The National Wildlife Federation has worked with hunters and anglers since 1936 to tackle the biggest natural resource challenges. The NWF Outdoors Podcast explores the most important conservation issues and the people who do the hard work to safeguard our fish, wildlife, lands, and waters. Hosted by Aaron Kindle, director of sporting advocacy at NWF.
Episodes
Thursday Oct 20, 2022
Thursday Oct 20, 2022
Aaron and Bill sit down with Mitch and Jarred, two experts from the great Northwest, to discuss transboundary mining issues. Numerous mines, and one in particular, in British Columbia threaten people, watersheds, and wildlife in Northwest states, including years of salmon recovery and restoration. We discuss the Copper Mountain mine, the potential for a catastrophic disaster that would devastate downstream communities, wildlife, and fisheries. We also discuss the landscape, the history, and the complications of advocating for responsible development across an international boundary.
Links:
Reports: https://www.cct-enr.com/copper-mt-mine-bcc
Breach animated simulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgwAsdFLHmo
Recording of presentation of simulation study: https://youtu.be/B9jRMCHZwTg
More resources: https://conservationnw.org/our-work/wildlands/healthy-watersheds-campaign/
Conservation Northwest homepage: https://conservationnw.org/
Colville Tribe homepage: https://www.colvilletribes.com/
Colville Tribe Salmon Reintroduction work: https://www.colvilletribes.com/fish-wildlife
Colville Tribe Environmental Trust Copper Mountain Mine BCC : https://www.colvilletribes.com/environmental-trust
Show notes:
3:34 – Aaron introduces the guests.
7:24 – Jared shares what he has been doing outside recently.
9:32 – Mitch shares what he has been doing outdoors of late.
13:03 – Jared describes the landscape we are focusing on during this episode.
16:50 – Mitch adds that we are talking about the need and the right for clear, clean, cool, productive rivers that flow across the border.
18:42 – Aaron asks for the description of the fish and wildlife who live on these transboundary rivers.
26:04 – Bill asks for some background on the mines themselves and what makes them such a problem… particularly the Copper Mountain Mine upstream of Princeton, B.C.
30:53 – What are the risks? What are we worried about? What’s going to come out of these places if the dams fail.
41:12 – Should we expect these dams to eventually fail?
43:49 – Jared shares the tribal perspective on transboundary mines.
46:35 – Short break for a message from our partner podcast, Artemis Sportswomen! Also, be sure to follow NWF Outdoors on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter!
47:29 -- What do we want right now to safeguard the wildlife and communities downstream?
52:23 -- What can someone listening to this do to help?
58:18 -- What has the B.C. government said as a response? Are they listening? Is anything happening?
1:01:48 – Mitch shares his closing statements.
1:03:47 – Jared shares his closing statements.
1:06:05 – Bill shares his thoughts.
1:06:44 – Aaron closes the show with some wisdom and thank you’s.
Friday Aug 26, 2022
Friday Aug 26, 2022
Continuing with our newfound love of "from the field" podcasts, we take this one to Florida. Podcast co-host Bill Cooksey attended ICAST (a big fishing industry tradeshow) in July and had the opportunity to sit down with Geoff Mullins from the Everglades Foundation and Captain Chris Wittman from Captains for Clean water to talk about the myriad habitat problems in the Everglades and South Florida and what hunters and anglers can do to help. The region is full of iconic hunting and fishing locations such as Lake Okeechobee and Florida Bay, and waterfowl hunters come from around the country to hunt mottled ducks, black-bellied whistling ducks and fulvous ducks. When most people think about Everglades issues, they think pythons and algae closing down beaches, but there’s a whole lot more at stake.
Episode links:
https://www.evergladesfoundation.org/
https://captainsforcleanwater.org/
https://www.vanishingparadise.org/restoration-solutions/projects?state=florida
Show Notes:
1:05-Intro to ICAST.
3:22-What have we been doing lately?
5:15-Geoff explains what Everglades restoration means.
6:47-Chris explains restoration from his point of view as a sportsman.
8:50-What is Captains for Clean Water?
11:35-Geoff, where do sportsmen fit in this puzzle?
13:50-Bill offers his take on the issues.
15:55-Chris talks duck hunting and the impact of declining habitat and restoration.
18:05-Geoff, what is the most critical component at this moment?
21:35-How is the state involved financially with restoration?
23:35-Chris discusses the changes he’s witnessed to some bucket list Florida destinations.
29:35-What do the next ten years look like?
31:35-Who are the stakeholders?
38:05-Why is this a national issue?
39:55-What should Florida sportsmen be doing?
42:55-What have we missed?
47:15-Words of wisdom from Geoff, Chris and Bill
Friday Aug 12, 2022
Friday Aug 12, 2022
Join us for this fun pilot episode of our new “From the Field” podcast series we are beginning to explore. For the past week, our sporting team has been traveling around Southeast Alaska recording interviews with hunters and anglers regarding the endless opportunities and abundance of the region. During this episode, Aaron and Mandela sit on the edge of the Tongas National Forest with Artemis ambassador, Jodee Dixon, and the Executive Director of the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC), Meredith Trainor. We discuss their friendship and connection through hunting, mentorship and Yoga. We learn about the important conservation work SEACC does and the Artemis outreach programs Jodee offers. We also talk about the ways in which their background in mountaineering and whitewater kayaking parallel hunting and fishing.
Enjoy this abbreviated podcast pilot episode and let us know what you think. Did you like hearing podcasts recorded in the field? Would you like them to be shorter or longer? What questions would you like to ask our guests?
Links:
Show notes:
0:26 – Aaron sets the scene, introduces the guests and the stand-in cohost for this episode.
3:00 – Jodee talks about her passion for seeking and sharing knowledge. How she met Meredith and the transition to teaching Meredith how to hunt.
5:10 – Jodee talks about the different species she and her husband hunt in SE Alaska including Dahl sheep, elk, black bear and Sitka blacktail deer.
7:00 – Meredith talks about how she met Jodee and grew an interest in hunting after being a vegetarian for most of her life.
10:30 – Jodee shares how she got introduced to hunting and the story behind her first big game hunt for Dahl sheep.
14:00 – Jodee is currently teaching Meredith how to hunt. They both chat about how Artemis helped strengthen their connection and the opportunity to bring women together to share wild game and embrace a curiosity of hunting.
18:49 – Jodee and Meredith share how their experiences in whitewater kayaking, Yoga and mountaineering parallel how they approach hunting and fishing. Jodee reflects on single point focus and “forced meditation”.
23:19 – Meredith shares the conservation work she and her team at the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) focus on. One part of their work is focused on climate action, citizen science and the importance of sharing observations of a changing landscape due to climate change.
27:53 – Alaska is front and center when it comes to a warming climate. Meredith discusses how an increase in 3-6 degrees effects wildlife in Southeast Alaska.
29:40 – Jodee shares her observations and concerns regarding hunting, fishing and climate change in Southeast Alaska.
31:56 – Jodee highlights some of the Artemis outreach opportunities she offers in the region.
32:55 – Closing statements.
Friday Jul 29, 2022
Good News for Duck Hunters with Dr. Mike Brasher of Ducks Unlimited
Friday Jul 29, 2022
Friday Jul 29, 2022
It’s late July, and much of the country is in the midst of a heat wave, but Aaron and Bill are back talking ducks with Dr. Mike Brasher from Ducks Unlimited. Waterfowl are both a vocation and advocation for Mike as he’s spent his career studying and his free time hunting them. For the last two years, COVID protocols in Canada have prevented the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service from conducting the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (known to duck hunters as the BPOP and May Pond Count). This survey is used to set future seasons. The 2022 flights have wrapped up, and Mike is here to help us understand what the initial reports could mean to duck hunters all over the country. And for the first time in several years, there’s some positive news!
Links:
https://www.ducks.org/media/du-podcast
And here’s a photo page from the folks who actually count the ducks:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pilotbiologist/albums/with/72157706996280821
Show notes:
3:40 – Bill introduces Mike and provides a little insight into his background and what we are going to cover in the show regarding ducks and how ducks are counted.
5:25 – Mike introduces himself with a little more detail.
7:19 – Mike, Bill and Aaron share what they have been doing outside recently.
13:40 – Jumping right into B-POP (Breeding Population Survey) but first, let’s clarify that we are not talking about K-POP.
14:21 – What is B-POP and why should duck hunters understand it?
19:13 – Laying out the mechanics of how big the count is, where do they fly and how are we doing with the trajectory of current population counts.
24:27 – Discussing the word “census” and why this count isn’t a census.
28:23 – What are the results?!
35:05 – Why have biologists been concerned, drought in the western U.S. and how are the numbers doing down south?
41:27 – Short break for a message from our partner podcast, Artemis Sportswomen! Be sure to follow NWF Outdoors on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube for even more great content.
42:20 -- Because the count hasn’t happened for a few years, what was the approach this year?
46:39 -- Discussing the scientific approach to climate issues as they relate to duck populations, trajectory, warming trends and droughts.
53:33 -- Discussing the significance of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and recently introduced North American Grasslands Act. How does this legislation relate to natural infrastructure, habitat restoration and resilience.
1:00:23 -- With fresh water and fresh habitat, what does that mean for the productivity of waterfowl? Also, a few reflections on the current count numbers and what that might mean for the upcoming duck hunting season.
1:07:33 – Mike shares some closing statements.
1:10:24 – Ducks Unlimited U.S. and Ducks Unlimited Canada are teaming up soon to do a livestream!
1:12:53 – Bill shares some closing statements.
1:13:18 – Please speak up on behalf of shutting down the Return Act, the swift passage of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act and the North American Grasslands Act. Get engaged, stay engaged and look for folks like Mike for guidance.
Friday Jul 15, 2022
Friday Jul 15, 2022
Aaron and Bill sit down with David Willms and Mike Butler to discuss the recently introduced the RETURN Act and how it would dismantle the world’s most successful conservation program and begin a cascade effect that would set back America conservation in myriad ways. We walk through a refresher on the Pittman-Robertson Act – what it is, how it works, why it is so successful and why we need to protect by all means possible. Then we pivot to the RETURN Act – what it is, why it came about, how terrible it would be for American conservation and why we need to step up to stop it dead in its tracks.
Links:
https://tnwf.org/new-bill-would-gut-conservation-funding/
Show notes:
5:08 - Aaron shares a little background on this episodes guests.
7:56 - The group shares what they have been doing outside recently.
13:05 – David explains the Pittman-Robertson Act. Why do we have it and what it does?
19:38 – Mike discusses the significance of this legislation in Tennessee alone.
20:36 – What would it look like from state to state if we didn’t have the Pittman-Robertson Act?
24:02 - How is it funded? Who pays it? When do they pay it?
26:01 - Mike talks about the North American model of conservation and why Pittman-Robertson is integral to it.
29:31 – David lines out how much conservation funding comes from Pittman-Robertson and how it’s growing every year.
33:39 – Highlighting the 2nd Amendment and how it relates.
35:16 – What does the Return Act do exactly?
42:27 – Where did the concept of the Return Act come from? Let’s also highlight the conflict of interest at play here…
46:43 – Mike points out some fallacies in the proposed legislation and the press release from Rep. Clyde.
52:35 – It’s incredibly rare when a member of congress goes through the active process of removing their name from the list of cosponsors for a proposed bill. This is happening right now with the Return Act. Get informed! Call your congressman.
55:37 – What about the those who might like to see the majority of conservation funding coming from somewhere else besides the sporting community?
59:10 – Closing statements. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
“A man who doesn’t speak has no advantage over a man who can’t – so use your voice.” –Bill Cooksey