Meet Shaunna Costicov-McCombe | Executive Director & Grey Wolf Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shaunna Costicov-McCombe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shaunna, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I started The Big Bad Project, a 501(c)(3) to reduce and eliminate barriers to environmental and conservation education. I have always been a strong advocate for grey wolves, they were my favorite animal growing up and, as I got older, I recognized the significance they have in the environments they reside in. It was always a desire to have others appreciate their role in the ecosystems we share, for as long as I can remember.

Wolves often get a bad rep, strongly influenced by myths, folklore, and media. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Liam Neeson in The Grey, but the depiction of wolves definitely promoted a long-standing, negative, stereotype that is just blatantly false. Having worked with these animals on and off for the past 20 years, I have come to see a side of them that is rarely, if ever, shown.

About 10 years ago, I decided that I wanted to build an organization dedicated to environmental education, specifically focusing on biodiversity and the critical role that grey wolves play as a keystone species. We knew that the programming had to be accessible, eliminating and reducing as many barriers as possible. If you want to create advocates for a cause, they first have to know about the potential issues and how if impacts them. We also knew we needed something to set us apart – which is how we came about having two ambassador animals of our own.

I was fortunate enough to have a successful career that I retire early from, providing me the opportunity to put all of my efforts into this project. I officially retired in 2022 and have since been working on developing and implementing the programs that make up The Big Bad Project. Everything we do is cost-free and accessible to anyone with an internet connection. What started with a passion for grey wolves and conservation has turned into programs that share that passion with others!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
There are some really great conservation education organizations out there, however most of them charge for their services. From a sustainability standpoint, it makes complete sense, but from an accessibility perspective it can, and does, prevent equitable access to high quality educational programming.
Again, I am fortunate enough to have had a very successful career that enabled me to retire early and ensure that the organization stays funded for core activities indefinitely This provides us with the unique advantage of delivering high quality programming with no cost-restrictive barriers.
We’re still very new as a nonprofit organization, so the hardest part for us is brand recognition. We’re not a recognizable name in the conservation education field (yet) and it definitely isn’t easy. Our biggest lesson has been in patience. We know that success doesn’t usually happen overnight, it takes time, and that is something we’re constantly reminding ourselves of!
We are all about collaboration, lifting up other’s in their successes, bringing people together, and having real discussions. We try to avoid lectures, we would rather engage in conversations and use dialogic learning as the basis for all of our programs. Every has perspective and we truly value that.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Philippe’s is one of my favorite go-to spots, especially before catching a Dodger game. It is like an unspoken tradition for fans and every time I host someone from out of town, it is one of the first places we go!

I recently had my best friend out in Los Angeles and we went to the La Brea Tar Pits. I think most of us go there on a field trip growing up but don’t think about it after that and being able to revisit as an adult was SO awesome. They have an amazing Dire Wolf display with over 400 skulls on a wall. Truly remarkable the history they’ve uncovered and the scientific knowledge we’ve gained because of it.

Normally, my foodie choices are hole in the wall Mexican food. There is nothing like Mexican food in LA.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I could not do this without the support of my partner, Sorin. Nor could I manage the organization without Paul. Without these two, I would be lost.

I would also love to credit Ambassador Tiberius and Ambassador Wyatt – they are the miracle workers showing folks the real behind-the-scenes antics!

Website: https://www.thebigbadproject.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebigbadproject/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebigbadproject

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBigBadProject