Voices of Greater Yellowstone Greater Yellowstone Coalition

Winter is a brutal time of year in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The sun rises late and sets early, temperatures stay well below freezing for weeks on end, and the snow can pile up foot on top of foot. For the ecosystem’s many ungulates, including pronghorn, elk, deer, and moose, winter is the hardest season to survive. For the best chance of enduring the cold and snow, ungulates migrate with the seasons, seeking milder winter habitat that provides a respite from winter’s intensity and a better chance of finding food. 
A herd or an individual’s chance of surviving winter is dependent on accessing winter wildlife habitat. However, many of the ancient migration corridors that lead to winter range are now bisected by roads, fences, and other infrastructure, making it more difficult for ungulates and other animals to reach these landscapes and the resources they provide. Fortunately, there’s a lot of work being done to keep migration paths open and preserve winter habitat for wildlife.
In this episode, we sit down with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition’s Senior Idaho Conservation Associate Allison Michalski. Idaho is rich with prime winter wildlife habitat, which tends to be lower elevation and hold better opportunities to find forage. Allison leads many of GYC’s efforts in Idaho, including securing protections for winter range, advocating for travel management policies that include seasonal closures for winter habitat, and promoting habitat connectivity along Idaho’s Highway 20 and Highway 33.
Voices of Greater Yellowstone was created by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a conservation nonprofit dedicated to working with people to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now and for future generations.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the land of 49+ Indigenous Tribes who maintain current and ancestral connections to the lands, waters, wildlife, plants, and more.

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> Donate to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition

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> Learn more about GYC's wildlife conservation work

> The Works of Mary Oliver

Podcast Artwork > Rachel Dunlap Art

Music >
Redwood Trail by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Photo > BLM/Mark Thonhoff
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The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is a vast landscape shared by people and wildlife. Habitat for species like grizzly bears, wolves, elk, and more isn’t just found within public lands, but exists alongside, and even overlaps with, the wide-open working lands of this region. With wildlife and people living in such close proximity, the possibility of conflict is often not far behind.
Wildlife-livestock conflict is a complex challenge that requires thoughtful, multi-faceted, and creative solutions. Luckily, there are some ranchers and landowners in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem testing some ground-breaking methods to keep their livelihoods intact and their neighbors wild.
On this episode, we’re chatting with Hilary Zaranek. Hilary is a rancher and biologist leading some of the most cutting-edge wildlife-livestock conflict prevention work in the ecosystem. From range riding to low-stress livestock handing and innovative partnerships, she and her family are testing out a range of methods that are good for both business and the land. We’ll hear about Hilary’s start in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem working on ranches and as a technician for the Yellowstone Wolf Project, how range riding works, and what techniques she and her husband employ to prevent conflicts with grizzly bears and wolves. 
Voices of Greater Yellowstone was created by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a conservation nonprofit dedicated to working with people to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now and for future generations.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the land of 49+ Indigenous Tribes who maintain current and ancestral connections to the lands, waters, wildlife, plants, and more.

Thumbnail Photo Credit: Hilary Zaranek

> Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

> Donate to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition

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> J Bar L Ranch

> Old Salt Coop

> GYC's Wildlife-Livestock Conflict Prevention Work

Podcast Artwork > Rachel Dunlap Art

Music >
Redwood Trail by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/
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A question we commonly ask fans of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is: If you could see one animal out in the wild, what would it be? It may surprise you that the most popular answer by far is the wolverine. So, why are wolverines at the top of so many peoples’ wildlife bucket list? 
These elusive critters are rarely seen and even more rarely captured on camera. Their near-mythological status, incredible journeys over isolated jagged peaks, and wild fierceness in a furry compact body makes the wolverine definitely one of the coolest species in the ecosystem… if not the world. Wolverines also made headlines in late 2023 when they were listed for protections under the Endangered Species Act, an important step in securing their long-term future in the Lower 48. 
We’re so excited to have our own wolverine expert on staff to join us and share her knowledge and experience working with these wonderous creatures. Blakeley Adkins, who you may remember from episode 6, is The Volgenau Foundation Wildlife Conservation Associate here at the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. She’s spent many days in frigid temperatures conducting research work on wolverines in both the United States and Canada. Blakeley is also one of the few people who can tell you what a wolverine both sounds like and smells like. And, pro tip, if you ever find yourself trying to track down one of these secretive animals, don’t bring a peanut butter sandwich for lunch. Listen in, and you’ll learn why.

Voices of Greater Yellowstone was created by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a conservation nonprofit dedicated to working with people to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now and for future generations.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the land of 49+ Indigenous Tribes who maintain current and ancestral connections to the lands, waters, wildlife, plants, and more.

> Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

> Donate to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition

> Become a Podcast Insider

> Watch Blakeley's Wolverine Videos

Podcast Artwork > Rachel Dunlap Art

Music >
Redwood Trail by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/
Support the Show.

They say, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” although sometimes it feels like we’re left speechless when viewing the spectacular photos and film of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. People from across the globe who have never visited this remarkable region feel a connection simply from the story these images tell. From a bird’s eye view of Grand Prismatic Spring, to a sweet moment of a grizzly bear sow and her cubs, to the sheer vastness that is Greater Yellowstone, the moments captured via camera inspire us all.
On today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Ronan Donovan—conservation storyteller and National Geographic photographer. From cutting his teeth on the 2016 Yellowstone edition of National Geographic Magazine to focusing on the relationship between people and wolves across the globe, Ronan uses his brilliant photography and cinematography to share the intimate scenes of wildlife and the importance of conservation. We chat about his favorite moments in the field, the elusive Greater Yellowstone species he has yet to capture on film, and the power of “awe.”
 
Voices of Greater Yellowstone was created by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a conservation nonprofit dedicated to working with people to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now and for future generations.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the land of 49+ Indigenous Tribes who maintain current and ancestral connections to the lands, waters, wildlife, plants, and more.

> Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

> Ronan's Instagram

> Ronan's Website

> Win a FREE Yellowstone edition of National Geographic Magazine

> Kingdom of the White Wolf on Disney+

> Bear Bathtub Video

> Donate to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition

Podcast Artwork > Rachel Dunlap Art

Music >
Redwood Trail by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/


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To fit with the spooky theme of today, Halloween, we are spending some time with one of Greater Yellowstone’s most enigmatic and charismatic creatures. If you’ve been to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, you’ve definitely seen these beautiful, surprisingly large, black birds that seem dead set on making mischief. That’s right, we are talking ravens.


Ravens can be found throughout Greater Yellowstone and are members of the corvid family, which also includes crows, magpies, jays, and more. These birds are known for their intelligence, mimicry skills, and penchant for taking advantage of and robbing unsuspecting Yellowstone visitors. But beyond giving tourists plenty of stories, what role do ravens play in this remarkable ecosystem? 


Today, we’re chatting with Lauren Walker: wildlife biologist and former member of the Yellowstone Bird Program. While at Yellowstone, she participated in many avian research projects, including some focused on ravens! 


We cover a lot of fascinating ground today, including how to tell the difference between ravens and crows; what we know about the intelligence of ravens and their relationships with wolves; and some fun facts that even us raven nuts didn’t know.

Voices of Greater Yellowstone was created by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a conservation nonprofit dedicated to working with people to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now and for future generations.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the land of 49+ Indigenous Tribes who maintain current and ancestral connections to the lands, waters, wildlife, plants, and more.

> Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

> Check out Lauren holding a raven in Yellowstone

> Mind of the Raven - Bernd Heinrich

> In the Company of Crows and Ravens - John Marzluff

> Yellowstone's Birds - Douglas Smith, Lauren Walker, Katharine Duffy

> Donate to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition

> Become a Podcast Insider

Podcast Artwork > Rachel Dunlap Art

Music >
Redwood Trail by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/


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We know Greater Yellowstone is a remarkable ecosystem. It is also an increasingly vulnerable ecosystem. The impacts of climate change on this landscape can be felt far and wide and are showing up in some surprising ways. 
As the impacts of climate change put our communities, water, and wild lands at risk, GYC is working alongside diverse partners and stakeholders to better understand climate-related threats, prepare for a warmer, drier future, and protect our most climate-sensitive resources.
On today’s episode, we’re sitting down with GYC’s Climate Conservation Coordinator Sierra Harris to learn about her work in climate resiliency. Most recently, she finished a series of interviews with folks on-the-ground across Greater Yellowstone to get a sense of the climate change impacts people are seeing in real time. 
With Sierra, we’ll also unpack some of the dynamics between weather and climate, hear what brought her to climate work in the first place, discuss some things average people can do to make their communities more resilient, and learn why you probably shouldn’t go fishing when it’s hot outside. But most of all, we’ll talk about how one of the most important things you can do about climate change is simply to talk about it.

Voices of Greater Yellowstone was created by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a conservation nonprofit dedicated to working with people to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now and for future generations.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the land of 49+ Indigenous Tribes who maintain current and ancestral connections to the lands, waters, wildlife, plants, and more.

> Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

> Donate to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition

> Become a Podcast Insider

Podcast Artwork > Rachel Dunlap Art

Music >
Redwood Trail by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/
Support the show