Nick Mott

Yeah. Had she been any closer, she'd have been on top of me. So that was far and away my closest encounter. And it was traumatic. I've still been flashing back to that moment. It makes me feel kind of nauseous and still sort of grappling with what that means for my own role in these activities I like to do, these places I like to go.

Yeah. Had she been any closer, she'd have been on top of me. So that was far and away my closest encounter. And it was traumatic. I've still been flashing back to that moment. It makes me feel kind of nauseous and still sort of grappling with what that means for my own role in these activities I like to do, these places I like to go.

Absolutely. You know, one person I interviewed for the show said living in grizzly country is kind of like an enforced humility. There's a fear there. There's a weight that comes with knowing you're not at the top of the food chain. And as humans, we need to understand we're not necessarily always in charge.

Absolutely. You know, one person I interviewed for the show said living in grizzly country is kind of like an enforced humility. There's a fear there. There's a weight that comes with knowing you're not at the top of the food chain. And as humans, we need to understand we're not necessarily always in charge.

Absolutely. You know, one person I interviewed for the show said living in grizzly country is kind of like an enforced humility. There's a fear there. There's a weight that comes with knowing you're not at the top of the food chain. And as humans, we need to understand we're not necessarily always in charge.

And in terms of the Endangered Species Act, like this experience made tangible for me, maybe there are things I shouldn't be doing in certain places. And fundamentally, that's one of the questions the Endangered Species Act makes us ponder at this much larger scale. Like how can we coexist with wildlife and with ecosystems?

And in terms of the Endangered Species Act, like this experience made tangible for me, maybe there are things I shouldn't be doing in certain places. And fundamentally, that's one of the questions the Endangered Species Act makes us ponder at this much larger scale. Like how can we coexist with wildlife and with ecosystems?

And in terms of the Endangered Species Act, like this experience made tangible for me, maybe there are things I shouldn't be doing in certain places. And fundamentally, that's one of the questions the Endangered Species Act makes us ponder at this much larger scale. Like how can we coexist with wildlife and with ecosystems?

And are there places where maybe we shouldn't just be doing whatever we want?

And are there places where maybe we shouldn't just be doing whatever we want?

And are there places where maybe we shouldn't just be doing whatever we want?

Yeah. So the Endangered Species Act was passed back in 1973. So just over 50 years ago now. And I wanted to dig in, you know, what was going on before that time and when it was passed. And it turned out that was kind of hard to do because most of the people involved in the legislature, they've passed away. But there ended up being this one name, this guy that seemed to still be around.

Yeah. So the Endangered Species Act was passed back in 1973. So just over 50 years ago now. And I wanted to dig in, you know, what was going on before that time and when it was passed. And it turned out that was kind of hard to do because most of the people involved in the legislature, they've passed away. But there ended up being this one name, this guy that seemed to still be around.

Yeah. So the Endangered Species Act was passed back in 1973. So just over 50 years ago now. And I wanted to dig in, you know, what was going on before that time and when it was passed. And it turned out that was kind of hard to do because most of the people involved in the legislature, they've passed away. But there ended up being this one name, this guy that seemed to still be around.

And we actually found his phone number. We give him a call and he was really eager to take us back to those early days before the ESA got passed when he was tucked away in this office on the hill. It's a really wild story. So if you don't mind, I'd love for you to hear this part of the podcast and you'll see what I mean. So like I said, we found this guy and we called him up.

And we actually found his phone number. We give him a call and he was really eager to take us back to those early days before the ESA got passed when he was tucked away in this office on the hill. It's a really wild story. So if you don't mind, I'd love for you to hear this part of the podcast and you'll see what I mean. So like I said, we found this guy and we called him up.

And we actually found his phone number. We give him a call and he was really eager to take us back to those early days before the ESA got passed when he was tucked away in this office on the hill. It's a really wild story. So if you don't mind, I'd love for you to hear this part of the podcast and you'll see what I mean. So like I said, we found this guy and we called him up.

Buff grew up hunting and fishing in the Northeast. He loved the outdoors. Still does. When I talked with him, he was eager to get back outside and tend his garden. I'm still handy with a chainsaw. In his younger days, Buff served in the Army, then worked for the State Department. He was a bit of an adventurer.

Buff grew up hunting and fishing in the Northeast. He loved the outdoors. Still does. When I talked with him, he was eager to get back outside and tend his garden. I'm still handy with a chainsaw. In his younger days, Buff served in the Army, then worked for the State Department. He was a bit of an adventurer.

Buff grew up hunting and fishing in the Northeast. He loved the outdoors. Still does. When I talked with him, he was eager to get back outside and tend his garden. I'm still handy with a chainsaw. In his younger days, Buff served in the Army, then worked for the State Department. He was a bit of an adventurer.