Meet the unsung heroes behind some of the most beautiful places that Snohomish County has to offer. Snohomish County Park rangers do it all — everything from trail building, to crabbing enforcement, to picking up trash and curating a welcoming environment. 🦀🏕️🚲 If you've ever shown up to a pristine park, don't take it for granted!

🦅 Today we talk to Rachel White and Taylor Mason about how they chose the park ranger life... and how the park ranger life chose them.

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Remember when youth sports used to be, you know... fun? Sports can feel so competitive these days. Luckily, the Snohomish Sports Dome is fostering a place that is community-centered and centered around sportsmanship. We caught up with owner Jamie Bialek to talk about Snohomish as a big-time soccer destination and what the forthcoming global soccer games in Seattle could mean for small businesses in surrounding cities.

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Another week in October, another farm!

This week we visit reindeer, yaks, donkeys, and highland cattle at Luckie Farms. Owners Scott and Tara encourage us to follow our dreams (whatever they may be) and perhaps invest in farmland. A “moo”-ving experience, to be sure.

Are you looking for more seasonal farm fun? Be sure to check out our social media feed @discoversnoco or visit discoversnohomishcounty.com

Craven Farm is not the type of place to scare yourself silly. Rather, it’s a family-friendly autumn wonderland that’s been making heartfelt memories since 1983. Kimi and Brian Chadwick lovingly curate all of the seasonal festivities on their farm at the foot of Lord Hill in Snohomish, Washington.

Join us as we send out a live dis-PATCH (get it?) from down on the farm.

Web: discoversnohomishcounty.com

Social: DiscoverSnoCo

Soccer—the world’s game—is exploding in the U.S., with the 2026 World Cup bringing six matches just miles from Snohomish County. Right in the middle of the action, Snohomish is home to a new pre-professional club: the Snohomish United. Fresh off its inaugural USL2 season, the team is led by Anthony Sardon, longtime coach, former Seattle U assistant, national champion, and hall of famer.

Today we’re talking to Sardon about the Big Game and how Snohomish, WA is turning into a major soccer destination.

Goooooaaaaallll! ⚽️

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We’re back from summer break! And we’re telling stories from Everett’s past. We talk about fingers getting cut off, union riots, Rosie the Riveters, and the only building in the world that can fit all of Disneyland inside (take a guess).

If you like what you hear, be sure to visit our website for more Everett-related content and travel ideas – www.seattlenorthcountry.com

And be sure to follow us on social @seattlenorthcountry

We’re back from summer break! And we’re telling stories from Everett’s past.

In this episode we talk about fingers getting cut off, union riots, Rosie the Riveters, and the only building in the world that can fit all of Disneyland inside (take a guess).

If you like what you hear, be sure to visit our website for more Everett-related content and travel ideas – www.seattlenorthcountry.com

And be sure to follow us on social @seattlenorthcountry

Remember how we said we were taking the summer off? Oops – bonus episode with our friend Nigel! You’re welcome. 🫠

There are people in life who do one thing really really well. They find their niche early, lock into their path, and flourish in their chosen lane. Other folks find that they’re good at several things. Jacks of all trades. Swiss army knives, so to speak.

Nigel Lindsey is such a renaissance man. It seems like each time we talk to him he's doing something new. Whether it’s starting his own craft cocktail service company, packaging said craft cocktails for sale during Covid (smart move), getting into finance, serving as vice chair of the Snohomish County NAACP, or coordinating a campaign for mayor, Nigel seems to always be thinking a few steps ahead, thinking on a broader scope.

Which makes conversations with him interesting – we feel like we always come away challenged to think about how we can be more involved in our community, more active in causes we believe in, and more aware of using our skills to their full capacities. We think you’ll be inspired, too! 🤩

Today we’ll talk with Nigel about his different endeavors and how they all work together to funnel value into our community of Snohomish County, making it an even better place to live and visit.

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Context is everything.

Once, the Washington Territory was seen as untamed wilderness—at least through the eyes of European settlers. With a pioneer mindset, they arrived ready to conquer nature and build civilization. But the land was never as wild as they believed. Indigenous tribes had long managed the forests and rivers of what we now call Washington State.

The arrival of settlers brought more than homesteads. Vast old-growth forests were felled. Wildlife once hunted for survival was soon hunted for sport. Apex predators like grizzlies and wolves—viewed as threats to livestock—were wiped out regionally.

Yet, ironically, those same animals became cultural icons. School mascots, barroom trophies, symbols of the untamed spirit of the Northwest—totemic, powerful, ever-present in the background of our identity.

By the 1970s, a new mindset took root. The environmental movement reshaped how people saw nature—not as something to conquer, but something to protect. It was the era of puffer vests, external frame backpacks, and a growing awareness that we’re just one part of a much bigger system.

Enter Conservation Northwest, founded in the late '80s. Their mission: connect landscapes, restore wildlife, and protect the region’s natural heritage. From the Washington Coast to the BC Rockies, they’re champions of wildlands and the creatures that call them home.

Today, we’re talking with Kurt Hellmann, who works at the intersection of outdoor recreation and wildlife conservation. If you’ve spent time in the backcountry, you know the importance of things like stashing food properly or giving goats, elk, deer and other critters space. Kurt’s job is helping people enjoy the outdoors responsibly—so that every species, human and otherwise, can thrive.

It’s a mindset we fully support—as residents, and stewards, of the incredible natural resources of Snohomish County.

Today on the pod: Kurt Hellman of Conservation NW talks animal safety and conservation.

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Our guest today is Rachel Gardner, a creative, entrepreneur, vinyl record collector, and Edmonds, WA arts enthusiast. Rachel owns the city’s only record shop, Musicology Co., which opened in 2024.

So, what makes Rachel unique? In addition to playing bass guitar in a couple local bands and running the only woman-owned record shop in Snohomish County and only one of five in the entire state of Washington, Rachel is a fierce advocate for empowering women and underrepresented people in the vinyl industry. She has an active role as a board member of a national powerhouse nonprofit called Women in Vinyl.

Musicology Co. is a reflection of Rachel’s deep connection to music and the arts. Music lovers can browse the shop’s expansive collection of new and used vinyl, CD’s, and cassettes, but the shop also doubles as a creative space that aims to amplify inclusivity and local artistry right in the heart of the Edmonds Creative District.

We are excited to chat with Rachel today about music, the amazing creativity in Edmonds, and it’s like to be one of the few women working and succeeding in such a male-heavy industry. You can learn more about Rachel and Musicology Co. by checking out our recent blog featuring this one-of-a-kind record shop and its fearless owner. Enjoy!

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