How Wild

NPR•www.npr.org

How Wild hits trails around the country, exploring the meaning of wilderness. A century ago, the U.S. set aside the first official wilderness. You'll hear stories from rangers, scientists, hikers, environmentalists, and Tribal leaders as they grapple with the realities of wilderness on a changing planet, and whether the concept of "wilderness" has ever really existed.

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Episodes

Wild Times: An Update On National Parks Under Trump

It's wild times, y'all. Just as we're getting ready to go hiking and camping this summer, national parks and forests are facing the biggest staff and budget cuts in history under the Trump administration. In this interview, How Wild host Marissa Ortega-Welch shares what she's been hearing from park and forest rangers, biologists, and custodians about how these cuts will impact the nation's public lands. This interview originally aired on KALW Public Media's Crosscurrents on May 15, 2025. Learn m...

May 22, 2025•15 min•Season 1Ep. 10

How Wild Presents: The Wild with Chris Morgan

It may not be designated capital "W" wilderness, but the ocean is an incredibly wild place. We're sharing an episode about the ocean from The Wild with Chris Morgan, produced by our friends at KUOW. The Wild is about the wonders of our natural world and the people working to protect it. On this episode, Chris takes us to Biscayne National Park off the coast of Florida to see how scientists are trying to restore one of the world's largest coral reefs. If you like this episode, find more at https:...

Dec 12, 2024•40 min

How Wild Presents: "The New Space Race" from Outside/In

What if the next time you were in wilderness looking at the sky on a clear, dark night, you saw more visible satellites than stars? What if the Big Dipper and Orion were drowned out by a satellite traffic jam, criss-crossing through space? More satellites are being launched into space than ever before. And as they become more common, they're changing the experience of looking at the night sky and raising questions about who regulates the stuff we put up there. We think about how to protect the e...

Oct 07, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 8

Wild Ideas

How wild? We don't have the foggiest idea. In this final episode of season one, we go to California's Point Reyes National Seashore on a cloudy day to think about the nebulous feeling of wilderness and its future. "Capital W" wilderness is a useful land management tool, but wilderness as a feeling is different for everybody. Photo by Janet Rosen (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Sep 24, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 7

Other

Not everything fits into neat little boxes. Sometimes you have to check "other." What are other perspectives on wilderness? We visit the country's first tribal wilderness in the Mission Mountains of Montana to hear how it's managed by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Sep 17, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 6

Primitive, Unconfined Recreation

Do you have all your gear to head into nature? What about your smartphone? Technology helps people access wilderness, but it can also get in the way. We're hitting the Pacific Crest Trail with hikers and a Search and Rescue team who have mixed feelings about technology in wilderness, and we meet a recreator who wouldn't be able to be here without it. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Sep 10, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Solitude

Do you have a permit? We're going to a popular trail in Colorado's Maroon Bells to talk about the slippery feeling of solitude and what to do about more people on the trail. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Sep 03, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Natural

We're tired from hiking and taking a break at an art museum to ponder how nature got framed. We're exploring how artists like Ansel Adams and thinkers like John Muir shaped Americans' ideas of what "authentic nature" should look like and who belongs in it." Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Aug 27, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Undeveloped

What do you mean by "undeveloped" — weren't there people living here? We're wading through rivers in the nation's first wilderness in New Mexico's Gila National Forest to learn how the idea of capital "W" Wilderness came to be. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Aug 20, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Untrammeled

Untrammeled. No, that's not a typo. We don't mean untrampled. Wilderness areas are supposed to remain free from human intervention unless absolutely necessary. But in a world where every part of the planet is affected by climate change, how do we decide when to intervene? We're heading off-trail in Sequoia National Park with land managers and environmentalists who are at odds. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Aug 13, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Introducing How Wild

Put on your hiking shoes. Pack some water and snacks. We're heading out on trails around the West to explore the meaning of wilderness and how it's changing. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Aug 01, 2024•3 min

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