S4 E9: Brett Hartl, Environmental Lawyer

Charles and Jon talk to mammalwatcher and environmental lawyer Brett Hartl from his home in Prescott, Arizona.

After beginning his working life as a ranger in Montana’s Glacier National Park, Brett went to law school and now coordinates the Center for Biological Diversity’s work on federal legislative issues that affect endangered species and other environmental concerns.

Brett explains how – and why – he made the transition from a field biologist to environmental lawyer.

He explains the process behind mounting a legal case, using Wolverine protection as an example. And he outlines the vital role mammalwatchers can play in helping environmental advocacy groups mount a legal case (see notes below).

And Brett talks about some of his favorite mammalwatching adventures including bumping into a Wolverine in Montana and swimming with Blue Whales in Sri Lanka.

At the start of the episode we get an update from Marc Bozon about progress to date on his 2026 Big Cat Year. You can read all about Marc’s adventures, and his support for conservation, on his website including his encounter with the mythical Bornean Bay Cat.

Brett explained that if any mammalwatcher has seen, tried to see, or has plans to see, a specific species then you could be key to mounting a legal case to protect a that animal, particularly for one of the more obscure mammals where it can be hard to find someone who would personally be harmed by that species’ extinction. We, however, can legitimately explain why our hopes and dreams are in tatters if that particular vole or shrew were to disappear for example.

So if you would like to help US environmental advocacy groups protect mammals, then consider becoming a member of one of the key groups fighting to protect US wildlife: the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, NRDC, and/or Wildearth Guardians. If you would like to be a standing declarant in particular, feel free to reach out to Brett at bhartl@biologicaldiversity.org and he will keep your contact information for future legal fights to better protect mammals under the law.

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Cover art: Brett Hartl in the Central African Republic.

Dr Charles Foley is a mammalwatcher and biologist who, together with his wife Lara, spent 30 years studying elephants in Tanzania. They now run the Tanzania Conservation Research Program at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

Jon Hall set up mammalwatching.com in 2005. Genetically Welsh, spiritually Australian, currently in New York City. He has looked for mammals in almost 120 countries.