Rowing Blossom Bar at 15 — Then Jumping Out of Planes with Aaron DeSilva

Episode 29 | Go Wildly Podcast

About This Episode

Some lives are built for movement. Aaron DeSilva's is one of them.In this episode of Go Wildly, we sit down with Aaron DeSilva — Talent, Oregon native, Rogue River guide, former pro motocross athlete, skydiver, firefighter, EMT, scrub tech, and Warrior Impact trip support — for a conversation about adrenaline, service, grit, and the river that started it all.Aaron grew up in Southern Oregon and began guiding on the Rogue River at 15 years old — including rowing Blossom Bar, one of the most technical rapids on the river. Decades later, the river is still central to his life. He guides on the Lower Rogue and Lower Salmon, and supports trips with Warrior Impact, helping provide healing spaces for first responders and military veterans.In between, he turned pro in motocross, jumped out of planes starting at 21 (including one jump that went seriously sideways), served as a firefighter and EMT in Oregon and Southern California, and now works as a scrub tech in the operating room. He's also a proud husband and father who believes getting kids outside might be one of the most important things we can do.

In This Episode

- Rowing Blossom Bar at 15 — and a trip from hell as an adult with his mentors

- Going pro in motocross and what that world taught him

- Skydiving at 21, how he met his wife in the air, and a harrowing jump

- Advice for getting into skydiving and reducing barriers to entry

- Life as a firefighter and EMT — and what service does to a person

- Guiding with Warrior Impact and supporting veterans and first responders

- Quality of life as a matter of perspective

- Praise for his daughter and why getting kids outdoors matters

- What keeps drawing him back to the river

Organizations Mentioned

Warrior Impact: https://www.warriorimpact.org

Save A Warrior: https://www.saveawarrior.org

About Aaron DeSilva

Aaron DeSilva was born and raised in Talent, Oregon, and has been shaped by the outdoors from day one. He started guiding on the Rogue River at 15 and has spent decades on the water as a private boater, commercial guide, and fishing guide on the Rogue and Alaska's Upper Kenai River. A former pro motocross athlete turned skydiver, he later served as a firefighter and EMT in both Oregon and Southern California. Today he works as a scrub tech in the operating room, guides on the Lower Rogue and Lower Salmon, and supports Warrior Impact trips for first responders and military veterans. He is a proud husband and father, rooted deeply in family and community.

Follow Go Wildly

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gowildlypodcast

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast

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

Website: https://www.gowildlypodcast.com

Credits

Hosted, Edited & Produced by Go Wildly Podcast

Theme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permission

Support the Show

If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs it. You can also:

- Subscribe on YouTube

- Follow on Spotify

- Leave a review wherever you listen

Your support helps us keep bringing more outdoor stories to the mic. Thank you.

KeywordsGo Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Aaron DeSilva, Rogue River guide, Blossom Bar, Lower Rogue River, Lower Salmon River, Upper Kenai River, skydiving, motocross, firefighter EMT, Warrior Impact, Save A Warrior, veteran healing outdoors, first responder wellness, outdoor adventure, Talent Oregon, barriers to entry outdoors, getting kids outside, adrenaline sports, place-based podcast, resilience, service and the outdoors

River Stewardship & Outdoor Leadership with Angie BraleyEpisode 28 | Go Wildly Podcast⚠ This episode contains a discussion of a river fatality. Please listen with care.About This EpisodeSome people find rivers. Angie is found by rivers.In this episode of Go Wildly, we sit down with Angie Braley — anthropologist, river guide, conservation professional, and founder of the Applegate Paddling Club — for a wide-ranging conversation about rivers, community, and what it means to truly care for the places that connect us.Angie's path took her from meeting a river for the first time to guiding on Wild and Scenic Rivers, working on conservation projects across the U.S. and Latin America, and earning a 2024 Forest Service Award for Outstanding Support to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Program.This conversation goes deep — from lifelong friendships forged on the water and the practice of saying yes to opportunities, to navigating a river fatality, overcoming barriers to entry, and the quiet power of dropping your ego on the water.In This Episode

• Meeting a river and becoming a guide
• Lifelong friendships and the communities rivers build
• Taking opportunities as they come
• Knowing who you really are and what you really need
• Mycophobia (yes, really)
• Recreation planning and public lands management
• Overcoming barriers to entry in outdoor recreation
• Navigating a river fatality — with honesty and care
• The Applegate Paddling Club and connecting river users locally
• Dropping ego on the water

Links & MentionsApplegate Paddling Club: https://www.applegatepaddlingclub.org/Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals: https://www.recpro.org/Planning the Wild Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5E5Kwzv...River Management Society: https://www.river-management.org/Diversify Whitewater: https://diversifywhitewater.org/Responder Alliance: https://www.responderalliance.com/Applegate Partnership & Watershed Council: https://www.applegatepartnership.org/FunLovin Fleecewear: https://www.funluvinfleecewear.comJacksaphine Count(r)y Fair: https://applegateconnect.org/jacksaphine-country-fair-week/💰 Go Wildly Listener Offer — ROW AdventuresUse code GOWILDLY for $100 off any multi-day river trip in 2026 or 2027.New reservations only. Not combinable with other offers. Subject to availability. No cash value.www.rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-tripsFollow Go WildlyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gowildlypodcastSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gowildlypodcastWebsite: https://www.gowildlypodcast.comAbout Angie BraleyAngie Braley is a conservation professional based in Ruch, Oregon. She works as a Training Specialist with the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals and runs Detour Consulting, helping organizations build outdoor programs, steward rivers, and collaborate on conservation projects. Her river work spans Wild and Scenic Rivers across the U.S. and Latin America. She founded the Applegate Paddling Club and received the 2024 Forest Service Award for Outstanding Support to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Program. Contact via: https://www.applegatepaddlingclub.org/ or https://www.recpro.org/Production CreditsHosted, Edited & Produced by Go Wildly PodcastTheme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permissionSupport the ShowIf this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs it. You can also:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Spotify
• Leave a review wherever you listen

Your support helps us keep bringing more outdoor stories to the mic. Thank you.KeywordsGo Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Angie Braley, Applegate Paddling Club, Applegate River, river guide, Wild and Scenic Rivers, river conservation, recreation planning, public lands, river rights, barriers to entry outdoors, Diversify Whitewater, Ruch Oregon, Applegate Valley, community building outdoors, river stewardship, paddling Oregon, ROW Adventures, place-based podcast

🎙 Martial Arts, Mount Whitney & Starting Over in Southern Oregon with Jesse Newell | Go Wildly Podcast

Episode 27 | Go Wildly Podcast

What does it take to hear a place calling you — and finally answer?

In this episode of Go Wildly Podcast, we sit down with Jesse Newell — martial artist, coach, hot rod builder, and Southern Oregon transplant — for a grounded, honest conversation about starting over, finding silence, and what happens when the outdoors stops being something you want and becomes something you need.

Jesse grew up in Ventura, California, steps from the ocean, where fishing alongside his father gave him his first taste of solitude and patience. His grandmother was his earliest guide to the natural world. But as Ventura grew louder and faster — the lake he fished drained for development, the beaches overrun — home became unrecognizable.

Southern Oregon had been calling for years. Burned out and coming off the end of a long relationship, Jesse finally listened. In January 2024, he packed up and moved north. This conversation goes deep — from martial arts mentors and a solo push up and down Mount Whitney, to healing trauma through extreme and controlled environments, and why he believes healing is holistic and multifaceted.

Today Jesse is the owner and head coach of Southern Oregon Martial Arts Academy, training people of all ages while building a community rooted in discipline, confidence, and respect.

In This Episode

• Growing up in Ventura — fishing with his dad and his grandmother as outdoor guide
• The shift from wanting to be outside to needing to be outside
• His journey through martial arts and the mentors who shaped him
• Building hot rods — craft, patience, and discipline

• Running Mount Whitney solo — pushing limits and finding stillness
• Healing trauma through extreme and controlled violence
• Why healing is holistic — body, mind, outdoors, community
• What Jesse is building at SOMA — and how he wants to change people

🥋 Go Wildly Listener Offer — Southern Oregon Martial Arts Academy2-Week Free Trial, then sign up with a 6-month membership to support the show.southernoregonmartialarts.com

About Jesse NewellJesse Newell grew up steps from the ocean in Ventura, California, where fishing with his father and exploring with his grandmother rooted him in the natural world. After years of burnout and a city that had grown beyond recognition, he moved to Southern Oregon in January 2024 for a clean slate. A lifelong martial artist and former hot rod builder, Jesse has pushed his limits in wild places — including a solo ascent of Mount Whitney. Today he owns and coaches Southern Oregon Martial Arts Academy, building community through self-defense, discipline, and respect.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernoregonmartialartsWebsite: https://southernoregonmartialarts.com/home

About Go WildlyGo Wildly is a storytelling podcast rooted in Southern Oregon — real people, real stories, wild places. New episodes every week.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gowildlypodcastSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gowildlypodcastWebsite: https://www.gowildlypodcast.com

CreditsHosted, Edited & Produced by Go Wildly PodcastTheme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permission

KeywordsGo Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Jesse Newell, Southern Oregon Martial Arts Academy, martial arts Southern Oregon, self-defense Oregon, moving to Southern Oregon, burnout recovery, trauma healing, holistic healing, Mount Whitney solo, solitude and nature, silence and healing, anxiety and outdoors, hot rod builder, resilience, men and the outdoors, outdoor mental health, Rogue Valley podcast, place-based storytelling

🎙 Tides of Grief — Finding Healing, Habit & Meaning in Water with Kylie KuhlmannEpisode 26 | Go Wildly Podcast

🕊 In loving memory of Dylan Works (January 12, 1989 – March 25, 2025).

About this Episode

What do you do when the ground shifts beneath you — and the only thing that steadies you is water?

In this episode, we sit down with Kylie Kuhlmann — farmer, sailor, outdoor educator, and lifelong seeker of wild places — for an honest, moving conversation about grief, growth, and what it means to build a new life from the inside out.

Kylie grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, far from any farm or ocean. Over time, a pull toward the edges shaped a life lived seasonally: farming in summer, facilitating at outdoor schools, and following rivers and oceans wherever they led.

We talk about forming new habits and neural pathways in the wake of loss, the metaphors water offers for living through change, and how relationships with wild places can quietly become relationships with ourselves.

In This Episode

• Kylie's journey from Chicago to farming and sailing in Oregon
• How grief reshapes us — and what it takes to build new patterns
• New habits and neural pathways: the science and soul of change
• Water as healer — cold plunges, hot springs, ocean living, river travel
• What sailing taught Kylie about surrender, presence, and trust
• Finding meaning in outdoor work and seasonal living
• Lessons for life from wild places

💙 If you or someone you know is struggling with grief, text CONNECT to 741741 to reach a Crisis Counselor 24/7, free of charge.

About Kylie KuhlmannKylie Kuhlmann grew up in the suburbs of Chicago but has spent her adult life chasing the places that feel most alive — farms, oceans, rivers, and the wild margins in between. She works seasonally on farms and at outdoor schools, and in the off-season follows the water wherever it leads. She has lived aboard sailboats, worked harvests, and learned to meet grief with the same curiosity she brings to an unfamiliar coast.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_saltyfarmer_22

About Go WildlyGo Wildly is a storytelling podcast rooted in Southern Oregon — real people, real stories, wild places. New episodes every week.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gowildlypodcastSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gowildlypodcastWebsite: https://www.gowildlypodcast.com

CreditsHosted, Edited & Produced by Go Wildly PodcastTheme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permissionMemorial Music: "Drift Boat Kitchen" by Tommy Letchworth, Smiley T and The Tall Trees — used with permission

KeywordsGo Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, grief and healing, Kylie Kuhlmann, water healing, sailing lifestyle, farm life Oregon, outdoor educator, neural pathways grief, habit formation after loss, cold water therapy, hot springs Oregon, ocean living, seasonal living, place-based healing, transformation, women in the outdoors, resilience, Dylan Works, Smiley T and the Tall Trees

🎙 Go Wildly Podcast — Episode 25: Frances Oyung | How Water Shapes a Life

🌲 About This Episode

On this episode, we float the Rogue with Frances Oyung — longtime conservation advocate and retiring Rogue Riverkeeper Program Manager with the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center.

Frances’ life has revolved around snow, rivers, and wild places since the start. Even after moving to Oakland, California, skiing, camping, and exploring the Sierra Nevada remained central to her identity.

As a teenager, she discovered whitewater boating on the Stanislaus River. When the canyon was flooded by the New Melones Dam construction in the late 1970s, it ignited a lifelong commitment to protecting rivers.

Frances went on to study Environmental Studies at University of California, Santa Cruz, and built a career rooted in environmental education, river stewardship, and public lands conservation.

After years of seasonal outdoor work — rafting, teaching field courses, working in parks, and even serving as an “owl hooter” for the Bureau of Land Management — she settled in Southern Oregon in 1992.

She is soon to be retiring from her role as Program Manager with Rogue Riverkeeper where she's been working to protect water quality, fish habitat, and community access to rivers throughout the Rogue Basin.

In this episode we talk about:

• Jackson County drinking water and wastewater systems

• The history of sewage and water management in Southern Oregon

• Owl surveys with the BLM

• Careers in outdoor and environmental work

• How people build community in the Rogue Valley

• The importance of land use and waterfront stewardship

• Helping kids connect with nature

• Protecting waterways where you live

• Frances’ journey from dirtbag river guide to rooted community advocate

👂🏽We also discuss organizations working in water and rivers including:

• Rogue Riverkeeper: www.rogueriverkeeper.org

• Medford Water Commission: www.medfordwater.org

• Freshwater Trust: www.thefreshwatertrust.org

• Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries: www.oregon.gov/dogami/pages/default.aspx

Along the way, we watch a Great Blue Heron rookery, talk about recreating responsibly, and explore how everyday people can help protect the places they love.

🌿About Go Wildly Podcast

Go Wildly is a storytelling podcast based in Southern Oregon exploring outdoor culture, adventure, and the people whose lives are shaped by wild places. Each episode features guides, scientists, artists, and everyday locals who are building meaningful lives connected to the outdoors.

Real people. Real stories. Wild places.

If you love outdoor podcasts, rivers, community, or understanding the landscapes you move through — you’re in the right place.

🎧 Follow Go Wildly

YouTube: @gowildlypodcast

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast

Instagram: @gowildlypodcast

Website: https://www.gowildlypodcast.com

Contact: [email protected]

🛠 Credits

Hosted, Edited & Produced by Go Wildly Podcast

Theme Music: “Rainmaker” by Jared Masters

Keywords

Go Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, river guide life, Rogue River rafting, whitewater rafting podcast, rafting culture, outdoor adventure podcast, inclusive outdoor culture, Oregon rivers, Idaho rivers, Rogue Valley podcast, wilderness storytelling podcast, place-based podcast, Rogue River, Rogue River Oregon, Southern Oregon rivers, river conservation, riverkeeper, water conservation, Rogue Valley Oregon, whitewater history, environmental careers, river protection, outdoor jobs Oregon, water quality, freshwater conservation, environmental education, Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center, river advocacy, owl hooters

What does it mean to find your place in the world — and finally feel at home in yourself?

In this episode of the Go Wildly Podcast, we float with river guide Rian Garn to talk about a life shaped by wild places, long river miles, and the deeply personal journey of becoming who you truly are.Rian grew up in the Sonoran Desert near Tucson, Arizona. After her first overnight canoe trip down the Gila River at 14, she was hooked. Over the next decade she chased river miles across the West — rowing trips through the Grand Canyon, Idaho, and Utah while building a deep love for moving water and the communities that form around it.

Eventually a seasonal job at a remote lodge on Oregon’s Wild & Scenic Rogue River changed the course of her life into a career guiding river trips, running gear boats, and building a life around the river corridor.

But this conversation goes far deeper than river guiding.

Rian shares the story of coming home to the river — and coming out as her authentic self.

We talk about her journey of transitioning, transforming, and transcending while building community within the river guiding world.

We explore how outdoor spaces and guiding communities can become places of belonging — and how leaders in the outdoor industry can foster inclusive, supportive environments for queer and gender-nonconforming people.

This episode is about wild rivers, resilience, identity, and the powerful feeling of finally meeting yourself in the places that shape you. Whether you're a boater, paddler, outdoor explorer, or simply someone who feels pulled toward wild places, this conversation explores the meaning of river life and the lessons water, and women, can teach us.

In this episode we discuss

• Growing up exploring the Sonoran Desert

• First backpacking trips in the Grand Canyon

• A first Grand Canyon rafting trip from hell

• Discovering the Rogue River

• Transitioning from lodge hand to professional river guide

• The Lochsa River and Idaho river culture

• Hormone Replacement Therapy

• Building queer-inclusive outdoor communities

About Go Wildly Podcast

Go Wildly is a storytelling podcast based in Southern Oregon exploring outdoor culture, adventure, and the people whose lives are shaped by wild places. Each episode features guides, scientists, artists, and everyday locals who are building meaningful lives connected to the outdoors.

Real people. Real stories. Wild places.If you love outdoor podcasts, rivers, community, or understanding the landscapes you move through — you’re in the right place.

🎧 Follow Go Wildly

YouTube: @gowildlypodcast

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypo...

Instagram: @gowildlypodcast

Website: https://www.gowildlypodcast.com

Contact: [email protected]

🌿 About Rian Garn

Rian Garn is a River guide who divides her seasons between the Rogue and Idaho, where she serves as the Lochsa River Area Manager for ROW Adventures. She also guides multi-day wilderness expeditions on legendary rivers like the Middle Fork of the Salmon.

🔗 Guest Links

Instagram: @queen_rian_loves_you

ROW Adventures: www.rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips

🔥 Listener Discount

Use code GOWILDLY for $100 off any multi-day river trip with ROW Adventures in 2026 or 2027.

Not valid in combination with any other discounts, offers, or promotions. Subject to availability and confirmed departures. No cash value. Valid on new reservations only.

🛠 Credits

Hosted, Edited & Produced by Go Wildly Podcast

Theme Music: “Rainmaker” by Jared Masters

Keywords

Go Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, river guide life, Rogue River rafting, Idaho river guiding, Lochsa River, Middle Fork Salmon River, whitewater rafting podcast, rafting culture, Grand Canyon rafting, outdoor adventure podcast, LGBTQ outdoor stories, queer outdoor community, inclusive outdoor culture, Oregon rivers, Idaho rivers, Rogue Valley podcast, wilderness storytelling podcast, place-based podcast

🎙 Go Wildly Podcast — Episode 23: Nicole Smedegaard | Life as a Rogue River Guide

🌲 About This Episode

On this episode of Go Wildly, we float with whitewater pro Nicole Smedegaard to talk about what draws people to wild rivers, the reality of “type two fun,” and what it takes to develop confidence and humility in powerful natural environments.

For the past 15 years, Nicole Smedegaard has built her life around rivers. She is a true Rogue River rat - both growing up IN Rogue River and working ON the Rogue River. 

Whether you're a boater, paddler, outdoor explorer, or simply someone who feels pulled toward wild places, this conversation explores the meaning of river life and the lessons water, and women, can teach us.

In this episode we discuss

• Life as a Rogue River guide

• The meaning of “type two fun” and “type A” adventurer

• Whitewater paddling and rowing

• Swiftwater rescue and river safety

• Expedition river trips

• Community on the river

• Learning humility from wild water

• Her super cool gear!

Go Wildly is a storytelling podcast centered on real people, outdoor culture, and meaningful conversations rooted in Southern Oregon — exploring how wild places influence creativity, purpose, resilience, and community.

If you love outdoor podcasts, rivers, community, or understanding the landscapes you move through — you’re in the right place.

🎧 Follow Go Wildly

YouTube: @gowildlypodcast  

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast

Instagram: @gowildlypodcast  

Website: https://www.gowildlypodcast.com

Contact: [email protected]

🌿 About Nicole Smedegaard

Nicole is a whitewater boater, guide, and instructor who has guided on the Rogue River for more than 15 years. She’s the owner of Nature Nicole Whitewater, an ACA Level 4–certified instructor with over 10,500 river miles and more than a thousand days on the water. A lover of inflatable boats, exploratory missions, and what she proudly calls “type two fun,” Nicole brings deep experience, curiosity, and joy to every stretch of river she runs.

🔗 Guest Links

Website: www.naturenicolewhitewater.com 

Instagram: @nicolesmedegaard

🔥 Listener Discount

Use code WILDLY for $45 off Rescue 3 International’s Whitewater Rescue Technician–Pro Course, April 27–29, 2026 in Southern Oregon

Space is limited! Intended for guides, river professionals, field staff, or individuals with prior swiftwater rescue training. Valid through April 26, 2026.

👂🏽Guest Mentions

Sparkle Pad from Oregon River Gear: www.oregonrivergear.com

Worldwide Women of Whitewater: www.worldwidewomenofwhitewater.org

SOTAR: www.sotar.com

Sawyer Paddles & Oars: www.paddlesandoars.com

Class V Adventure Gear: www.classvgear.com

🛠 Credits

Hosted, Edited & Produced by Go Wildly Podcast

Theme Music: “Rainmaker” by Jared Masters

🏕 Keywords

Go Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, Rogue Valley podcast, outdoor podcast, rafting podcast, outdoor adventure podcast, outdoor culture podcast, outdoor lifestyle podcast, nature podcast, independent podcast, local voices podcast, place-based podcast, environmental storytelling, whitewater rafting, rafting, rogue river rafting, rafting rogue river, rogue river guide, river guide life, swiftwater rescue, swiftwater rescue training, river safety, paddling safety, whitewater kayaking, river expedition, type two fun, Nicole Smedegaard, Southern Oregon rivers, Rogue River, Rogue River watershed, Oregon rivers, wild rivers Oregon, Rogue Valley Oregon, Oregon outdoors, Medford Oregon podcast, Ashland Oregon podcast, Grants Pass Oregon podcast, river ecology, watershed health, drought and rivers, wildfire and streams, love story

🎙 Go Wildly Podcast — Episode 22: Marshall Wolf | Freak for Fish

🌲About This Episode

On this episode of Go Wildly, we sit down with stream ecologist Marshall Wolf to talk about fish, fieldwork, and what it actually looks like to survey wild streams in the Rogue Valley.

Marshall holds a Ph.D. in Aquatic Ecology from Utah State and has worked across the West studying fish populations, habitat connectivity, and watershed health. But Southern Oregon keeps pulling him back. After moving away multiple times, he’s returned again and again to work in Rogue Valley streams — surveying fish, analyzing creek systems, and helping better understand how water, habitat, and human impact intersect.

In this conversation, we dive into:

• How fish surveys actually work in Southern Oregon streams

• What snorkeling in Oregon streams is like

• What species are thriving (and struggling) in Rogue Valley watersheds

• How fish tell us about the health of an ecosystem

• Making friends with the outdoors

• How to live a life in the dirt

We spend most of this episode in the water — talking fish behavior, surveying structures, and the hidden complexity of small creeks that most people walk right past.

Marshall also shares how his life moves between science and dirt — from aquatic ecology to trail building with the Rogue Valley Mountain Bike Association — and why the Rogue Valley continues to call him home.

Go Wildly is a storytelling podcast centered on real people, outdoor culture, and meaningful conversations rooted in Southern Oregon — exploring how wild places influence creativity, purpose, resilience, and community.

If you love outdoor podcasts, rivers, fish, local ecology, or understanding the landscapes you move through — you’re in the right place.

🎧 Follow Go Wildly

YouTube: @gowildlypodcast

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast

Instagram: @gowildlypodcast

Website: https://www.gowildlypodcast.com

Contact: [email protected]

🌿 About Marshall Wolf

Marshall Wolf is a stream ecologist with a Ph.D. in Aquatic Ecology from Utah State University. He has worked throughout the American West conducting fish surveys and watershed research, with a particular focus on Southern Oregon streams. He is also a trail builder, snowboard instructor at Mt. Ashland, and community member deeply rooted in the Rogue Valley.

🔗 Guest Links

Google: Marshall Wolf PhD Instagram: @shredthewolf

YouTube: @MarshallWolfRogue Valley Mountain Bike Association: www.rvmba.org

🛠 Credits

Hosted, Edited & Produced by Go Wildly Podcast

Theme Music: “Rainmaker” by Jared Masters

🏕 Keywords

Go Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, Rogue Valley podcast, outdoor podcast, ecology podcast, stream ecology, aquatic ecology, fish biology, fish surveys, snorkeling, Marshall Wolf, Southern Oregon streams, Rogue River watershed, Rogue Valley Oregon, Oregon rivers, freshwater ecology, watershed science, river restoration, fish habitat, environmental science podcast, field science, conservation podcast, Pacific Northwest ecology, Oregon outdoors, Medford Oregon podcast, Ashland Oregon podcast, Mt Ashland, trail building community, outdoor lifestyle podcast, nature podcast, environmental storytelling, place-based podcast, local voices podcast, watershed health, drought and rivers, wildfire and streams, independent podcast, ghetto birds, ghetto gown

🎙 Go Wildly Podcast — Episode 21: Calvin Livingston | Breath, Fire & the Meaning of Resilience

🌲 About This Episode

In this episode of Go Wildly Podcast, we sit down with Calvin Livingston — a Southern Oregon–based breathwork facilitator, wildland firefighter, and Wim Hof Method instructor whose life has been shaped by deep time outdoors.

Calvin’s relationship with nature runs through fire lines, cold rivers, sauna heat, and conscious breath — places where presence isn’t optional and resilience is earned.

Whether he’s working on wildfires or guiding people through breathwork and cold exposure, Calvin sees the outdoors as a place of initiation — a place that strips things down and reminds us who we are beneath comfort and distraction.

We talk about breath as a tool for resilience, cold exposure and heat, outdoor experiences that shape identity, and how learning to meet discomfort can help us return to ourselves.

This is a grounded, thoughtful conversation about curiosity, embodiment, and paying attention to what the elements continue to teach.

Go Wildly is a storytelling podcast centered on real people, outdoor culture, and meaningful conversations rooted in Southern Oregon — exploring how wild places influence creativity, purpose, resilience, and community.

If you love outdoor podcasts, breathwork, wildfire stories, and campfire-style conversations — you’re in the right place.

🎧 Follow Go WildlyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoWildlyPodcastSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gowildlypodcastWebsite: https://www.gowildlypodcast.comContact: [email protected]🌿 About Calvin Livingston

Calvin Livingston is a Southern Oregon–based breathwork facilitator, Wim Hof Method instructor, and wildland firefighter whose life and work are deeply rooted in time spent outdoors.

Through Lean In Breathwork, Calvin helps others reconnect with their breath, build resilience, and develop a more intentional relationship with discomfort — both outside and within.

He sees the outdoors not as an escape, but as a place of remembering: a space where we’re invited back into our bodies, our awareness, and our capacity to meet life with steadiness and clarity.

🔥 Listener Discount

Use code GOWILDLY for 20% off Calvin’s Sauna Bus sessions- $30 for 30 minutes- $39 for 45 minutes

First 10 redemptions receive a free mini breathwork session.
Calvin donates $5 per redeemed booking to Go Wildly for the first 50 redemptions.

🔗 Guest Links

Website: www.calvinlivingston.comInstagram: @lean_in_breathworkFacebook: @leaninbreathworkYouTube: www.youtube.com/@LeaninbreathworkNippa Sauna Stoves: https://nippa.com/Sacred Sons: www.sacredsons.com/🛠 CreditsHosted, Edited & Produced by Go Wildly PodcastTheme Music: “Rainmaker” by Jared Masters🏕 KeywordsGo Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, breathwork podcast, Wim Hof Method, Calvin Livingston, Lean In Breathwork, wildland firefighter podcast, cold exposure, sauna therapy, resilience podcast, outdoor culture, wilderness podcast, adventure podcast, creative outdoors, nature podcast, storytelling podcast, independent podcast, campfire conversations, real people real stories, environmental storytelling, place-based storytelling, Oregon outdoors, hiking Oregon, outdoor lifestyle podcast, creative community podcast

🎙 Go Wildly Podcast — Episode 20: Mark Axel Tveskov | Place, Memory & the Meaning of Wild | Southern Oregon Landscapes

🌲 About This Episode

In this episode of Go Wildly Podcast, we sit down with Mark Axel Tveskov — anthropologist, archaeologist, musician, and longtime student of how people shape and remember the landscapes they live in.

Based in Southern Oregon, Mark shares stories from decades of research on historical memory, colonialism, Indigenous collaboration, and cultural landscapes — plus what it really means to slow down and listen to the land beneath our feet.

We talk about archaeology of war, creative practice, personal turning points, and the idea of “wild” — exploring how place carries memory, how people form deep relationships with landscapes, and why understanding history can help us better understand ourselves.

This is a thoughtful, grounded conversation about curiosity, meaning, and paying attention to the stories embedded in the places we move through every day — from rivers and forests to towns, trails, and quiet moments outside.

Go Wildly is a storytelling podcast centered on real people, outdoor culture, and meaningful conversations rooted in Southern Oregon — exploring how wild places influence creativity, purpose, resilience, and community.

If you love outdoor podcasts, Southern Oregon stories, archaeology, history, and campfire-style conversations — you’re in the right place.

🎧 Follow Go Wildly

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoWildlyPodcast
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gowildlypodcast
Website: https://www.gowildlypodcast.com
Contact: [email protected]

🌿 About Mark Axel Tveskov

Mark is Professor of Anthropology at Southern Oregon University in Ashland. His work spans New England, the Pacific Northwest, California, Alaska, Iceland, and Mexico, with interests including archaeology of war, historical memory, coastal peoples and ecologies, and cultural landscapes.

Now based in Medford, Mark also plays guitar with southern Oregon funk-rock band The Gus Factor — continuing to explore creativity both in the field and through music.

🔗 Guest Links

SOU Faculty Profile: https://sou.edu/academics/sociology-and-anthropology/faculty/
Beyond the Battlefield (book): https://floridapress.org/9780813069562/conflict-archaeology-historical-memory-and-the-experience-of-war/
The Gus Factor: https://www.thegusfactor.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegusfactor/

🛠 Credits

Hosted, Edited & Produced by Go Wildly Podcast
Theme Music: “Rainmaker” by Jared Masters

🏕 Keywords

Go Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, outdoor adventure podcast, archaeology podcast, anthropology podcast, Mark Tveskov, Mark Axel Tveskov, Southern Oregon University, Southern Oregon, Medford Oregon, Ashland Oregon, Pacific Northwest podcast, cultural landscapes, historical memory, archaeology of war, Indigenous history Oregon, creative outdoors, nature podcast, storytelling podcast, independent podcast, adventure podcast, wilderness adventure talks, outdoor culture, wild places podcast, local voices podcast, Oregon outdoors, hiking Oregon, hiking podcast, rivers of Oregon, outdoor lifestyle podcast, creative community podcast, campfire conversations, real people real stories, environmental storytelling, landscape history, place-based storytelling