One Health: Research, Relationships, and Respect with WCS

In this episode of 71° Lat Chat, Michelle Johannsen and Maya Homsy King from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) join Serina Wesen and Clarissa Zeller to talk about One Health research across Alaska’s Arctic and Beringia regions. Together, they explore how wildlife health, human health, and environmental change are deeply interconnected and why local and Indigenous knowledge is critical to understanding Arctic ecosystems. From tracking zoonotic diseases and sampling lemmings around Utqiaġvik to building community-based research partnerships in Bethel, Ketchikan, and across the North Slope, Michelle and Maya share stories from the field, lessons learned about trust and communication, and the realities of conducting respectful research in rural Alaska. The conversation also dives into subsistence, conservation misconceptions, Indigenous data sovereignty, Arctic logistics, wastewater monitoring, and the importance of authentic relationships in science. Plus: fishing trips, community events, and why some of the most meaningful conversations happen outside of formal meetings! For more information regarding One Health with WCS and the SPASAK project visit:  https://wcsberingia.org/spasak/  https://Wildlifeconservationsociety.org    https://oneworldonehealth.wcs.org/  Recorded in Utqiaġvik, Alaska.