To help kickoff our 45th anniversary celebrations—because Explore was founded in 1981—we're starting a brand-new interview series within Explore's Podcast!

Along with the long-form interviews you've come to expect, we're going to be speaking with members of Explore's own community: writers, photographers, illustrators and more! For this series, we'll spend 20 minutes or so chatting with the fascinating storytellers and artists who make our website and magazine so special.

We're beginning this series with Will Lambert, adventure photographer. Will shot the cover of our Winter 2025 issue—so we'll go behind the scenes on that. Plus, he'll be speaking about an incredible trip he took to one of Canada's most breathtaking backcountry trails.

Stay tuned for that and more with Will Lambert, on Explore's Podcast!

We have a special episode of the Explore Podcast today.

If you've followed our social media, magazine or website content you may have seen the clothing and merchandise collaboration we launched with Kevin Callan—a.k.a. "The Happy Camper"—last fall.

And if you saw that, you likely noticed that it benefitted an organization called "Camp Outlook."

Camp Outlook is a registered Ontario charity based in Kingston, Ontario, which encourages young people from 13 to 17 years old to develop their inner strength, self-worth and capacity to succeed by giving them the opportunity to participate in extended backcountry canoe expeditions free of charge.

And today, I'm chatting with Camp Outlook Board of Directors member Greg Grandsen to learn even more about this life-changing organization, how kids benefit from their camps and how you can get involved!

Stay tuned for Greg Grandsen of Camp Outlook.

When you pursue your chosen career, do you find it aligns to your lifestyle and to your interests—and to what really makes you tick?

Well it's what I try to do.

And my guest today does it very well.

We're talking to Mark Hubner, senior vice President of Baffin.

You know Baffin as makers of those iconic winter boots that I'm sure you've used over the years, or at least have seen in stores and on other people's feet as they trudge through the snow.

Well, Baffin's expanding out into the world and making all types of new stuff, but we'll get to that later.

The exciting stuff is what Mark does, not only in his free time—but how he weaves exceptional expeditions into real world testing of Baffin footwear to create something that is uniquely functional, uniquely Canadian, and frankly, just really, really cool.

From Treks to the geographic North Pole, to end-to-end hikes of the Bruce Trail, on to Iceland and South Africa.... Mark has seemingly done it all. And he's even met a few interesting celebrities along the way, which we'll talk about.

Alright, are you ready to hear more about Mark's exciting adventures? Let's go!

Wildfires. It's a topic that every Canadian cares about.

I bet every person who is going to listen to this podcast has been affected by a wildfire in some way this year.

Whether it was having plans changed because of smoke to closures, to maybe even evacuations or more—2025 has been one of the most intense fire seasons on record.

So what does this mean? How do we live with fire? Well, today my guest is Kelsey Winter, Executive Director of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, or CIFFC.

This important agency coordinates wildfire responses around the country and even works internationally. They do vital work, and Kelsey's going to talk to us about the state of forest fires, how CIFFC helps in the response to these wildfires, how they plan and strategiz, and how you can be involved in forest fire prevention.

It's a very important podcast today on a topic that's very near and dear to every Canadian's heart.

Travel. We love it.

We travel locally, regionally, domestically and internationally. And we bring back the greatest experiences of our lives.

Adventures, connections, photographs, stories... but sometimes travel can have a cost. Carbon footprint... overtourism...

So, should we stop?

No. There's a way to travel better. There are people who are encouraging slow, deep and meaningful travel. Where money supports locals, the experiences are authentic and the connections are richer than every before.

If that sounds interesting to you—stay tuned and enjoy episode 41 of Explore Magazine's Live the Adventure Podcast.

We're going to learn how to travel better.

Welcome to episode 40 of Explore Magazine's Live the Adventure Podcast!

Can you believe we have done 40 of these podcasts? To celebrate today, my guest is the inspiring Dave Norona out of Squamish, British Columbia.

Dave is a multi-sport racer who's travelled all over the world, competing in everything from running, cycling, rollerblading, eco challenges and more.

Later, he transitioned into living his best life in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, getting out every day, kiting, e-biking, sledding, exploring and basically living the dream.

How does he do that? How does he make a living? Well, he's gonna tell you. He's gonna tell you everything he does, how he does it, how he got there—and the gear he uses—with hopes of inspiring you to get out there more, to challenge yourself, and to be the best version of yourself.

All right, buckle up and get ready for some serious high energy inspiration with Dave Norona.

Forestry—what do you think when you hear the word?

Maybe it conjures up logging and clearcuts.

Maybe you think of economic drivers, wood products and heritage.

Maybe you're not 100 percent sure what it means!

We outdoor enthusiasts spend a lot of time in forests. Forests have deep social and cultural value to us. But they also supply the materials that build the houses in which we live—and even the paper on which Explore Magazine is printed.

Can we reconcile that? Or more specifically, how does Canada's forestry industry reconcile the needs of all Canada to ensure we have healthy forests and a strong economy, now and in the future?

Today, my guest is Jeff Mycock, Chief Forester Canada with West Fraser. Jeff has more than 30 years of forestry experience. Today, we're going to dig deep and ask the tough questions about how our forests are managed to the benefit of Canada—and the planet.

Ready? Stay tuned for Jeff Mycock!

As Canadians, we have a big country to explore.

How do you do it? Fly place to place? Stay local? Road trip to a hotel?

All good, sure. But lately, I've been exploring differently. A new lifestyle altogether...

I've become an RV'er. Yes, I am part of Canadia's robust RV community!

And I love it. My entire family has camped out more this year than we collectively had in all years previously. My kids love the "caravan," as they call it.

We've made wonderful memories as my kids throw off the day-to-day schedule and get muddy and wild.

And we do so knowing that common camping concerns, such as weather and comfort, are no longer issues.

So for this episode, I thought it would be fun to dig deeper into the RV lifestyle with the president of GoRving Canada, Chris Mahony.

Chris leads this non-profit association devoted to promoting RVs to Canadians.

And we're going to find out how and why you can make the leap into the RV lifestyle, inlcuding overcoming barriers, epic RV trips—and so much more!

Interested in elevating your camping game? Here's Chris Mahony, from GoRving Canada.

I love domestic travel.

Don't get me wrong, I also like to get my passport stamped.

But there's something fun and cool about spending your vacation time locally or regionally.

It's fun because you don't waste your days off travelling or recovering from jetlag.

It's cool because you can buck travel trends and mainstays for off-the-beaten track destinations that offer exceptional experiences—often without super-premium price tags or other tourist-trap pitfalls.

My home province of British Columbia is blessed with an abundance of awesome outdoorsy destinations—from the world renowned, like Whistler or Tofino; to regional faves like Golden or Kelowna.

I've recently discovered—or should I say rediscovered—a place in BC that offers quiet trails, serene lakes, epic snowfall and all the other things that make our outdoors amazing.

Plus, there's ample places to stay, it's easy to get to and the prices are low.

And it's hiding right in plain sight.

Have you considered Prince George?

Today, my guest is Colin Carson, CEO of Tourism Prince George.

And he's about to blow your mind and re-introduce you to the BC city you thought you knew.

It's summer. Let's go on vacation.

But where?

When you look for a tourism experience—what draws you in?

An incredible adventure?

A cultural connection?

A chance to expand your mind?

Maybe even do some good in the meanwhile?

Well, today my guest is Zane Buchanan.

Zane is the Creative Manager at the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada—a global leader marketing and developing Indigenous tourism experiences.

And we're going to talk about how you can do all of the above and more, right here in Canada.

How you can enjoy life-changing experiences, forge cultural connections, learn and grow—all while having an awesome vacation.

Because today we're talking about Indigenous tourism.

What is that? Well—stay tuned. Because Zane's got a lot to say.

CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of Residential Schools, Assimilation, Ongoing Harm, Colonial Impacts. The Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of his or her Residential school experience. For immediate support call 1-800-721-0066.