Lance Garland is an author, climber, father, husband, former Navy SEAL trainee, and has become the first openly gay fireman in the Seattle Fire Department.  But who is he at his core? He is kind. He is funny. He is deeply thought-provoking. He is an incredible writer. And, perhaps most heartwarmingly, he is unapologetically himself.

In this episode, we talk about Lance's newest book called Out There: Dispatches from My Personal Wilderness, what it means to embrace queer joy, how nature is healing for all of us, and so much more. 

If you enjoy books like Into the Wild by John Krakauer, anything by Jack Kerouac, or adventure novels with complex and beautiful character development, then you need to read Out There.

You can find/order Lance's book Out There: Dispatches from My Personal Wilderness from your local bookstore or online from Amazon Books. Or, you can add it to your TBR on Goodreads.

Visit Lance's Website: LanceGarland.com.
Follow Lance on Instagram: @outtherewithlance.

Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.
Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.

Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.

Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!

Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!

Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!

For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at [email protected].

Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening!

Music has been used as an act of resistance and protest for generations. You may have heard the saying: "you know times are bad when folk music is getting better." Well, we seem to be living that kind of time period right now. And musicians like Kirstie Lynn are making waves and utilizing music as an outlet for their strife. 

With soaring songbird melodies and a voice as clear as a bell, Kirstie Lynn is one to watch in the folk music scene. Drawing inspiration from nature and the human experience, her poetic lyricism and nostalgic songwriting harken back to the folk music revival of the 60’s but with a refreshing feeling of newness. With her vocal training, Kirstie Lynn's voice is free and easy to listen to. Listeners have compared her voice and style to that of Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Brandi Carlile, and Judy Collins, but her singing is truly something new and refreshing. 

​

Liz and Kirstie talk about all things music and its colorful past within protest eras. Kirstie shares stories from her past and present, discusses folk artists who inspire her, and how music soothes her soul.

You can find Kirstie Lynn playing either solo or with long-time friend and music partner, Galen Clark, in the Kansas City area.

Follow Kirstie Lynn on Instagram: @kirstietheworsty.
Check out Kirstie Lynn's Website: KirstieLynn.com.
Listen to Kirstie Lynn on Spotify.

Songs played on the episode in order of appearance:

1. "Sweetest Someone" by Kirstie Lynn (2021)
2. "Pray The Snow Melts" by Kirstie Lynn, Galen Clark (2025)
3. "Turn, Turn, Turn" by Pete Seeger (1959)
4. "There But For Fortune" by Joan Baez (1966)
5. "The Time's They Are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan (1964)
6. "The Fiddle And The Drum" by Joni Mitchell (1969)
7. "Freedom Day" by Max Roach ft. Abbey Lincoln (1961)
8. "Blowin' In The Wind" by Peter, Paul & Mary (1963)
9. "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke (1964)
10. "Eve Of Destruction" by Barry McGuire (1965)
11. "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield (1966)
12. "Ain't I Right" by Marty Robbins (1966)
13. "An Open Letter To My Teenage Son" by Victor Lundberg (1967)
14. "The Fish Cheer / I-Feel'-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" by Country Joe & the Fish (1967)
15. "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" by Pete Seeger (1959)
16. "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie (1940)
17. "Song About America" by Olive Klug (2024)
18. "Wind Through The Trees (feat. Joseph Nuñez) (Waltz)" by Kirstie Lynn, Galen Clark (2022)

Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.
Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.

Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.

Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!

Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!

Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!

For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at [email protected].

Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening!

Joining Liz is author and journalist Emily Pennington! Not only is Emily super rad-- she is also the first guest who had previously submitted the Submit A Guest form! We talk about her favorite National Parks (of which she has vistited all 63!), vanlife, being a woman in the outdoors, a few bear stories, and more.

Emily was put on her first international flight at 3 weeks old and has been an avid adventurer ever since. To date, she’s hiked on all 7 continents (including Antarctica) and has completed the John Muir Trail, the Annapurna Circuit, the Laugavegur Trail, the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim, the High Sierra Trail, the Inca Trail, and Tasmania’s notorious Overland Track. She’s visited every U.S. national park, and her book Feral: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America’s National Parks, came out in 2023.

Emily has been an active gear tester, photographer, and outdoor journalist for the last 8 years. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Outside Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, Southern Living Magazine, CNN, and Outdoor Gear Lab, among others. When she’s not hunched over her desk writing on a deadline, you can find her nerding out about her favorite hiking boots, eating Ben & Jerry’s, wrestling with her dog Marla, or hiking all over the Rocky Mountains.

Follow Emily on Instagram: @brazenbackpacker.
Check out Emily's band Trouble's Braids and listen on Spotify.

Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.
Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.

Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.

Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!

Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!

Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!

For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at [email protected].

Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening!

Andrea Delgado is a fierce and kind leader who immigrated from Ecuador to the United States at a young age. This is someone who has spent nearly two decades operating at the intersection of power, policy, land, and people. She often worked behind the scenes and in rooms where the consequences of decisions ripple across generations. 

Andrea is a nationally recognized strategist who has advised the White House, Cabinet officials, unions, NGOs, Tribal Nations, and community leaders. She’s helped pass bipartisan legislation on everything from immigration and farm labor to wildfire, toxic chemicals, and pay for federal wildland firefighters. She’s served at the highest levels of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service, overseeing wildfire management, public lands, and Tribal relations across millions of acres in the Rocky Mountain region. 

But Andrea’s story isn’t just about titles or wins. It’s about what it costs to lead with integrity inside massive systems—and what happens when you do. Today, we’re talking about power, public lands, policy, uphill battles, being fired by this administration, resilience, and what it really means to serve.

Check out Andrea's consulting business: Hawkeye Strategies, LLC.

Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.
Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.

Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.

Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!

Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!

Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!

For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at [email protected].

Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening!

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota is the most visited Wilderness area in the United States, garnering around 150,000 to 250,000 visitors per year. Its vast wilderness extends 150 miles along the U.S.-Canada border, covering approximately 1,098,000 acres with over 1,100 lakes and 1,200 miles of canoe routes, attracting more than 150,000 visitors annually. Now, that is under threat of being changed forever.

A congressional plan to force a Chilean-owned copper mine into the headwaters of the nation’s most visited and beloved Wilderness is moving forward, with Representative Stauber introducing Joint Resolution 140 on Jan 12, 2026. The bill went to the floor for a vote on Wednesday, January 21. It passed 214-208. It now heads to the Senate, and timing is yet unknown.

Joining Liz for this deep dive episode is Ingrid Lyons, the Executive Director of Save the Boundary Waters. Ingrid talks about why the Boundary Waters is so special and why everyone needs to care about protecting it. These are OUR public lands and we won't let them be taken away.

TAKE ACTION: Call and email your Senators NOW using the Save the BWCA action toolkit: Call Form & Email Form.

Learn more about Save the Boundary Waters: SaveTheBoundaryWaters.org/
Follow Save the Boundary Waters on Instagram: @savethebwca.

Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.
Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.

Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.

Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!

Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!

Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!

For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at [email protected].

Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening!

Concessionaires have been around even before the Park Service in what we now know as National Parks. Today, there are nearly 500 concessionaires within our Parks, which mean there are tons of folks who work for them. Liz's dear friend Kayla Babb, whom she worked with for a concessionaire company in Yellowstone National Park in 2015, joins the podcast to talk about her experiences within the Parks and how it differentiates from Park Rangers. They have a lot of laughs and share fun memories together- including a menacing raven named Gunter, whistle pigs terrorizing trash bags, bison run-ins, bear stories, and more! January is Be Kind to Servers Month, so to honor those who work so hard to serve the general public: we hope you enjoy this joyful and thoughtful episode.

Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.
Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.

Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.

Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!

Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!

Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!

For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at [email protected].

Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening!

In this week's episode, Liz is joined by her sister (and our first returner guest) Sarah. They talk about how the constant circulation of bad news is exhausting and wearing people thin, but that we need to remember to find joy wherever we can. They talk about coping mechanisms and how they, themselves, get through it all. They share belly laughs and cover humorous questions and topics. Sarah shares a harrowing lightning story for Ranger Tea. They try a bizarre Japanese candy and share their reactions. And last but not least, they dive into Coalpail.com, a strange website with a random topic discussion board which includes a man named Freddy's vehement abhorrence to the changes in Blueberry Morning cereal by Post. We hope you enjoy this joyous interruption within a world of bad news!

Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.
Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.

Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.

Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!

Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!

Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!

For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at [email protected].

Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening!

Alex Haraus is an outdoor and public lands advocate, experienced traveler and an incredible digital creator. We talk about his journey outdoors, his love for the environment and the thought behind Colorado Creator Collective. He gives us the three things that makes content impactful and successful. Alex also shares a mountain lion story and we talk about cool hikes in Iceland - and more! We hope you enjoy this informative and joyful episode!

Follow Alex on Instagram: @alex.haraus.
Follow Alex on TikTok: @alex.haraus.
Subscribe to Alex on YouTube: Alex Haraus - YouTube.

Follow Colorado Creator Collective on Instagram: @coloradocreatorcollective.

Book recommendation from Alex: Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky and Connie Burk.

Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.
Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.

Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.

Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!

Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!

Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!

For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at [email protected].

Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening!

2025: you were one hell of a year. Going into 2026, Liz & Mikayla are embracing the Year of the Horse with determination and even more amazing things! A completely revamped Patreon, exciting new guests, Ranger Lore episodes, and more! Thank you to all of our listeners for supporting us. We are so happy to have you and will continue encouraging you to Ranger On!

Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.
Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.

Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.

Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!

Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!

Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!

For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at [email protected].

Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening!

For our last episode of 2025, we bring to our listeners some much needed information on a public lands topic. What would coal mining look like from a National Park? Why is this being proposed? Let's take a deep dive with the Legal Director & Attorney Steve Bloch of Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA)!

Steve talks about how SUWA is working to stop coal mining from being implemented in the 48,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land that would directly affect visitors' experiences in Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Capitol Reef National Parks and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. He also tells us his favorite fossils, details an account with a raccoon who stole his food, and more!

Thank you to our listeners for tuning in for our 2025 Rangers of the Lost Park podcast kickoff. We are so grateful for you and plan on ramping up our content even more for 2026. We sincerely hope you have a happy New Year and go in with a new sense of vigor and hope.

Learn more about this issue on SUWA's website.
Follow SUWA on Instagram: @ProtectWildUtah.

Other Sources:

1. U.S. Energy Information Administration: Coal Explained.
2. Stanford University: Q&A: Stanford expert explains why we continue burning coal for energy.
3. @thegarbagequeen on TikTok.

Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.
Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.

Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.

Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!

Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!

Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!

For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at [email protected].

Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening!