Wild Connection
Episodes
Grunts, Grooming, and Goodbye: Joan Silk on the Science of Friendship
07 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Primatologist Joan Silk has spent decades following individual baboons from birth to death, documenting how friendships, conflicts, and early life exp...
Romantic Love and Friendship with Robin Dunbar
15 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but we’re relentlessly reminded that romantic love ought to be the most important relationship in our lives. Bu...
On Living a Good Life with Massimo Pigliucci
08 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How do we live well in a world we cannot control? In this episode of Wild Connection, I'm joined by Massimo Pigliucci, evolutionary biologist, philoso...
Life Between the Stars with Dr. Ersilia Vaudo
01 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the building blocks of life are not unique to Earth? In this episode of Wild Connection, I am joined by Dr. Ersilia Vaudo, astrophysicist at t...
Shelter and Storm: Finding Belonging in a Changing Landscape with Tamara Dean
12 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Wild Connection, Dr. Jennifer Verdolin speaks with author and essayist Tamara Dean, whose book Shelter and Storm: At Home in the Dr...
War, Wildlife, and the UN: Accountability and Peacekeeping with Dr. András Hárs
28 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conflict doesn’t stop at people. It also impacts forests, rivers, and species that share our world. In this conversation, Dr. Jen and Dr. András Há...
Fungi, Pathogens, and the Coming Pandemic with Emily Monosson
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fungi are everywhere , in the soil, in the air, in our food. Quietly they sustain life but also may unleash devastation. In this episode of Wild Conne...
Listening to Rivers with Robert Macfarlane
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if a river is alive? What would it say about our world today? About the way we treat water, land, and each other? This question is at the heart o...
Sy Montgomery on Wonder, Animals and What the Chicken Knows
22 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What can animals teach us about empathy, intelligence, and connection? In this episode of Wild Connection, bestselling author Sy Montgomery shares her...
From Dian Fossey to Ecoflix: Ian Redmond’s Journey to Protect the Wild
08 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join me in conversation with conservation legend Ian Redmond, whose groundbreaking work with Dian Fossey and lifelong advocacy for great apes and elep...
The Chimpanzees of Kibale with Dr. Richard Wrangham
02 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a special one as I got to interview a personal scientific hero of mine, and fellow great ape researcher, Dr. Richard Wrangham. He shar...
Whispers of the Wild with Dr. Susan B Eirich
16 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode features Dr. Susan B Eirich— author of Whispers from the Wild: An Invitation Stories from the Rescued Wild Animals of Earthfire institu...
Xenophobia with George Makari
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
George Makari is the author of a recent book titled Of Fear and Strangers: A History of Xenophobia. He is also a psychiatrist and historian, who is th...
Wild Souls with Emma Marris
19 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we have science writer and author Emma Marris here, and we’re going to be talking about her amazing experience and her book, Wild Souls: Freed...
Having Hope with Ami Vitale
05 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today I am lucky enough to talk to award winning photojournalist and filmmaker Ami Vitale who’s works will move you and compel you to reconsider you...
Who is Dr. Jen with Guest Host Logan
22 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode the interviewer becomes the interviewee as I am interviewed by my very talented intern Logan. We cover everything from how I got started ...
Killer Whales_Throwback with Hanne Strager
01 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A throwback to an episode from July 2023 where I talked with orca biologist and author Hanne Strager. As you may have heard Orca's off the coast of ...
A Land Ethic with Stan Temple
02 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of A Sand County Almanac and the 100th Anniversary of the designation of the Gila Wilderness Area, I talk with Dr...
Cicada Invasions with Dr. Floyd Shockley
05 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Right here in the United States, primarily in the Midwest and Southern portion an invasion is coming. Not of aliens, of cicadas. Brood 19 and 13 have ...
We Loved it All with Lydia Millet
28 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week rounds out Earth Month and I am talking with writer and conservationist Lydia Millet. Her new book, We Loved it All, takes you on a journey ...
Earth and Soul with Leah Rampy
21 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we continue to celebrate Earth month, tune in to my conversation with author Leah Rampy. In this episode, we talk about her new book, Earth and Sou...
Earth Month with Nathaniel Popkin
14 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I'm calling April Earth month because, well, doesn't our planet deserve at least 1 month of appreciation? Last time we re-booted Caren Cooper and this...
Participatory Science Reboot withCaren Cooper
31 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I enjoyed my chat with Dr Caren Cooper so much we are bringing it back. Dr. Caren Cooper is part of NCSU’s Leadership in Public Science Program and ...
From One Cell with Ben Stanger
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I talk to Dr. Ben Stanger, a distinguished author and expert in cellular biology. Dr. Stanger's latest book, From One Cell: A Journey ...
Exploring the Final Frontier with Mohamed Noor
11 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're venturing into the fascinating world of science communication, with a sneak peak into how evolutionary genetics can go mainstream. Who be...
Talking Plastics with Peter Okwoko
21 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Picture a world drowning in plastic waste, from the vast oceans to the remotest corners of the Earth. That's our world. It's a challenge that demands ...
The Formula with László Barabási
07 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a new year. Maybe you’ve made some resolutions, come up with your next big idea, or are busy fine-tuning your strategy for the year ahead. Su...
The End of the World with David Gessner
24 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I have a not so ordinary conversation about climate with best selling author David Gessner and we invite you to think about how to tal...
Hormones with Randi Hutter Epstein
10 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s talk about hormones. Hormones are so much more than time packages that influence the major events in our lives. We are still learning about so...
Keeping up with Koalas with Danielle Close
12 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week I talk with natural history writer Danielle Clode about her new book Koalas: A Natural History and an Uncertain Future As famous as koalas a...
Under A Rock with David Scheel
03 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I know I am not alone in my fascination of octopuses. They seem a little out of this world and they have so many unusual traits. My guest today is s...
Killer Whales with Hanne Strager
16 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first episode of Season 4 and I am excited to talk to marine biologist and author Hanne Strager about her new book The Killer Whale Journa...
Kingha Coffee with Kingsely Griffin
09 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Coffee, the thing that so many of us love and crave. That is the topic of today’s show. Today coffee is grown all over the world but it originates i...
Tackling Poaching with Alex Ngabiano
02 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Uganda has made great strides in conservation of its wildlife, notably mountain gorillas, but also the captive breeding and ultimate goal of reintrodu...
Sitting with the Batwa
25 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last week climate refugees came up and this week it’s time to talk about conservation refugees. Many Indigenous communities are losing their ancestr...
Climate Policy with John Kasiita Ssemulema
18 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode continues my Voices of Uganda series that is part of my Fulbright, since I am well, in Uganda. Back home in the US this week there is a c...
Community Led Development with Paul Muhwezi
04 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Voices of Uganda continues this week with Paul Muhwezi. Last episode featured Apophia Asiimwe, a local bird guide. Paul is someone that has worked on ...
Birding in Bwindi with Apophia
21 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest, Apophia Asiimwe, is a local bird guide sharing the wonders of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and all the birds it has to offer. You can fin...
Tourism with Gerard Iga
23 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Wild Connection the Podcast. My Fulbright series Voices of Uganda continues this week with Mandela Washington Fellow, business owner...
Protecting Bwindi with Nelson Guma
16 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are continuing our species series Voices of Uganda with none other than the Chief Warden of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Nel...
Wildlife Divas with Lisa Randolph
09 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hi everyone and welcome back to Wild Connection the Podcast. As many of you know I am coming to you live from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda whe...
Walking with Gorillas with Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
26 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s guest is Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka. She is the founder of Conservation Through Public Health, the author of a new book, Walking With Go...
Listening to Salmon with Ken Whelan
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
My guest this week is Ken Whelan, the Research Director for the Atlantic Salmon Trust. Not only is the work he and others doing revealing just how spe...
The Mind of a Bee with Lars Chittka
31 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bees are having a heyday at the moment. I think many of us spent part of our time fascinated by bees and the other part terrified of getting stung. We...
Molecules and Madness with Sara Manning Peskin
17 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Not too long ago actor Bruce Willis was in the news. He is suffering from aphasia. Generally this is a loss of language due to some kind of injury to ...
All Creatures Weird and Dangerous with Timm Otterson
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
My guest this week is all about the enchanted. Today I am talking to author and veterinarian Timm Otterson with an interest in wildlife conservation. ...
The Animal Crisis with Alice Crary and Lori Gruen
26 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In March of this year The UK government declared that lobsters, crabs, octopuses and related species will be included under the Animal Welfare (Sentie...
Into the Wild with Brooke Williams
19 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hi Everyone, welcome back to a new episode of Wild Connection. You may have noticed there was a short break and that is because I had some traveling t...
Warming Up with Dr. Hans Rocha IJzerman
01 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Summer is starting and things are heating up. And in some places temperature is exceeding human capacity for existence. What you may not realize is it...
Earth Day 2022
24 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
To celebrate Earth Day 2022 I am replaying my interview with author Nathaniel Popkin. We talk about his book, To Reach the Spring: From Complicity t...
Of Mice, Humans, and Tails with Dr. Jason Organ
17 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve been listening for a while you know I have a fascination with bones. I have a rabbit cooking in a bush as we speak. But the truth is that...
In the Barn with Dr. Marty Edwards
10 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are celebrating National Farm Animal Day and it's going to be a party. We are talking horses, pigs, cows, goats, and even sheep. Joining ...
On the Road with Dr. Marty Edwards
03 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This weeks episode features someone near and dear to me. She was my vet who helped me take care of my beloved Senor Antonio Buttones in his final week...
Shifting Seas with Lela Schlenker
03 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
March is Women’s History Month, at least in the United States so I am continuing to feature women scientists on the podcast all month. I thought I w...
Community Led Conservation with Samantha Farquhar
13 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s guest is Samantha Farquhar. She is a dynamic interdisciplinary researcher with a focus on coastal systems in the Integrated Coastal Scie...
In the Bone Room With Dr. Ann Ross
30 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In another life I would have been a forensic anthropologist. I devoured books by Iris Johanson and her main character forensic specialist Eve Duncan. ...
Participating in Science with Dr. Caren Cooper
16 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode is part of the special WIS series. You may have heard me talking about this on other episodes and that is because I got a small gran...
The Joy of Sweat with Sarah Everts
02 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode is all about sweat, smelling it, hiding it, and people whose job it is to decide what the nature of yours is like. Never let the...
Into Space with Dr.Katie Mack
26 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It is post holiday and before New Years and this episode starts the launch of a special Women in Science Series. I want to acknowledge the sponsor o...
Animal Magnetism with Dr. Andres Vidal-Gadea
19 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a fun one for me because, well, I have ummm navigational difficulties. I should be more precise. I can navigate perfectly well in exac...
The Water Tree Way with Ruth Mendelson
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
My guest this week is composer, instrumentalist, producer, arranger, editor, and author Ruth Mendelson. She has written award-winning scores for film...
Eco-Distress and Social Prescribing with Dr. Katherine Kennet
28 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are continuing the conversation around some of the issues that came up and din't come up at COP26. My guest is Dr. Katherine Kennet, a c...
Nature, Beauty, and Conservation with John de Graaf
21 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Back from Glasgow after attending COP26. It was intense which is why I am devoting 2 weeks to talk about some of the things that came out of it. I als...
The Call of the Trail with Claire Eckard
07 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode is all about horses. If we had to give a relationship status on horses, it might likely be “It’s complicated”. Using advan...
The Spectacular Not Spooky Aye-Aye with Drs. Tim Sefczek and Ed Louis
31 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Halloween. After speaking with cultural and conservation ornithologist, J Drew Lanham about the how certain birds are abused and targeted becaus...
In the Thicket with J Drew Lanham
24 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week I’m thrilled to introduce you to a spectacular scientist, author, poet, and well...human. J Drew Lanham is a professor of cultural and con...
Change Makers with Rono Chonginio
17 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Queen of England on a hot mic uttered the words many of us who care about this planet, the lives of others, including other species, feel: It’s ...
Ode to the Extinct
10 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Last week the USFWS released the list of 22 extinct US species and for a minute it was all everyone talked about. The ivory billed woodpecker was on t...
Truth Lies and Consequences with Lee McIntyre
03 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there is a lot going on in the world and a lot of misinformation being spread. This past week YouTube committed...
For the Love of K9s with John-Tyler Binfet
26 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hi Everyone and welcome back to Wild Connection: The Podcast. This week’s episode is pretty special because we are talking about how service animals...
What‘s All the Phallus About?
19 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hi Everyone! Welcome back. We’ve been on a bit of a break here at Wild Connection: The Podcast but we are back and this is the start of Season 2. An...
Subterranean: Fracking and its consequences with Colin Jerolmack
18 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hi everyone and welcome to another great episode of Wild Connection: The Podcast. We were off for two weeks working on a few projects so more on that ...
Optimistic Conservation with Craig Bruce
27 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back everyone for another great episode of Wild Connection the Podcast. One of the many reasons I love doing this podcast is getting to highli...
The Way of the Booby
20 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Father’s Day Everyone and this week’s episode features one of the great dads that co-parents with mom. The Nazca Booby. I am talk to Dr. Da...
A JEDI's Heart with Dr. Thomas RaShad Easley (a.k.a. RaShad Eas)
13 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back everyone and this episode is really special. A few years ago I had the honor and privilege of meeting Dr. Thomas Rashad Easley aka RaShad...
Song of the Cicada
06 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back everyone. This is episode 17 and this week I’ve got a special guest who is going to talk about something happening right now. You say c...
The Lost Locust
30 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Wild Connection: The Podcast. I’m your host Dr. Jen and this week I am back with Dr. Jeffrey Lockwood, Prof of Natural Sciences and ...
Conscripted: Our unholy alliance with insects featuring author Dr. Jeffrey Lockwood
23 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is all about insects and is a theme for the next 3 weeks. I discovered Dr. Jeff Lockwood, a Professor of Natural Science and the Human...
What's On Your Mind? Exploring cognition and consciousness in other animals with Dr. Kristy Biolsi
16 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode tackles a BIG question: What is cognition and consciousness and do other species have it? That's not all though, my guest Dr. Kristy...
Eruptions: Volcanoes and Society
09 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week its all about volcanoes. And not just about eruptions, of which there have been two significant ones recently. There is so much interesting ...
Muddy Waters: Humans and Elephants Part II
02 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back everyone. This week is Part 2 of my interview with geographer Dr. Jacob Shell. He specializes in human transportation networks that rel...
Muddy Waters: Humans and Elephants
25 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hi everyone. This week is Part I of a 2 part interview I had with Dr. Jacob Shell is a geographer that specializes in transportation networks and the ...
Persons of the Forest
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It is Earth Day tomorrow April 22, so this episode is coming out a little late. As a celebration of Earth Day, my guest Dr. Gary Shapiro and I talk ...
Love is a Battlefield
11 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today I am talking about insects, their weapons, how they are used in love and war, and how some scientists curious about why insects have elaborate w...
If the Bite Fits
04 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I talk with Dr. Adam- Hartstone-Rose whose bustling functional morphology and comparative anatomy lab at NCSU is not just giving us ...
Ecological Grief- A Conversation with Nathaniel Popkin
14 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is about our relationship to nature, how no matter how passionately you care about the planet you are complicit in its destruction by mer...
Butterflies: The Pandas of the Sky
07 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is all about butterflies, or the pandas of the sky. Check out this cool art I had my friend and artist extraordinaire, Kry Hookuh create....
Look Who's Talking
28 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week's episode explores what we know about language, cognition and emotional intelligence in other animals. I talk with Con Slobodhcikoff, CEO ...
An Ape's Ethic- A Conversation With Gregory Tague
21 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the fourth episode of Wild Connection The Podcast. In this episode I share a little about how I came to even study animal behavior, some of...
The Animal Pocket Guide to Dating
14 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Valentine's Day! While other animals celebrate their unions more than once a year we humans have taken the single anniversary, single holiday, a...
WayTo Light Up A Room
07 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is about bioluminescence, why animals have it, the recent discovery that loads of mammals might just glow, and how the idea for one human...
My What Big Eye Sockets You Have
31 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
To start off the very first season I was able to snag an interview with Dr. Julie Meachen, vertebrate paleontologist specializing in Ice Age carniv...