup for the Saving Wildlife With Sam email https://forms.gle/3v5UCmN6CgLGGM3s5 #conservation #savingwildlife #honeybadger #WomenInConservation #NiassaLionProject

    1h 9m

  9. 11/05/2025

    Rocio Palacios: One Andean Cat sighting in 22 years of dedication! Conservation in high mountains.

    Rocio Palacios has dedicated her life to learning about and protecting one of the world’s most elusive cats. The Andean Cat Alliance works across the four countries where the cats are found. Their research and conservation involves local communities and their impact benefits cats and other wildlife in the high Andes. Rocio shares fun and inspiring stories of a life rich adventure and passion. Follow Rocio and her work https://www.facebook.com/alianzagatoandino Instagram: @alianza_gato_andino Support the protection of Andean cats: https://wildnet.org/wildlife-programs/andean-cat/ Signup for the Saving Wildlife with Sam email https://forms.gle/3v5UCmN6CgLGGM3s5

    47 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

Get to know the extraordinary people who dedicate their lives to save wildlife and the places they call home. We go beyond the headlines to uncover their wildest encounters, toughest challenges, and what keeps them hopeful in the fight for nature.

Information

  • Creator
    Sam
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Saving Wildlife with Sam
  • Show Website
    Saving Wildlife with Sam