Lizzy and Bear in the wild. Photo courtesy of Lizzy Pennock
Meet Lizzy Pennock, WildEarth Guardians’ Carnivore Coexistence Attorney. Based in Missoula, Montana in the heart of the Northern Rocky Mountains, Lizzy leads the fight to protect two of the most iconic wildlife species that make the West wild – gray wolves and grizzly bears. From heartbreak to inspiration, Lizzy’s ferocious advocacy for wild carnivores anchors her deep commitment to being a Guardian and a Force for Nature.
Lizzy’s journey into environmental advocacy began long before she found her dream job at WildEarth Guardians. Growing up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, she developed a deep connection to nature and an unstoppable drive to make a difference. “The ecosystems I grew up in, which are so similar to those here in Montana, are where I go to ground myself,” said Lizzy.
‘“Getting to protect these places for the animals that live in the woods and depend on these places feels like protecting where I came from, too.”
Photo courtesy of Lizzy Pennock
Lizzy earned a B.S. in Marine Science from the University of Hawai‘i, where her initial focus was on ocean conservation. Her love for sharks spurred her early advocacy, but in her studies, Lizzy realized that science alone wasn’t enough to protect wildlife. She needed more tools. So, Lizzy pursued a J.D. at Lewis & Clark Law School, one of the top environmental law programs in the country.
At Lewis & Clark, Lizzy found her calling in wildlife advocacy. She explored the intersection of environmental law and federal Indian law, focusing on how colonization impacted the environment and Indigenous stewardship. This deepened her commitment to protecting both natural resources and the rights of Indigenous communities. Her time at law school also marked the beginning of her involvement with WildEarth Guardians. “I showed up to a happy hour they were hosting and just threw myself at them,” she says with a laugh, describing how she landed an internship that would shape her career.
Lizzy Pennock presenting at the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference in Eugene, Oregon.
After law school, Lizzy’s work with Guardians took off through the Diehl Environmental Law Fellowship, a role that allowed her to come into her own as a defender of public lands and wildlife.
One of the most rewarding experiences of Lizzy’s career came in 2022, when WildEarth Guardians successfully obtained a temporary restraining order halting Montana’s wolf trapping season—if only for a single day. “Knowing that wolves could have died and suffered in traps that day, and we stopped it, that felt like a really big deal,” she says. This victory showcased the tangible impact of her work to save lives.
Another major win came the following year when a judge granted a preliminary injunction that successfully limited wolf trapping and snaring in grizzly bear habitat in Montana to just six weeks, cutting the season by half. “That was huge,” Lizzy exclaims, noting that it could influence wildlife regulations for years to come. “The less traps on the landscape, the better for all wildlife, pets, and people.”
Guardians staff at the Great Bear Campout, 2023.
While litigation victories provide moments of hope, Lizzy’s connection to her work runs deeper than court rulings. In 2023, she attended a retreat in Montana’s Paradise Valley, an area near Yellowstone National Park where grizzly bears and wolves roam wild. “You just know that you’re surrounded by these animals that have lived here for thousands of years,” she reflects. This sense of shared space between humans and wildlife fuels her advocacy.
“Protecting that feeling of wildness, of being in a landscape that hasn’t been tamed, is a huge driver for why I do my job.”
Gray wolves. Photo by Sam Parks.
Lizzy’s current focus is WildEarth Guardians’ carnivore coexistence campaign, which aims to ensure that wherever the federal government allows cattle or sheep to graze in carnivore habitats, livestock owners must take responsibility for protecting their animals from predators without resorting to lethal methods. This proactive initiative offers a refreshing contrast to the often reactive nature of environmental advocacy. “It’s exciting because we’re not just responding to something horrible, but actually preventing it from happening in the first place,” she explains.
Despite the emotional toll of fighting for carnivores in states whose leadership is often hostile to wildlife, Lizzy remains hopeful. She draws inspiration from the people who refuse to give up – the members, supporters, partners and allies that comprise the WildEarth Guardians’ sphere of influence. “We’re working against powerful, entrenched interests, but nobody’s giving up,” she says. “We just have to keep going, and remember that in the bigger picture, it’s not hopeless.”
Lizzy brewing the annual release of the Wolf-Hearted IPA at Imagine Nation Brewing in Missoula, Montana.
Working at WildEarth Guardians on behalf of wildlife and all those who care deeply about a future where wolves and grizzly bears thrive in the wild reassures Lizzy that she is not alone. She is especially fortified by emails and phone calls from you – our members and supporters – whether to express gratitude or to commiserate on the difficult nature of the work. “Our members remind me that I am not alone, and hopefully my work reminds our members that they too are not alone,” Lizzy said.
For Lizzy, her work is about more than just protecting animals—it’s about preserving the connection between humans and wild places. “There’s no separation,” she emphasizes. “By protecting wildlife and wild places, I’m also protecting myself, my home, and the community of life we’re all a part of.”
