Episodes

  • Wolves’ Long Journey Home

    Wolves’ Long Journey Home
    Dec 4 2025
    A century ago, gray wolves roamed much of California, Oregon and Washington, playing a vital role in these wild landscapes. Urbanization, ranching and government extermination programs wiped them out. But wolves have been making an epic return on the West Coast. In the last 2025 episode of our Sounds Wild podcast, host Vanessa Barchfield talks with the Center’s Amaroq Weiss about how wolves made their comeback and what the future looks like for this iconic species. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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    25 mins
  • Fresh Hope for Pangolins

    Fresh Hope for Pangolins
    Nov 27 2025
    When it comes to wildlife trade, pangolins hold a dubious distinction: They’re the most trafficked mammal in the world, often sold for their meat or for medicinal purposes. But for these exceedingly cute animals — the only mammals with scales — the tide may finally be turning. In the newest episode of our Sounds Wild podcast, host Mike Stark talks with Sarah Uhlemann, director of the Center’s International program, about what makes pangolins so unique and how their fate became so entangled with wildlife trade around the world, including in the United States. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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    19 mins
  • Cows in Our Midst

    Cows in Our Midst
    Nov 20 2025
    Cows don’t belong in rivers and streams, especially in the Southwest’s riparian areas that are home to endangered species like the Southwestern willow flycatcher and the northern Mexico garter snake. In the newest episode of our Sounds Wild podcast, host Vanessa Barchfield goes into the field with Chris Bugbee, one of the Center’s conservation advocates, to explore what happens when cows wander into places where they shouldn’t, and how hooves can change an ecosystem. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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    25 mins
  • The State of Our Birds

    The State of Our Birds
    Nov 13 2025
    There are 3 billion fewer birds in North American than there were in 1970 – and now a new report says one in three bird species needs our help. In the newest episode of our Sounds Wild podcast, host Mike Stark talks with Jeff Walters of the American Ornithological Society about why things have gotten more difficult for our feathered friends, how we can help, and the deep, long-running connection between people and birds. This episode features bird song recordings by the National Park Service, Sue Riffe and Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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    28 mins
  • Can We Co-exist with Whales?

    Can We Co-exist with Whales?
    Nov 6 2025
    Whales may be the biggest animals on the planet but they’re also some of the most vulnerable. Although whaling is no longer the threat it once was, these giants of the sea are forced to contend with offshore drilling, industrial noise and fast-moving ships traveling through their home waters. In the newest episode of our Sounds Wild podcast, host Vanessa Barchfield talks with Kristen Monsell, litigation director of our Oceans program, about threats to whales and what it’ll take to secure them a future that’s truly safe. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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    32 mins
  • Species in the Waiting Room

    Species in the Waiting Room
    Oct 30 2025
    The Endangered Species Act is one of the most powerful laws on Earth when it comes to saving species from extinction. But what happens when animals and plants who need help don’t get it in time? In the newest episode of our Sounds Wild podcast, host Mike Stark talks with Noah Greenwald, co-director of our Endangered Species program, about how the Act works, why it’s so hard for some species to get the protection they need, and what can be done. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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    29 mins
  • The Return of Jaguars

    The Return of Jaguars
    Oct 23 2025
    Jaguars once roamed the Americas from Argentina to Arizona. Hunting, government killing programs and conflicts with the livestock industry forced them out of much of their home territory a century ago. But in northern Argentina, they’re back — and the same could happen in the southwestern U.S. In the newest episode of our Sounds Wild podcast, host Vanessa Barchfield talks with Sebastián Di Martino, conservation director of Rewilding Argentina, about the return of jaguars in his country and what it would take to bring them back in the U.S. This episode features the song La Danza de los Jaguares from the band XIXA. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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    33 mins
  • The Fate of Red Wolves

    The Fate of Red Wolves
    Oct 16 2025
    Red wolves are the rarest canids on the planet – and at one point it looked like they might disappear forever. But their story is still being written and they’re now clawing their way back from the brink thanks to a renewed effort from conservationists, local tribes and government officials. In the newest episode of our Sounds Wild podcast, host Mike Stark talks with Will Harlan, our Southeast director, about the magic of red wolves, their future in North Carolina and the legacy of individual wolves like Airplane Ears and Blaze. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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    34 mins