Kristine Tompkins – Nothing to Lose
Kristine Tompkins is an iconic conservationist, the president and co-founder of Tompkins Conservation, and the former CEO of Patagonia. For three decades, she has committed to protecting and restoring wild beauty and biodiversity by creating national parks, restoring wildlife, inspiring activism, and fostering economic vitality through conservation. Kristine and her late husband Douglas Tompkins have …
Kevin Krasnow – Keeping Jackson Hole Wild and Beautiful
Kevin Krasnow is the Conservation Director at the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, a long-standing, highly effective organization whose mission is to “protect the wildlife, wild places, and community character of Jackson Hole.” For more than four decades, the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance has been a staunch advocate for keeping Jackson Hole wild and beautiful, and …
Mike DeHoff – Exploring the Colorado River’s Reemerging Rapids
Mike DeHoff is the Principal Investigator at Returning Rapids Project, a one-of-a-kind initiative that is documenting the recovery of the Colorado River in Cataract Canyon, upper Glen Canyon, and along the San Juan. Back in 1963, the construction of Glen Canyon Dam created Lake Powell, which submerged many of the area’s canyons– turning what were …
SHED SESSION: Seven Must-Read Books That You May Not Know About
An excerpt from my most recent Shed Session episode, highlighting seven of my favorite books that you may have never heard of. To listen to the full episode and all future Shed Sessions, become a Patreon supporter. https://www.patreon.com/posts/shed-session-you-97515649
Live at the Amon Carter Museum – In Conversation with James Prosek and Spencer Wigmore
This is a special live episode that was recorded at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas. The event was centered around the museum’s ongoing exhibition titled Trespassers: James Prosek and the Texas Prairie, and the episode features a fascinating on-stage conversation with artist and past podcast guest James Prosek and …
Paige Lewis – Durable Conservation, Collective Action, and Strategic Thinking
Paige Lewis is the Deputy State Director and Director of Conservation Programs for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. In this role, she serves as the chapter’s chief conservation officer and is responsible for leading the development of innovative, large-scale and entrepreneurial solutions to the challenges facing people and nature in Colorado and around the world. …
Dr. Sara Dant Returns – “Losing Eden: An Environmental History of the American West”
Dr. Sara Dant is a Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor of history at Weber State University, and she’s the author of one of my most-often recommended books, Losing Eden: An Environmental History of the American West. She is also one of the featured historians in Ken Burns’ newest documentary, The American Buffalo, which you can watch …
Corissa Busse – Tribal-Led Buffalo Restoration in the American West and Beyond
Corissa Busse is the Buffalo Restoration Program Manager for The Nature Conservancy, where she oversees TNC’s work to advance Tribal-led efforts to restore buffalo, grasslands, and communities at scale. Based in Rapid City, South Dakota, Corissa and her team at TNC partner with organizations including the InterTribal Buffalo Council and the Tanka Fund to bring …
Rebecca Clarren – “The Cost of Free Land”
Rebecca Clarren is an award-winning journalist who has been writing about the American West for more than twenty years. Her most recent book is titled The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance. The book is a powerful, nuanced, and deeply personal exploration of her ancestors fleeing antisemitism in Russia and immigrating …
Nick Offerman – Empathy, Nuance, & Good Hard Work
Nick Offerman is an actor, author, humorist, and woodworker who is best known for playing the legendary character Ron Swanson on NBC’s Parks and Recreation. But his success as an actor is just the tip of the iceberg– he’s written five New York Times bestselling books, is the narrator of three of Wendell Berry’s audiobooks, …
Matt Cahill – A Deep Dive into the Sagebrush Sea
Matt Cahill is the Sagebrush Sea Program Director for the Nature Conservancy. Based out of Bend, Oregon, Matt leads all of TNC’s critical work restoring, managing, and protecting sagebrush habitat across six western states. This is a huge and complex effort– it combines protection and policy work with ground-breaking restoration advances, public and industry partnerships, …
David James Duncan – Live at the Old Salt Festival
David James Duncan is one of those Western literary legends who needs no introduction to Mountain & Prairie listeners. But for those of you who may be new to the podcast or to Western literature, David is a renowned Montana novelist, activist, and flyfisherman. He’s the author of The River Why and The Brothers K, …
Lorelei Cloud – Solving Modern-Day Challenges with Ancient Tribal Wisdom
Lorelei Cloud is a member of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council. Lorelei’s commitment to conservation, leadership development, and Ute language, traditions, and culture is evident by the staggering number of leadership roles she holds– she is Co-Chairman of the Indigenous Women’s Leadership …
Rob Addington – A Deep Dive into Western Wildfires and Forest Health
Rob Addington is the Director of the Forest and Fire Program with The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. He and his team are focused on increasing the pace and scale of forest restoration in Colorado to reduce hazardous fuels and promote landscape resilience to natural disturbances such as wildfire as well as climate change. You don’t …
David Gessner Returns – “A Traveler’s Guide to the End of the World”
David Gessner is no stranger to Mountain & Prairie listeners– he’s joined me for many episodes and is the author of many of my favorite books, including All the Wild That Remains, Leave It As It Is, My Green Manifesto, and more. His newest book is A Traveler’s Guide to the End of the World: …
Doug Peacock – 50 Years of Fighting for the Grizzlies
Doug Peacock is a legendary environmentalist, writer, filmmaker, and grizzly bear advocate. He’s the co-founder of two conversation nonprofits– Round River Conservation Studies and Save the Yellowstone Grizzly. Doug was also the inspiration for the character George Washington Hayduke in his friend Edward Abbey’s classic novel The Monkey Wrench Gang. And to top it all …
Chris Hawkins – Using Nature to Build Healthier & More Equitable Communities
Chris Hawkins is the Colorado Urban Conservation Manager for The Nature Conservancy, where he leads the organization’s efforts in Denver to “solve global challenges like the biodiversity and climate emergencies by supporting and creating more sustainable, efficient ways of living.” When many people think of The Nature Conservancy, they may envision large-scale conservation efforts across …
Live from the Strenuous Life Retreat: In Conversation with Nancy Fishbein
Back in September of 2022, I held the first annual Strenuous Life Retreat at the renowned Zapata Ranch in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. The retreat consisted of five days of adventure and education inspired by Theodore Roosevelt’s well-known commitment to living “the Strenuous Life.” We hiked high into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, rode horses …
Christian Beckwith, Part 2 – The Fascinating History of the 10th Mountain Division
For today’s conversation, I was thrilled to chat once again with Christian Beckwith, a Jackson, Wyoming-based writer, historian, conservationist, and entrepreneur. Christian’s latest project is “Ninety-Pound Rucksack: A podcast about the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division and the dawn of outdoor recreation in America.” If you enjoy spending time up high in the mountains here …
Matt Moorhead & Galen Guerrero-Murphy – Grasslands Conservation on the Southern High Plains
Matt Moorhead and Galen Guerrero-Murphy are conservationists who work for The Nature Conservancy on its Southern Highs Plains Initiative (SHPI), a collaboration between five states with the shared goal of protecting the nation’s grasslands. The Southern High Plains encompasses approximately 71 million acres across Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The region is home …
Taylor Hawes – Innovative Conservation in the Colorado River Basin
Taylor Hawes is the Director of the Colorado River Program for the Nature Conservancy. As the leader of the program, she guides TNC’s efforts to conserve the freshwater biodiversity of the Colorado River Basin while also meeting human demands for water– challenging objectives given the wide-ranging stresses facing the river today. But despite the challenges …
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe – Effecting Change Through Authentic Conversation
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is a world-renowned climate scientist, professor, and Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where she leads and coordinates the organization’s scientific efforts. She is also the author of Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, an excellent book you’ve likely heard me reference on the …
Megan Torgerson – Storytelling from Rural America
Megan Torgerson is a podcaster and the creator of Reframing Rural, a narrative podcast whose mission is to “share stories of people and places in rural America in an effort to celebrate culture, preserve history and cultivate curiosity and conversation across geographic, class and cultural divides.” In just three seasons, Megan has grown Reframing Rural …
Live with the Cowboy Artists of America
This is a special episode that was recorded live in Fort Worth, Texas as part of the Cowboy Artists of America’s 56th annual exhibition and sale. The show was called “Stories From Around the Campfire,” and it was held at the world-renowned Amon Carter Musem of American Art. I was joined on stage by seven …
Douglas Brinkley – Exploring the Past to Find Inspiration for the Future
Douglas Brinkley is a world-renowned historian, author, and professor who may be best known to Mountain & Prairie listeners as the author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America and Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America, which detailed the first two waves of the United States’ conservation …
Live from Maxwell Alexander Gallery
This is a special podcast episode that was recorded live in Los Angeles at Maxwell Alexander Gallery’s 10 Year Anniversary Exhibition. Maxwell Alexander Gallery was founded back in 2012, when brothers Beau Alexander and Logan Maxwell Hagege decided to start an artist-focused gallery that spotlighted the West’s most cutting-edge art. What started with a crazy …
Monica Tranel – Fighting for the Future of Montana
Monica Tranel is an attorney, Olympian, and mother of three, and she’s also running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Montana’s reformed second congressional district. Monica grew up in eastern Montana in a large family where she was one of ten siblings. Throughout her childhood, her parents stressed the importance of hard work, curiosity, …
Peter Stark – Tales of Adventure, Exploration, & Epic Battles
If you’re a long-time Mountain & Prairie listener, then I’m sure you’ve heard me reference the author and historian Peter Stark. He’s written some of the most memorable books I’ve ever read, including one of my all-time favorites about the early history of the western United States– a thrilling tale of adventure and exploration called …
10 Must-Read Books about the American West, with Mark Kenyon
Mark Kenyon is an author, podcaster, conservationist, and member of the MeatEater crew. You probably know him from his excellent book That Wild Country: An Epic Journey Through the Past, Present, and Future of America’s Public Lands, the Wired to Hunt podcast, or his contributions to MeatEater’s Netflix show and other video productions. To learn …
Nate Schweber – A Forgotten Chapter of American Conservation
Nate Schweber is an award-winning journalist whose work has been featured in the New York Times, ProPublica, Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, and more. He’s also the author of the new book This America of Ours: Bernard and Avis DeVoto and the Forgotten Fight to Save the Wild, which was published in early July 2022. If …
