After a couple month hiatus, Parks and Restoration is back!

In this episode, I chat with Adam Shirley, CEO of Iowa's County Conservation System. We talk about upgrades to the MyCountyParks.com website and the role we as park and conservation leaders play in community development and tourism.

We also discuss the possibility of seeing legislation to fund the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, among other things.

This one is a good listen for those of us working in Iowa's County Park system.

I've heard that turfgrass is the most widely cultivated "crop" in the world. But at what value, and more importantly, at what cost?

In my community is a self-taught ecologist that is on a mission to re-wild the urban yard, starting with his own. Samuel Hollingsworth has become a fixture among our pollinator programs and a champion for all things wild and NOT monocultured.

In this conversation, we explore Sam's journey from native plant enthusiast to Lorax for the insects, so to speak. He's even gone so far as to launch his own native landscaping business, Prairie Roots Landscaping.

Enjoy this discussion with someone with a rather untraditional path into the world of ecology and land restoration.

Where is the balance between conserving natural resources and developing park amenities?

This is a question I have struggled with several times throughout my career, and most recently with a campground expansion we recently completed at our main park, Big Hollow Recreation Area, an 800-acre slice of Iowa with a built lake, campsites, and other amenities but also a robust natural resource management program.

I'm joined this week by Jeremy Yost, Natural Resource Technician with Pottawattamie County in Western Iowa, home to the globally significant landform, the Loess Hills. A lifelong conservationist, he worked with me for about five years and is responsible for initiating a lot of the natural resource work that continues today at Big Hollow. He's not only an insightful land manager, he's also my best friend.

Who better to talk through an existential crisis with, right?

I don't think we definitively answer anything in this discussion. Rather, we come up with ways of framing the question and ways to approach decision making when it comes to finding that balance between development and conservation. Every situation is unique and it's the role of the leader to ask the right questions of the right people and then decide how to proceed, knowing that there are always tradeoffs.

I hope you find this helpful as you continue on your leadership journey in the parks and conservation world.

This year, Project AWARE will pull its 1,000,000th pound of trash from Iowa's rivers...with volunteers in canoes!

In this episode, I talk with the organizers behind Iowa's Project AWARE - A Watershed Awareness River Expedition - the state's largest annual river cleanup event.

We discuss the logistics, challenges, and the incredible organizing effort that goes into orchestrating these massive cleanup events. From coordinating 225 people in canoes to tackling funding hurdles, these dedicated river rats discuss how this program has been cleaning the state's rivers for two decades.

Tune in to learn how this dedicated group is working to build a community actively engaged in enjoying and maintaining Iowa’s watersheds, 200+ paddlers at a time.

Find Project AWARE online at https://www.iowaprojectaware.org/

In this episode, I chat with Michael Leytem, leadership consultant, speaker, and author of the book, "Catching Leadership" which draws parallels between fishing and leadership. What's not to love about that?

We discuss the often-overlooked importance of mindfulness and self-reflection for leaders. Michael discusses the value of embracing paradoxes in leadership, the wisdom from the Tao Te Ching, and the eight timeless lessons for mindful leadership from his second book, "Keep Your Head in the Wind."

Whether you're a seasoned leader or just starting your journey, this episode offers valuable insights into nurturing well-being and leading with intentionality.

Today the podcast goes international. Sean Stewart, currently based in Berlin, leverages the power of history and applies it to leadership development. He helps uncover the invaluable insights that have accompanied our shared human journey of triumphs and trials over the millennia. The insights he shares are both inspiring and entertaining.

Since many parks departments have historic sites and historic interpretive centers and programs, I thought it'd be fun to hear Sean's approach to weaving history with leadership. It was...

To find out more about Sean and his speaking and coaching, find him on LinkedIn.

Jessica DeAngelo helps corporate leaders and entrepreneurs develop clear and actionable business strategies using a powerful tool: the hiking trail.

A self-proclaimed "hiking business strategist," Jessica uses time on the trail in her consulting business to help corporate clients gain clarity, improve insight, and connect with other team members.

In this episode, we talk about how, and more importantly, WHY she chose to start her own unique consulting business. We discuss some of her experiences with clients and the value they've found out on the trail (and outside the conference room), and we end with some valuable insight for parks professionals from the perspective of someone who works in nature and in public lands, but isn't a traditional outdoor recreation professional.

This was a fun conversation with someone that's really carving out a unique niche in the business development and corporate consulting industry.

To learn more about Jessica DeAngelo and the work she's doing on and off the trail, find her online at https://www.deangeloconsultingllc.com/ or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-deangelo-mba/.

This is the final of five leadership-focused mini-episodes where I discuss the elements of my framework: The 5-P's of thriving organizations.

This one is all about being proactive in the implementation of your Processes, and being willing to try things not fully knowing if they'll work.

Being a leader is not something you are by title. Real leadership is something you DO. Unceasingly.

Listen to this short episode to see what I mean.

If you want to dig deeper into these principles, hit me up at [email protected].

A big thanks to Bolton & Menk for sponsoring these leadership episodes. Learn more about them at www.bolton-menk.com or check out my interview with Emily Naylor, episode 40.

This is the fourth of five mini-episodes I will post focused on leadership and organizational culture. Through these episodes, I discuss my framework, the 5-P's of a Thriving Culture, that I present through my leadership speaking and consulting work.

This one is all about process - the systems we need to put in place to put theory into action.

If you're interested in learning more or digging deeper into these topics, reach out to me at [email protected] or contact me through the comment form at www.outdoorexecutivedad.com.

A big thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Bolton & Menk⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring these leadership episodes. To learn more about those guys and how they're focused on impacting parks and conservation in Iowa, check out episode 40 and my interview with Emily Naylor.

*There was a glitch in the original upload that cut the audio off at about 18 minutes. That's fixed now so you can now hear the whole episode.

In Iowa's county conservation system, the name Dan Cohen is synonymous with leadership. During his 38 years in Buchanan County, he has served on many committees, including the one that put Iowa's Water and Land Legacy (IWiLL) amendment on the ballot in 2008. In this episode, I chat with Dan about that experience and much more. He shares insights into creating a culture where people stay, favorite books, and how we as current leaders in the field can keep moving our industry forward.

Be sure to subscribe and leave a rating and if you like this episode, share with someone else who might enjoy it also.

Thank you!