What if the wildest place you visit this week is the tiny park down your street? Urban wildlife biologist Sam Kieschnick of Texas Parks and Wildlife joins us to show how Dallas–Fort Worth’s “mosaic of green and gray” holds more life than most people imagine—over 12,000 documented species and counting.

Sam walks us through the people-centered work of urban ecology: helping residents share space with coyotes, guiding park managers to support pollinators and birds, and translating observations into decisions that make cities cooler and healthier. We dig into iNaturalist as a gateway for wonder and a serious tool for community, learning, and policy. Naming what you see changes your relationship with it, and those names stack into patterns scientists can study—distribution, phenology, even climate signals. Equally important, participation data reveals where people are engaging with nature, giving city officials a clear case for investing in habitats that voters value.

Subscribe, share this story with a friend, and tell us the most surprising species you’ve seen in your backyard!

More information

The Wildlife Society - https://wildlife.org/

TPWD Urban Wildlife Program - https://tpwd.texas.gov/wildlife/wildlife-diversity/urban-wildlife-program/

iNaturalist (@sambiology) - https://www.inaturalist.org/

The Future of Life by E. O. Wilson - https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Future_of_Life.html?id=5rbG839DFw0C

Urban Heat Island - https://www.epa.gov/heatislands

Texas Master Naturalists - https://txmn.tamu.edu/

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Ever wondered what it really takes to do wildlife fieldwork? In this episode, head into the sagebrush with three graduate students studying shrikes, pygmy rabbits, and sagebrush songbirds. Hear about the honest, useful details: how to prep for a season that vanishes in a blur, what gear actually matters (sunshirts, yes; sandals are…controversial), and how to recover when things go sideways. This conversation shows why being there changes what we can know.

We talk about finding the right lab and advisor, applying to technician roles with volume and intention, and writing cover letters that are specific, early, and honest about gaps. You’ll hear how non-traditional students can be standout techs, why transferable skills matter, and how rolling reviews reward applicants who don’t wait for deadlines. The stories are unfiltered: a black bear on hind legs eyeing a “blood smoothie,” a near nap on a rattlesnake, a UTV dropping into a hidden creek at night. The takeaway is bigger than any mishap: fieldwork is a rite of passage that teaches judgment, resilience, and the kind of naturalist attention that turns data into understanding.

If you’re plotting your first season—or your fifteenth—you’ll get practical advice you can use tomorrow: organize goals before the rush, expect to forget something, make peace with Plan B, and invest in the people beside you at 4 a.m. Because the field isn’t just where we collect numbers; it’s where we find the questions worth asking next. Subscribe, share this with a future field tech, and tell us: what’s your must-have gear—and are you team boots or team sandals?

Links to more information:

The Wildlife Society

About Erik

About Olivia

About Clare

Chalfoun Lab

Wyoming Cooperative Research Unit

Loggerhead Shrikes

Pygmy Rabbits

Brewer's Sparrow

Sage Thrasher

Sagebrush Sparrow

In this episode, we delve into the life of sagebrush songbirds with Emily Schertzer, a PhD candidate at the University of Wyoming. Emily shares her journey into ornithology, her methods for tracking these tiny birds, and the impact of human development and climate change on their habitats. We explore the intricacies of these songbirds' lives, their nesting habits, migration patterns, and the importance of clear scientific communication. Emily also describes the different species she studies, including Brewer's sparrows, sagebrush sparrows, and sage thrashers, and their interactions with each other and their environment. Lastly, we discuss the future of songbird conservation and the collaborative efforts needed to protect these migratory species.

00:00 Introduction to Sagebrush Songbirds

00:08 Meet Emily Schertzer: A Journey into Ornithology

01:04 Understanding Songbirds and Their Habitats

01:44 Emily's Path to Bird Research

02:34 Field Research in Sagebrush Habitats

04:42 Tracking Tiny Birds Across Continents

07:12 Challenges and Discoveries in Bird Tracking

07:56 The Importance of Sagebrush Habitat

11:07 Human Impact and Climate Change

12:24 Post-Fledging Period: A Critical Time

15:16 The Role of Communication in Science

18:02 The Significance of Bird Conservation

20:00 Migration Patterns and Connectivity

25:33 Predators and Threats to Songbirds

26:19 Conclusion

Learn more

The Wildlife Society

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Brewer's Sparrow Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Sage Thrasher Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Sagebrush Sparrow Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Light- level geolocators

Wyoming Cooperative Research Unit

State of the Birds Report

Bear dens, land ethics, and the kind of mentorship that changes a life—this conversation brings together three Aldo Leopold Award winners and past presidents of The Wildlife Society to explore how a profession found its purpose and how we keep it honest, relevant, and resilient.

From there, we unpack what TWS really is: not just a membership, but a community of practice that transcends workplaces and fuels collaboration. You’ll hear how standards and journals legitimized wildlife management as a science, how policy engagement turned research into action, and how the annual conference built a durable network of peers who can challenge assumptions, share methods, and solve problems together.

Along the way, we trade field stories—from face-to-face bear encounters to cultural wake-up calls in India and the delicate craft of radio-tagging endangered jumping mice—that translate directly into practice: safety, ethics, cultural competence, and adaptive learning.

If you care about wildlife science, conservation policy, and the next generation of biologists, you’ll find perspective and practical guidance here: invest in your network, step beyond your comfort zone, and be an honest broker who pairs evidence with empathy. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—we’d love to hear how you’re carrying the land ethic forward.

Come join us for our first episode of the Our Wild Lives podcast, where we dive into the roots of The Wildlife Society. Ed takes you back to the 1920s and Aldo Leopold’s influence on the early days of the organization, and we follow its journey to becoming a leading professional society with over 10,000 members. You’ll hear about the creation of the Journal of Wildlife Management, the growth of sections, chapters, and working groups, and our own stories of finding our way into wildlife conservation. We talk about how TWS has shaped our careers, why communication is so important in science, and the power of professional networks.