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.

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.

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.

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.

"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."

"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."

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.

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.

"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."

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.

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."

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."

WCS's John Calvelli talks to John Catsimatidis about the global crisis of illegal wildlife trafficking for the Cats Roundtable podcast.

"As a young woman I always dreamed of working with wildlife and travelling the world, but I did not believe it was a possibility simply because there were never any women of color on nature shows at that time," writes the Bronx Zoo Zoological Health Program's Dalia Ferguson in a new essay at PBS Nature for Women's History Month. "I think that it is an incredible thing I ended up where my younger self never thought she would belong."

"Unlike other international agreements, the Convention on Migratory Species is built around a recognition that it is not enough to protect animals in one country if they are vulnerable in another," writes WCS's Sue Lieberman in a new commentary for PBS Nature. "The treaty focuses on connectivity—protecting migration routes, safeguarding key habitats, and coordinating action across borders."

In a new essay for PBS Nature celebrating International Women's Month, WCS Lao PDR's Manoly Sisavanh write, "Conservation means ensuring that present and future generations respect and share landscapes where forests still stand, wildlife still thrives, and ecosystems continue to sustain livelihoods, economies and human wellbeing—as interconnected parts of a single, living system."