Story & Lesson Highlights with Marie Buquicchio

We recently had the chance to connect with Marie Buquicchio and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Marie, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
One of my most recent “proud” moments came when I found out the Big Extinction Bill vote has been delayed. I earn my living as a high school teacher and college adjunct; but my true passion is animal advocacy. As an advocate, conservationist (whatever label you choose you use ~ I don’t label myself) I am strongly against anything that destroys our planet, undermines our delicate ecosystems or kills our wildlife. Most people do not realize it, but apex predators, such as bears and wolves; mountain lions ~ are all under attack. There are MANY proposed legislative bills out there that seek to “manage” them and destroy their homes. the Big Extinction Bill is horrendous for our wildlife and our land. I worked very hard with thousands of other conservationists to spread the word and implore our elected officials to stop this bill from seeing the light of day. It has been delayed ~ we are not “out of the woods” ~ but we are gaining traction. It is an exhausting, uphill climb ~ but well worth it. When I heard this bill got delayed, I was proud of the work we are all doing and happy to see some positive results; unfortunately, they are few and far in between.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a special education high school teacher and college adjunct. I sponsor two clubs which focus on community service and animal welfare/advocacy. My passion is educating people about the animal world ~ on the domestic side ~ what is going on in our shelters. They are over-crowded and dogs are being put down due to lack of space. They do not get out of their kennels enough, therefore they get “kennel stress” and act out. As a result, they get labeled “behavior” problems and put down. I mean, wouldn’t you have a bad attitude if you were cooped up in a kennel for weeks on end? On the wild side; we are encroaching on wild animals’ homes and leaving them no choice but to search for food “in our homes” (this makes me laugh ~ “our” homes). Then we call “conflict” or “inconvenience” and say they need to be “managed” or “harvested”. We (and I do NOT include myself in this) are killing wolves, bears and (mountain) lions at alarming rates. One complaint from a rancher who loses a cow and they are crying for wolves’ blood. I work tirelessly to shed light on the imbalance of this system; of the unfair way our wildlife is treated. We have politicians like Rep. Paul Gosar who are trying to delist our wolves although we do not have enough to sustain a healthy number (DNA -wise) for the future. Rep. Gosar is trying to introduce a bill 4255 called the “Enhancing Safety for Animals” Act. (ESA) ~ think about that. He purposely is trying to mislead people into thinking they would be supporting the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by naming his bill something with the same acrynym ~ when his bill is so detrimental to wolves. How descpicable and underhanded is that? I do not like sneaky things like that. These are the things I am working on and will be working on for the rest of my life.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I don’t know that it was a single moment that shaped how I see the world ~ but more like a collage. I knew early on in life that I didn’t like what was done to our earth and our animals. I never liked seeing animals hurt or trees detroyed; flowers pulled up. I remember when I was young and my friend started pulling the petals off a flower doing the “he loves me, he loves me not” thing. I thought to myself ~ what a waste! I never liked getting or giving bouquets of flowers ~ I always felt like there was no need to kill the flowers just to give them away and have them die within a few days. It was (and still is) little things like that, that shape the way I see the world. When people toss garbage out their car window, or toss a cigarette butt on the floor ~ I can’t help but wonder why? Would it be too much for them to wait until they are near a garbage and toss it in? We are the custodians of this planet. We need to take care of it. I NEVER understood animal abuse. How anyone could intentionally cause pain to an animal is beyond me. I have five dogs ~ two of them got into a horrendous fight over the summer. I could not break them up regardless of all the “tricks” I learned in training. My one dog literally would have killed my older dog if I didn’t get her off of my old girl. I resorted to hitting her with a stick. It eventually worked. I had to rush my older girl to the vet for emergency surgery ~ I almost lost her. Yet, I was sobbing; devastated that I was forced to hit my other girl. I have never raised a hand to my dogs. I was sick to my stomach I hit her. I can never wrap my mind around how people do it for the fun of it!

When did you last change your mind about something important?
Something I changed my mind about fairly recently in life is voting. Yes, I mean voting for our elected officials. I never really voted when I was younger ~ but as I get older I am beginning to see the power in it. Honestly, I am not entirely sure humans will ever get things right ~ greed of power and money rule us. Arrogance and ignorance blind us as a species. We think we are the only ones who have any right to live here. Every living thing has a right to be here and to flourish. We need to share this planet; not rule it. However, as I learn more about the politicians like Gosar (AZ), Gianforte (MT), Boebert (CO) that want to delist our wolves, essentially subjecting them to a death sentence and extinction within a decade ~ I realize that voting for the right people ~ getting the people who understand the precious balance of nature, the importance of protecting our forests and the animals in them ~ getting those people in office is crucial; getting those people ~ people like the Honorable D. Molloy on the bench is paramount. He defends environmental law and when states like MT do not comply with ESA rules, he sends them back to the drawing board, even when it is not popular. He is a warrior and does not bend to pressure. Voting to keep people with ethics and who are willing to listen to the scientists, the biologists, the experts in the field and not the ranchers and the almighty dollar in the position to pass the right laws is important.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
A belief ~ “project” I am committed to no matter long it takes is opening people’s eyes to the importance of protecting this planet and the animals on it. Nature does NOT need man; man needs nature. The sooner we all realize that, the sooner we will all roll up our sleeves and work to save it! Nature has a perfect system ~ there is a “check and balance” in place for every single thing; people just need to look. Huge animals on the African plain ~ where does all the dung go? There are no garbage trucks coming to clean it up ~ dung beetles! Too many bugs in your yard? Spiders, bats, frogs, possoms….all take care of them. Too many ungulates overgrazing the land? Wolves take care of that. We need food to eat? Vegetables? The pollinators have that covered! Most people do not know trees are the lungs of the earth; they let off what we breathe in: oxygen. They take in what we breathe out; carbon dioxide. The oceans have perfect balance if we do not pollute them. So, yeah, I will continue to beat that drum for as long as I have breath in me. Doesn’t matter how long it takes…..it will take my entire life time and beyond. I am aware of that. People are condemned not to learn from the past. If we learned from it; there would not be war. The fall of YNP in the early 1900 and the rise of it when the wolves returned would be enough to protect our forests and our wildlife. We don’t learn. Arrogance and ignorance.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
There are two words I hope people use to describe me when I am gone: wildlife warrior.