Podcasts

Hosted by Ivan Parr (Western Section Workshops Coordinator), Elizabeth Meisman (North Coast TWS Chapter Rep and Co-Chair of Western Section Student Affairs) and Erika Walther (former President of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of TWS.)

• June 2024 – Megan Laut Podcast – Did you know that the Pacific Islands is part of the Western Section? Meet Megan Laut, a biologist with the Pacific Islands US Fish & Wildlife Office – an office responsible for recovering over 500 threatened and endangered species. Not least of Megan’s duties is helping pave the way for reintroducing the Sihek (aka Guam Kingfisher) back into the wild, 35 years after the last individual was taken into captivity. 
  For more information on the project, please visit: https://www.fws.gov/project/sihek-conservation-introduction-palmyra-atoll   Link to Podcast

• May 2024 – Fauno del Noroeste Podcast  –  In this podcast, we go south of the border to meet Fauno del Noroeste, a non profit conservation group dedicated to saving “non-charismatic” species of Northwestern Baja California. Dr. Anny Peralta, Jorge Valdez, and our own President Elect Jeff Alvarez talk conservation strategies in bringing back an extremely threatened population of the California red-legged frog – and other species shared between the Section and Mexico.  For more information on Fauno del Noroeste, please visit https://www.faunadelnoroeste.org.  Link to Podcast

• January 2024 – Meet the 2024 President-Elect Candidates – 2024 President-Elect candidates for the Western Section of The Wildlife Society, Jeff Alvarez, Hal Holland and Dr. Ho Yi Wan were interviewed for an episode of our new Western Section Podcast (hosted by Ivan Parr, Workshop Coordinator). Link to Elections Podcast

• May 2023 – Meet biologists Khatia Basilashvili and Giorgi Lemonjava from Tbilisi, Georgia (Eurasia). After spending a year and a half in Davis, CA through a Humphrey Fellowship, they’ll compare what they learned about wildlife management within the Section to wildlife management in Georgia.  Link to Podcast

• March 2023 –  Meet Lara Brenner, an author and ecologist working for The Nature Conservancy’s California Islands Science Team. Hear how Channel Islands biologists like Lara use novel approaches in biosecurity, climate resiliency, and endangered species protection to preserve the “Galapagos of the North”.  Link to Podcast

• January 2023 – Meet the 2023 President-Elect Candidates – 2023 President-Elect candidates for the Western Section of The Wildlife Society, Debie Montana, Carolyn Buesch, and Brooke Langle were interviewed for an episode of our new Western Section Podcast (hosted by Ivan Parr, Workshop Coordinator). Link to Elections Podcast

• September 2021 – Elizabeth Meisman and Ivan Parr interview John McNerney, the Western Section Treasurer and past president about his role as the city biologist for Davis, CA. John’s discusses his outlook on the future of the Section, along with his passion for the rare species of Davis – Swainson’s hawks, burrowing owls, and the infamous toads of Toad Town. Note that when John talks about “before his time” when Ivan lived in the City, he’s referring, generally, to pre-2010. The interview was recorded in late 2020.   Listen Here!

• May 2021 – The UC Natural Reserve System is a network of protected land areas used for research and education. Join Heather Constable, University of Riverside Campus Admin Officer for the Natural Reserves; and Jen Hunter, director for Hastings Natural History Reservation in Monterey County, to learn more about the land, the research conducted there, and Jen’s heroic feats during the 2020 fires that consumed portions of Hastings Reserve. Link to Podcast

• March 2021 – Get to know the Western Section Presidents (Interview with Dan Airola and Kelly Holland) – Just before the conference, we interviewed then-President Kelly Holland and President-elect (now President) Dan Airola. The podcast will talk about the Kelly’s tenure during the difficult year of 2020 and what now-president Dan envisions for 2021. The Western Section Presidency involves a three-year service, with each President also serving as President-Elect and Past President.  Link to Presidents Podcast

• January 2021 – Meet the 2021 President-Elect Candidates – 2021 President-Elect candidates for the Western Section of The Wildlife Society, Randi McCormick and Katie Smith, were interviewed for an episode of our new Western Section Podcast (hosted by Ivan Parr, Workshop Coordinator). Link to Elections Podcast