Matt Barnes, a research associate with the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative, is a range scientist, wildlife conservationist, and former ranch manager whose work focuses on reintegrating wildness into working landscapes.

Matt works with land managers to improve rangeland stewardship and has worked alongside ranchers to help prevent conflicts with large carnivores, including wolves and grizzly bears, throughout the Northern Rocky Mountains of Montana and Wyoming.

In this episode of The Wolf Connection Podcast, Matt joins us following his recent visit to Wolf Connection to talk about his experience at the sanctuary and share the latest updates from the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project, including the work being done around wolves and wolf conservation in the Rocky Mountain region.

@mattk.barnes

@rockymtnwolf

Rocky Mountain Wolf Project

Shining Horizons Land Management

@thewolfconnectionpod

The Languages Of Life

Climate change is not just shifting temperatures, it is rewriting the rules of survival for wolves, moose, and entire ecosystems. In this episode, research ecologist Toni Lyn Morelli explains what wildlife experiences as winters warm, snow disappears, parasites spread, and habitats become increasingly fragmented. Drawing from her work at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, Toni explores how animals respond to rapid environmental change and why species that seem adaptable may still be pushed beyond their limits.

We discuss the concept of umwelt, which helps us understand how animals experience the world differently from humans, as well as the effects of snow drought on cold-adapted species like wolves and moose. We examine the impact of winter ticks on moose, the importance of climate refugia, the role of habitat connectivity, and the shifting relationships between deer, moose, lynx, bobcats, and other wildlife. The conversation also explores whether species can move, adapt, or survive in landscapes divided by roads, cities, and human development.

This episode offers a thoughtful look at resilience, interdependence, and what wildlife can teach us about living through a rapidly changing world.

Morelli Lab

Climate Refugia

2026 Western Snow Drought Was About Four Times More Likely Caused by Climate Change

@thewolfconnectionpod

The Languages of Life

What if the real problem is not the world around us, but the way we’ve been taught to see it? Ecologist and philosopher Matthijs Schouten explores how Western thinking shaped our separation from nature, and why that mindset still affects the way we live today. He makes the case for seeing ourselves not above the natural world, but as part of a larger community of life.

In this episode, Matthijs traces the roots of this worldview through philosophy, religion, and science, while also pointing to other traditions that offer a more connected way of understanding the world. He shares why language matters, how we can reframe our relationship with nature, and what it means to move from control to participation. This conversation is a thoughtful invitation to rediscover wonder, belonging, and reciprocity.

Homepage for Matthijs Schouten

Matthijs Schouten Portfolio

@thewolfconnectionpod

The Languages of Life