Walk on the Wild Side – Part 1

Walk on the Wild Side – Part 1

From Tell Us Something by Tell Us Something

March 7, 2026 · 58 min

About this episode

Rad Wilkins shares his experiences as a wildlife biologist and a romantic proposal in bear country.

Our first storyteller is Rad Wilkins, who as a wildlife biologist embraced the title of “poop ologist” and carried a pungent, fermented concoction called “the brew” into the backcountry to entice grizzly bears. When the love of his life came to visit his remote camp, he had to quickly learn the true rules of bear country before a romantic proposal turned into a terrifying, close encounter in a story that he calls “Wild Proposals”. Rad Watkins is a lifelong nature lover and conservationist based in Missoula, Montana. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Missoula Conservation District, where he helps lead efforts to protect local streams, wildlife, and working lands. His career has taken him from the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest studying endangered seabirds, to Glacier National Park collecting grizzly bear DNA, to the Northwoods of Wisconsin tracking wolves and rehabbing bald eagles. Rad also loves personal development, and he’s a certified life coach who does some leadership speaking and training. At home, he, his wife Gretchen, and their kids, Lena and Norris, enjoy doing what Montanans do best: floating rivers…

People in this episode

Host: Tell Us Something

Guests: Rad Wilkins, Bridget Feerick

Topics covered

  • wildlife
  • nature
  • romantic proposals
  • bear encounters
  • personal development
  • conservation

Keywords

  • wildlife biologist
  • grizzly bears
  • romantic proposal
  • nature lover
  • conservation
  • life coach
  • bear country
  • personal development

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Missoula, Montana, Pacific Northwest, Glacier National Park, Northwoods of Wisconsin

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