Many of us listening are obsessed with nature. We work to protect it, plant trees, clean rivers, recycle plastic bottles, participate in beach cleanups and so on, and so forth. We travel to nature, escape to nature, and daydream about being in nature when we’re stuck indoors.

Many of us, however, don’t live in a natural environment. We were either raised in or moved to an urban center and enjoy the comforts of city living, including getting takeout, Uber rides to bars, movie nights, and being 5 miles away from everything you need to live a comfortable life.

Which leads me to ask: when was the last time you stopped and searched for the wildlife in your city? Do you know the best places to spot raptors, fox, or “pesky” animals that dig through our trash? When was the last time we celebrated the marvelous ways that nature has adapted to our concrete way of life? Well, today’s guest did that and so much more in his docuseries called Edge of Frame.

Andrew Budziak is a Canadian wildlife photographer and filmmaker, and specializes in urban wildlife. His recently-released 6-part docuseries visits multiple urban centers across Canada, showcasing both the pleasures of visiting cultural hubs, and the wildlife that call them home. I sat down with Andrew to discuss how wildlife photography and filmmaking entered his life after receiving training in journalism, how he decides which projects to take on, when he became obsessed with urban wildlife, how the idea for Edge of Frame came to be, how he balances his workload with being a father and husband, and what he hopes to see in the future to protect the wildlife that has learned to live with us. 

Before we dive in, I want to give a special shoutout to Katie3388 who left a 5-star review on the show and said: “Brooke is a phenomenal storyteller and even better scientist, asking all the questions we have to the boots-on-the-ground conservation heroes in the field! She is a delight to listen to and her guests are all incredible people working to save animals for future generations. This podcast makes me laugh and cry and re-inspires me every time as to why conservation is an important field. Thanks Brooke! Can’t wait to listen to the next episode!!!”

Awe, thank you so much, Katie! I really hope you enjoy this episode. It was so much fun to record and I chat with Andrew almost daily. I think you can tell with our candidness.

Alright, everyone. Please enjoy this conversation with Andrew.