What if there were no animals? 🦅 This week, ecologist Rae Wynn-Grant tells us what the world would be like without animal life, along with how we can prevent animals from disappearing from around the world 🐻 Tune in to hear the powers of conservation!
Learn more about Rae and conservation efforts in our bonus interview extra on Patreon!
MEET OUR FEATURED EXPERT
RAE WYNN-GRANT
Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is a large carnivore ecologist and host of the PBS Nature podcast, Going Wild with Rae Wynn-Grant. Rae also co-hosts Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, a TV show all about protecting the wild.
Here's a super enlightening video about Rae's work in the wild:
Were you wondering about that super-cute bear cub cuddling? Here it is:
WE NEED ANIMALS
In the episode, we learned how valuable every animal is. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) turns 50 years old in 2023 and has helped save so many species. If you want to learn more about the ESA click here or on the logo. On that webpage, you'll find several resources, like which endangered species live in your area. Also, you can click here for the full endangered species list from the World Wildlife Foundation.
If no animals existed, Rae warned of a "trophic cascade." Essentially, the food web would fall apart. That's pretty scary because, just like other animals, we need a working food web to survive! If you'd like to learn more about food webs, here's a Crash Course Kids explanation:
