Building Bridges for the Wild with Beth Pratt & Tim Beatley
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The episode centers on a transformative shift in conservation: from protecting remote wilderness to embracing urban wildlife as essential to ecological survival. Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation and author of *Yosemite Wildlife* and *When Mountain Lions Are Neighbors*, shares how the story of P-22—a mountain lion living in Griffith Park, Los Angeles—rewired her understanding of nature. Once believing conservation meant preserving distant parks like Yosemite, she now champions the idea that cities are not separate from nature but must be redesigned to include it. This vision culminates in the Wallace Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a $100 million bridge over the 101 Freeway, set to open December 2nd, 2026. Tim Beatley, professor and founder of the Global Biophilic Cities Movement, joins to emphasize that cities must become living ecosystems where biodiversity is embedded in infrastructure. Together, they argue that the greatest threat to wildlife is habitat fragmentation—and the solution lies in connectivity, from small balcony plantings to massive crossings. Despite rising challenges like misinformation fueled by AI and political polarization, both remain hopeful: awe at nature is universal, and people across the political spectrum agree that wildlife should not be killed by cars. The real success? Not just building bridges, but inspiring a nationwide movement to make every city a place where humans and wild animals coexist.
The Wallace Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is the world’s largest wildlife bridge, designed to reconnect fragmented habitats across the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles.
P-22, the mountain lion of Griffith Park, transformed public perception by proving that urban areas are vital wildlife habitats, not just concrete jungles.
Urban wildlife conservation is not a second-tier effort—it’s essential for biodiversity and must be integrated into city planning, infrastructure, and building codes.
AI-generated wildlife stories (like a mountain lion adopting a bear cub) are spreading misinformation and eroding trust in conservation science.
iNaturalist is a powerful tool for public participation in science—40,000 observations by one user show how everyday people can contribute to biodiversity monitoring.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Introducing the Visionaries of Urban Conservation
The episode opens with Monica Olson introducing Beth Pratt and Tim Beatley as leading voices in redefining conservation. Beth, a wildlife advocate and author, is known for her work on Yosemite and the groundbreaking Wallace Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. Tim, a professor and founder of the Global Biophilic Cities Movement, brings a vision of cities as integrated ecosystems. The conversation sets the stage for a deep dive into how urban spaces can be redesigned to support biodiversity.
Yosemite as a North Star: The Power of Place and Story
“I wanted to capture what this place meant and write about the wildlife that lived there. But I knew, you know, my God, it was my first visit. It was going to take time. Now, I didn't exactly think it would take at that time 30 years, but it did.”
National Parks as Democratic Ideals Under Threat
The conversation shifts to the symbolic and political importance of national parks. Beth and Tim discuss how places like Yosemite were preserved not just for their beauty but as a democratic ideal—public lands for all. They express alarm at the current political threats to public lands, noting that conservation has historically been bipartisan. Despite rising attacks, they emphasize that the American public still broadly supports protecting these spaces.
From Remote Parks to Urban Wildlife: The P-22 Revolution
“I was coming up in the traditional mode of conservation where you just, you know, you put aside things like a Yosemite and that's nature. And P-22 really opened me up to the whole both social and scientific concepts of why urban wildlife conservation is just as important as protecting a Yosemite.”
The Wildlife Crossing: A Bridge to the Future
“I think it is, you know, like I say, I don't want to back off on one inch of protection from national parks. But we also have to rethink our urban areas. And, you know, the number one threat to wildlife is a loss of habitat worldwide.”
“When you get these powerful tools that are being used to change perceptions about living with wildlife, about what we should do for wildlife, that to me is one of the biggest challenges we're going to have to combat.”
“I think it is, you know, like I say, I don't want to back off on one inch of protection from national parks. But we also have to rethink our urban areas. And, you know, the number one threat to wildlife is a loss of habitat worldwide.”
“No matter how you vote and my work is bipartisan, I've met very few people that don't think wildlife is something special and something that should remain on the landscape.”
Host
Guests
P-22
other
Yosemite National Park
place
Beth Pratt
person
Los Angeles
place
Tim Beatley
person
Wallace Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
organization
iNaturalist
product
Global Biophilic Cities Movement
organization
101 Freeway
other
Jeff Sickich
person
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