Episode 1: Tracking Wolves, Teaching Wilderness – Mich Biesbroek on Conservation & Coexistence

In this premiere episode of Echoes of the Wild, we’re joined by Mich Biesbroek—a certified animal tracker, nature awareness instructor, and conservationist deeply immersed in wolf monitoring and wilderness education across Europe.

Mich shares how a rekindled love for nature led him from his home on the outskirts of The Hague to the snowy Tatra Mountains of Slovakia, where he guides citizen scientists for the Slovak Wildlife Society. He also walks us through his work with Werkgroep Wolf Nederland, advocating for peaceful coexistence with wolves in the Netherlands, and his passion for helping others reconnect with nature through tracking and primitive skills.

💬 Topics covered:

• How Mich fell in love with wolves
• What it’s like tracking large carnivores in the wild
• The return of wolves to the Netherlands
• His work with Werkgroep Wolf Nederland & the European Alliance for Wolf Conservation
• The challenges and rewards of field monitoring
• His philosophy around rewilding people, not just places
• A behind-the-scenes look at his GPS fundraiser for wolf tracking efforts

📍 Mich lives on the edge of a coastal nature reserve in The Hague and runs his own company, Onder de Berk, helping people rediscover their wildness through outdoor immersion and tracking.

📢 Support Mich's fundraiser:
 https://www.gofundme.com/f/new-gpss-for-slovak-wildlife-society

📸 Connect with Mich:
 Instagram – @tallmanhiking
Website – onderdeberk.online
Projects –
Werkgroep Wolf Nederland
Slovak Wildlife Society
Weylin Tracking
Bosbeweging

🌲 Echoes of the Wild brings you conversations with people who live and work in wild places—guides, trackers, photographers, and conservationists—sharing stories that reconnect us with the natural world.