Miriam Horn - George Schaller and the Transformation of Wildlife Biology • Mountain & Prairie

Miriam Horn is an award-winning journalist and author whose work lives at the intersection of conservation, food production, and the people working—often quietly and pragmatically—to hold those worlds together. Many listeners will recognize her from her excellent book Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman, a title that’s come up repeatedly on this podcast for its nuanced look at how working lands and conservation can coexist. But her new book, Homesick for a World Unknown: The Life of George B. Schaller, zooms out to tell the story of a man whose influence touches nearly every corner of modern wildlife biology.

If you’re like I was before reading this book, you may not fully appreciate the importance of George Schaller and his work—but it’s hard to overstate his impact. If you’re working in wildlife science today—whether studying elk in Wyoming or snow leopards in Central Asia—you’re building on a foundation he helped create. He helped shift wildlife biology away from specimen collection and distant population management toward long-term, immersive observation rooted in patience and deep respect for animals in their natural environments. And beyond his own research, his legacy lives on through the countless scientists he mentored around the world, many of whom went on to lead conservation efforts in their home countries.

In this conversation, Miriam and I explore Schaller’s remarkable life and the long arc of his influence—from his early days in Alaska to his groundbreaking work with gorillas, big cats, and high-altitude species across the globe. We talk about the tension between conservation and human needs, the role of humility and local knowledge in effective wildlife protection, and what Miriam learned after nearly a decade spent researching and writing this biography. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about one man’s life, but also about the bigger question of how humans can live responsibly within the natural world.

Homesick for a World Unknown is available at your favorite bookseller now. I hope you enjoy this conversation and the book!

Headshot © Ahna Tessler 2025