Wolf research and conservation with Chelsea Greer

03/11/25 • 49 min

In this episode, Wolf Conservation Program Director and podcast host Chelsea Greer reflects on her early fascination with the human-animal bond and how her post-secondary education transformed her perspective on what truly benefits wildlife. She discusses how exploring alternative paradigms to traditional conservation and animal welfare science sparked her curiosity about applying animal welfare principles to wildlife and developing creative coexistence strategies.

From studying elephants in Thailand to protecting wolves in British Columbia, Chelsea shares how her time as a graduate student in the Canid Conservation Science Lab at the University of Calgary deepened her understanding of the challenges facing wolves and coyotes in North America, ultimately leading her to Raincoast to help develop the Wolf Conservation Program. Working as a biologist and wolf researcher within the program, Chelsea also recounts her first encounter with a wolf in the wild, reflecting on the layers of meaning behind the experience and the actions it inspired.

Guided by the inextricable link of science and ethics, Chelsea emphasizes how Raincoast’s approach to wildlife conservation continues to be grounded in doing the most good and the least harm to people, animals, and the environment. We delve into the importance of wolves and wolf conservation, highlighting not only the profound role wolves play in ecosystems, but also the cultural and intrinsic value they hold both as a species and as individuals.

Finally, Chelsea reflects on what she has learned from interviewing this remarkable group of women and what studying wolves has taught her about herself.

Chelsea Greer is the director of the Wolf Conservation Program at Raincoast Conservation Foundation. The focus of her work is to support the protection and conservation of wolves in British Columbia through peer-reviewed research, community partnerships, public education, and wildlife management reform. This includes scientific and ethics-driven initiatives that are working toward the implementation of provincial policy that respects the welfare of wolves and their important role in functioning ecosystems.

Chelsea is particularly interested in the welfare concerns that arise from the lethal management of predators and is an advocate for animal welfare in scientific research. Her research interests also include better understanding predator-prey dynamics in salmon-bearing watersheds and the role wolves play in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience.

Chelsea completed her master’s degree in Geography at the University of Calgary where she studied the behavioural ecology of rewilded Asian elephants in northern Thailand. Her graduate research used a compassionate model of conservation to investigate the rehabilitative and ecological requisites of elephants transitioning from captive to free-living settings. Chelsea also holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of British Columbia where she majored in Applied Animal Biology. It was during this degree that she developed a keen interest in animal ethics and how animal welfare science applies to free-living wild populations.

Additional resources:

Other series hosted and curated by Chelsea Greer
Remembering Gudrun “Gudy” Pflüger
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.

Finally, Chelsea reflects on what she has learned from interviewing this remarkable group of women and what studying wolves has taught her about herself.

Additional resources:

Other series hosted and curated by Chelsea Greer
Remembering Gudrun “Gudy” Pflüger
Learn more about our Wolf Conservation Program

Previous Episode

Wolf genetics and ecology with Astrid Vik Stronen

In this episode, conservation biologist and genetics researcher Dr. Astrid Vik Stronen discusses her journey into wildlife research and conservation, beginning with her early passion for ecology and evolving into a focus on wildlife genetics and genomics.

From tracking wolves through the dense forests and rolling hills of Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba to analysing hundreds of wolf scats collected in the coastal temperate rainforests of British Columbia, Astrid offers captivating insights and stories from both the field and the lab.

Delving into the fascinating world of conservation genetics, we explore an innovative and rapidly expanding field that enables researchers to track and understand wild animals, often with minimal disturbance. Astrid explains that by collecting hair, scats, and other genetic materials, we can create genetic profiles for individual animals, which allow us to assess relatedness among pack members, inbreeding levels, population structure, and even disease movement. She also emphasizes the critical need to preserve genetic diversity and understand how wolves and other wildlife are adapting to the challenges posed by human disturbance and rapid environmental change.

Dr. Astrid Vik Stronen is a wildlife biologist and researcher in conservation genetics and ecology, primarily working on wolves and other larger carnivores. Recent research projects include genomic analyses of wild species and threatened domestic breeds in Europe and Canada, including wolves, golden jackals, bears, European bison, Mediterranean monk seals, and native cattle and dog breeds at risk.

Astrid is interested in contemporary evolution resulting from human activities, and how we can best preserve wild species and their habitats in the face of rapid environmental change. She also has a strong interest in applied conservation genetics, and in projects that integrate ecology, evolution, and conservation and connect these fields to human dimensions including ethics and human-wildlife interactions.

Since 2018, Astrid has been living and working in Ljubljana, Slovenia, as part of the “ekozivali” (animal ecology) group at the University of Ljubljana’s Biotechnical Faculty, and she is also a co-founder and researcher at the Biotechnical Faculty’s spin-out company DivjaLabs. During the past years she has had the chance to participate in several research and conservation projects in Slovenia and beyond, and she appreciates the opportunities to continue to get to know this beautiful and biodiverse region.

Additional resources:

Astrid Vik Stronen’s research
WOLFNESS - Biodiversa+
Films featuring Gudrun Pflüger
- A Woman Among Wolves
- Running With Wolves
Learn more about our Wolf Conservation Program

Next Episode

A special tribute to wolves and women with Paul Paquet

In this episode, large carnivore expert and Raincoast Senior Scientist Dr. Paul Paquet recounts some of his most impactful and memorable experiences from over 50 years of studying wolves around the world. From Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and the Carpathian mountains in Europe to Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and the Canadian Rockies, Paul was drawn to wherever wolves roamed. This included his time in northern Alaska with wolf researcher Bob Stevenson and author Barry Lopez, during the period when Lopez was writing Of Wolves and Men.

Paul reflects on the profound impact the women featured in this series have had on both his life and his understanding of wolves. He shares the inspiration behind curating the Of Wolves and Women series, emphasizing how important it was to recognize these women for their remarkable contributions in a truly special way. After speaking with Paul, it became evident just how humble these women are about their achievements, despite the lasting impact they’ve had — and continue to have — on the field of wolf research and conservation.

Finally, we discuss the core principles and values that have guided, and continue to guide, Raincoast’s work — emphasizing the importance of preserving scientific integrity, upholding ethical and moral frameworks in decision-making, and cultivating authentic, enduring relationships with Indigenous governments and communities.

Paul Paquet is a senior scientist with the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and an Adjunct Associate professor at the University of Victoria in the Department of Geography where he works closely with the Raincoast Applied Conservation Science Lab. As a world authority in conservation science, Paul has more than 50 years of scholarly and applied research experience. His research includes terrestrial mammals, marine mammals and birds, wildlife diseases, and genetics. He is recognized internationally as an expert on the ecology, behaviour and management of mammalian carnivores, especially wolves and bears. His studies span North America, Europe, Mid-East, and the Pacific Ocean.

Paul’s research focuses on the interface between ecological theory and conservation, science and policy, and environmental ethics. He has spent decades covering subjects ranging from the worldwide decline of large carnivores to the philosophical relationship of ethics, animal welfare, and conservation; co-authoring more than 200 scholarly articles and co-editing several books addressing ecology, conservation, and environmental ethics.

Dr. Paquet holds graduate degrees in philosophy, wildlife management and conservation, biology, and a PhD in zoology from University of Alberta. Academic appointments include Adjunct Professor of Biology and Associate Professor of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary, Adjunct Professor at University of Saskatchewan College of Veterinary Medicine, Adjunct Professor of Zoology at University of Manitoba, and Faculty Associate at Guelph University and University of New Brunswick.

Paul serves on science advisory committees for Environment Canada, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Caribou Scientific Advisory Committee for Saskatchewan, WWF International, the European Union, and several Species Survival Commissions (SSC) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Additional resources: