Stella Maria Baer is a Santa Fe–based painter whose work is deeply rooted in land, light, and place. Known for her luminous depictions of moons, desert skies, horses, and wide-open Southwestern landscapes, Stella often makes her own pigments by hand—grinding rocks, dirt, and minerals into paint that quite literally contains the places she portrays. In addition to her studio practice, she teaches intimate workshops on natural pigment painting for land-based artists on her New Mexico property, creating space for people to reconnect with their creativity, their hands, and the earth itself.

Stella grew up in New Mexico in a family of artists—her mother was a weaver, her grandfather a photographer, her grandmother a sculptor—and spent summers on a Wyoming ranch that shaped her lifelong love of horses and open country. Though art was always around her, she initially pursued religion and philosophy, studying questions of desire, goodness, and the inherent value of land. Painting began not as a career move but as a private, prayerful practice—drawing birds in journals to quiet a busy mind. Over time, that contemplative discipline evolved into a full-time vocation, one that ultimately drew her back home to New Mexico after years on the East Coast, where she had found herself painting the desert from memory and longing.

In this conversation, we talk about that journey—from philosophy classrooms and sacred poetry to moon paintings and hand-ground pigments. Stella shares how critique shaped her work in unexpected ways, how motherhood has influenced both her art and her priorities, and the powerful story behind rescuing her horses from kill pens—animals that now carry deep personal meaning connected to her late mother. We also discuss the importance of play, silence, and being a beginner in a screen-saturated world. Stella rarely does interviews, so I'm especially grateful for her willingness to sit down and speak so thoughtfully and authentically about her life and work. It's a reflective conversation about creativity, land, faith, and following one's unique artistic curiosity.

I feel like Stella and I only scratched the surface of her curiosity, land ethic, and artistic journey, so I'll look forward to having her back for another conversation in the future. But for now, I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.

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• Stella Maria Baer
• Moon Horse Ranch
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/stella

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Central Grasslands Roadmap, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, North Bridger Bison, and the Old Salt Co-op for their generous sponsorship.

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 0:00 - Intro and sponsor highlight
• 7:50 - Stella's origin story
• 12:00 - Art in Stella's childhood
• 14:35 - Zoning in and drawing birds
• 19:39 - Religion and philosophy degrees
• 21:58 - Wendell Berry and the Bible
• 25:07 - Responding to critiques
• 27:42 - New Mexico love
• 33:01 - Why moons?
• 36:07 - Importance of play
• 44:12 - How having kids changed things
• 50:54 - Stella's horses
• 55:28 - Stella's workshops
• 1:02:08 - Book recs
• 1:06:00 - Wrapping up

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ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

• Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes
• Mountain & Prairie Shop
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Today's conversation is a joint episode between Mountain & Prairie and The River Radius podcast. I'm joined by Sam Carter, the creator and host of The River Radius.

If you're not already familiar with The River Radius, I give it my highest endorsement. It's the most thoughtful and well-crafted show out there about rivers, water, and the people connected to them. Sam has built something genuinely special, and he's someone I consider both a friend and a collaborator. I've learned a great deal from the way he approaches storytelling, curiosity, and place.

For this episode, instead of a traditional interview, this is a two-way conversation in which Sam and I interview each other—one we're both releasing on our podcast feeds. Sam shared it on The River Radius feed earlier in January, and now I'm sharing it here. We talk about how our podcasts came to be, what keeps us curious after hundreds of episodes, and how rivers, landscapes, and long projects shape the way we think about life and work. We also get into writing, responsibility, attention, grief, ambition, and what it actually looks like to build something slowly and with intention. I think you'll enjoy it.

As always, be sure to check the episode notes for detailed timestamps and links to everything we discuss. And I strongly encourage you to find The River Radius on your favorite podcast player, explore the archives, and give it a listen. Enjoy!

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• The River Radius podcast
• River Radius on Instagram
• Episode notes: https://mountainandprairie.com/river-radius

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Central Grasslands Roadmap, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, North Bridger Bison, and the Old Salt Co-op for their generous sponsorship.

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 0:00 - Opening and sponsor highlight
• 5:46 - Ed introducing himself to Sam Carter and vice versa
• 9:19 - Why Sam started River Radius
• 11:49 - People are listening
• 16:36 - So … what is the Mountain & Prairie podcast?
• 24:04 - What do Ed's daughters think of his job?
• 25:30 - How to make a podcast your full-time gig
• 32:47 - 2025 highlights from Sam
• 43:11 - Throughlines
• 48:24 - How Ed's changed the way he looks at the world
• 51:36 - Ed's 2025 highlights
• 59:15 - What's the point of fly fishing?
• 1:03:11 - What's in store for 2026?
• 1:12:17 - Sam and Ed's production strategies
• 1:25:42 - Ed's writing a book!
• 1:30:12 - What is a river for Ed Roberson?
• 1:33:56 - More questions for Ed from Sam's listeners
• 1:36:57 - And questions for Sam from Ed
• 1:42:16 - Parting words

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ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

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My guest today is Kelsey Morris, and this is her second time on the podcast—which feels long-overdue, because a lot has happened since we last talked.

When Kelsey first joined me nearly five years ago, she was balancing a full-time job while building her art career on the side. Shortly after that conversation, she did something many creative people dream about and very few actually do: she quit her job, changed her phone number, and went all-in on her work as an artist. Since then, she's built a deeply recognizable visual style, taken on major commissions, and quietly carved out a career that sits at the intersection of Western art, wildlife, and the modern outdoor world.

In this conversation, we pick up right where we left off—talking about what it actually takes to make the leap into full-time creative work, how Kelsey thinks about balancing artistic curiosity with financial reality, and how discipline, professionalism, and showing up every day matter just as much as inspiration. We also talk about her evolving style, the pressure of deadlines, why some days the work just doesn't click, and how she's learned when to push through—and when to walk away.

We also get into some big life changes: closing her gallery, preparing for motherhood, spending time at her off-grid cabin in Alaska, and a major upcoming milestone—being selected to paint the 2026 covers of Field & Stream, one of the most iconic names in outdoor media.

Kelsey is thoughtful, grounded, funny, and refreshingly honest about the realities of creative work. This is a conversation about art, ambition, patience, and building a life that actually fits the work you want to do.

I really loved catching up with her, and I think you will too. Enjoy!

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• Kelsey Morris
• Kelsey on Instagram
• Episode notes: https://mountainandprairie.com/kelsey-morris/

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Central Grasslands Roadmap, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, North Bridger Bison, and the Old Salt Co-op for their generous sponsorship.

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 0:00 - Introducing Kelsey Morris and sponsor information
• 5:55 - Intro and going all in on art
• 10:42 - Marketing oneself
• 13:06 - Space to explore
• 15:57 - Individuality
• 20:05 - How to pay the bills
• 23:02 - Attention to detail
• 26:22 - Deadline torture
• 27:50 - The days when it's not easy
• 32:40 - Milestones
• 37:04 - Who Kelsey looks up to
• 42:00 - The gallery
• 45:02 - Parenting
• 49:16 - The Alaska house
• 55:13 - Field & Stream exclusive
• 59:13 - Book recs
• 1:02:45 - Wrapping up
• 1:03:45 - Ed's goodbye and thank yous

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ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

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Jason Gardner is a retired Navy SEAL who now works as a top-level leadership instructor with Echelon Front. Over his thirty-year career in the SEAL teams, he served in combat operations in Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, later becoming Command Master Chief of SEAL Team Five and Training Detachment. Since retiring from the Navy, Jason has worked with hundreds of organizations as a leadership instructor and strategic advisor, helping teams apply high-stakes leadership principles to business and life. He now lives in a remote corner of northeastern Washington with his wife, Iris, and their two children, where he spends his time working on their homestead and staying closely connected to the land.

This is Jason's second time on the podcast, and I'd strongly recommend going back and listening to our first conversation from 2021, along with the episode I recorded with Iris. Those earlier interviews dig deeper into Jason's career, his transition out of the military, and the longer arc of their family's journey—context that adds real depth to what we talk about here.

This conversation unfolds in two parts. The first half hour or so is a firsthand account of the Hope Fire, a fast-moving wildfire that came dangerously close to destroying Jason and Iris's property and home last summer. Jason walks through the experience in detail—what it's like to prepare for evacuation, to work through exhaustion and uncertainty, and to rely on firefighters, neighbors, and community when the stakes are painfully real.

In the second part, we widen the lens. Jason reflects on the lessons that emerged from the fire—about leadership, humility, and responsibility—and connects them to his own personal evolution over the last several years. We talk about PTSD, quitting drinking, the role psychedelic-assisted therapy played in his healing, and how practices like mindfulness, curiosity, kindness, and gratitude have reshaped how he approaches both life and leadership. It's an honest, grounded conversation about resilience, growth, and what it actually means to lead… starting with yourself.

As always, be sure to check out the episode notes for a full list of everything we discussed, with timestamps for everything. There are also links to all of the books and resources that Jason mentions.

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• Jason Gardner
• Jason on Instagram
• Echelon Front
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/jason-gardner-2/

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! Mountain & Prairie is listener-supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Central Grasslands Roadmap, The Nature Conservancy, North Bridger Bison, and the Old Salt Co-op for their generous sponsorship.

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

WILDFIRE

• 7:01 – Intro, Jason's brush with a wildfire
• 11:45 – Fire jumping ridgelines
• 14:05 – Enter USAA
• 16:36 – Community power
• 20:34 – Enter the brush hog
• 25:26 – Day three mental state
• 31:53 – A big damn deal
• 35:09 – A sense of deep pride

LESSONS

• 40:59 – Applying on-the-line lessons to the business world
• 45:20 – The most important leadership trait
• 50:47 – Challenge coins
• 55:05 – A changed perspective
• 1:01:24 – Dealing with cockiness
• 1:05:30 – Jason's mental health journey
• 1:11:43 – Quitting drinking
• 1:19:52 – Self-reflection
• 1:21:34 – Echelon Front Muster
• 1:27:06 – Book recs and wrapping up

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ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

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Todd Ulizio is the co-owner of Two Bear Farm, an organic vegetable farm in Whitefish, Montana, that's quietly become a cornerstone of the Flathead Valley's local food community. Alongside his wife Rebecca, Todd has spent nearly two decades growing food, building soil, and figuring out how to make a small, values-driven farm work in a world that doesn't always make it easy.

Todd's path to farming was anything but direct. He grew up in Connecticut and followed a traditional educational and career path, eventually becoming an accountant at a prestigious Big 6 Firm. Experiencing success but not fulfillment, he walked away from the business world to study wildlife biology and worked on projects ranging from brown bears in Alaska to wolverines in Montana. Over time, he began to see a common thread: most of the problems facing wildlife are really problems about how humans use land—and food, he realized, is where people interact with land every single day.

In this conversation, Todd and I talk about that winding path—from accounting to wildlife biology to farming—and what it's taught him about work, burnout, stewardship, and attention. We get into the realities of small-scale farming, the pressures of building a business with your spouse, the health wake-up call that forced him to rethink everything, and the quieter, more grounded philosophy that now shapes his life and work. This is a thoughtful, honest conversation about choosing a meaningful path, learning to let go of what you can't control, and finding a way to stay rooted in a rapidly changing world. Enjoy!

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• Two Bear Farm
• The Farmers' Stand
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/todd-ulizio

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Mountain & Prairie is listener-supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Central Grasslands Roadmap, The Nature Conservancy, North Bridger Bison, and the Old Salt Co-op for their generous sponsorship.

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 0:00 - Exciting updates
• 2:33 - Intro
• 4:14 - Patreon + Sponsors + Old Salt
• 7:24 – Where Todd grew up
• 11:38 – Todd as a kid
• 13:07 – Off to college
• 17:34 – Ditching accounting
• 21:57 – How change felt
• 24:18 – Post University of Montana to Alaska
• 27:49 – Alaska takeaways
• 31:36 – Choosing farming
• 37:05 – What helped Todd make an impact
• 40:08 – A relationship forged in fire
• 43:32 – Doubts in the moment?
• 47:39 – Food system frustrations and burnout
• 52:43 – How to lighten up
• 1:01:07 – Dexter cows
• 1:02:34 – Always going and stillness
• 1:09:02 – The farm
• 1:14:56 – What's next
• 1:18:06 – Wrapping up

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ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

• Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes
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• Upcoming Events
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• Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Sammy Matsaw Jr. is the Director of the Columbia Basin Program at The Nature Conservancy, where he works at the intersection of salmon recovery, tribal sovereignty, and large-scale river restoration across one of the most complex watersheds in North America. In this role, Sammy helps guide conservation strategies that span state lines, political boundaries, and cultural histories—while keeping people, relationships, and responsibility at the center of the work.

Sammy grew up on the Shoshone-Bannock Reservation, surrounded by salmon stories, land-based learning, and a deep sense of responsibility to place. He served in the U.S. military, including combat deployments overseas, before returning home to heal, reconnect, and rebuild—eventually earning advanced degrees in ecology, policy, and conservation science. Along the way, he's navigated life as a soldier, scientist, ceremonial practitioner, husband, father, and now grandfather, carrying Indigenous knowledge forward while engaging directly with Western institutions and systems.

In this conversation, we talk about salmon restoration as a healing journey—not just for rivers, but for communities and cultures shaped by loss, displacement, and change. We dig into Indigenous knowledge alongside Western science, the role of humility and trust in conservation, and why Sammy believes real progress only happens through relationships and long-term commitment. We also explore his vision for the Columbia Basin, his leadership inside TNC, and what it means to show up—day after day—with curiosity, care, and what he calls "barefoot trust-building."

This is a thoughtful, hopeful, and vulnerable conversation, and I greatly appreciate Sammy taking the time to chat with me. I hope you enjoy.

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• Sammy Matsaw Jr., Director of TNC's Columbia Basin Program
• TNC's Columbia Basin Program
• Full episode notes: https://mountainandprairie.com/sammy-matsaw

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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.

During the last week of every month throughout 2025, 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:

• 3:00 - Intro, where and how Sammy grew up
• 10:03 - Sammy's decision to join the military
• 15:34 - Readjusting to home
• 20:48 - What helps heal
• 24:58 - Sammy's academic journey
• 32:12 - Salmon work
• 39:09 - Entry into TNC
• 43:55 - Salmon restoration as a healing journey
• 50:09 - Layers of the job
• 57:31 - Book recs
• 1:01:18 - Wrapping up

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ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

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Today's episode is a bit of a departure from the usual format.

I'm re-sharing a recent conversation I had on my friend Brendan Leonard's new podcast, My Favorite Things. I'm sure most of y'all are already familiar with Brendan's work, but for those of you who aren't, he's an author, illustrator, filmmaker, and creator of Semi-Rad.

Brendan's new podcast is built around a simple but fascinating premise: conversations about the books, films, art, and creative works that have helped shape a person's life and career.

In this conversation, we spend less time on what I do, and more time on what's influenced how I think and live — from Theodore Roosevelt and Sebastian Junger to a Winslow Homer painting and a movie that's been oddly entertaining and instructive over the years. (I bet y'all can guess the movie.)

There are already several excellent episodes live featuring thoughtful, interesting people, and Brendan has created something both entertaining and instructive with this podcast. If you enjoy this conversation, I'd encourage you to subscribe, explore the rest of the episodes, and share the show with any of your friends who might enjoy it.

Thanks so much for listening and here's my appearance on My Favorite Things.

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• My Favorite Things: Apple, Spotify, YouTube
• Episode Website
• Semi-Rad.com

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 2:10: Background — Mountain & Prairie, family, and the "strenuous life"
• 5:00: Favorite Thing #1 — Jimmy Buffett liner notes
• 11:30: Favorite Thing #2 — The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
• 20:00: Favorite Thing #3 — Winslow Homer's The Gulf Stream
• 28:15: Favorite Thing #4 — Tribe by Sebastian Junger
• 39:30: Favorite Thing #5 — Road House
• 52:15: Closing reflections

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ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

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Mike Schaedel is the Western Montana Forest Restoration Director for The Nature Conservancy, where he leads some of the most ambitious and collaborative forest restoration work happening anywhere in the West. Based in Missoula, Mike works at the intersection of science, community partnerships, and land stewardship—helping restore fire-adapted forests, reduce wildfire risk, and improve the health and resilience of landscapes across the region.

Mike's career path is super interesting and anything but traditional. He grew up in Portland, fell in love with the mountains through rock climbing, and eventually landed in Missoula, where the combination of wild landscapes and a rich literary community drew him in. After earning an undergraduate degree in creative writing, he found his way into forestry and fire ecology through conservation corps work, hands-on restoration experience, and a graduate program focused on forest dynamics and fire.

In this conversation, Mike offers a clear overview of how Western Montana's forests came to look the way they do today—shaped by millennia of tribal burning, transformed by railroad-era land grants and industrial logging, and altered further by a century of fire suppression. He explains why effective restoration now depends on combining mechanical thinning with prescribed fire and on working across ownership boundaries with partners ranging from local communities to tribes and federal agencies. We also discuss some of the innovative collaborative efforts underway in the region, as well as a memorable story of a prescribed burn that came together through quick problem-solving and deep trust.

This is a rich, informative, and hopeful conversation about what it takes to restore forests at scale—and why the future of these landscapes depends on both ecological understanding and strong community partnerships. Enjoy!

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• Michael Schaedel, Western Montana Forest Restoration Director
• Reserved Treaty Rights Lands Program: The Power of Partnership
• Complete episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/mike-schaedel

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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.

During the last week of every month throughout 2025, 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:

• 3:02 – Intro, Mike's love for Missoula
• 6:04 – Getting a creative writing degree
• 8:21 – And fighting back into forestry
• 12:26 – Early writing influences
• 13:39 – Switching sides of the brain
• 15:32 – First job out of grad school
• 20:08 – And that work now
• 23:38 – Checkerboard landownership
• 33:04 – Conservation accomplishment
• 34:56 – Fitting in forest health
• 39:33 – Fire scars
• 45:52 – The Big Burn
• 52:59 – Fire playing a beneficial role
• 58:51 – And the role mill workers play
• 1:02:03 – Projects down the pipeline
• 1:12:00 – Book recs
• 1:13:49 – Parting words

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ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

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This month marks ten full years of my bimonthly book-recommendations project—a decade of weird little paragraphs about the books that grab my scattered attention. Whether you've been here since the beginning or signed up five minutes ago, thank you. I'm still baffled anyone reads these things, but I'm grateful all the same.

To mark the occasion, I recorded a late-night solo episode from The Shed, diving deeper into each of my September & October picks: why I chose them, what stayed with me, and the sometimes-unexpected lessons I gleaned from each of them. Or you could just describe it as a guy sitting in his garden shed talking to himself. Your choice.

You can read all of the recommendations here, or, if you're clamoring to receive more emails, you can sign up for the list here.

Thanks for listening, thanks for reading, and here's to 10 more great years of great books.

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• September & October 2025 Book Recommendations
• Ed's Bimonthly Book Recommendations
• Sign up for the list

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BOOKS DISCUSSED:

• 00:00 — Intro + 10 years of book-rec emails
• 05:45 — Burn by Peter Heller
• 11:00 — Jaber Crow by Wendell Berry (related rec)
• 11:45 — The Way Out by Devon O'Neil
• 17:10 — Simple Fly Fishing by Yvon Chouinard
• 21:50 — Pheasant Tail Simplicity by Yvon Chouinard
• 25:40 — Little Woodchucks by Nick Offerman
• 29:20 — Dirtbag Billionaire by David Gelles
• 35:00 — Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (related rec)
• 35:55 — Apple in China by Patrick McGee
• 40:45 — When McKinsey Comes to Town (related rec)
• 42:10 — The Devil's Hand by Jack Carr
• 46:15 — Closing thoughts

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ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

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Devon O'Neil is a journalist, author, and longtime friend of mine whose new book "The Way Out: A True Story of Survival in the Heart of the Rockies" is one of the best pieces of outdoor nonfiction I've read in years. The book tells the harrowing true story of a backcountry ski trip near Leadville, Colorado, that turned tragic—and the years-long process of understanding what really happened, and how a mountain town wrestled with loss, resilience, and the complicated relationship we all have with risk and wild places. It's gripping, deeply reported, and beautifully written—equal parts survival epic, community portrait, and meditation on how we find meaning in the aftermath of tragedy.

Devon has spent more than two decades as a writer and reporter based in Summit County, Colorado, covering everything from adventure sports and avalanches to the cultural and emotional undercurrents of life in mountain towns. Before turning his attention to this book project, he worked in newspapers, wrote for Outside, Men's Journal, and ESPN.com, and somehow managed to balance all of that with being a hardcore athlete and a dedicated dad and husband. He's one of those rare writers whose empathy and endurance match the people that he writes about.

In this conversation, Devon and I dig into the story behind "The Way Out"—how he first heard about the tragedy, earned the trust of a close-knit community, and spent years piecing together a complete and compassionate account. We talk about the ethical tightrope of telling other people's hardest stories, how his own brushes with danger shaped his perspective on risk, and what this project taught him about the fine line between adventure and recklessness. We also get into his childhood growing up on a sailboat in the Virgin Islands, his evolution as a journalist and athlete, and the hard-earned wisdom that comes from spending a lifetime chasing stories in the mountains.

"The Way Out" is available now wherever you get your books, so follow the links in the episode notes to grab your copy. Big thanks to Devon for the chat, and thank you for listening. Enjoy!

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• Devon O'Neil
• "The Way Out" by Devon O'Neil
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/devon-oneil/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 2:23 – Intro and finding The Way Out story
• 6:59 – Making people comfortable
• 11:10 – The story in Devon's words
• 16:29 – Mountain town people
• 20:48 – Lifestyle overlaps
• 24:20 – Devon's own accidents
• 30:10 – It's all great until someone gets hurt
• 33:03 – The bonds of risk
• 35:18 – Adjustments
• 39:22 – Growing up on islands
• 43:43 – How Devon got to Colorado
• 47:34 – Pros and cons of different types of writing
• 51:22 – Book writing advice
• 55:42 – Not just about getting it right
• 1:00:09 – Book and writer recs

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ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

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• Upcoming Events
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