Op-Eds, Blogs & Podcasts


Niko Radjenovic Talks about Pioneering Conservation, Nimble Leadership, and Cascading Goals
by Niko Radjenovic
WCS VP for Business Services Niko Radjenovik joins the Attraction Pros podcast to describe how the Bronx Zoo and the Wildlife Conservation Society helped shape modern conservation efforts long before conservation became a mainstream focus. He shares the story of how the Bronx Zoo played a key role in helping save the American bison population more than a century ago by breeding bison and reintroducing them into protected habitats in the western United States. He also highlights WCS's history of creating naturalistic, cageless habitats that transformed how zoos approached animal care and guest experiences.
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Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the American Bison as the U.S. National Mammal
by John Calvelli, Keith Aune, Dave Carter, Jim Stone
This week, as we mark the 10th anniversary of the National Bison Legacy Act, WCS Wild Audio revisits its report on how extraordinary partnerships across geography, culture, and politics helped make the American bison our national mammal. Looking ahead to the 250th anniversary of American independence this July, there can be no better time to reflect on the bison as both a symbol of our shared past and a reminder of our responsibility to protect the wildlife, landscapes, and cultural legacies that define us. Guests include WCS's John Calvelli and retired WCS bison coordinator Keith Aune.
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One Health: Research, Relationships, and Respect with WCS
by Michelle Johannsen, Maya Homsy King
In this episode of 71° Lat Chat, Michelle Johannsen and Maya Homsy King from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) join Serina Wesen and Clarissa Zeller to talk about One Health research across Alaska’s Arctic and Beringia regions. Together, they explore how wildlife health, human health, and environmental change are deeply interconnected and why local and Indigenous knowledge is critical to understanding Arctic ecosystems.
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Global Big Day for Birds for NYC & Central America
by Anna Lello-Smith, Jeremy Radachowsky
In a new op-ed for the New York Daily News in recognition of the Cornell Ornithology Lab's "Global Big Day for Birds," WCS's Anna Lello-Smith and Jeremy Radachowsky argue that if we want our birds to keep returning to the New York area each spring, we must protect their tropical homes.
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WCS’s Career Lattice Education Program Is Opening New Doors
by Reiariel Garcia, Yvonne Bennett, John Calvelli
Each year, the WCS Career Lattice supports over 1,900 youth ages 14 to 24 in volunteer, internship, and employment opportunities across its five parks in New York City. It’s helping young people turn early opportunities into meaningful careers, as they develop skills, find mentorship opportunities, and gain valuable experience. Wild Audio's Dan Rosen talks to WCS's Reiariel Garcia, Yvonne Bennett, and John Calvelli to learn more.
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Where Does Canada Stand on International Environmental Crime?
by Justina Ray
Illegal fishing, pollution and wildlife trafficking is a US$300-billion global threat. In a new essay for Policy Optioins Politiques, WCS Canada's Justina Ray says a UN deal could close enforcement gaps – if Canada steps up.
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Screening Nature to Fight for It
by John Calvelli
"Wildlife films bring distant worlds into focus, connect New Yorkers to a global conservation story, and challenge us to see nature as something intertwined with our lives," write WCS's John Calvelli in a new op-ed for the New York Daily News highlighting this month's REEL WILD New York Film Festival. "If Earth Month is to mean anything," adds John, "it must move us beyond appreciation to action."
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A Man for All Earth Days
by Joe Walston, Miriam Horn
"Across wildly diverse ecosystems and human cultures," write WCS's Joe Walston and biographer Miriam Horn in a new essay for PBS Nature, "George Schaller laid down principles that still guide conservation: a commitment to science that keeps up with a changing world to add more data and new understanding; respect for the knowledge held by local communities and for their central role in conservation solutions; and an understanding that an animal’s future is not secured by a lone outsider or study, but by generations of national scientists and practitioners."
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A New Biography Captures Conservation Luminary Dr. George Schaller
by Miriam Horn
WCS's George Schaller is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern field biology — a scientist whose work helped transform how we study animals in the wild. From gorillas in the Congo to snow leopards in the Himalayas, his research has shaped conservation for decades. This week, WCS Wild Audio caught up with author Miriam Horn to discuss her new biography of Schaller, Homesick for a World Unknown, and the legacy of a life spent observing wildlife.
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Bronx Bees Star in Award-Winning
by Sean Flynn, Hannah Rafkin
WCS’s REEL WILD™️ New York Film Festival returns to showcase fresh, powerful stories about people and nature from around the world. One of this year’s featured films is "Keeper"—a documentary short that follows a Bronx beekeeper, Sean Flynn, and his daughter. The film was shortlisted for an Oscar Award. This week for WCS Wild Audio, Dan Rosen talks to Sean and film director Hannah Rafkin. You can see Keeper on Friday, April 24.
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From Campus Dreams to Global Solutions: Three Decades in Conservation
by Sarah Walker
"To truly address the magnitude of the climate and biodiversity crises," writes WCS's Sarah Walker in a new essay for PBS Nature to mark Women's History Month, "we must expand financial flows exponentially and rapidly. Conserving and restoring nature represents the most financially efficient approach to mitigate climate change while also stabilizing local watersheds, preserving biodiversity, and supporting rural communities."
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Ford Government’s Haste in Ring of Fire Road Development Is Risky Business
by Adam Kirkwood
"Rushing the design and construction of an unprecedented road through sensitive landscapes carries real risk of causing irreversible damage to ecosystems – on top of financial concerns," writes WCS Canada's Adam Kirkwood in a new essay for the Globe and Mail, warning that "problems that careful planning could address will instead be discovered after the fact, at far greater cost."
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A Life Illuminated: Dr. Edith Widder’s Ocean Discoveries | REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival
by Dr. Edith Widder
The REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival returns April 23–26, 2026, celebrating filmmakers and wildlife stories that inspire action and conservation impact. In advance, WCS Wild Audio’s Hannah Kaplan sat down with Dr. Edith Widder, star of A Life Illuminated, winner of Best Exploration Film and Best in Fest. The documentary follows Dr. Widder - one of the first women in her field and first people to explore the ocean’s twilight zone - as she descends 3,300 feet into the deep, capturing the first-ever footage of the elusive giant squid and uncovering bioluminescent phenomena that could transform our understanding of life on Earth.
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Platooning into a Rewarding Conservation Career
by Jessica Hernandez
In a new commentary for PBS Nature celebrating Women's History Month, the New York Aquarium's Jessica Hernandez discusses the importance of her role as Supervising Maintainer for the Facilities and Operations Department. "Our Life Support Systems replicate and maintain the natural conditions of both freshwater and saltwater habitats by carefully controlling factors such as temperature, water quality, salinity, oxygen levels, and waste removal," she notes, adding "Regular maintenance and monitoring ensure that the aquarium life support systems maintain a delicate balance that mimics nature. Without them, it would be nearly impossible to sustain aquatic ecosystems in the aquarium."
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Co-Managing Biodiversity in Madagascar
by Ravaka Ranaivoson
Strengthening co-management systems ensures that governance structures are inclusive and representative of all resource users, including women and youth, notes WCS Madagascar's Ravaka Ranaivoson in a new essay for PBS Nature celebrating Women in Conservation. "Promoting women’s participation," she says, "requires both empowerment and efforts to foster social acceptance, including approaches that engage men as allies."
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Combating Illegal Wildlife Trade and Protecting New York’s Animals
by John Calvelli
WCS's John Calvelli talks to John Catsimatidis about the global crisis of illegal wildlife trafficking for the Cats Roundtable podcast.
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