The Wild Idea

Wild Idea Media
  • 4.9 (66)
  • 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. 2D AGO

    Tim Mahoney: The Irish Wilderness and the Art of Passing a Bill

    Tim Mahoney has spent five decades navigating the corridors of Congress on behalf of wild places. A veteran of The Wilderness Society, the Sierra Club, and the Pew Charitable Trusts, he is one of the most experienced wilderness lobbyists of his generation. In this special St. Patrick’s Day episode, co-hosts Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds sit down with the man Anders credits as his political mentor to trace the arc of a career built on the belief that the strongest protection you can give land is to protect it in law. The centerpiece of the conversation is the Irish Wilderness in Missouri’s Mark Twain National Forest, designated by Congress in 1984. Mahoney walks through the full legislative history of that campaign: the bipartisan coalitions and back-room alliances, the opposition from the mining industry, the procedural losses in the House, the creative use of appropriations riders to forestall mineral leasing, and the formal conference committee that ultimately split the difference on acreage. Mahoney does not pretend to know what the next twenty years will bring, but he is clear on what he values: the skills required to pass wilderness legislation, the willingness to work across deep ideological divides, and the humility to take a partial win over a virtuous defeat. His parting challenge to a new generation of advocates is as practical as it is pointed. Learn more about today's conversation at our website, thewildidea.com.

    52 min
  2. The Wild Line: Oil Drilling in Alaska’s Arctic Refuge, California Pipeline Restart, Scientists Release Suppressed Nature Report

    6D AGO

    The Wild Line: Oil Drilling in Alaska’s Arctic Refuge, California Pipeline Restart, Scientists Release Suppressed Nature Report

    This week on The Wild Line: the federal government advances twin lease sale plans in Alaska’s Arctic Refuge and Western Arctic, the Department of Interior finalizes revised NEPA procedures, the Trump Administration moves to restart a spill-prone California pipeline, and a slate of state-level public lands stories from Virginia, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, and British Columbia. The independently released Nature Record warns of cascading consequences from continued environmental degradation. Listen to the full episode for context, commentary, and what to watch next. Find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

    11 min

  3. MAR 10

    Terry Tempest Williams: Wildness, Ancestors, and the Holy Ordinary

    Terry Tempest Williams is a writer, conservationist, and longtime voice for wild lands whose work bridges story, spirit, and public life. In this conversation, she joins Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds to reflect on her newest book, The Glorians: Visitations from the Holy Ordinary, and to explore what it means to remain present in a time marked by ecological crisis, political strain, and personal loss. Rather than offering easy optimism, Terry reframes hope as something active, something rooted in engagement. Drawing on experiences from the pandemic, her advocacy for the Great Salt Lake, the fight for Bears Ears, and life in Castle Valley, Utah, she speaks about neighbors, ritual, ancestors, and the importance of local love. In a moment when outrage dominates public discourse, Terry invites us back to attention, reciprocity, and the discipline of presence. Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

    54 min
  4. The Wild Line: Border Wall through Big Bend, Proposed Forest Service Prescribed Fire in Wilderness, Montana Political Moves Impacting Public Lands

    MAR 6

    The Wild Line: Border Wall through Big Bend, Proposed Forest Service Prescribed Fire in Wilderness, Montana Political Moves Impacting Public Lands

    This week on The Wild Line, we're tracking House Natural Resources Committee approvals on sequoia stewardship and scenic trail designation, tensions over the farm bill's nutrition title and conservation programs, Trump administration moves on public lands leadership, Montana political shifts affecting conservation policy, border wall threats to Big Bend National Park, prescribed burn controversies in Illinois wilderness, and efforts to overturn the Grand Staircase-Escalante management plan. From shifting congressional priorities to landscape-level threats, these stories highlight the accelerating pace of federal public lands policy in 2026. Find out more and access links and resources from today's conversation at our website, thewildidea.com.

    16 min

  5. MAR 3

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

    FEB 27

    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
  7. 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
  8. 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
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Trailer

4.9
out of 5
66 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
    102
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Wild Idea Media
  • Show Website
    The Wild Idea

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