142 Wonder Wardens – With Melissa Gauthier & Therese Bogatko

Back in 2018, a small group of female officers from Alberta Fish and Wildlife saw the need to engage with each other more actively and support community causes at the same time. This dedicated team has since participated in charity fundraisers, launched an outdoor education camp for young women, and is now working to establish a scholarship to help even more women join conservation law enforcement. Let’s meet Alberta’s Wonder Wardens!

Our Sponsors:

Thin Green Line Podcast

Don Noyes Chevrolet

North American Game Warden Museum

Hunt Regs

SecureIt Gun Storage

XS Sights

“A Cowboy in the Woods” Book

Maine’s Operation Game Thief

International Wildlife Crimestoppers

Here’s what we discuss:

  • The beginnings of the Wonder Wardens
  • Camaraderie and promoting women in conservation law
  • Polar dipping in uniform for charity
  • Summer camp for future female game wardens
  • Wildlife identification, hunting & fishing checks, drills and a mock investigation
  • The break-in period
  • “We complement each other.”
  • Self-confidence matters
  • People often make assumptions
  • Plans to expand Wonder Wardens
  • Proceeds from merch sales will fund a scholarship
  • “We’re small but we’re mighty.”
  • The importance of agency support
  • NAWEOA offers an opportunity to connect and share
  • Uniforms and equipment are changing
  • Shooting competitions – an all-female team
  • Close encounters during grizzly relocations
  • Hunters are sometimes surprised to encounter a female warden team

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Warden’s Watch logo & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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130 Lukas Madsen – Alberta, Canada

Ahead of NAWEOA 2024 in British Columbia, Canada, Wayne discusses warden life across the border with special guest Sgt. Lukas Madsen, a Fish & Wildlife officer in the neighboring province of Alberta. Sgt. Madsen discusses his path from growing up in the rugged beauty of the Northwest Territories to becoming a game warden, Alberta’s many outdoor opportunities, and shares a few adventures he’s had along the way.

Our Sponsors:

Thin Green Line Podcast

Don Noyes Chevrolet

North American Game Warden Museum

Sovereign Sportsman Solutions

“A Cowboy in the Woods” Book

Hunt of a Lifetime

Maine’s Operation Game Thief

Wildlife Heritage Foundation of NH

International Wildlife Crimestoppers

Here’s what we discuss:

  • What Canadian accent?
  • Originally set out to become a biologist
  • Growing up in Yellowknife; one road north, one road south
  • Great Slave Lake is one of the deepest in Canada
  • Outdoor experience creates an advantage
  • Education never stops
  • Had to build experience to be hired full-time
  • Working as a park ranger – aka the Party Police
  • Adventures in bear trapping
  • Sometimes euthanasia is the only option
  • The Western Conservation Law Academy
  • “The best job in the world.”
  • Alberta has an abundance of wildlife
  • A couple of unethical outfitters
  • Wildlife crimes in another country can result in big problems
  • NAWEOA: “We all have the same stories.”
  • Always move forward, always try to do better

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

Subscribe:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Amazon

Google

Waypoint

Stitcher

TuneIn

Megaphone

Find More Here:

Website

Warden’s Watch / TGL Store

Facebook

Facebook Fan Page

Instagram

Threads

YouTube

RSS