Voices of Wilderness

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Oct 2026

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Welcome to Voices of Wilderness, the WILD podcast where Jackie B., your host and fellow wilderness lover, discusses the environment, wildlife, and wilderness with experts in a down-to-earth, non-expert way. Jackie’s a geek for nature facts and stories—scientific, cultural, educational, you name it! While she’s not pretending to know everything (not even close), she’s here to bring her passion and the passion of others straight to you. Because let’s face it, it’s going to take all of us to figure out what’s really happening with our planet and how we can make a difference together. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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60 recent

November 10, 202652 min

(66) 'Making People Long for a Regenerative World' with Mark Aink

Guilt-messaging. Be honest: does it actually work? Or does it just push us further away from the very issues we care about? We kind of already know the answer. So anyway, here we are. Same messaging, same results. Things aren’t changing, and they have to. So what works? In this episode, Jackie meets Mark Aink , who spent years building up big brands through his agency, then pivoted to focusing on sustainable brands, until he realized that it still wasn’t enough. Change needs governments, voters, consumers, and new communities built around the transition. So he co-founded Decade of Action, which gave rise to We Are the ReGeneration , connecting Indigenous knowledge, science, regenerative agriculture, creativity, and environmental activism to support regeneration, regrowth, and reconnection. Together, they get into his story, his work on cultural shift, how you sell a vision, what makes people join a movement, and how to step away from guilt-messaging toward beauty, longing, and connection. To help Jackie answer a very important question: if a more sustainable world requires a cultural shift, how do we get people to jump on the bandwagon with us? How do we make people long for a regenerative world? Before listening to the episode, please consider supporting our work at WILD , which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. Follow #VoW on Instagram & Substack Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

October 20, 202639 min

(65) 'The Conservationist's Dilemma' with Aiita Joshua Apamaku

If conservation is a long, complex journey, why do we keep trying to tell it as though there's a quick and simple answer? Conservation is rarely a straight path. It takes time, involves countless people, and often asks us to work towards a future we may never see ourselves. Yet we keep looking for quick fixes and simple answers to deeply intricate problems. Aiita calls this the Conservationist’s Dilemma–the subject of his new writing endeavour. In this episode, Jackie meets Aiita Joshua Apamaku , a wildlife biologist, National Geographic Explorer from Uganda, and Co-Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas Wilderness Specialist Group. His work brings together science, storytelling, and more inclusive approaches to conservation. Together, they explore how to bring stories into policy spaces, communicate without losing people in jargon, and embrace conservation as a long-term process rather than a search for quick fixes. What would happen if we started telling a different kind of story? Before listening to the episode, please consider supporting our work at WILD , which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. Follow #VoW on Instagram & Substack Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

September 29, 202633 min

(64) 'How to Move Beyond Apocalyptic Climate Stories' with Tom Lovett

How many people have felt stuck, even afraid, after hearing apocalyptic climate stories and messages over and over again? It’s hard when so much of the media focuses on the doom and gloom. Because what happens when there is so much good work being done for the planet—work that deserves to be seen, work that could bring people together and inspire action—but we don’t know how to make those stories cut through? Especially in a world where our attention spans seem to be getting shorter, and the noise keeps getting louder. In this episode, Jackie meets Tom Lovett . Tom is a communications professional with a background in cultural anthropology and the exploration of human-nature relations. He’s a firm believer in the power of positive storytelling. He doesn’t look away from the weight of today’s interconnected crises, but he’s convinced that real change is already happening—it just needs the right storytellers to find it and share it. Together, in this episode, they dive into how to cut through the noise, how to create hopeful communications, the power of slow storytelling, how to bring people together, and how to tell stories that inspire action. Tom responds to Jackie’s first question: How do we move beyond apocalyptic climate stories? Before listening to the episode, please consider supporting our work at WILD , which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. Follow #VoW on Instagram & Substack Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

September 22, 20264 min

(63) Season 3: 'What Makes People Listen?'

First episode next week! Before listening to the episode, please consider supporting our work at WILD , which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

October 22, 202525 min

(62) "18000 More Trees in Ecuador” with Viviana Solange Yanez Gomez

Viviana Solange Yanez Gomez is the force behind 18,000 Trees in Ecuador, a country famous for its incredible biodiversity, cities, and landscapes. Although Viviana grew up surrounded by nature–hiking mountains and forests, she simultaneously watched these ecosystems get damaged. That early experience sparked her path toward conservation. After graduation, she worked in environmental education with children on Ecuador’s coast, learning firsthand the power of community-driven solutions. Today, she leads 18000 Trees, 18000 Puembeños, a community-led urban reforestation project in Puembo, Quito. Their goal? To plant 18,000 trees–one for every resident–over six years, restoring ecosystems, creating habitats, reconnecting green spaces, and building climate resilience. By linking parks, ravines, and neighborhoods through bio-corridors, the project boosts biodiversity, cleans air and water, and even cools the city. And it’s all rooted in community work, youth and women engagement, and environmental education. Viviana is also an alum of CoalitionWILD ’s EXCELerator FLEX program. With applications for the 2026 EXCELerator program opening on October 27th and running through November 24th, we thought there couldn’t be a better time to sit down and chat with such an inspiring individual. For those who don’t know, the EXCELerator program is a six-month intensive program that trains emerging conservation leaders to turn ideas into real-world action projects. Before listening to the episode, please consider supporting our work at WILD.org , which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

October 7, 202538 min

(61) "Sacred Relationships Matter in Conservation, Motion 96 and 107" with Gwen Bridge

Gwen Bridge is a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation from Alberta, Canada, and works in consulting and support for Indigenous nations and their partners across North America. In today’s episode, Gwen joins us to talk about Motion 107 – “Scaling Up Indigenous Leadership in the Protection of Biodiversity and the Sacred” and Motion 96 – “Setting Area-Based Targets on Scientific Evidence and Reversing Historic Injustices.” These motions, submitted by WILD.org and co-sponsors, continue the work that was initiated at the 12th World Wilderness Congress. During the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Abu Dhabi this October, member organizations will gather in person to debate and vote on these motions live on the floor of the Assembly. If we’re serious today about building more equitable relationships and societies, about bringing different visions together, we need to start with respect–respect for people’s perspectives, cultures, and ways of being. This is where harmony begins. For many Indigenous peoples, that also means recognizing sacred sites and spirituality as essential dimensions of a meaningful life. These sacred relationships matter–not just for culture, but for conservation. In this episode, Gwen talks about centering Indigenous leadership in protecting sacred species and spaces, weaving Indigenous knowledge and wisdom together with scientific conservation models, why protecting Half the planet is neither too ambitious nor unrealistic, and much more. Motion Guides: Motion 096: https://wild.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Motion-096-Marketing-Brief-3.pdf Motion 107: https://wild.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Motion-107-Marketing-Brief.pdf Before listening to the episode, please consider supporting our work at WILD.org , which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

September 23, 202530 min

(60) "Bringing Indigenous Peoples’ Voices to the Table, Motion 96 and 107" with Vivian Delgado

Vivian Delgado is Joma and Tiwa. Her mother’s people are from Taos territory, which spans Northern New Mexico into Colorado, where Vivian currently lives. She has an academic background in Indigenous studies and is doing extensive work with treaties and treaty-making. Vivian also serves as a consultant for the Texas Tribal Buffalo Project, where she works on regenerating American bison populations. In today’s episode, Vivian joins us to talk about Motion 107 – “Scaling Up Indigenous Leadership in the Protection of Biodiversity and the Sacred” and Motion 96 – “Setting Area-Based Targets on Scientific Evidence and Reversing Historic Injustices.” These motions, submitted by WILD.org and co-sponsors, continue the work that was initiated at the 12th World Wilderness Congress. All were passed by over 700 delegates from around the world, and now, the proposed motions are heading to a vote in October at the 2025 International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) World Conservation Congress Members’ Assembly. Indigenous knowledge and traditions have been diminished by laws and protections that primarily benefited non-Indigenous peoples. Indigenous leadership often comes late to the table, and navigating federal land bureaucracy can be complex. Efforts intended to protect land and species have frequently been reversed, leaving corruption and mismanagement in their wake. This has contributed to the biodiversity and climate crises we face today. We need to slow down, halt the destruction of global natural environments, and recognize that Indigenous knowledge—passed down through generations—is central to addressing these challenges. In this episode, Vivian shares why sacred sites and spiritual relationships with nature are essential to conservation, why centering Indigenous leadership is critical for protecting sacred species and spaces, why IUCN Members must align area-based conservation targets with the scientific call to protect at least 50% of the planet, and much more. Motion Guides: Motion 096: https://wild.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Motion-096-Marketing-Brief-3.pdf Motion 107: https://wild.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Motion-107-Marketing-Brief.pdf Before listening to the episode, please consider supporting our work at WILD.org , which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

September 9, 202526 min

(59) "Intergenerational Equity Through Mentorship, Motion 97" with Fátima Gigante

Fátima Gigante is the Program Coordinator at CoalitionWILD. She began as a volunteer leading the Global Mentorship Program and now also manages the Accelerator Program—CoalitionWILD’s two flagship initiatives. With mentorship at the heart of both CoalitionWILD and WILD’s work, Fátima has been closely involved in shaping the IUCN World Conservation Congress Motion 97: “Mainstreaming mentorship for young ecological stewards to enhance conservation efforts” by writing, designing, and presenting it. In today's episode, Fátima joins us to talk about this important motion. The motion took root at the 2020 IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille, following Motion 76 on the Role of Children and Youth in Nature Conservation. Motion 97 builds on that foundation—and on the 12th World Wilderness Congress’s Resolution 4—by recognizing mentorship as a key tool for transformative conservation. It is now heading to a vote at the upcoming Members’ Assembly. What does this mean? During the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Abu Dhabi in October, Member organizations will gather in person to debate and vote on these motions live on the floor of the Assembly. This is a critical moment where alliances, visibility, and strong advocacy can make all the difference in whether a motion is adopted or rejected. Okay but why is this so urgent? Because environmental challenges today demand more than technical expertise, they call for intergenerational collaboration and leadership renewal. Mentorship is essential to ensure younger generations are prepared to lead. In this episode, Fátima shares what meaningful mentorship in conservation really looks like, how to make programs accessible and culturally grounded, and how mentorship can foster both protection and resilience. Motion Guide: https://wild.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Motion-097-Marketing-Brief.pdf Before listening to the episode, please consider supporting our work at WILD.org , which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

August 26, 202523 min

(58) "Boreal Forests for Reindeer and Sámi Survival, Motion 131" with Anja Fjellgren Walkeapää

Anja Fjellgren Walkeapää is a reindeer herder in the southern part of the Swedish side of Sápmi. Her reindeer graze in a herding community called Mittådalen Mittahduhlen, and with a master’s degree in forestry, Anja has also worked at the Swedish Forest Agency as a national-level specialist in reindeer herding. In today’s episode, Anja joins us to talk about Motion 131 – Protecting the Sápmi Forest: Safeguarding Biodiversity and Indigenous Livelihoods. This motion, submitted by WILD.org and co-sponsors as part of our work with our WILD Sápmi program and as a continuation of the 12th World Wilderness Congress’s Spontaneous Resolution 12, is heading to electronic vote at the 2025 International Union for Conservation of Nature’s World Conservation Congress. What does this mean? From August 27 to September 10, IUCN members will vote online to decide whether the motion passes. This decision will be made digitally. That’s why we need to make as much noise as possible, right now, to help ensure IUCN delegates vote in favor of it. Sweden is eradicating old-growth forests at a rate six to seven times faster than the Amazon is being destroyed. Sámi reindeer herders have been some of the strongest defenders of these ancient forests, but without international support, they face overwhelming odds. Motion 131 calls for a halt to the destruction of old-growth boreal forests in Sápmi and for the recognition and elevation of Sámi traditional knowledge and leadership in sustainable forest stewardship. In this conversation, Anja explains explain what’s truly at stake if Sweden’s old-growth boreal forests continue to disappear at this pace, how Motion 131 aims to change that trajectory, why the traditional knowledge she was raised with is essential for effective conservation—and how she responds to the motion rejectors - those who claim this motion is a threat to economic growth. Motion Guide: https://wild.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Motion-131-Marketing-Brief.pdf Before listening to the episode, please consider supporting our work at WILD.org , which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

August 13, 202547 min

(57) "The Truth Behind the ‘Big Bad Wolf’" with Claire Galloni D'Istria

Is everything we know about wildlife rooted in science—or is it shaped by cultural beliefs? What role does culture actually play in the disappearance of species? Sometimes, how we act toward animals is guided not just by facts, but by the stories we grew up with—stories that may be misleading, that have driven species to the brink, and that complicate our ability to coexist. You probably grew up hearing tales of the ‘big bad wolf’ or the image of gentle bears enjoying honey. It’s ingrained in us to think something about these animals, whether negative or positive. With Claire, we’ll unpack these stories. Most importantly, how have these narratives influenced how we’ve erased these animals from our landscapes—and how are we now reintroducing them? Today, we explore these fascinating questions with Claire Galloni D’Istria, a biologist and anthropologist whose work focuses on two iconic Alpine species: wolves and bears. Before listening to the episode, please consider supporting our work at WILD.org , which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.