Rusty Bell is the Director of Gillette College’s Office of Economic Transformation, and Justin Loyka is the Wyoming Energy Program Director at the Nature Conservancy. Rusty and Justin are working together to find sustainable, economically viable solutions to the energy transition that is currently taking place in and around Gillette, Wyoming. Gillette and Campbell County, Wyoming have long been leaders in the United States’  coal production business and have been a foundation of West’s economy for decades. But over the past 15 years or so, coal production has decreased by approximately half, which will have far-reaching consequences for Gillette, the state of Wyoming, and the West.

But as coal mining scales back, Gillette is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the rise of renewable energy and the many positive economic and environmental ripple effects that it creates. Campbell County’s landscape, workforce, infrastructure, transmission capabilities, and wildlife migration patterns offer huge opportunities to be a future hotbed of renewable energy. By transitioning reclaimed coal mines into renewable energy sites, Campbell County will not only be able to fill in the economic gap created by the contraction of the coal business, but will be able to allow Gillette to continue its culture of innovation, hard work, and community pride for decades to come.

Rusty was born and raised in Gillette, and Justin’s been living and working in Wyoming for almost 15 years. As you’ll hear, they’ve formed a partnership based on optimism, creativity, respect, and pragmatism, and they are making great strides to bolster the economic and environmental future of northeastern Wyoming. We talked about a lot in this conversation, including: A history of Wyoming’s coal mining business; the culture and community pride of Gillette; why Gillette is a perfect place for renewables; cultural and political views on renewables; wildlife considerations; details around coal mine reclamation; ways to build trust and lasting relationships; and more. Justin and Rusty also share ideas about why they work so well together, and they both offer some great book recommendations and wise parting words.

I loved this conversation and learned so much about not just energy production, but also community pride, pragmatism, problem-solving, and respectful, productive relationships. A huge thanks to Rusty and Justin for joining me, and thank you for listening. 

---

• Rusty Bell
• Justin Loyka
• Wyoming’s Energy Transition Plan
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/rusty-justin/

---

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

---

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 3:30 - A brief history of the coal business in Wyoming
• 10:00 - The unique culture and economy of Gillette, Wyoming
• 16:30 - Some background on coal mine reclamation
• 22:30 - Why Gillette is such a prime location for renewable energy
• 26:00 - Wildlife considerations
• 29:45 - Transmission capacity considerations
• 31:30 - What is a megawatt?
• 34:00 - The cultural and political acceptance of renewables
• 38:30 - Justin’s approach to building trust in Wyoming communities
• 43:30 - The positive ripple effects of a renewable economy
• 48:30 - What Justin admires about Rusty
• 51:30 - What Rusty admires about Justin
• 53:45 - TNC’s role in this energy and economic transition
• 57:30 - How the new Presidential administration will affect this work
• 1:03:30 - Favorite books
• 1:07:15 - Parting words

---

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Joe Whitworth is the President and CEO of The Freshwater Trust (“TFT”), an innovative and action-oriented conservation organization whose mission is to preserve and restore freshwater ecosystems. With a focus on technology and an all-star staff made up of scientists, attorneys, GIS experts, systems analysts, and more, TFT is pioneering the next generation of conservation by focusing on quantifiable results. Back when I was a Conservation Director here in Colorado, I had the great pleasure of partnering with TFT on a project involving water rights and irrigated farmland, and I was blown away by the organization’s ability to quickly put complex ideas into action for the benefit of land, water, and communities.

Joe was born into a large midwestern family, and from an early age, his grandfather, who was a farmer, played a foundational role in his understanding of land, water, and conservation. After high school, Joe moved east to attend Dartmouth, where he played football, and then he eventually moved West to attend law school. Along the way, he began to focus his professional efforts on doing work that made the world a better place. After several stints at several different organizations, he took the reins of the organization that would eventually become The Freshwater Trust. Joe has now been at the helm of TFT for more than two decades and has grown the organization’s budget tenfold during his tenure. He’s focused, action-oriented, innovative, and very serious about solving big, complex conservation problems in the West and beyond.

As you’ll hear, Joe and I share many common interests in everything from history to reading to conservation to rivers, and, perhaps more importantly, I connect deeply with many of Joe’s core values around hard work, following your own path, and taking action. So, it’s no surprise that we had such a fun conversation. We start out talking about Joe’s grandfather, Joe’s journey from the Midwest to the Ivy League, and how he adjusted to life at Dartmouth. We talk about his early years working as a non-profit consultant and the series of events that led him to The Freshwater Trust. We discuss the ultimatum that led to TFT’s impressive growth, the type of people who thrive as staff members, and he gives an overview of their BasinScout technology. We discuss the future of environmentalism, technology’s role in solving environmental challenges, favorite books, and much more.

As I said, I’ve been a fan of TFT for many years, so I was so glad to finally have this opportunity to chat with Joe about his personal and professional operating systems.  I hope you enjoy.

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• The Freshwater Trust
• Joe Whitworth
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/joe-whitworth/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 3:00 - Joe’s grandfather and his lasting influence
• 9:00 - Unexpected blessings from a broken femur
• 13:00 - Adjusting to the Ivy League culture
• 16:15 - Next moves after Dartmouth
• 21:30 - Living like a monk and figuring out next steps
• 25:30 - “The world is designed to make you shut up and get in line.”
• 28:45 - Law school and beginnings at the Freshwater Trust
• 29:00 - Revamping The Freshwater Trust
• 34:00 - The board’s reaction to Joe’s plans for the future
• 39:00 - The importance of making hard decisions
• 43:45 - The magic of The Freshwater Trust team
• 47:45 - An overview of BasinScout
• 51:15 - A foundational BasinScout case study
• 58:30 - Ideas and areas of focus on the horizon
• 1:01:00 - The importance of taking action
• 1:03:30 - Next phase of environmentalism
• 1:06:00 - How TFT’s values meld with Joe’s personal values
• 1:09:00 - Expectations of new team members
• 1:12:00 - The TFT model of handing off new ideas and innovation to partners
• 1:16:00 - Favorite books

---

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Jesse Smith is the Director of Land Stewardship at the White Buffalo Land Trust, which is a global hub for regenerative land stewardship, ecological monitoring and research, education, and more. Jesse brings a unique perspective and a diverse set of experiences to his work in regenerative agriculture– his early interest in architecture led him to pursue an education in design, which then led to a career in product design and visual communication. But over time, he became interested in combining his artistic sensibilities with his love of the land, science, and permaculture, and soon thereafter began his journey in the world of family farming, food production, and education. Jesse is now a leader in the world of regenerative ag, and, as you’ll hear, he has a real gift for communicating the art and science of land stewardship. 

This conversation was recorded in November of 2024 on stage at the REGENERATE conference– one of the country’s foremost gatherings of regenerative agriculture practitioners and thought leaders. REGENERATE is a collaboration between the Quivira Coalition, Holistic Management International, and the American Grassfed Association, and the conference attracts fascinating people from all over the world to share knowledge, build community, and create a culture of resilience and regeneration. 

Despite sitting on stage in front of an auditorium full of people, this conversation felt much more like a fun one-on-one discussion between two friends. We covered everything from Jesse’s winding path into the world of agriculture to some of the more technical details around land monitoring and certifications. We discussed the natural disasters in Jesse’s community that highlighted huge problems in the local food systems, which eventually led to the creation of the White Buffalo Land Trust. We discussed how Jesse prioritizes his work when there are so many urgent challenges to address, and he shares his experiences with big business’s growing interest in regenerative ag. We talk about the Japanese concept of Ikigai, transforming inspiration into action, advice for building a career in regenerative ag, favorite books, and much more. We also allowed ample time for Q&A from the audience, which I know you’ll enjoy.

Jesse mentions tons of useful resources so be sure to visit the episode notes for a full list of topics we discussed and links to everything. A huge thanks to the team at REGENERATE for inviting me to the conference, thank you to Jesse for chatting with me and offering so much wisdom, and thanks to you for listening.

The episode starts out with an introduction from Sarah Wentzel-Fisher, who is the Executive Director of the Quivira Coalition and a past Mountain & Prairie podcast guest. Hope you enjoy!

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• Jesse Smith
• White Buffalo Land Trust
• Figure Ate Foods
• REGENERATE conference
• Quivira Coalition
• Holistic Management International
• American Grassfed Association
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/jesse-smith/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 3:00 - An introduction from Quivira’s Executive Director, Sarah Wentzel-Fisher
• 4:45 - Ed’s introduction
• 8:00 - Jesse’s early years and path into conservation
• 12:15 - Recognizing the community need that led to the creation of the White Buffalo Land Trust
• 16:00 - How does Jesse prioritize his work at the White Buffalo Land Trust
• 21:45 - Thoughts on big business’s interest in regenerative agriculture
• 27:05 - The complexity of regenerative certifications
• 32:45 - Predictions about the future of regenerative certifications
• 35:30 - Advice for people who want to work in regenerative ag
• 41:00 - Translating inspiration into action
• 45:30 - Audience Q&A: How do stories and on-the-ground experiences help to change people’s minds?
• 50:43 - Audience Q&A: Why is the burden on regenerative producers to get certifications to prove that they are doing it correctly?
• 54:15 - Audience Q&A: Thoughts on the new administration bringing regenerative practitioners into the FDA?
• 59:20 - Audience Q&A: How do we create more accessibility around regenerative ag?
• 1:03:10 - Audience Q&A: How does regenerative ag play a role in procurement by institutional buyers?
• 1:05:00 - Audience Q&A: What is the source of people’s disconnection with food and what is one step to bridge that gap?
• 1:08:20 - Audience Q&A: What are some planning strategies to help balance stewardship and profitability
• 1:12:05 - Audience Q&A: What is the lay of the land when it comes to certifications across a broad range of markets?
• 1:16:15 - Jesse’s book recommendations

---

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Nichole Barger is an ecologist, former university professor, and the current deputy chief scientist and lead global scientist for The Nature Conservancy. She earned her master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and her PhD from Colorado State University, and her career has included extensive time researching, teaching, and practicing on-the-ground, frontline conservation on issues including land degradation, restoration, and more. Prior to assuming her current position at TNC, she was the research director of the Canyonlands Research Center located at the Dugout Ranch, which you may remember as the subject of a Mountain & Prairie episode back in August of 2024.

 Given her distinguished career as a scientist, you might be surprised to learn that Nichole never considered pursuing science as a vocation until the second half of her time in college. She grew up in small-town Indiana, and, although she was extremely curious, a great student, and a voracious reader, she was not particularly enamored with science and didn’t know anyone who worked as a scientist. But during college, a supportive-yet-casual comment from one of her professors planted the seed that science could be an option. Fast forward to today, she has published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers, she co-chairs the Science Policy Interface group of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and she leads many of TNC’s cutting-edge science initiatives.

 As you’ll hear, Nichole brings a deep level of empathy, curiosity, and open-mindedness to all of her work as a scientist. Whether she’s teaching, researching, or working with conservation stakeholders, she never loses sight of the importance of human connection. We spent the first half of the conversation discussing lessons learned from her nontraditional path into the world of science, including a two-year stint where she left college to travel and explore the United States. We discussed her renewed focus on academics when she returned to school, and the moment that professor planted the seed that eventually grew into her career in science. We discuss teaching versus research, how she evolved as an educator and mentor to college students, and when she decided to apply her talents to TNC’s mission. We discuss TNC’s incorporation of Indigenous wisdom and science into its work, human health as a conservation initiative, and the importance of face-to-face human interactions. She also offers some excellent book recommendations and ideas for remaining optimistic and action-oriented during challenging times.

 There’s so much wisdom packed into this episode, so be sure to check out the episode notes for a complete list of topics and links to everything. A huge thanks to Nichole for the great conversation and thank you for listening.

---

• Nichole Barger
• TNC’s science work
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/nichole-barger/

---

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

---

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 4:00 - Nichole’s upbringing and early years
• 7:45 - Taking a non-traditional path and her parents’ reaction
• 9:30 - Lessons learned from her two-year break
• 11:00 - Books read in high school that gave Nichole confidence to follow her own path
• 12:30 - Returning to school with a renewed focus
• 15:30 - Advice to college students who are trying to find their way in the world
• 18:15 - Her journey to becoming a successful scientist
• 20:30 - Research versus teaching
• 22:45 - Lessons learned from years of teaching
• 26:30 - When and how TNC became a professional focus
• 29:30 - Nichole describes her current job at TNC
• 31:15 - Incorporating Indigenous knowledge into TNC’s science work
• 40:00 - The importance and power of weaving in Indigenous knowledge
• 43:00 - Human health as a conservation initiative
• 47:00 - “Doom and Gloom” is not a motivating strategy
• 50:00 - Online resources for news and science (that won’t make you crazy)
• 52:00 - The importance of physcially being with other people
• 53:15 - The most exciting project Nichole is working on
• 55:00 - What can the average person do to take action and make a difference
• 59:00 - Book recommendations
• 1:03:00 - Parting words of wisdom

---

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Mark Easter is a Colorado-based ecologist and author whose new book is titled "The Blue Plate: A Food Lover's Guide to Climate Chaos." If you care about food and you care about Planet Earth, "The Blue Plate" is a must-read. It explores the production, consumption, and disposal of many of our favorite foods– seafood, salad, bread, chicken, steak, potatoes, ice cream, and more– and offers a thoughtful and nuanced analysis of these foods' impacts on the environment. This is not a gloom-and-doom climate change book, nor does it have the condescending tone that sometimes accompanies many climate-related readings. While Mark is crystal clear about the massive threats facing our planet, this is a book built on the ideals of optimism, ingenuity, and taking action. I loved it.

Mark lives and works in Fort Collins and has conducted research in academia and private industry since 1988. He has enjoyed a very successful and impactful career at Colorado State University, and he has authored and co-authored more than 50 scientific papers and reports related to carbon cycling and the carbon footprint of agriculture, forestry, and other land uses. But Mark also has a real gift for storytelling and for breaking down enormously complex topics into understandable and enjoyable writing. His writing is personal, educational, and fun to read, and I credit Mark and "The Blue Plate" with helping me to finally fully understand issues around greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration.

Mark and I met up a few weeks ago at CSU and had a fun and nuanced conversation about food, agriculture, and the climate. We started by discussing why he refers to himself as a “greenhouse gas accountant,” and he offers an excellent explanation of soil's all-important role in balancing the release and capture of carbon on Planet Earth. We talk about how grasslands, jungles, and mangroves sequester carbon, and how and why the destruction of any of these ecosystems negatively affects the planet. We discuss Mark’s ten-year process of writing this book and how Patagonia Books helped him bring his vision to life. We discuss how methane is produced by everything from reservoirs to ruminants, and why that particular greenhouse gas is more harmful than the others. We discuss regenerative agriculture, meat production, composting, and personal diet choices, and Mark offers a long list of excellent book recommendations.

We barely scratched the surface of all of the fascinating topics in "The Blue Plate," so if you enjoy this conversation, I’d encourage you to pick up a copy of the book and dig in. I know you’ll enjoy it and learn a lot.

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• Mark Easter
• The Blue Plate: A Food Lover's Guide to Climate Chaos
• Patagonia Books
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/mark-easter/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 3:00 - Intro and how Mark describes his work
• 7:15 - Parallels between carbon accounting and business accounting
• 13:45 - An overview of soil and carbon
• 21:30 - Carbon in grasslands vs jungles vs mangroves
• 25:00 - How and why Mark decided to write this book
• 33:00 - The ten-year process of writing the book
• 37:00 - Greenhouse gases explained
• 40:00 - Methane feedback loop explained
• 43:30 - A fascinating story about methane in Lake Powell
• 46:15 - Reservoirs and evaporation
• 47:00 - The most difficult chapter to write: Ruminants and meat
• 55:30 - The increasing global demand for meat
• 58:00 - Taking action and personal responsibility
• 1:01:30 - Personal responsibility versus regulation
• 1:04:00 - A helpful way to understand carbon quantities
• 1:06:00 - Carbon consequences of transforming forests to grasslands
• 1:09:00 - All about composting
• 1:13:00 - Business opportunities in regenerative agriculture
• 1:16:30 - Favorite books
• 1:22:15 - Parting words

---

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Kelsey Molloy is the Northern Great Plains Director at The Nature Conservancy and Angel DeVries is the Executive Director of the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA)– they both live and work on the Northern Great Plains in Malta, Montana. While they work for different organizations, Kelsey and Angel collaborate on a long list of critical projects, most of which are focused on grassland conservation, ranching, and community partnerships. 

One of their most notable collaborations involves the Matador Ranch, a 60,000-acre TNC-owned property near Dodson, Montana. The Matador Ranch is home to an outside-the-box conservation initiative known as a grassbank, which is a partnership opportunity that offers ranchers grazing access to rich grasses in exchange for adopting sustainable practices on their own property.

This grassbank was introduced during the historic drought of the early 2000s, and it offered much needed grazing opportunities for ranching families whose homeplaces had been hit hard by the dry conditions. Since then, for the past 20+ years, the grassbank has continued to provide win-win solutions for ranchers and conservation-focused non-profit organizations, as well as helping to bolster trust, goodwill, and community cohesiveness.

As you’ll hear in this conversation, the grassbank has been such a success, the TNC is currently searching for another ranch to acquire and eventually transform into a community led and owned grassbank. This “grassbank 2.0” will not only provide a grazing safety net during times of drought, but will also further the work of providing opportunities for new or young ranchers who are just entering the business but do not yet have the capital to purchase their own land. 

We connected via the magic of the internet, and had a wide-ranging conversation about their productive collaboration, grassbanks, challenges and opportunities in the Northern Great Plains, and more. We discussed the work of the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, the history of the Matador Ranch, and the ins and outs of the Matador Ranch grassbank. We discussed how skyrocketing land values are making it nearly impossible for new ranchers to enter the business, and also how succession planning is becoming an important, but often underappreciated, issue for ranching families. We also talked a lot about the need for optimism and curiosity, the importance of building community, and how TNC and RSA are working to bridge cultural and geographic divides. We also learn about RSA’s book club, which will likely be of great interest to many of you.

I learned so much from this conversation and appreciate Kelsey and Angel taking time out of their busy schedules to chat with me.  Hope you enjoy!

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• Kelsey Molloy
• Angel DeVries
• TNC Montana
• Ranchers Stewardship Alliance
• Full episode notes & links: https://mountainandprairie.com/kelsey-angel/

---

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

---

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 4:00 - Kelsey and Angel introduce themselves
• 8:10 - Background on the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA)
• 10:00 - A few of the biggest challenges facing Great Plains ranchers
• 15:30 - The history of the Matador Ranch and the grassbank
• 22:00 - Lessons learned from the grassbank
• 24:15 - A local’s perspective on the grassbank
• 25:30 - Wildlife-friendly fencing explained
• 26:30 - Other examples of grassbanks
• 30:15 - Emerging plans for a new grassbank
• 33:45 - Steps involved in finding a new property
• 36:00 - Success stories from the Matador Ranch
• 41:00 - Easements as a tool for grasslands restoration
• 43:45 - Importance of positivity and optimism
• 48:45 - Importance of optimism
• 52:00 - Important books
• 56:15 - RSA book club
• 59:45 - Words of wisdom

---

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If you’re a longtime Mountain & Prairie listener, then you’re already familiar with the Partnership of Rangeland Trusts, also known as PORT. But for any new listeners, PORT is an alliance of agriculture-focused conservation organizations dedicated to preserving working farms and ranches and conserving productive agricultural lands. PORT is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, and in those two decades (and as of this recording), PORT organizations have helped more than 2,000 families conserve almost 3.2 million acres of productive working lands across the West.

In this episode, I chat with three executive directors of PORT-affiliated organizations, two of which have been on the podcast before. You’ll recognize Chad Ellis of the Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT), and Erik Glenn of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust. And new to the podcast is Michael Delbar, who leads the California Rangeland Trust. I’ve known all three of these guys for many years now, and I have long admired the ways that they lead their respective organizations. But perhaps even more impressive to me is how they have worked as a team with all nine PORT organizations to increase the scale, influence, and effectiveness of large-scale, working lands conservation.

I don’t think I’ve ever recorded an episode this early in the morning– we squeezed it in between an early morning breakfast and PORT’s board meeting. Just the day before, we had all been at TALT’s Working Lands Innovation Summit on the Birdwell-Clark Ranch in Henrietta, Texas, which was a huge success. So this was a great time to reflect on the importance of working lands, and we covered a lot: The Working Lands Innovation Summit and the importance of spending time out on the land; the history and purpose of PORT, the growth of additive conservation projects; private lands conservation as an economic driver; hard work; innovation; the importance of advocating for conservation in Washington DC; future plans for PORT, and much more. As you’ll hear, I start out chatting with Chad and Erik, and then Michael steps in for Erik about halfway through and shares his valuable perspective. 

A huge thanks to TALT for inviting me to Texas and another huge thanks to all the PORT organizations and landowner partners who have had such a positive and significant impact on the landscapes of the West.

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• PORT
• Texas Agricultural Land Trust
• Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust
• California Rangeland Trust
• All PORT members
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/port/
• Ed's Book Recs

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 4:00 - Intro / What brought us all to Texas
• 7:00 - Importance of being on the land for the conference
• 8:45 - Introduction to the Partnership of Rangelands Trust (PORT)
• 12:30 - How and why PORT was created
• 15:30 - Additive conservation and the future
• 18:45 - Examples of additive conservation projects
• 25:30 - Private lands conservation as an economic driver
• 29:15 - Intro to Michael Delbar
• 31:00 - How the perception of conservation easements has changed in California
• 32:00 - Once again, the importance of relationships
• 34:15 - Hard work and innovation
• 39:45 - Advocating in DC
• 42:00 - How PORT’s scale translates into results
• 43:30 - Future plans for PORT
• 47:00 - Funding needs and parting words

---

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Kevin Grange is a Wyoming-based author, paramedic, and firefighter. His most recent book is titled “Grizzly Confidential: An Astounding Journey Into the Secret Life of North America’s Most Fearsome Predator,” which is a must-read for anyone interested in the evolving relationship between humans and bears. The book follows Kevin’s journey throughout the American West and Alaska as he seeks to better understand grizzly bears, debunk many deeply engrained myths, explore case studies of successful coexistence, and more. The book is part travelogue, part adventure story, and part science– making for a fun and educational read that I highly recommend.

Kevin was born and raised in New Hampshire, where he grew up obsessed with the outdoors and, like many of us, obsessed with kids’ outdoor books such as Old Yeller, Sounder, and Where the Red Fern Grows. He attended paramedic school in California and began his career in downtown LA before landing a job as a National Park paramedic in Yellowstone. As you’ll hear in our conversation, Kevin has managed to successfully merge his love of medicine and adventure with his talent for writing, and with a lot of hard work, he’s enjoyed two successful, simultaneous careers– one in medicine and the other in writing. 

Kevin and I connected just a few weeks after the publication of “Grizzly Confidential” and had a fascinating conversation about his career, his writing process, and his journey to better understand the legendary grizzly bear. We discussed his career path that led him to the West and his first experiences working in Yellowstone. We talk about balancing his paramedic work with his writing work, and how having a full-time job allows him to be more selective with his writing projects. We obviously talk a lot about grizzly bears– grizzly research, poaching, backcountry bear safety, his travels to Alaska, success stories of coexistence, false grizzly myths, overcoming his fear of grizzlies, and much more. Kevin is also a voracious reader, so he offers up plenty of excellent book recommendations.

A huge thanks to Kevin for writing such a fun and educational book, and a huge thanks to you for listening. Enjoy!

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• Kevin Grange
• Grizzly Confidential by Kevin Grange
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/kevin-grange/
• Live podcast at the REGENERATE CONFERENCE

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 4:00 - Intro and Kevin’s upbringing
• 5:45 - Favorite books as a kid
• 8:15 - First memories of grizzlies
• 9:15 - First encounter with a grizzly
• 11:30 - Becoming a National Park paramedic
• 13:45 - Types of emergencies in National Parks
• 15:00 - Idiotic tourist mistakes
• 16:45 - Balancing paramedic work with writing
• 19:30 - Why Grizzlies?
• 22:15 - How this book’s angle is different from other Grizzly books
• 26:20 - What’s the difference between a “Grizzly bear” and a “Brown bear”?
• 27:45 - Washington State University’s Bear Center
• 32:45 - Grizzly poaching
• 37:15 - Learning bear defense methods, including bear spray
• 41:15 - Basic backcountry safety in bear country
• 44:15 - Examples of good and bad coexistence strategies
• 48:15 - Debunking certain grizzly myths 
• 52:45 - Continued learning about grizzlies
• 55:45 - How writing this book compares to the others
• 57:15 0 Favorite writers and books
• 59:30 - How has Kevin changed because of this project?
• 1:05:30 - Learning to switch gears after an intense paramedic experience
• 1:07:30 - Parting words of wisdom

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Nick Mott is an award-winning multimedia journalist who lives in Livingston, Montana. His latest project is a wonderful new podcast called The Wide Open, which he produced in collaboration with Montana Public Radio and the Montana Media Lab. The podcast offers a fresh look into our ever-changing relationship with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and it digs into the history, nuance, and modern-day controversies surrounding what has been called “the most powerful environmental legislation in the world.” Nick explores this devisive topic with deep curiosity and journalistic integrity, and I found the podcast to be amazingly educational and entertaining– which is a rare combo when discussing such a complex piece of legislation.

If you’re a longtime Mountain & Prairie listener, then many of the topics Nick explores in The Wide Open will be of great interest– grizzly bears, wolves, the environmental history of the West, and more. You’ll also hear a few familiar voices, including past podcast guest and living legend Doug Peacock. But what I most appreciated about The Wide Open is how Nick was able to humanize the stories surrounding such a divisive part of Western culture– he features people who love the ESA and people who hate it, but all of them are given the opportunity to share their stories and unique outlooks. In this current cultural moment of hot takes, outrage, and misinformation, The Wide Open is a much-needed return to nuance, curiosity, and civility.

As you’d expect from an award-winning podcaster, Nick knows how to tell a great story, so I know you’ll enjoy this episode. We start out discussing the history of the ESA and Nick’s fresh approach to exploring such a well-known environmental story. We discuss how the ESA is used as a tool to achieve goals other than species protection, how Nick balances the need to make his podcasts both informative and fun to listen to, how he accounts for his own personal biases when telling stories, and how he goes about choosing people to interview. About halfway through the episode, Nick recounts a horrifying recent run-in he had with a grizzly bear, and he discusses how that close call affected his thinking on some of these complex wildlife issues. We also discuss his favorite books, plans for future seasons of The Wide Open, how he deals with negative feedback, wolf reintroduction in Colorado, his professional heroes, and much more.

Be sure to check out the episode notes for links to everything, including Nick’s other podcasts and his book "This is Wildfire," which he co-authored with Justin Angle.

A big thanks to Nick for taking the time, thank you for listening, and please subscribe to The Wide Open– I know you’ll really enjoy it!

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• Nick Mott
• The Wide Open
• "This is Wildfire" by Nick Mott and Justin Angle
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/nick-mott/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 3:50 - What attracts Nick to specific stories or topics?
• 6:30 - Nick describes his new approach to examining the ESA.
• 8:30 - A brief history of the ESA
• 11:35 - Using the ESA as a tool to save species OR achieve other goals
• 16:00 - How Nick chooses people to interview and include on the podcast
• 19:15 - Balancing telling stories that are both entertaining and substantive
• 22:50 - Accounting for bias in journalism
• 24:45 - Why Nick includes his own story in the podcast narrative
• 27:30 - Introvert or extrovert?
• 28:50 - Did Nick change his mind on anything related to the ESA?
• 31:30 - How the internet has inflamed the divisiveness of the ESA
• 33:00 - Nick’s recent terrifying encounter with a grizzly
• 39:00 - The psychological aftermath of the grizzly scare
• 44:45 - Providing a framework for thinking about wolf reintroduction in Colorado
• 49:00 - People Nick admires
• 53:00 - What type of journalism does Nick like the best?
• 55:00 - Future seasons of The Wide Open?
• 56:45 - People Nick admires
• 1:00:00 - Favorite books
• 1:02:00 - Dealing with negative feedback
• 1:04:00 - Parting words of wisdom

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Mauricia Baca is the State Director of the Nevada Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. In this role, she leads TNC’s efforts in Nevada across a wide range of conservation issues that are familiar to Mountain & Prairie listeners– the Colorado River, the Sagebrush Sea, and renewable energy. But Nevada is also home to some very unique conservation challenges related to biodiversity, mining for rare earth metals, groundwater for agriculture, and more. So I was excited to have this opportunity to learn from Mauricia about some of the specific challenges facing Nevada, TNC’s solutions to these challenges, and how the lessons learned can be applied in other regions of the West.

Mauricia was born in Mexico, grew up in New York City, and credits much of her love of nature and the environment to her childhood experiences exploring Central Park. After college, she served in the Peace Corps, worked as a community organizer in New York, and eventually attended law school. After four years of working as a prosecutor for the United States Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, she moved to Nevada and began her first position with The Nature Conservancy, leading conservation work on the Truckee River. She has served as the State Director since November 2020, and, as you’ll hear, all of her efforts are infused with a deep level of compassion, empathy, and gratitude.

Mauricia has such a fascinating personal and professional trajectory, and there are many lessons to be learned from both her approach to her life and career, and the specifics of TNC’s critical work in Nevada. We talked about her youth in Mexico and New York City, and how she has been committed to environmental work since she was a very young girl. We discuss her stint in the Peace Corps and how those experiences laid the groundwork for her current work with TNC. She shares some insights from switching from the litigation world to the conservation world, and she offers some wisdom for folks looking to make a similar transition. We discuss lithium mining, groundwater conservation, and climate change, and how TNC is making strides to protect biodiversity while balancing society's growing need for rare earth metals, water, and development. She also shares some wisdom gleaned from her recent battle with breast cancer, and discusses how her approach to work has changed since that life-altering health scare.

A big thanks to Mauricia for being so open and thoughtful, and for sharing so many wonderful insights from her inspiring career. Be sure to check out the episode notes for links to everything we discussed and to watch Mauricia's recent TEDx talk, which serves as a great companion to this interview. Enjoy!

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• Mauricia Baca
• The Nature Conservancy in Nevada
• Mauricia’s TEDx talk
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/mauricia-baca/

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This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 4:00 - Mauricia’s upbringing and early years in Mexico and New York City
• 7:00 - When she knew she wanted to devote her career to environmental work
• 9:15 - Legal training as thought training
• 11:45 - How the Peace Corps and other experiences helped her learn to build trust and relationships
• 16:45 - When TNC entered Mauricia’s life as a next career step
• 19:45 - More details on how she was able to land her first job with TNC
• 24:00 - Career evolution within TNC
• 26:00 - Starting as TNC  State Director at the beginning of the pandemic
• 28:45 - Tackling climate-related challenges in Nevada and beyond
• 34:00 - The Atwood Preserve and the quiet beauty of the Mojave Desert
• 39:00 - TNC’s work to preserve biodiversity in the face of lithium mining
• 43:45 - The importance of groundwater for Nevada’s ag sector
• 49:00 - Working in partnership with Tribal communities
• 54:00 - Thinking locally and acting globally
• 56:00 - Lessons learned from Mauricia’s recent cancer scare
• 1:03:30 - Favorite books
• 1:06:00 - Parting words of wisdom

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ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

• Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes
• Mountain & Prairie Shop
• Mountain & Prairie on Instagram
• Upcoming Events
• About Ed Roberson
• Support Mountain & Prairie
• Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts