In this episode, I speak with Kyle Lavin, a conservationist and wilderness and wildlife advocate from Bozeman, Montana. We talk about Kyle’s experiences growing up in Pinedale Wyoming and his strong ties to the wilderness areas of Montana and Wyoming. We discuss the significant changes in Pinedale and Jackson Hole, Wyoming over the years, from childhood memories to the impacts of natural gas production. Kyle and I discuss personal wildlife encounters, including rare sightings of wolverines in the Wind River Range, and the lasting impact of these experiences. We move on to discuss the challenges faced in conserving Montana’s Gallatin Range amidst increasing recreational use and the pressures of population growth.
Watch "The Wild Gallatins," A Film About Recreation, Wildlife, and Wilderness Near Yellowstone National Park
The Gallatin Range—Montana’s largest unprotected roadless wildlands—could not be at a more critical crossroads. This wild 250,000-acre expanse of public lands immediately adjacent to Yellowstone National Park is under threat by the Forest Service and the Gallatin Forest Partnership—a so called “conservation” collaborative proposing to break up this crit…
00:57 Interview with Kyle Lavin: Conservation and Wilderness
01:36 The Gallatin Range: Conservation Challenges
04:08 Montana’s Changing Landscape and Celebrity Residents
14:00 Growing Up in Pinedale, Wyoming
22:49 Impact of Natural Gas Production in Wyoming
31:32 The Influence of Social Media on Wilderness Areas
35:01 The Impact of Social Media on Nature
35:34 Wolverine Encounters in the Wilderness
40:29 Moving to Bozeman for Love and Nature
45:28 Exploring the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
50:25 Conservation Concerns in the Gallatin Range
01:03:59 The Importance of Protecting Wilderness Areas
01:06:58 Final Thoughts and Reflections
