Wilderness Podcast

PSA! I have launched a new podcast called 'Our Public Lands'. Please check it out by searching for 'Our Public Lands' in your podcasting app. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-public-lands/id1752585783

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In this episode, I speak with Erik Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds Project. We discuss his guidebook writing, the state of our public lands system, the work of Western Watersheds Project, the influence of domestic livestock on Wilderness and public lands, attitudes and historical context of wilderness, Native American omission from the Wilderness Act, the relevancy and importance of the wilderness designation, how to manage public lands for the benefit of ecosystems and the human, collaborative conservation and challenging the dominant culture of colonialism and dominion over nature. 

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In this episode, I interview Michael Kellett, Executive Director of Restore the North Woods, a non-profit environmental group working in Maine with the mission of creating a new national park near Mount Katahdin. We talk about his early years, his time spent working for The Wilderness Society on the east coast, the founding and vision of Restore, the story about the creation of the first national monument in Maine, the history and culture of New England landscapes and its working forests (i.e. logging), a vision for hundreds of new national parks across the country and how new national parks and wilderness areas should fit within the 30x30 Campaign. 

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Wilderness 30x30 | A Wilderness Podcast miniseries

In this episode, I interview Erik Fernandez, Wilderness Program Manager with Oregon Wild. We talk about his position at Oregon Wild, the green fallacy that is the state of Oregon, the state’s dwindling roadless areas and high road density, Oregon’s lack of political champions for wilderness, the outsized influence extractive industries have in the state, the need for bold legislative protections to make up for lost ground, recent anti-wilderness attacks in Washington DC, all about the various ecosystems throughout the state, Erik’s thoughts about 30x30, the pros and cons of different federal land designations, both the positives and shortcomings of the newly proposed Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers Legislation, the frustrations and inaccuracies around labeling environmentalists as extremists and the wilderness proposals that Oregon Wild is working on across the state.

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Wilderness 30x30 | A Wilderness Podcast miniseries

In this episode, I speak with Mike Garrity, Executive Director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies. We talk about the history of the Alliance,  the work they are involved with, how the Alliance has sued the FS more than any other group in the country, all about the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA), protecting entire ecosystems over state-centric wilderness  bills, protecting endangered species as a means of securing future wilderness, proposed landscape restoration work under NREPA, livestock grazing buyout provisions, Native American considerations, prominent supporters of NREPA, the economic benefits of the Bill, progress in Congress, thinking big and considering seemingly inconceivable political changes in this country as a beacon of hope for the Northern Rockies and beyond.

https://allianceforthewildrockies.org/

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In this episode, I speak with Sally Ferguson, Executive Director of the Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation (SBFC). We talk about her background, the mission of the SBFC, central Idaho wilderness areas, how Idahoan’s value wilderness, creating advocates by virtue of deep wilderness experiences, how SBFC works with the Forest Service, noise pollution from small engine aircraft in Idaho wilderness areas, SBFC’s trails and stewardship programs and summer volunteer opportunities in the backcountry. 

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In this episode, I interview Dahr Jamail, author of The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption. We talk about Dahr’s life as an investigative journalist, his introduction to the climate crisis through his reporting, climate as the biggest story of all time, his book The End of Ice, coming to grips with our bleak climate reality, how quickly the climate is changing, having difficult conversations about climate disruption, personal rights versus obligations to the planet and future generations, transitioning from an industrial civilization to something new and creating a life of meaning through service to others and all species on Earth. 

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In this episode, I speak with Gary Macfarlane, Ecosystems Defense Director and Katie Bilodeau, Staff Attorney with the Friends of the Clearwater in Idaho. We talk all about roadless areas, their history, RARE I, RARE II (Roadless Area Review and Evaluation), fractures in the wilderness community over RARE II, the National Forest Policy Act, the influence of industry on roadless areas, the nitty gritty of the Clinton 2001 Roadless Rule, state specific roadless rules, loopholes in the Roadless Rule, all about the new Friends of the Clearwater Roadless Report for Idaho and Montana, duplicity in the Forest Service on what constitutes protections, out of control and accelerating timber extraction and why we must begin taking roadless lands protection seriously.

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In this episode I interview Stephen Wood, a self-described “Wilderness Composer”. We talk about his childhood, what it means to be a wilderness composer, translating his wilderness experiences into music, his time spent in Montana writing compositions and his many residencies across the country. Stephen plays parts of his compositions for us inspired by his visits to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in George and the Siuslaw National Forest in Oregon and walks us through what he was feeling when writing his pieces. We also discuss appreciating wilderness and drawing upon our wilderness experiences throughout our lives. 

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In this episode, I speak with James Brundige, an accomplished conservation and environmental filmmaker. We discuss the California and Oregon wildfires, the interconnectedness of the climate and biodiversity crisis, the impacts of climate change across the globe, about his life as a conservation filmmaker working for National Geographic, NOVA, PBS and others, film as the ultimate art form, his early years as a filmmaker, working with Robert Redford and his film Forever Wild, his important film Wildways, Nature Needs Half, The Club of Rome and The Global Safety Net among other topics.

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