Grizzly bears are making a remarkable comeback across the American West. After decades of recovery, they’re expanding into places they haven’t occupied for generations – working ranches, rural communities, and the landscapes where people make their living.

So what happens when one of North America’s most iconic predators returns?

In the third season premiere of Working Wild University, we trace the story of the grizzly bear – from its deep history on the continent, through near-extirpation, to one of the greatest wildlife recoveries in U.S. history. Along the way, we explore a question that will shape the entire season: Where do grizzly bears belong, and who gets to decide?

Through conversations with historians, ranchers, wildlife experts, and community leaders, we examine how conservation success has created a new set of challenges – and why the next chapter of grizzlies is as much about people as it is about bears.

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Topics discussed

The Blackfoot Challenge, short faced bears of the ice age, Lewis and Clark’s encounters with grizzly bears, grizzly bear decline and recovery, Endangered Species Act, tribal perspective (Blackfeet Nation), Richard Nixon’s landmark environmental legislation, Jim Stone’s ranch in the Blackfoot Valley in western Montana, how collaborative conservation works, the next chapter of grizzly bear conservation

Featuring

Credits

Working Wild University is a production of Western Landowners Alliance and Dr. Jared Beaver of Montana State University Extension, and a proud part of Natural Resources University podcast network. 

Hosted by Hallie Mahowald and Jared Beaver; Produced by Zach Altman; Editing by Kathleen Shannon and Zach Altman; Executive producers: Louis Wertz, Jared Beaver, Hallie Mahowald and Erik Kalsta