Becca Aceto is an Idaho-based conservationist and is currently the Communications and Outreach Coordinator for the Idaho Wildlife Federation. Prior to this position with IWF, she worked in a variety of jobs closely connected to Idaho’sIdaho’s rugged landscapes—as a naturalist, Forest Service wilderness ranger, and a Forest Service Wildlife Technician. Given her professional commitment to the lands and wildlife of the northern Rockies, you might assume that she’s a native westerner, but in fact, she grew up in Ohio and attended the University of Kentucky before heading West after graduation.
As the oldest of six siblings, Becca has never been shy about “putting herself out there,” learning new skills, or diving head-first into new experiences. She’s studied various types of conservation in far-flung places like Thailand and Costa Rica, and she moved to the small town of Stanley, Idaho, without knowing a soul who lived there. Most recently, in 2017, she took up hunting and has fallen in love with the sport, becoming the Idaho ambassador for the sportswomen’s group Artemis. Becca’s willingness to step outside her comfort zone both professionally and personally can serve as a blueprint for many non-western young people who want to build a fulfilling life and career for themselves in the Rocky Mountains.
Becca and I caught up between a few of her fall hunts and had a wonderful conversation, discussing everything from her early days in Ohio to her current life and work in Idaho. We started by chatting about her upbringing—her childhood spent fishing in a small neighborhood creek, her love of horses, and the positive influence of her grandmother (who happens to be a Buddhist and a vegetarian). We talked about her time working as a ranger and some of the hard-won lessons she learned by suffering in the backcountry. We talk a lot about her relatively new journey becoming a hunter and some of the challenges and opportunities that come with learning to hunt as an adult. We also discuss the important conservation work of the IWF, in politics, on-the-ground stewardship, and public lands advocacy. As usual, we discuss lots of books and the best advice she’s ever received.
We cover a lot in a little over an hour, and I jump around with my questions even more than usual, so be sure the check out the episode notes for a list of everything we discuss. Enjoy!
All photos courtesy of Becca Aceto
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Episode Notes
Topics Discussed:
- 4:00 – Where Becca grew up
- 6:10 – Decision to study natural resources at University of Kentucky
- 8:45 – Working in Costa Rica
- 10:00 – Decision to move West
- 11:30 – First jobs in Idaho
- 14:30 – Bravery to move out West on her own
- 16:30 – Becca’s Buddhist, vegetarian grandmother’s influence
- 19:30 – Working conditions as a forest ranger
- 21:00 – Importance of discomfort and fear
- 25:00 – Starting to work at the Idaho Wildlife Federation
- 29:15 – Importance of politics
- 30:00 – Threat to public lands
- 34:30 – Learning to hunt
- 38:30 – Hunting lessons learned from year to year
- 42:45 – Artemis sportswomen
- 45:20 – Need for diversity in hunting and conservation
- 47:00 – Advice for novice hunters
- 49:15 – Becca’s most recent hunting trip
- 57:00 – Writing
- 1:00:15 – Favorite books
- 1:02:30 – Favorite films
- 1:04:30 – Out-of-the-ordinary hobbies
- 1:06:00 – Favorite location in the West
- 1:07:00 – Best advice ever received
- 1:08:30 – Words of wisdom
- 1:10:00 – Connect with Becca
Information Referenced:
- Idaho Wildlife Federation
- Artemis Sportswomen
- University of Kentucky
- Stanley, Idaho
- Frank Church Wilderness
- Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow conference
- National Wildlife Federation
- Coming Into the Country by John McPhee
- Encounters with the Archdruid by John McPhee
- Draft No. 4 by John McPhee
- The Solace of Open Spaces by Gretle Erhlich
- The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen
- Never Cry Wolf
- 265 Images of Northern Rocky Mountain Wildflowers by Scott Earle
Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these as well:
- Melissa DiNino – Building a Unique Life in Big Sky Country
- Jillian Lukiwski – Art and Adventure in the American West
- Sarah Calhoun – Community Building Through Commerce
- Sarah Wentzel-Fisher – Conservation in the Radical Center
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