A Rewilding Earth Podcast Mixtape

By: Megan "Turtle" Southern

November 22, 2025

Rewilding Earth got in on the ground floor of podcasting in 2018, in the days before the medium’s meteoric rise. The personable, genuine, creative, and always sharp host Jack Humphrey was an early(ish) visionary who realized that launching a podcast would reach an entirely new, hopefully younger, audience than older, outmoded communication styles. 

When I joined the Rewilding Institute team, I decided to listen to every episode. I was struck by the vast landscape of evergreen inspiration; the nuggets of thought-provoking, still-relevant ideas; and how often a turn of phrase from Jack would make me chuckle. What especially came through was how enthusiastic, excited, and expert-level every guest has been; the passion for their subjects evident and contagious.

I think about anyone who stumbles on the 160+ episodes of Rewilding Earth for the first time, and how it would be helpful to have a sampler of where to begin, a “best of” collection, a compilation that says: “These episodes are a well-rounded selection to give you a taste of what to expect when you tune in.”

You will find that must-listen anthology of favorites here. These episodes crisscross geographies. They champion jaguars, catamounts, beavers, wolves, and grizzlies. Rewilding Earth talks with activists, thinkers, academics, artists, and on-the-ground rewilders. One caveat, we are aware of the lack of diversity in the voices presented, something to actively address moving forward.

I invite you to engage with this playlist of podcasts, and when you reach the final notes, subscribe, leave a review, and join us to get involved in what comes next.

Grizzlies and Their Future Return to California — with Peter Alagona (#113)

Peter Alagona’s appearance on the status of grizzly reintroduction in California contains insights that can be applied to other regions, animals, and efforts taking on large-scale projects to right history’s wrongs. This conversation is a universal primer on how to bring back missing species. At one point in time, there were 10,000 grizzly bears in California, one bear for every 11 people. Grizzlies once inhabited nearly all of California’s ecosystems, and that they can live anywhere (except hot deserts) opens up a world of future possibilities. Peter talks about the importance of working on the state level, in alliance with Indigenous peoples who have a kinship relationship with the grizzly, and how to re-establish a culture of coexistence.

Re-watering the West with Beavers and Decommissioning Forest Service Roads — with Ben Goldfarb (#97)

We tend to forget how radically changed the landscape has become, how green, blue, and lush the western U.S. once was, and how so much of that was due to beavers. Whether you are a beaver believer or not, Ben Goldfarb cures our ecological amnesia for how things were before several hundred million beavers were killed in North America. He reminds us that it is impossible to name a species that does not benefit from beaver presence, as these ecosystem engineers go about creating a floodplain sponge that brings water back to streams. Spend half an hour with Ben as this conversation imagines what the future looks like if we flood the West with beavers again.

Jaguars, Justice, and the Border Wall, Stories from the Frontlines — with Russ McSpadden (#155)

Who better to guide us through the U.S.-Mexico borderlands than Russ McSpadden, whose eclectic portfolio includes protecting ocelots, jaguars, Mexican spotted owls, desert tortoises, and tiger beetles. His work covers politically complicated, potentially violent, and even militarized landscapes where beauty and devastation keep close company. He takes us into the living, breathing world of southern Arizona and northern Sonora with its vast, connected landscapes under constant assault in the geopolitical crosshairs. This includes one of the most important pathways for jaguars to re-establish territory in the U.S. The San Rafael Valley is framed by four Sky Island mountain ranges, a critical wildlife corridor, and the site of new border wall construction meant to sever and divide. Russ is there on the frontlines, where hope is an action that pushes back against destruction, despite the odds.

Preparing for a Catamount Homecoming in the Northeast — with Renee Seacor (#153)

Cougars were eradicated from the northeastern U.S., never able to recover their numbers like in the West. The iconic feline is known by many names: cougar, puma, mountain lion, and in this region — catamount. In recent years, there have been conversations on how to bring these carnivores back to the Northeast. Studies reveal large, contiguous blocks of habitat that can sustain a healthy catamount population. Yet to naturally re-establish breeding populations in the region, estimates show it would take more than 100 years. Catamount recovery is going to require an active effort; enter Renee Seacor. She is taking the fundamental principles of rewilding and putting them into practice to welcome catamounts back to the region’s forests, prioritizing the importance of community engagement and developing coexistence-friendly landscapes.

American Prairie Reserve, Big Rewilding on America’s Northern Great Plains — with Daniel Kinka (#76)

Listening to Daniel Kinka, it is hard not to want to drop everything and head straight to northeastern Montana and the American Prairie Reserve. Here, wildlands restoration is underway on the northern Great Plains to bring all the ingredients together that will support resilience and biodiversity across three million acres. Daniel and American Prairie are the custodians of this place, partnering with researchers and scientists, and connecting with people to dream up the possibilities for true landscape-scale conservation — then putting these into action. Daniel’s love for wildness and the prairie is infectious; you will feel it.

Learning (So Far) from 530 Nights in Wolf Country — with Jean Ossorio (#59)

To be clear, Jean Ossorio is like family; our enduring relationship was forged in wild places over a shared love for the four-legged. So what a delight that on the podcast we get a glimpse of her devotion to witnessing the return of Mexican gray wolves to their natural habitat. At the time of the recording, Jean had seen 57 wolves in the wild. She recounts hearing their howls, finding their tracks, and watching groups of wolves chase elk across meadows to no avail. The secret to her varied and dramatic canid encounters has been a commitment to spending time in nature tent camping; the magic — and her advocacy — unfolds from there.

Lessons from Alaska — Winning the Conservation Battles Ahead while Keeping Your Fire Alive — with Brad Meiklejohn (#87)

This podcast travels back in time a few years for perspective on the Alaskan scale of conservation needed everywhere. Brad Meiklejohn has sage words here, alongside caribou and salmon, on steadfastness in the face of challenges ravaging the land and in safeguarding what we have. He believes, at its essence, conservation work is a relay race where you have to stick with it for as long as you can carry the baton. In addition to tangible topics like dam removal and thinking of rivers as arteries, Brad moves us toward a reciprocal relationship with nature. There is talk on overpopulation, how conservation groups should hone their focus, and references to Thich Nhat Hanh and Edward Abbey that feel like a moment to exhale and a rallying cry.

More favorite episodes:

History of Wilderness Recovery and Rewilding — with Reed Noss (#2)

Rewilding Southern Ohio — with Nancy Stranahan (#18)

The Art of Rewilding — with Lauren Strohacker (#119)

Protecting 50 Percent of the Planet by 2030 — with Amy Lewis (#40)

Tracing the Epic Journey of Europe’s Most Famous Wolf — with Adam Weymouth (#151)

Randy Hayes’ Roadmap for an Ecological Civilization — with Randy Hayes (#146)

Carnivore Conservation in the Pacific Northwest — with Paula MacKay and Robert Long (#120)

“The American Southwest” Elevates the Art of Storytelling in Wildlife Films — with Ryan Olinger (#154)

Photos: Grizzly bear with young by Greg Johnson / Unsplash, beaver courtesy The American Southwest / Fin and Fur Films, San Rafael Valley by Russ McSpadden, puma by Jackson Wilson / Unsplash, American Prairie Reserve by Gib Myers / gibsphotos, Mexican gray wolf with pup by Bob Haarmans / Wikimedia Commons, Alaska paddle courtesy Brad Meiklejohn

Megan "Turtle" Southern

Before joining The Rewilding Institute, Turtle was the coordinator of the Northern Jaguar Project, where she provided programmatic, fundraising, and administrative leadership. While with NJP, she helped to establish and grow the 56,000-acre Northern Jaguar Reserve in Sonora, Mexico, organized scientific research projects and conservation education among youth, and worked extensively with ranchers to promote coexistence with felines and other wildlife.