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Wildlife Episodes

Investigating the unique and often imperiled animal species that call the desert home, from desert tortoises to bighorn sheep, and the threats they face from development, climate change, and human encroachment.
S4E39: Ideology vs. Wildlife Science: A Conversation with Mandy Culbertson
Oct. 17, 2025

S4E39: Ideology vs. Wildlife Science: A Conversation with Mandy Culbertson

Join host Chris Clarke for an insightful discussion on wildlife protection and democratic governance with Mandy Culbertson from Wildlife for All. Explore the varying effectiveness of state wildlife policies across the Southwest, the threat of border militarization to biodiversity, and current polit…
S4E12: We Need To Talk About "De-Extinction"
April 15, 2025

S4E12: We Need To Talk About "De-Extinction"

Chris explores the controversial claim of dire wolves' de-extinction, the ecological implications, and the potential risks tied to genetic modification. Get insights into recent political maneuvers, the delicate nature of ecosystems, and why reviving the past isn't as simple as it seems.
S3E34: Hope the Mexican Wolf: A Tale of Survival and Loss in Northern Arizona
Nov. 19, 2024

S3E34: Hope the Mexican Wolf: A Tale of Survival and Loss in Northern Arizona

Join host Chris Clarke as he delves into the poignant tale of Hope, a Mexican wolf, with Greta Anderson from Western Watersheds Project. Discover the politics behind wolf recovery north of Interstate 40, and the broader impli...
S3E31: Return of the Lobo: Restoring Texas' Mexican Wolves
Oct. 22, 2024

S3E31: Return of the Lobo: Restoring Texas' Mexican Wolves

About the Guest(s): Chris Clarke is the host of the "90 Miles from Needles: The Desert Protection Podcast." He brings a wealth of knowledge about wildlife and conservation topics, particularly relating to the American Southwe...
S3E29: Barbed Wire and Border Walls: The Unseen Cost of Fragmented Habitats
Oct. 8, 2024

S3E29: Barbed Wire and Border Walls: The Unseen Cost of Fragmented Habitats

About the Guest : Ben Goldfarb is an award-winning environmental journalist and prolific author known for his focus on the intersection of human activity and wildlife. His works, including Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shapi...
S3E22:  Debunking Snake Misconceptions
July 24, 2024

S3E22: Debunking Snake Misconceptions

Chris chats with Lucas Basulto, president of the Desert Advocacy Media Network, from a swelteringly hot living room about snakes in the desert. They trade snake stories, discuss common misconceptions about these reptiles, and...
S3E10: Can the Wilson's Phalarope Save the  Great Salt Lake?
April 3, 2024

S3E10: Can the Wilson's Phalarope Save the Great Salt Lake?

Episode Summary: In this thought-provoking episode of "90 Miles from Needles," the Desert Protection podcast, we journey with the host to the shores of the rapidly shrinking Great Salt Lake and the steps of the Utah State Cap...
S2E16: Protecting Desert Bighorn Sheep from Habitat Loss and Disease
Dec. 25, 2023

S2E16: Protecting Desert Bighorn Sheep from Habitat Loss and Disease

About The Guest(s): Dr. Christina Aiello is a bighorn sheep biologist and research associate with Oregon State University. She has dedicated her career to studying and conserving desert wildlife, particularly desert tortoises...
S2E10 Save Ash Meadows!
July 11, 2023

S2E10 Save Ash Meadows!

Mason Voehl from the Amargosa Conservancy joins hosts Chris Clarke and Alicia Pike to discuss the threat posed by a Canadian mining company's plans to conduct exploratory drilling for lithium near the Ash Meadows National Wil...
S2E2: Remembering Phil Pister
Jan. 18, 2023

S2E2: Remembering Phil Pister

Edwin P. (Phil) Pister, who died January 17, was a fisheries biologist long employed by the California Department of Fish and Game (now Fish and Wildlife.) He was involved in working to protect numerous fish in Eastern Califo...
S1E21: The Desert Tortoise Still Has a Chance
Nov. 7, 2022

S1E21: The Desert Tortoise Still Has a Chance

The largest reptile in the Mojave faces threats ranging from predation to illegal collection to loss of habitat. But the desert tortoise has defenders. We talk to Tim Shields of Hardshell Labs about his campaign to use 21st c...
S1E7: This Desert Fish was Declared Extinct. Now It Thrives.
April 1, 2022

S1E7: This Desert Fish was Declared Extinct. Now It Thrives.

Considered extinct by the late 1950s, the Shoshone pupfish was rediscovered 36 years ago by a woman who changed her entire town to preserve the species. We talk to Shoshone resident Susan Sorrells about her life and the fish,...
S1E6: Co(yot)existence — how to live with coyotes
March 16, 2022

S1E6: Co(yot)existence — how to live with coyotes

They're more complicated than the howling silhouette on your bespoke candle holder from Santa Fe, and more interesting. Chris and Alicia discuss living with coyotes in the desert, what they offer, what they don't offer, and h...
Saving the Dixie Valley Toad
Jan. 17, 2022

Saving the Dixie Valley Toad

Discovered only in 2017, the Dixie Valley toad is found only in one 400-acre hot spring wetland in remote Nevada. Guess where a giant geothermal corporation is ready to build a wetland-draining power plant? We talk to Patrick...