28 Nature Guide John "Griff" Griffith on Ecology, Nature, Cougars, and Predators

"Griff" Griffith joins us to discuss:
-his background and how he became interested in nature
-the flora, fauna, land, and First Peoples of Northern California
-how First Peoples influenced their local ecologies
-the importance of fire to some ecosystems
-Kyle Burgess, "The Cougar Guy," and his Mountain Lion encounter that went viral
-books Griff recommends
-the importance of predators to keep ecosystems healthy for humans
-habitat fragmentation
-and more


About Griff: "As the host of Animal Planet’s online show 'Wild Jobs,' and a lifetime wildlife conservationist, John 'Griff' Griffith believes in the importance of relationships: wildlife to earth, wildlife to plants, wildlife to people, and people to people. This philosophy has led to many rewarding collaborations, including being selected by Earth Island Institute as one of four Americans to serve as low-impact ecotourism advisors to Siberia, being featured in the celebrated documentary 'Diversity and Inclusion in Our Wild Spaces,' and having his work introduced twice in the book, When Mountain Lions Are Neighbors.

"His lifelong commitment to wildlife and people also includes a seventeen-year career as a supervisor in a youth development program called the California Conservation Corps, where he led groups of young adults, often from distressed communities, to restore natural areas and wildlife populations in a process he calls 'rewilding.' He often made videos with these Corps members, a few of which have gone viral. His most famous video 'Boss Dances Like a Boss' has 7 million views on YouTube alone and was featured on The Today Show, Headline News, Good Morning America, various international programs, and MTV’s Ain’t That America and Ridiculousness. Several of his other videos have been featured on the show RightThisMinute.

"In 2014, he also created the BioBlitz Dance for National Geographic and their BioBlitz events. The dance spread worldwide, with BioBlitz Dance videos coming from over 10 different countries. Two years after he created the dance, National Geographic flew John and two of his Corps members to Washington, D.C., to do the BioBlitz Dance onstage with Gary Knell, CEO of the National Geographic Society, and Sally Jewell, former Secretary of the Interior. The BioBlitz Dance is still being enjoyed at outdoor events all over the world, and became the official dance of several schools, kids’ camps, and P-22 Day Festivals, in Los Angeles.

"When John is not writing, presenting, or making videos for his own online platforms, he’s helping people connect to the redwood region as a natural and cultural resource interpreter for California State Parks."

Contact Griff:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriffWild
Instagram: @TheNatureNut
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TotemMagicGoingMAD
Wild Jobs: https://www.facebook.com/watch/AnimalPlanet/341870596689084/



Contact Michael:
1. [e-mail]
2. http://www.goldams.com
3. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gold-2883921/
4. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1152144714995033/

Join us at CCERP on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1152144714995033/



Show notes
1. Griff dance videos
a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKNhCjA0pdU
b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxDQHPvlD7A

2. BioBlitz dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNpKrHgW9ow

3. Animal Planet's Wild Jobs program: https://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/wild-jobs/

4. Doug Tallamy
a. Bio
i. https://www.udel.edu/faculty-staff/experts/douglas-tallamy/
ii. https://www.udel.edu/canr/departments/entomology-and-wildlife-ecology/faculty-staff/doug-tallamy/
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