Excitement for our new podcast, Raincoast Radio

01/22/25 • 1 min

This fascinating new series will bring you into the lives of wolves, the women who study them, and the challenges these animals face as wide-ranging, top predators in a landscape often dominated by fear and misunderstanding. Of Wolves and Women showcases the inspiring journeys of women who have made significant contributions to wolf science. Through captivating conversations, this series explores their ground-breaking research, fieldwork, passion, and the obstacles they've overcome. We hope you tune into the inaugural series of Raincoast Radio, Of Wolves and Women. Our first episode with Dr. Diane Boyd will be coming to your favourite podcast channels soon!

Previous Episode

Introducing Of Wolves and Women

From the epic journeys of individual wolves to legendary exploits of pack leaders, the stories of mother wolves have not only captured the hearts and minds of conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts, but also sparked important conversations about coexistence, ecology, and the delicate balance between wilderness and humanity.

Equally captivating and impactful are the stories of the women who studied these wolves. In this series, Raincoast's Wolf Conservation Program Director Chelsea Greer will be talking to some amazing female scientists whose dedication and groundbreaking research have not only deepened our understanding of these remarkable creatures, but have also played a pivotal role in raising awareness and inspiring global conversations about the importance of wolves and wolf conservation.

A big thank you to all our Raincoast supporters — your generosity makes content like this possible. Your donations also support our scientific research and help protect the lands, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. Learn more and donate at raincoast.org.

Raincoast Radio is created by Raincoast Conservation Foundation. It is produced by Sofia Osborne with additional audio editing by Oumar Salifou. Fact checking by the Raincoast team. The wolf photo in the podcast art is by Mark Williams. Music by Crypt-of-Insomnia and Luca Francini.

Next Episode

Gray wolf recovery with Diane Boyd

In this episode, wolf researcher and author of A Woman Among Wolves Dr. Diane Boyd shares captivating stories and insights from her forty year journey through wolf recovery in the western U.S. We discuss her early experiences working with Dr. David Mech in northern Minnesota and the consuming passion that led her to wolves and field biology, ultimately shaping both her career and who she is today.

Diving into one of Diane’s favourite topics, we learn about the advantages and disadvantages of reintroduction efforts, drawing on examples from Yellowstone National Park and Colorado, while also shedding light on the often-overlooked story of natural wolf recolonization throughout the Rocky Mountains. Additionally, we explore the social dimensions of wolf-human conflict resolution and the importance of fostering open conversations about wolves and wolf conservation.

Dr. Diane Boyd has four decades of applied expertise on behavior, conservation and management of wild wolf populations. She began her career in 1977 with Dr. L. David Mech’s wolf research project in Minnesota. She moved to Montana in 1979 to study gray wolf recovery in the Rocky Mountains, from the first natural colonizer to approximately 3,000 wolves today in the western U.S.

Her work has focused on wolf ecology, dispersal, habitat use, prey selection, behavior, morphology, genetic relationships, and the social dimensions of wolf-human conflict resolution. She has collaborated on research in the Rocky Mountains of the U.S., British Columbia, Alberta, the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, and wolf research projects in Italy and Romania.

She has published more than fifty articles in scientific journals, invited book chapters, and articles in popular literature. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Montana, and is presently an Affiliate Faculty member at the University of Montana. Diane recently retired from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks as the Region 1 Wolf and Carnivore Specialist, but she is continuing her wolf conservation efforts on a broader scale through teaching and writing. Her debut memoir, A Woman Among Wolves: My Forty Year Journey Through Wolf Recovery, was released September 10, 2024.

This series is dedicated to Gudrun Pflüger. As a former professional cross-country skier and elite marathon mountain runner, Gudrun’s exceptional skills made her uniquely suited to track the elusive coastal wolves of British Columbia, Canada. As a field biologist, she was pivotal in helping both scientists and local communities collect vital data, shedding light on the ecology and genetics of wolves on BC’s central coast, and later, in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. Beyond her contributions to wolf conservation, Gudrun was a mother, friend, and source of inspiration to many within Raincoast and beyond. Documented in films, such as A Woman Among Wolves and Running With Wolves, Gudrun’s journey was one of passion, determination, and resilience, revealing the true healing power of nature.

Additional resources:

A Woman Among Wolves: My Forty Year Journey Through Wolf Recovery
Chapter 32: North American Wolves
Films featuring Gudrun Pflüger:
- A Woman Among Wolves
- Running With Wolves
Learn more about our Wolf Conservation Program

Raincoast Radio is hosted by Chelsea Greer and produced by Sofia Osborne, with additional audio editing by Oumar Salifou. This podcast is a production of Raincoast Conservation Foundation, a team of conservationists and scientists empowered by research to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. Learn more and support our work at raincoast.org.