Welcome, fellow explorers. My name is Christian Alexandersen and I’m the host of Hemlocks to Hellbenders, a podcast highlighting Pennsylvania’s parks, forests and great outdoors.

We have an incredible lineup of parks, forests, guests and topics that we will be exploring during our third season in 2025. Park and forest managers, outdoor educators, historians, authors, conservationists and recreationalists are just some of the guests that will be sharing their passion and expertise with us this season. 

The topics that’ll be discussed cover a wide range of areas including outdoor recreation, conservation, historical figures, indigenous peoples, backpacking, plant and wildlife management, volunteerism and so much more.

If you love discovering Pennsylvania’s wonderful natural habitats, this is the podcast for you. We’ll help you plan trips and find hidden gems throughout Pennsylvania’s stunning public lands. 

I created Hemlocks to Hellbenders in 2023 to inspire listeners to spend time in Pennsylvania’s parks and forests, to advocate for their preservation and to make the outdoors a more welcoming place for everyone. We hope you’ll join us in that mission.

I’m also excited to announce that we have four sponsors for our third season – the Keystone Trails Association, Purple Lizard, the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundations and Sisters’ Sunflowers. You’re going to be learning about their awesome services and products throughout the year.

Our third season kicks off on Jan. 1 with an episode on Ricketts Glen State Park – Pennsylvania’s waterfall oasis. I look forward to sharing our new guests and episodes with you in 2025.

Support the show

Visit our website to learn more about the podcast, to purchase merch and to find out about our incredible sponsors. Follow us on Instagram and Meta to stay connected.

Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis