Published by Western Landowners Alliance and Montana State University Extension
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Working Wild U takes you out into the field, forest and range with the people and wildlife of the American West to tell you the big stories at the heart of the struggle to sustain resilient and connected landscapes and communities. We share immersive stories at the crossroads of culture and science focused on the challenges and successes of sharing and managing farms and ranches with wildlife. If you are passionate about open spaces, wild places and healthy communities that sustain people and wildlife, listen in.
Grizzly bears are making a remarkable comeback across the American West. After decades of recovery, they're expanding into places they haven't occupied for generations - working ranches, rural communities, and the landscapes where people make their living. So what happens when one of North America's most iconic predators returns? In the third season premiere of Working Wild University , we trace the story of the grizzly bear - from its deep history on the continent, through near-extirpation, to one of the greatest wildlife recoveries in U.S. history. Along the way, we explore a question that will shape the entire season: Where do grizzly bears belong, and who gets to decide? Through conversations with historians, ranchers, wildlife experts, and community leaders, we examine how conservation success has created a new set of challenges - and why the next chapter of grizzlies is as much about people as it is about bears. Show notes — Topics discussed: The Blackfoot Challenge , short faced bears of the ice age, Lewis and Clark's encounters with grizzly bears, grizzly bear decline and recovery, Endangered Species Act, tribal perspective (Blackfeet Nation), Richard Nixon's landmark environmental legislation, Jim Stone's ranch in the Blackfoot Valley in western Montana, how collaborative conservation works, the next chapter of grizzly bear conservation Featuring: Jim Stone (rancher, board chair of the Blackfoot Challenge, Dan Flores (Western historian, author of Wild New World , host of Meateater's The American West , Joe Kipp (tribal leader and rancher on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana), David Diamond (leads the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee ) — Cover art: "Hunting of the Grizzly Bear," Karl Bodmer (1809–1893) Working Wild University is a production of Western Landowners Alliance and Dr. Jared Beaver of Montana State University Extension, and a proud part of Natural Resources University podcast network. Hosted by Hallie Mahowald and Jared Beaver; Produced by Zach Altman ; Editing by Kathleen Shannon and Zach Altman; Executive producers: Louis Wertz , Jared Beaver, Hallie Mahowald and Erik Kalsta
Grizzly bears are making a comeback - and their return is one of North America's greatest conservation success stories. But as bears expand into places they haven't occupied in generations, new questions emerge. Where do bears belong in the modern West? What does it actually take to share a landscape with a large carnivore? And who bears the costs and responsibilities of recovery? This season on Working Wild University, we're traveling from Wyoming ranches to Montana communities, talking with ranchers, wildlife managers, scientists, tribal leaders, conservationists, and the people living and working in bear country every day. The future of grizzly bears isn't just about bears. It's also about us. -- First episode launches Tuesday, July 28th 2026. Subscribe and never miss an episode. Working Wild University is a production of Western Landowners Alliance and Dr. Jared Beaver of Montana State University Extension, and a proud part of Natural Resources University podcast network.
California's recent decision to remove four members of a wolf pack near Lake Tahoe sparked national attention - but the story behind it is much bigger. In this episode, Wildlife Management professor at UC Berkeley, Dr. Arthur Middleton, joins us to dig into his recent New York Times op-ed and explore why America's predator recovery has outpaced our ability to support the people living in these landscape – and what we can do about it. Find the show notes here: https://workingwild.us/season-2/california-wolves-87-dead-cattle-and-the-nyt-op-ed-everyones-sharing/
UPDATE: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has extended the public comment period on proposed changes to the grizzly bear's Endangered Species Act listing. The new deadline is May 16. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing changes to the grizzly bear's listing under the Endangered Species Act, and a public comment period is open until March 17th. But what exactly would this new rule mean for grizzly bear management, landowners, and the future of the species? In this episode, Jared and Zach sit down with Shaleas Harrison, Wyoming Resources Coordinator with Western Landowners Alliance, to break down the proposed rule, the long history of grizzly bear listing and delisting efforts, and what the proposed changes could mean for people living and working in grizzly country. Learn more about the proposed rule and submit a public comment. Full show notes here.
96% of wolves in the Northern Rockies live in the working wild: public and private lands where people and wildlife share the landscape. But who pays the cost of supporting biodiversity? In this episode from our first season on wolves in the West, we explore the economics of our food system and take a look at how one ranch family is getting creative in order to share the landscape with wolves and maintain open space. Show notes New York Times The Daily podcast episode on prices in the beef market: "Who do you want controlling your food?" John and Weston Helle's wool apparel company, Duckworth The Ruby Valley Strategic Alliance Cole Mannix's enterprise: Old Salt Co-op The Blackfoot Challenge Lesli Allison's Director's Letter in On Land : "Working lands are the future of conservation" Find more info here
Wild pigs. Feral swine. Wild hogs. Whatever you call them, invasive wild pigs are rapidly spreading across the US and Canada - destroying crops and spreading disease along the way. Experts are calling them one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in the country. What can we do about it? To find out, we're talking with the show's own Dr. Jared Beaver to find out the dirty details (and solutions!) regarding wild pigs. Find the show notes here.
Throughout this season, we've explored landowner- and community-led efforts to support imperiled species, from bears and birds to ferrets and fish. In the final episode of this season, we're looking ahead to the future of imperiled pollinators on working lands. Across the country, there is a growing crisis when it comes to pollinators. What happens when wide-ranging species that reside across vast expanses of public, private and Tribal lands, like the western bumblebee and monarch butterfly, are listed under the Endangered Species Act, as appears likely in the coming years? And what role will land stewards and working lands play in this next chapter of conservation? Complete show notes are available at workingwild.us
How do we restore salmon spawning habitat in the Upper Salmon watershed without harming the ranching communities that rely on the river? The answer lies in locally-driven collaboration. In this episode, we explore the decades-long community effort to restore spawning grounds for Columbia Basin salmon by letting landowners take the lead. Back in the 1990s the hurdles seemed so insurmountable, rancher Merrill Beyeler likened the task to making pigs fly. Hundreds of miles upstream of where the Columbia pours into the Pacific Ocean, along the Lemhi River in Idaho, Beyeler and a huge group of partners have figured out how. Complete show notes, as always, can be found at workingwild.us .
In the heart of America's grasslands, a battle for survival is unfolding. The lesser prairie-chicken, an iconic species of the Great Plains, is on the brink of extinction. But there's a growing network of producers and partners across the plains looking to change that. Today on the show, can ranchers and partners work together to save the lesser prairie-chicken while supporting their livelihoods and communities? We're headed to eastern New Mexico to find out. Complete show notes can be found at workingwild.us .
When it comes to conservation, can a group of high school students really make a difference? Join Jared and Hallie as they dive into a story involving the Colorado River, an ancient endangered fish, and a group of high school students who are becoming the next generation of stewards. Complete show notes are available on our website .
Finding an imperiled species on his ranch scared the daylights out of Russell Davis. What he and his neighbors did next may have saved their town. Today on Working Wild U, join us as we return to the high plains of eastern Colorado to learn how a small ranching community transformed a migratory bird's imperiled status from threat to opportunity. Complete show notes are at workingwild.us
Today on Working Wild U, we're spotlighting, quite literally, one special species that calls the Great Plains home. A small predator that was thought to be extinct.... twice! Meet the black-footed ferret, the most endangered mammal in North America. Thanks to community-driven efforts spanning the Great Plains, from dedicated ranchers in eastern Colorado to the Fort Belknap Indian Community in northern Montana, this elusive predator is staging a remarkable comeback. As always, find our complete show notes, including links, videos and other references from the episode at workingwild.us .
Grizzly bears are expanding their range. But where are they headed? To find out, we get out on the land with ranchers Erik Kalsta and Jami Murdoch, who are working with partners to monitor wildlife – including grizzlies – on their operation in southwest Montana. Together with Erik, Jami and Blackfeet rancher Kristen Kipp, plus a band of other experts, we explore what it really means for grizzly bears to recover under the protection of the Endangered Species Act, and the real challenges bears, and people, face as they do. Read the complete show notes, as always, at workingwild.us .
When a section of the Big Hole River in southwest Montana ran dry in 1988, all eyes were on the future of one of the last remaining populations of arctic grayling in the lower 48. Out of the struggle, a collaboration emerged that change the future of the Big Hole - a future where human communities, wildlife and the ecosystems they depend on can thrive. And it might even serve as a model for how we can conserve species that are headed for the brink. Complete show notes are available at workingwild.us .
We're excited to announce the second season of Working Wild U: Imperiled. This season we're exploring community and landowner-led wildlife conservation on working and tribal lands across the West. From grizzly bears to lesser-known species, join us as we discover the challenges and successes of how communities are working together for common-ground solutions. We'll dive into the action, meeting individuals on the ground stewarding habitats and supporting thriving rural communities. As the Endangered Species Act turns 50, we reflect on the past and ponder the next 50 years of conservation in the US. Stay tuned for episodes dropping soon – it's a season of surprising stories and crucial questions about the future of working lands in the West. Stay tuned for episodes dropping soon! Working Wild University is a production of Western Landowners Alliance and Dr. Jared Beaver at Montana State University Extension and a proud part of Natural Resources Univers
In today's bonus episode, we get an update on the Colorado wolf management plan from Hallie Mahowald with Western Landowners Alliance. Hallie was appointed as a member of the Stakeholder Advisory Group to ensure landowners and managers in Colorado were represented in providing input to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. As we explored in episode 13, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is currently drafting the wolf management plan. Part of this process involved the Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG), which was made up of people from the ranching community, wildlife advocates, guides and outfitters, hunters and anglers, and wildlife managers. Find the show notes at workingwild.us
We've covered a lot this season: wolves, working lands, and some of the ideas and management practices that divide and unite the people of the American West. In our final episode of the season, Alex and Jared head to Colorado, where a ballot initiative, passed in 2020, requires Colorado Parks and Wildlife to reintroduce wolves to the western part of the state by the end of 2023. Show notes: workingwild.us
Today's episode is a special guest in our podcast feed, from the Down to Earth: the Planet to Plate Podcast, presented by our friends at the Quivira Coalition and Radio Café. Working Wild U cohost Jared Beaver sat down with Down to Earth host Mary-Charlotte Domandi to discuss why we started Working Wild U, why we chose to wade into a season on wolves, and the important role working lands play in supporting people and wildlife in the American West. Thanks to Mary-Charlotte and the Quivira Coalition for welcoming Jared to their incredible interview lineup. Other recent guests on the show have included ranch manager Mark Biaggi, author Dan Flores and filmmaker John D. Liu! Check out Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Find the show notes at workingwild.us
Today, Alex and Jared explore how livestock producers and researchers are working together to adapt old world tools into new world technologies to help reduce conflicts. They'll look at how innovative solutions can often be simple, and how new tools can help keep people, livestock, and wildlife safe. Find the show notes at workingwild.us
In this episode, Alex and Jared dive into techniques that can help ranchers reduce conflicts between wolves and livestock. They'll explore how a new spin on an old tool increases the effectiveness of fencing, how putting riders back on the range can have a multitude of benefits, and how one valley in Montana is working together to compost carcasses to reduce attractants on the landscape. But applying these tools takes know-how, money, and time. Who pays for conflict reduction efforts that support both wildlife and working lands? See the full show notes, including links to references from the episode, at workingwild.us .
