The Wild Idea

Wild Idea Media
  • 4.9 (65)
  • NATURE

The Wild Idea is an exploration of the intersection of wild nature and our own human nature. The hosts, Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds, through conversations with experts and thought leaders will dive into the ways that humans have both embraced and impact the function and vitality of our remaining wild places.

  1. 1D AGO

    Cole Mannix: Working Land Stewardship and Food Systems

    In this milestone 50th episode of The Wild Idea, Bill and Anders sit down in Helena, Montana, with rancher and entrepreneur Cole Mannix to explore the intersection of land stewardship, regenerative agriculture, and food system reform. Cole is a founding member of the rancher-owned Old Salt Co-op, an ambitious effort to create an alternative marketplace that reconnects producers, consumers, and landscapes across the American West. The conversation moves from federal grazing leases and grizzly bear coexistence in the Gravelly Mountains to the structural consolidation of the American food system. Cole explains why less than two percent of the meat consumed in Montana is both raised and processed in-state, and how centralized processing, global supply chains, and economic consolidation have reshaped rural communities. Rather than simply marketing a different product, Old Salt aims to rebuild the shelf itself, redistributing economic value upstream to ranchers and land stewards. They also discuss the Old Salt Festival, a growing annual gathering in the Blackfoot Valley that blends music, food, conservation dialogue, and working lands culture. At its core, this episode asks: What would a food system look like if it truly supported stewardship? How do we balance wild lands and working lands? And how can everyday choices help build a more resilient, place-based economy? Find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

    42 min
  2. The Wild Line: BLM Nominee Hearing, Alaska Land Rollback, Lesser Prairie Chicken Ruling, and Roadless Rule Update

    5D AGO

    The Wild Line: BLM Nominee Hearing, Alaska Land Rollback, Lesser Prairie Chicken Ruling, and Roadless Rule Update

    This week on The Wild Line, we’re tracking the Senate confirmation hearing for Bureau of Land Management nominee Steve Pearce, a new Public Land Order revoking protections on 2.1 million acres in Alaska, federal changes to protections for the lesser prairie chicken, and a Vermont Supreme Court ruling on public trail access. From federal land oversight to wildlife policy and access rights, these stories highlight major shifts in public lands governance. Find the links and resources from today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

    12 min
  3. The Wild Line: Lawsuit Seeks End to NPS Censorship, Proposed Management Changes to the Flathead, Comments Due for Cumberland Island VUMP

    FEB 20

    The Wild Line: Lawsuit Seeks End to NPS Censorship, Proposed Management Changes to the Flathead, Comments Due for Cumberland Island VUMP

    This week on The Wild Line, we’re tracking a lawsuit challenging alleged censorship within the National Park Service, looming federal water cuts on the Colorado River, debate over the stalled Farm Bill, proposed management changes to Montana’s Flathead River, and final public comments on a controversial visitor plan for Cumberland Island National Seashore. Find out more about the stories covered today and how you can take action at our website, thewildidea.com.

    9 min
  4. The Wild Line: Trump Targets Northeast Marine Monument, USFS Reconsiders Public Comment, Illinois Rewilds

    FEB 13

    The Wild Line: Trump Targets Northeast Marine Monument, USFS Reconsiders Public Comment, Illinois Rewilds

    This week on The Wild Line: a key Senate vote on Boundary Waters mining protections is postponed, the Forest Service proposes limits on public comment, and the Trump administration rolls back protections at a major Atlantic marine monument. We also cover a National Park Service nomination, federal public lands legislation, and new state action in Oregon and Illinois. Learn more about today's stories and how you can take action at our website, thewildidea.com.

    16 min
  5. The Wild Line: Drilling Process Opens for ANWR, States Debate Colorado Basin Water Rights, Washington Post Slashes Climate Coverage

    FEB 6

    The Wild Line: Drilling Process Opens for ANWR, States Debate Colorado Basin Water Rights, Washington Post Slashes Climate Coverage

    On this week’s Wild Line, we cover major developments in federal public lands policy, intensifying negotiations over the Colorado River, the Trump administration’s renewed push for oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the rollback of climate journalism at the Washington Post. We also share timely opportunities for public comment and mark the passing of a giant in the conservation movement. Learn more about today's stories and how you can take action at our website, thewildidea.com.

    10 min
  6. The Wild Line: Tongass Old-Growth Logging Advances, Alabama Reconsiders Water Quality, NPS Removes Signage Nationwide

    JAN 30

    The Wild Line: Tongass Old-Growth Logging Advances, Alabama Reconsiders Water Quality, NPS Removes Signage Nationwide

    This week on The Wild Line, we cover major developments affecting public lands, national forests, tribal sovereignty, water protections, national parks, and conservation policy—plus what to watch in Congress in the coming days. Learn more about today's stories and how you can take action at our website, thewildidea.com.

    15 min

  7. JAN 27

    Andrew Thoms: The Tongass - America's Largest National Forest and a Key Roadless Landscape

    As The Wild Idea concludes Roadless Month, hosts Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds turn their attention north — to Southeast Alaska and the Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the United States and the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest. Covering nearly 17 million acres, the Tongass has become a focal point in national debates over old-growth logging, climate resilience, rural economies, and the future of the Roadless Rule. Joining the conversation is Andrew Thoms, Executive Director of Sitka Conservation Society, who brings decades of experience working at the intersection of community, conservation, and economic transition in Southeast Alaska. Learn more about today's conversation and find the links and resources mentioned at our website, thewildidea.com.

    43 min
  8. The Wild Line: Could the Boundary Waters be Mined? Could Utah be Paved? Could Burgum end Bison Grazing?

    JAN 23

    The Wild Line: Could the Boundary Waters be Mined? Could Utah be Paved? Could Burgum end Bison Grazing?

    This week’s Wild Line tracks a fast-moving series of decisions on Capitol Hill and inside federal agencies that could reshape protections for wilderness, public lands, and conservation efforts nationwide. Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds cover the House vote targeting the Boundary Waters, contentious testimony around the EXPLORE Act, Interior Department actions affecting grazing and bison restoration in Montana, and a long-stalled highway project approved inside a National Conservation Area. For more information on the stories discussed today, visit our website at thewildidea.com.

    11 min
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Trailer

4.9
out of 5
65 Ratings

About

The Wild Idea is an exploration of the intersection of wild nature and our own human nature. The hosts, Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds, through conversations with experts and thought leaders will dive into the ways that humans have both embraced and impact the function and vitality of our remaining wild places.

Information

  • Creator
    Wild Idea Media
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    98
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Wild Idea Media
  • Show Website
    The Wild Idea

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