WildFed Podcast — Hunt Fish Forage Food

Dr. Stephen Rich is a Professor of Microbiology and Director of the Laboratory of Medical Zoology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he researches zoonotic diseases. He's particularly focused on the tick-borne illness Lyme disease and runs a lab called TickReport where you can send in ticks to test for pathogens. In this interview, Dr. Rich gives us a comprehensive overview of ticks & their life cycles, tick-borne disease, how to prevent tick bites and more. It's the beginning of tick season in many areas — now is the time to educate yourself on strategies to minimize your risk of tick-borne illness! View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/024

Nikaline Iacono is the owner and visionary behind Vessel & Vine — an eclectic bar and bistro in Maine with a focus on locally-sourced cocktails and cuisine. We sat down with Nikaline at "The Vine" for a wide-ranging conversation over foraged cocktails. Be warned: We traverse a lot of territory in this interview — some of it taboo — including the complex horse-human relationship, how to make a Chaga Toddy, invasive species, and even eugenics. Enjoy & cheers! View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/023

Robert Steneck, Ph.D is a professor of Oceanography, Marine Biology and Marine Policy in the School of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine. He's a marine ecologist whose laboratories include coastal zones in the Gulf of Maine and the Caribbean, and his lifetime of marine research is prolific, with topics ranging from coral reefs to lobsters to marine ecosystem dynamics and more. We sat down with Bob on the front porch of his seaside cottage for this conversation on ocean ecology, the management of ocean fisheries, and his hope for a community-based fisheries management model in the future. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/022

Learn about becoming a modern-day hunter-gatherer with Arthur Haines — hunter, forager, renowned botanist and Maine Guide. Arthur is an incredible resource on both the philosophical and practical aspects of all things wild food. This episode provides a useful framework for getting started in foraging, choosing your weapon, having a good relationship with your local game warden, developing marksmanship, and more. Tune into the intro for Daniel's thoughts on the novel coronavirus and how it relates to the modern-day hunting & gathering lifestyle. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/021

Carter Heath is a lifelong turkey hunter, turkey hunting mentor and Regional Director of the National Wild Turkey Federation for New England. In this episode, Carter walks us through turkey hunting basics — from turkey terminology to in-the-field hunting calls, equipment and best practices. If you're new to turkey hunting or looking to pick up some tips from a seasoned expert, this podcast will give you a good handle on how to get started. Carter's enthusiasm is contagious and is sure to inspire you to get out in pursuit of wild turkeys this spring! View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/020

Dr. Laura Brandt is a Wildlife Biologist with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in South Florida and has been studying the ecological role of alligators and other wetlands species in the Everglades region for almost 40 years. In this episode, Laura shares her passion for alligators and the Everglades as she takes us on a guided tour of the River of Grass. You'll learn about Everglades restoration, alligator ecology, where alligator & crocodile habitats overlap, the surprising gentleness of alligators in parenting and so much more. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/019

Lifelong outdoorsman Conor Sullivan specializes in fisheries management, maritime law enforcement and is an established outdoor writer. His fishing background is what fisherman's dreams are made of — having fished in the wilds of Alaska and Hawaii and throughout the lower 48 as well. In this interview, Conor shares what it's like living amongst apex predators in the Alaskan frontier, tells tales of high speed trolling in Hawaii, and imparts his valuable knowledge on breaking down barriers to entry into fishing for those just getting started. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/018

Kathryn Hopkins — director of the International Maple Syrup Institute and statewide resource for the Maine maple syrup industry — shares the ins and outs of modern maple syrup production. We discuss how the sap flow process works, where maple syrup is produced, best practices for the syrup harvester and the sugarbush, how the grading system works and so much more. If you're interested in getting started with harvesting your own maple syrup this year, you won't want to miss this comprehensive guide! Enjoy, and as Kathy says, if you're going to eat sugar, make it maple... View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/017

In this interview, Dr. Molly Lutcavage — a research professor at UMass Boston and director of their Large Pelagics Research Center — joins us on The WildFed Podcast. Molly has spent almost her entire career working on developing a better understanding of bluefin tuna ecology and their populations. What she and other researchers have uncovered through years of boots on the ground research — and what you'll be hearing about today — has not yet been widely accepted in the scientific narrative of bluefin tuna, but she hopes that will change. Her incredible story is a must-listen complete with controversy, environmental bullies and scientific myth-busting! View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/016

Arthur Haines — hunter, forager, renowned botanist and Maine Guide — is back on The WildFed Podcast for an insightful conversation about the nuances of wild food nutrition, wild ricing and its politics, black bear hunting with hounds, and many other complexities of hunting & foraging in our modern world. Fresh off of filming WildFed Episode 6 — which features both wild rice and black bear harvests — Arthur and Daniel carefully navigate these sensitive and controversial topics from both ancestral and experiential perspectives. Enjoy this thought-provoking conversation! View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/015

Today's guest, Richard Zane — lead biologist with USFWS Northeast Region's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program — sheds light on how the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation works and why it's been so successful. Through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act that's been around for nearly a century, the Federal Government uses funds collected as excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment to support wildlife field research, habitat restoration and programs that help to restore and maintain healthy wildlife populations in the US. Gain a better understanding of the role hunting and fishing have on preserving North American wildlife and wild places now and for generations to come! View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/014

Catherine Schmitt — science writer and author of The President's Salmon — joins us to share the rich cultural and natural history of the Atlantic salmon. From the days when Maine's Penobscot River ran thick with migrating salmon to the current grim status of under 1,000 salmon returning to the river annually, the Atlantic salmon's conservation story is still in progress. Catherine takes us through the history of the salmon fishery and gives us the current status update on the health of this still-recovering species. An important listen for anglers, conservation-minded folks and anyone who cares about Earth's ecology and the plight of one of our planet's most celebrated species! View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/013

Kelsey Sullivan is the Migratory and Upland Game Bird biologist for Maine's Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW). Kelsey oversees the MDIFW game bird management program and has been an integral part of the continued success of Maine's wild turkey recovery and management. In this interview, Kelsey shares the inspiring story of the recovery of Maine's wild turkey and the work he does with MDIFW to conserve this population for generations to come. In addition, you'll hear about Kelsey's work in Alaska on the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the wide range of opinions on Maine's turkey population, and Kelsey's best tips for successful and conscientious turkey hunting. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/012

Lori McCarthy - founder of CodSounds - is a wild food forager who has dedicated her life to preserving the cultural food heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador. Lori invited us up to Newfoundland to share a bit of what makes the place she calls home so special. We recorded this interview at the end of an incredible week of unique wild food adventures with Lori as our guide. Tune in to hear what it's like living in a region so interwoven with its cultural wild food traditions, the history of the Newfoundland cod fishery, and a recap of some of the highlights from the wild food trip of a lifetime. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/011

Jim Knutson — owner of Reel Identity Fishing Charters in the Florida Keys — is an avid and lifelong hunter and fisherman. Jim and Daniel met by chance in a tackle shop in Marathon Key talking iguana hunting, and they now enjoy offshore fishing & iguana wrangling together every year. Jim is full of riveting and hilarious stories from a lifetime of hunting and fishing, and he shares some of them with us in this interview — from tickling trout to freediving for abalone to a story about learning to hunt deer you have to hear to believe. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/010

In this episode of The WildFed Podcast, Daniel talks with award-winning journalist and author of The Last Whalers, Doug Bock Clark. Doug spent three years living in Indonesia with indigenous subsistence whalers — a people-group known as the Lamalerans — and recounts everything from his first-hand accounts of being on whale hunts to the experience living with hunter-gatherers. This story is powerful, gripping, poignant, and especially interesting and inspiring for modern subsistence hunter-gatherers. We'd love to hear what you think and feel about it! View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/009

Take a deep dive into the surprisingly complex life of seaweed with Jessica Muhlin, Ph.D! Jessica is an intertidal ecologist and associate professor of Marine Biology in the Corning School of Ocean Studies at Maine Maritime Academy. Her passion for marine macroalgae (aka seaweeds) is contagious. In this conversation, Jessica shares her extensive knowledge on seaweed reproductive ecology, the many applications of seaweed, the sustainability of seaweed harvesting in Maine, and much more. She also shares some helpful tips on seaweed foraging so you can start incorporating this wild protist into your own diet! View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/008

Have you been wanting to get into wild foods but run into significant barriers to entry? Are you looking to expand on your current hunting, fishing, or foraging practice? In this solo episode of The WildFed Podcast, our host Daniel Vitalis — an adult-onset hunter/gatherer himself — will guide you through his top strategies for getting started finding your niche in the world of hunting, fishing & foraging. You'll hear tips on identifying your optimal foraging range, the value in finding species that are easily harvested without a lot of technical skills & equipment, the steps you can take to get started hunting, fishing & foraging right now, and so much more. This episode will help the beginner develop their wild food niche and offer some fresh perspective on developing wild food culture for the more advanced wild food enthusiast. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/007

Best-selling author and lifelong fisherman Paul Greenberg gives us a briefing on the health of our world's fisheries and their sustainability into the future. Paul wrote a trio of books — Four Fish, American Catch and most recently, The Omega Principle — that take an investigative look at healthy, sustainable seafood and our relationship to the fish on our plate. We delve into each of Paul's books, get to the root of fish flavor perceptions, take an in-depth look at the sushi fish, get the lowdown on the science and startling truths of Omega-3s and get Paul's big picture outlook on the sustainability of our ocean's ecosystem into the future. This is an important listen for those who care about the state of our oceans and the conservation of our wild fisheries. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/006

It was such a pleasure to chat all things wild food with Jenna Rozelle — Maine-based wild food educator & board member of the New England chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Jenna is passionate about fostering relationships between people and their local landscapes. An active and conscientious hunter, fisher & forager, she's a true ambassador for this lifestyle. In this interview, we cover a wide range of topics — and have a lot of laughs along the way — including the future of foraging, plant people vs. animal people, veganism, hunter's orange, following the rules, posting land and so much more. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/005

After a week in Wisconsin with Alan Bergo — @foragerchef — we sat down to talk about what he calls "the final frontier of food". With an emphasis on foraging for flavor — rather than calories — Alan shares how we can paint our plate with a new palette of unique flavors. Wild foods like meristematic pine cones and sweet fern — examples, he says, of "real plants doing real plant things". On the cutting edge of wild food cuisine, Alan will make you rethink how you use wild foods in the kitchen with his innovative & practical advice. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/004

Deb Perkins, bear biologist, and now "The Personal Ecologist" inspires us to bring "exquisite attention" to our interactions in nature to foster a deeper connection to our local ecology. She shares fascinating stories from her years as a field biologist studying bears all over North America, and we chat about her work in ecological habitat design. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/003

A lively fireside chat with Arthur Haines, Sara Moore, William Orne and Daniel Vitalis after a weekend spent fishing for lake whitefish in Northern Maine. Topics discussed include what's changed over the years in the North Maine Woods, fishing regulations and staying legal, the history of whitefish and Bill's moose calls. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/002

Welcome to the inaugural episode of The WildFed Podcast! In this episode, our host Daniel Vitalis introduces WildFed, shares a little bit about who we are and discusses what you can expect from WildFed, both the podcast and the forthcoming Video Show. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/001