Mountain & Prairie

Conversations & Contemplations from the New American West

Category: TNC

Nichole Barger – Science as a Catalyst for Human Connection
Nichole Barger

Nichole Barger is an ecologist, former university professor, and the current deputy chief scientist and lead global scientist for The Nature Conservancy. She earned her master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and her PhD from Colorado State University, and her career has included extensive time researching, teaching, and practicing on-the-ground, frontline conservation on issues including land degradation, restoration, and more. Prior to assuming her current position at TNC, she was the research director of the Canyonlands Research Center located at the Dugout Ranch, which you may remember as the subject of a Mountain & Prairie episode back in August of 2024.

Given her distinguished career as a scientist, you might be surprised to learn that Nichole never considered pursuing science as a vocation until the second half of her time in college. She grew up in small-town Indiana, and, although she was extremely curious, a great student, and a voracious reader, she was not particularly enamored with science and didn’t know anyone who worked as a scientist. But during college, a supportive-yet-casual comment from one of her professors planted the seed that science could be an option. Fast forward to today, she has published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers, she co-chairs the Science Policy Interface group of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and she leads many of TNC’s cutting-edge science initiatives.

As you’ll hear, Nichole brings a deep level of empathy, curiosity, and open-mindedness to all of her work as a scientist. Whether she’s teaching, researching, or working with conservation stakeholders, she never loses sight of the importance of human connection. We spent the first half of the conversation discussing lessons learned from her nontraditional path into the world of science, including a two-year stint where she left college to travel and explore the United States. We discussed her renewed focus on academics when she returned to school, and the moment that professor planted the seed that eventually grew into her career in science. We discuss teaching versus research, how she evolved as an educator and mentor to college students, and when she decided to apply her talents to TNC’s mission. We discuss TNC’s incorporation of Indigenous wisdom and science into its work, human health as a conservation initiative, and the importance of face-to-face human interactions. She also offers some excellent book recommendations and ideas for remaining optimistic and action-oriented during challenging times.

There’s so much wisdom packed into this episode, so be sure to check out the episode notes for a complete list of topics and links to everything. A huge thanks to Nichole for the great conversation and thank you for listening.

Photos courtesy of TNC: Header © Dave Hebert, headshot © Garrett Herndon

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

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…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. You can access all of the episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 4:00 – Nichole’s upbringing and early years
  • 7:45 – Taking a non-traditional path and her parents’ reaction
  • 9:30 – Lessons learned from her two-year break
  • 11:00 – Books read in high school that gave Nichole confidence to follow her own path
  • 12:30 – Returning to school with a renewed focus
  • 15:30 – Advice to college students who are trying to find their way in the world
  • 18:15 – Her journey to becoming a successful scientist
  • 20:30 – Research versus teaching
  • 22:45 – Lessons learned from years of teaching
  • 26:30 – When and how TNC became a professional focus
  • 29:30 – Nichole describes her current job at TNC
  • 31:15 – Incorporating Indigenous knowledge into TNC’s science work
  • 40:00 – The importance and power of weaving in Indigenous knowledge
  • 43:00 – Human health as a conservation initiative
  • 47:00 – “Doom and Gloom” is not a motivating strategy
  • 50:00 – Online resources for news and science (that won’t make you crazy)
  • 52:00 – The importance of being with people
  • 53:15 – The most exciting project Nichole is working on
  • 55:00 – What can the average person do to take action and make a difference
  • 59:00 – Book recommendations
  • 1:03:00 – Parting words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

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Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on November 26, 2024 by

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Kelsey Molloy & Angel DeVries – Fortifying Grasslands and Communities on the Northern Great Plains
Kelsey Molloy

Kelsey Molloy is the Northern Great Plains Director at The Nature Conservancy and Angel DeVries is the Executive Director of the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA), and they both live and work on the Northern Great Plains in Malta, Montana. While they work for different organizations, Kelsey and Angel collaborate on a long list of critical projects, most of which are focused on grassland conservation, ranching, and community partnerships. 

One of their most notable collaborations involves the Matador Ranch, a 60,000-acre TNC-owned property near Dodson, Montana. The Matador Ranch is home to an outside-the-box conservation initiative known as a grassbank, which is a partnership opportunity that offers ranchers grazing access to rich grasses in exchange for adopting sustainable practices on their own property.

Angel DeVries

This grassbank was introduced during the historic drought of the early 2000s, and it offered much needed grazing opportunities for ranching families whose homeplaces had been hit hard by the dry conditions. Since then, for the past 20+ years, the grassbank has continued to provide win-win solutions for ranchers and conservation-focused non-profit organizations, as well as helping to bolster trust, goodwill, and community cohesiveness.

As you’ll hear in this conversation, the grassbank has been such a success, the TNC is currently searching for another ranch to acquire and eventually transform into a community led and owned grassbank. This “grassbank 2.0” will not only provide a grazing safety net during times of drought, but will also further the work of providing opportunities for new or young ranchers who are just entering the business but do not yet have the capital to purchase their own land. 

We connected via the magic of the internet, and had a wide-ranging conversation about their productive collaboration, grassbanks, challenges and opportunities in the Northern Great Plains, and more. We discussed the work of the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, the history of the Matador Ranch, and the ins and outs of the Matador Ranch grassbank. We discussed how skyrocketing land values are making it nearly impossible for new ranchers to enter the business, and also how succession planning is becoming an important, but often underappreciated, issue for ranching families. We also talked a lot about the need for optimism and curiosity, the importance of building community, and how TNC and RSA are working to bridge cultural and geographic divides. We also learn about RSA’s book club, which will likely be of great interest to many of you.

I learned so much from this conversation and appreciate Kelsey and Angel taking time out of their busy schedules to chat with me.  Hope you enjoy!

Header photo © Ami Vitale/TNC, headshots courtesy of Kelsey and Angel

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Apple Podcasts

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…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. You can access all of the episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 4:00 – Kelsey and Angel introduce themselves
  • 8:10 – Background on the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA)
  • 10:00 – A few of the biggest challenges facing Great Plains ranchers
  • 15:30 – The history of the Matador Ranch and the grassbank
  • 22:00 – Lessons learned from the grassbank
  • 24:15 – A local’s perspective on the grassbank
  • 25:30 – Wildlife-friendly fencing explained
  • 26:30 – Other examples of grassbanks
  • 30:15 – Emerging plans for a new grassbank
  • 33:45 – Steps involved in finding a new property
  • 36:00 – Success stories from the Matador Ranch
  • 41:00 – Easements as a tool for grasslands restoration
  • 43:45 – Importance of positivity and optimism
  • 48:45 – Importance of optimism
  • 52:00 – Important books
  • 56:15 – RSA book club
  • 59:45 – Words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on October 31, 2024 by

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Mauricia Baca – An Empathetic Approach to Nevada’s Conservation Challenges
Mauricia Baca

Mauricia Baca is the State Director of the Nevada Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. In this role, she leads TNC’s efforts in Nevada across a wide range of conservation issues that are familiar to Mountain & Prairie listeners– the Colorado River, the Sagebrush Sea, and renewable energy. But Nevada is also home to some very unique conservation challenges related to biodiversity, mining for rare earth metals, groundwater for agriculture, and more. So I was excited to have this opportunity to learn from Mauricia about some of the specific challenges facing Nevada, TNC’s solutions to these challenges, and how the lessons learned can be applied in other regions of the West.

Mauricia was born in Mexico, grew up in New York City, and credits much of her love of nature and the environment to her childhood experiences exploring Central Park. After college, she served in the Peace Corps, worked as a community organizer in New York, and eventually attended law school. After four years of working as a prosecutor for the United States Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, she moved to Nevada and began her first position with The Nature Conservancy, leading conservation work on the Truckee River. She has served as the State Director since November 2020, and, as you’ll hear, all of her efforts are infused with a deep level of compassion, empathy, and gratitude.

Mauricia has such a fascinating personal and professional trajectory, and there are many lessons to be learned from both her approach to her life and career, and the specifics of TNC’s critical work in Nevada. We talked about her youth in Mexico and New York City, and how she has been committed to environmental work since she was a very young girl. We discuss her stint in the Peace Corps and how those experiences laid the groundwork for her current work with TNC. She shares some insights from switching from the litigation world to the conservation world, and she offers some wisdom for folks looking to make a similar transition. We discuss lithium mining, groundwater conservation, and climate change, and how TNC is making strides to protect biodiversity while balancing society’s growing need for rare earth metals, water, and development. She also shares some wisdom gleaned from her recent battle with breast cancer, and discusses how her approach to work has changed since that life-altering health scare.

A big thanks to Mauricia for being so open and thoughtful, and for sharing so many wonderful insights from her inspiring career. Be sure to check out the episode notes below for links to everything we discussed and to watch Mauricia’s recent TEDx talk, which serves as a great companion to this interview. Enjoy!

Header photo © Chip Carroon/TNC, headshot © The Nature Conservancy

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. You can access all of the episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 4:00 – Mauricia’s upbringing and early years in Mexico and New York City
  • 7:00 – When she knew she wanted to devote her career to environmental work
  • 9:15 – Legal training as thought training
  • 11:45 – How the Peace Corps and other experiences helped her learn to build trust and relationships
  • 16:45 – When TNC entered Mauricia’s life as a next career step
  • 19:45 – More details on how she was able to land her first job with TNC
  • 24:00 – Career evolution within TNC
  • 26:00 – Starting as TNC  State Director at the beginning of the pandemic
  • 28:45 – Tackling climate-related challenges in Nevada and beyond
  • 34:00 – The Atwood Preserve and the quiet beauty of the Mojave Desert
  • 39:00 – TNC’s work to preserve biodiversity in the face of lithium mining
  • 43:45 – The importance of groundwater for Nevada’s ag sector
  • 49:00 – Working in partnership with Tribal communities
  • 54:00 – Thinking locally and acting globally
  • 56:00 – Lessons learned from Mauricia’s recent cancer scare
  • 1:03:30 – Favorite books
  • 1:06:00 – Parting words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on September 24, 2024 by

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Heidi Redd & Sue Bellagamba – Tales from the Dugout Ranch
Heidi Redd

Heidi Redd is a renowned rancher, conservationist, author, and member of the National Cowgirl Museum’s Hall of Fame. Sue Bellagamba serves as Canyonlands Regional Director at the Nature Conservancy, and for more than thirty years, she has worked to protect the lands and waters of southeastern Utah.

Heidi and TNC have been partners since 1997 when Heidi sold her family’s Utah ranch– The Dugout Ranch– to the Nature Conservancy in a historic conservation deal that protected the property from impending development. The Dugout Ranch is located at the gateway to Canyonlands National Park and sits within the boundaries of what is now Bears Ears National Monument– a fragile and arid landscape that has faced various development and environmental threats for many decades.

Sue Bellagamba

Heidi and Sue have worked together in many capacities over the years, with one of their most notable achievements being the creation of The Canyonlands Research Center (“CRC”), which is headquartered at the Dugout Ranch. The CRC was founded in 2010, and its mission is to “promote a sustainable future on the Colorado Plateau for people and nature through research, inspiration, and demonstration of evidence-based solutions to solve some of our most pressing ecological, social, and economic issues.”

Heidi is also the author of the excellent new book titled A Cowgirl’s Conservation Journey: Stories from the Dugout Ranch. The book details her fascinating and adventurous life, with tales ranging from her youth (which included lots of rock climbing and skydiving), to her early years on the Dugout Ranch, all the way up to some recent behind-the-scenes stories from the designation of Bears Ears as a National Monument. If you’re a fan of history, adventure, ranching, conservation, and purpose-driven people, I know you’ll enjoy the book.

We covered a lot in the episode, including Heidi’s upbringing, her first visit to the Dugout Ranch, and when she knew that she would devote her life to stewarding the Dugout’s spectacular landscapes. Sue provides some excellent context around conservation in the American Southwest, and why drylands are such a critical ecosystem and focus of TNC’s efforts. We discuss how TNC initially built trust with Heidi back in the 1990s, the creation of The Canyonlands Research Center, new insights Heidi gleaned from writing her book, and much more. Be sure to visit the episode notes for links to everything we discuss, including Heidi’s book.

A huge thanks to Heidi and Sue for taking the time to chat with me and share their wisdom from so many decades of conversation work in such a special part of the country. Enjoy!

Photos courtesy of The Nature Conservancy, header photo and Heidi’s headshot © Ted Wood

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. You can access all of the episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 4:00 – Heidi’s upbringing
  • 7:15 – Heidi describes the Dugout Ranch
  • 13:30 – When Heidi knew she wanted to dedicate her life to the Dugout Ranch and surrounding area
  • 16:00 – When Heidi took the reins of the Dugout
  • 20:45 – When Heidi became interested in working with TNC
  • 24:30 – Why Heidi trusted TNC
  • 26:45 – Sue explains why TNC wanted to get involved with the Dugout Ranch and what their plan was once they purchased it
  • 30:15 – Sue explains the mission and purpose of the Canyonlands Research Center
  • 32:15 – When climate change got on Heidi’s radar
  • 37:45 – How Heidi discusses climate change, given our political climate
  • 41:30 – Sue explains why drylands are so important
  • 44:00 – Heidi and Sue explain the impact of the political battle surrounding Bears Ears on their work
  • 50:30 – Heidi discusses whether or not writing her book helped her come to new conclusions
  • 54:00 – Heidi’s hopes for her family
  • 55:30 – Heidi and Sue’s book recommendations
  • 59:45 – Parting words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on August 27, 2024 by

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Nancy Smith & Austin Rempel – A Surprisingly Simple, Effective, and Scalable Approach to Riparian Restoration
Nancy Smith

Nancy Smith is the Conservation Director for The Nature Conservancy’s Colorado River Program, and Austin Rempel is the Riparian Restoration Program Manager at The Nature Conservancy. Both Nancy and Austin are working on the front lines of some of the West’s most innovative water and habitat conservation projects– projects that benefit everything from groundwater supplies to wildlife habitat, climate resiliency to ecosystem health. 

If you’ve listened to many of these TNC-focused episodes, then you’ll know that TNC works extensively throughout the Colorado River Basin on a wide range of conservation issues that affect people, wildlife, and landscapes. In this episode, we’re going to zoom in on one very specific, very simple, and very effective process that has the potential to have massive positive impacts on ecosystem health throughout the West.

Austin Rempel

The process is called “low-tech process-based restoration,” which is the practice of adding simple, low-cost structures made of natural materials like rocks, wood, and posts to simulate natural processes like beaver dams in streams and wetlands, kick-starting natural cycles of recovery. These structures require minimal permitting, can be built quickly by hand without heavy equipment, use locally sourced materials, and can be installed by local workers who do not need extensive training. The end result creates surprisingly effective outcomes that can be scaled quickly across vast stretches of the West.

We recorded this conversation the day after Colorado River Day, which was a fitting time to highlight such an important project and process. We started out by discussing how this project came to be, which involved a significant amount of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. We discuss how rivers have historically looked in the West versus how they look now, as well as the ecological complexities of riverscapes and riparian corridors.  We then dig into the details of “low-tech process-based restoration”– timelines, challenges, opportunities, partnerships, and measuring success. We also talk about beavers, shifting cultural norms around conservation, overlaps between forest and riparian restoration, favorite books, and much more.

As you’ll hear, Nancy and Austin provide such an excellent overview of several varieties of low-tech process-based restoration. But for those of you who want to dig deeper into details of the various processes and case studies, they’ve provided me with extensive additional resources that you can access in the episode notes. I’d also encourage you to check out the short film embedded on the episode’s webpage, which will give you a visual overview of the process and its results.

A big thanks to Nancy and Austin for the fun conversation, and thank you for listening.

Photos courtesy of The Nature Conservancy, header photo © Jeremy Roberts

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. You can access all of the episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 4:00 – Nancy’s intro
  • 5:26 – Austin’s intro
  • 7:15 – The impact of wet upland meadows on the Colorado River (Nancy)
  • 10:00 – How the Inflation Reduction Act has funded TNC’s important partnership work (Nancy)
  • 13:30 – Defining the low-tech, process-based, restoration (LTPBR) involved in this project (Austin)
  • 16:30 – What meadows have historically looked like in the American West (Austin and Nancy)
  • 21:00 – Describing more of the structures TNC uses in this work, like beaver dam analogs (Austin)
  • 26:30 – What kind of land TNC does this restoration work on (Austin)
  • 29:30 – How long this work takes (Austin and Nancy)
  • 33:30 – What success will look like for this work (Nancy)
  • 37:30 – How LTPBRs help empower crucial work by being simple
  • 40:45 – What could make or break this project (Austin and Nancy) 
  • 44:00 – TNC’s ability to balance innovation with responsible stewardship of funding (Nancy)
  • 46:30 – Overlaps between river and forest restoration (Austin)
  • 50:30 – What would make a good staff member for this work
  • 55:45 – Nancy’s book recommendations
  • 57:00 – Austin’s book recommendations
  • 59:18 – Nancy’s parting words of wisdom
  • 1:00:10 – Austin’s parting words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on July 30, 2024 by

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Peter Gower & Chris Menges – Forward-Looking Approaches to the West’s Energy Transition
Peter Gower

Peter Gower is the Nature Conservancy’s Climate and Renewable Energy Program Director for the Western United States and Canada Divisions, and Chris Menges is the Director of Climate Action for the Colorado Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Both Peter and Chris are on the front lines of North America’s transition from fossil fuels to renewables, working to find solutions that protect and benefit working lands, natural landscapes, wildlife, and communities.

As you’ll hear in this episode, the transition from fossil fuels to renewables is an incredibly complex process, and Peter and Chris are highly skilled at breaking down the issues and explaining them in a substantive yet easy-to-understand manner. While the details of their work may be complicated, everything Peter and Chris do is built on the very simple foundation of strong relationships, partnerships, and trust, which has been the common theme of all of these TNC-focused episodes.

Chris Menges

We connected virtually and had a great conversation about The Nature Conservancy’s work in the renewables space, exploring everything from TNC’s big-picture strategies in the American West, down to a few on-the-ground examples of successful initiatives and projects. We discussed how TNC is working with Western states to help them achieve their energy goals and some of the specific renewable work being done here in Colorado.

We also talked about the challenges of finding sites for renewable energy projects, how market incentives can be used to ensure siting that benefits both people and nature, and recently passed legislation in Colorado that addresses these issues. We chatted about TNC’s extensive research in the renewables space, including its Power of Place studies. As usual, we discuss their favorite books and some resources to learn more about the issues surrounding renewable energy.  

Renewable energy has long been one of those topics that I have never been able to fully wrap my head around, but after this conversation, I felt that I had a solid foundation of knowledge– as well as the curiosity and desire to go out and learn more.

A huge thanks to Peter and Chris for devoting the time to have this extremely educational conversation, and thank you for listening.

Photos courtesy of The Nature Conservancy

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. You can access all of the episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:20 – The state of renewables in the West (Peter)
  • 8:05 – Chris’s renewable work on the ground in CO with TNC (Chris)
  • 12:35- Challenges and opportunities associated with finding physical sites for renewable projects (Chris)
  • 15:50 – Examples of market incentives that Chris thinks would help develop renewable sites to the benefit of as many interests as possible (Chris and Peter) 
  • 22:20 – Discussing the Power of Place studies (Peter)
  • 26:35 – Other major challenges to implementing more renewable energy solutions (Peter)
  • 33:05 – Discussing the Connected West study, to be released soon (Peter)
  • 36:20 – Building relationships with businesses and large entities (Peter)
  • 39:05 – Discussing Colorado SB24-212 (Chris)
  • 47:35 – Developing renewable energy sites on “brownfields” (Peter)
  • 51:05 – Where to learn more about renewable energy (Peter and Chris)

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on June 25, 2024 by

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Dan Stellar – Bolstering Biodiversity in Arizona and Beyond
Dan Stellar (photo credit Mark Skalny)

Dan Stellar is the State Director for the Arizona Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, where he leads the organization’s efforts across a wide range of cutting-edge initiatives, including forest health, water conservation, resilient cities, healthy grasslands, and more. Arizona is one of the nation’s largest and most biodiverse states, which creates a host of extremely unique conservation challenges and opportunities– both in its arid, wide-open landscapes and densely populated urban centers. As you’ll hear, Dan and his team are implementing conservation solutions that not only benefit people and nature specifically in Arizona, but they are also creating actionable conservation frameworks that can be applied all over the American West.

Dan was born and raised on the East Coast, and he has spent his career in the non-profit sector, applying his talents to important issues both domestically and abroad.  He began his tenure at TNC Arizona in 2016, when he assumed the role of Deputy State Director. He quickly fell in love with Arizona and TNC’s critical work in the state, and, in 2020, he assumed the role of State Director. Dan is also a committed endurance athlete, and he’s run a mind-blowing number of marathons and half-marathons. And on top of all of that, he’s a dedicated father, husband, and family man.

Dan and I share so many common interests in conservation, endurance sports, and family, so I was super excited to have the opportunity to learn more about the specifics of his work and his fascinating personal and professional journey. We started the conversation with an overview of what makes Arizona such a unique place from a conservation perspective, then we dug into the details of TNC’s work in forest heath, rivers, aquifers, outdoor recreation, and resilient cities. We talked about some of the lessons he learned from traveling and working internationally, why he chooses to push himself so hard athletically, and how he goes about building such strong relationships with stakeholders, partner organizations, and his TNC team members. Dan is also a voracious reader, so we obviously chatted about books, and he wrapped up the conversation with very wise parting words.

I felt like I’d met a real kindred spirit in Dan, and I greatly appreciate everything that he and his team are doing to make Arizona—and the West—a better place. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Photos courtesy of The Nature Conservancy: Header image by Ian Adrian/TNC Photo Contest 2022; headshot by Mark Skalny.

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. You can access all of the episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:30 – Setting the scene for conservation work in Arizona
  • 8:45 – Forest health work in Arizona
  • 15:00 – Aligning profit motives with forest health goals
  • 22:00 – Whether or not there are down-sides to forest thinning
  • 25:15 – Discussing the Verde River
  • 31:15 – Discussing the Big Chino Aquifer 
  • 35:00 – Collaborating with the Trust for Public Land to build a new park in Arizona
  • 39:45 – TNC’s work with cities in Arizona
  • 46:00 – Dan’s passion for running, and his attraction to doing hard things
  • 50:15 – How Dan fits running into his schedule
  • 52:00 – How Dan became interested in conservation
  • 57:30 – Dan’s lessons from traveling
  • 1:00:00 – Dan’s book recommendations
  • 1:04:30 – Dan’s parting words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on May 28, 2024 by

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Celene Hawkins & Izabella Ruffino – Tribal Partnerships, Indigenous Voices, Cutting-Edge Conservation
Celene Hawkins

Celene Hawkins is the Colorado River Tribal Water Partnerships Program Director for the Nature Conservancy, and Izabella Ruffino is the Tribal and Indigenous Engagement Program Manager for the Colorado Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Both Celene and Izabella use their skills to advance and support tribal-led land and water conservation work throughout the American West.  

Most of Celene’s work is centered around the Colorado River Basin, and she has played an integral role in many cutting-edge water conservation projects that have sought out Tribal voices and Indigenous perspectives to create some of the West’s most effective and equitable solutions to complex water challenges. Perhaps most notably, she worked with the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, and her colleagues at TNC to create a first-of-its-kind water agreement that was a true win-win for nature and people.

Izabella Ruffino

Izabella’s work builds on TNC’s strong foundation of partnerships with Tribal Nations for land and water issues, and she is also focused on expanding Tribal and Indigenous engagement into all aspects of TNC’s wide-ranging conservation work. Additionally, she is responsible for internal efforts to fortify organizational cultural awareness and humility within TNC’s Colorado Chapter. As you’ll hear, Izabella is doing everything from leading internal educational initiatives to working with wide-ranging stakeholder groups on projects such as determining the best uses for TNC-owned land and preserves.

In this episode, we dig into the details of many of their specific projects and initiatives, but we also talk more broadly about the importance of seeking out Indigenous perspectives to help guide TNC’s critical conservation work worldwide. They both offer plentiful resources– online courses, books, podcasts, essays, and more– that will help me (and you, the listener!) better understand the importance of bringing together diverse perspectives to guide the next chapter of conversation work in the West and beyond.

Celene and Izabella mention so many excellent books, people, and resources, so don’t forget to check out the episode notes for links to everything. A big thanks to them both for such a fun, inspiring, and educational conversation. I hope you enjoy!

Photos courtesy of The Nature Conservancy: Header © Roberto Rosales; headshots from Celene and Izabella.

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. You can access all of the episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:30 – Introductions
  • 8:30 – The win-win partnership between the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, and TNC
  • 14:00- Challenges and opportunities related to putting together the partnership deal
  • 19:00 – Benefits to all parties as a result of the deal
  • 21:30 – Positive ripple effects resulting from the partnership
  • 24:15 – TNC’s strategies for managing its preserves, including the Medano Zapata Ranch
  • 29:15- The process of gathering Indigenous and local perspectives
  • 32:00 – Strategies, tactics, and frameworks for building cross-cultural relationships
  • 36:30 – Balancing the time it takes to build solid relationships with the reality that “time is of the essence”
  • 40:30 – Upcoming exciting projects
  • 44:30 – Resources for further learning
  • 50:30 – Why they each chose to apply their talents, skills, and careers to the cause of conservation
  • 55:30 – Heroes and mentors
  • 1:05:00 – Favorite books
  • 1:11:00 – Parting words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on April 30, 2024 by

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Kevin Krasnow – Keeping Jackson Hole Wild and Beautiful
Kevin Krasnow

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 it has proven to be a nimble and creative protector of the legendary Wyoming valley. The organization has served as a watchdog against poorly planned development, a champion for public land, a community voice that holds elected officials accountable, and much more.

Kevin brings a fascinating and diverse professional background to his work at the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance– he’s worked as an Outward Bound instructor, a high school teacher, a college professor, and, most notably, he earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from the University of California Berkley. Prior to joining the team at the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, he worked for ten years at the Teton Science Schools in Jackson. As you’ll hear in our conversation, Kevin is a high-level expert in forest and wildfire ecology, and he speaks eloquently about the role of wildfires in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and beyond. 

When I first headed out West from North Carolina nearly twenty years ago, I moved to Jackson Hole— and I will always have a tender spot in my heart for that particular area. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to connect with Kevin and talk about all things related to ecology, wildlife, fire, and conversation in Jackson Hole. We started with a deep dive into Aspen trees, and why they are such an important and unique part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We discussed the Yellowstone Fire of 1988 and how that disaster shaped forest management in the future. We discussed the unprecedented development pressure in and around Jackson, how Kevin and his organization collaborate with a wide range of conservation partners, his professional journey from indirect to direct conservation work, and how his career as an educator informs his work today.

If you’ve ever spent time in the Tetons, Yellowstone, or the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, then you’re going to learn a lot from Kevin. Please check out the notes below for a full list of everything we discuss, and I hope you enjoy!

Header photo courtesy of TNC: “Reflective Waters on Jackson Lake.” © Andrew Underwood; Headshot courtesy of Kevin Krasnow

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. You can access all of the episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:30 – Discussing Aspen trees and how they captured Kevin’s attention
  • 9:30 – Threats to Aspen populations
  • 13:30 – Looking at the Yellowstone Fire of 1988
  • 24:00 – How significantly forestry and attitudes toward fire have changed after the Yellowstone Fire of 1988 
  • 28:30 – What brought Kevin to the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance 
  • 31:00 – Whether or not COVID has impacted the urgency of JHCA’s work
  • 35:15 – What specific problems Kevin works on at JHCA 
  • 39:15 – How Kevin and JHCA have collaborated with The Nature Conservancy
  • 43:00 – Kevin’s switch from “indirect” conservation to “direct”
  • 45:00 – When the outdoors became a part of Kevin’s life
  • 47:15 – Kevin’s early career in experiential education, and how it benefits his career now
  • 52:30 – Kevin’s words for a young person looking for career advice
  • 55:00 – Kevin’s book recommendations
  • 58:15 – Kevin’s parting words of wisdom, and how folks can support JHCA

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on February 27, 2024 by

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Ivy Spohnholz – Climate Solutions, Sustainable Fisheries, and Resilient Communities
Ivy Spohnholz
(credit Troy Bowler)

Ivy Spohnholz is the Alaska State Director at The Nature Conservancy, where she leads the organization’s critical work around climate solutions, sustainable fisheries, and resilient communities. Given its size, location, climate, demographics, and economics, Alaska presents a very unique blend of conservation challenges– challenges that can directly affect massive, landscape-scale ecosystems and the communities within them. We’ve rarely, if ever, dug into the details of conservation in Alaska on this podcast, so I was thrilled to have Ivy join me for such an in-depth conversation.

Ivy was born in a dry log cabin in the remote Wrangell Mountains, in what is now Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Her entire career has revolved around public service– she’s held leadership roles at the Salvation Army, University of Alaska Anchorage, Alaska Conservation Foundation, and Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis. She also served for more than six years in the Alaska House of Representatives, where she honed her skills as a pragmatic and effective problem solver. In the fall of 2022, she took the reins as TNC’s Alaska State Director and has been applying her skills as a leader and problem solver toward Alaska’s distinctive conservation challenges.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit Alaska on two separate occasions, and I’ve had some of the most formative experiences of my life in the Alaska Range. The size and scale of the mountains, valleys, and wildlife are so staggering that it’s impossible to visit Alaska without gaining a deep respect for both the landscapes and the people who live there. So, I was excited to have the opportunity to chat with Ivy about her adventurous upbringing in Alaska and her service-oriented career. We talk in detail about her unexpected entrance into politics and how she quickly learned to lead and navigate the law-making process as an elected official. We discuss TNC’s focus areas in Alaska, and we talk a lot about Bristol Bay and its ecological and economic significance in the world. As you’ve probably come to expect, we talk about the all-important power of relationships, and we also discuss the need to be practical and optimistic.

A big thank you to Ivy for taking the time to talk with me– I greatly appreciate all of the important work being done by TNC Alaska. Enjoy!

Header photo by Matthew Waliszek, hunting photo by Troy Bowler

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. You can access all of the episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:30 – Ivy’s birth in a dry log cabin in the Wrangell Mountains
  • 7:15 – Ivy’s childhood
  • 10:15 – When Ivy left Alaska, and what brought her back
  • 12:00 – How serving others became a core part of Ivy
  • 17:00 – When Ivy became an elected official
  • 24:00 – Discussing the political landscape of Alaska
  • 28:15 – How Ivy became involved with TNC
  • 34:45 – Discussing TNC’s work in Alaska
  • 41:00 – How Ivy balances working urgently with the often slower pace of building relationships 
  • 46:30 – The importance of Bristol Bay
  • 52:00 – Potential future threats to Bristol Bay
  • 57:00 – The biggest surprise for Ivy in her work with TNC
  • 59:30 – Discussing “practical optimism”
  • 1:01:30 – Ivy’s book recommendations
  • 1:03:45 – Ivy’s parting words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on January 30, 2024 by

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Paige Lewis – Durable Conservation, Collective Action, and Strategic Thinking
Paige Lewis

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. Paige brings a unique skill set that combines big-picture thinking with tangible, one-the-ground execution– her work involves creating ambitious, large-scale strategies, while also ensuring that the TNC team has the resources, communication, and support to accomplish its goals.

Over the course of this 2023 podcast series with TNC Colorado, we’ve highlighted both the breadth and depth of the organization’s work in Colorado and beyond. From grassland conservation to sustainable water management to forest health to urban conservation efforts (and much more!), it’s been amazing to learn about the positive impact that TNC is having across such a broad spectrum of pressing environmental issues. And if you’ve wondered, as I have, how TNC successfully aligns so many initiatives, teams, and stakeholders toward common organizational goals, well, you’re in luck, because that’s exactly what Paige does!

Paige and I sat down at the TNC office in Boulder just before the holidays and had a fun conversation that looked back at some of the 2023 conservation wins and looked forward toward TNC’s ambitious goals for the future. We started out discussing Paige’s lifelong appreciation for conservation, and her career that took her from her home state of Utah to Washington DC and eventually to Colorado. We discussed her skill of thinking strategically while also focusing on the need to get things done, and how she has managed to keep so many balls in the air year after year. We talk about durable conservation, collective action, and embracing risk, and we also discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with setting ambitious goals. Paige is a voracious reader and lover of history, so she has tons of excellent book recommendations.

A big thank you to Paige for taking the time to chat with me during such a busy time of year, and, once again, thank you for listening. Hope you enjoy.

Header photo by Ethan Herrold/TNC Photo Contest 2019; headshot by Lauryn Wachs.

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google Podcasts

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West. You can access all of the 2023 episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:30 – How Paige became interested in conservation
  • 9:15 – Paige’s first conservation job 
  • 10:45 – Adjusting from the West to DC
  • 11:45 – Paige’s return West
  • 15:00 – How Paige ended up at TNC
  • 18:30 – Paige’s role at TNC
  • 23:30 – An example of successful collaborative work in Paige’s time at TNC
  • 27:15 – What Paige is most proud of in TNC’s 2023 work
  • 30:30 – Reflecting on TNC’s progress towards their 2026 strategic goals
  • 34:30 – How Paige prioritizes and keeps all the balls in the air
  • 39:45 – What “durable conservation” means and looks like to Paige
  • 42:30 – What “collective action” means and looks like to Paige
  • 45:30 – How Paige knows when to shift from ideation and relationship building to action
  • 48:45 – How TNC’s approach to taking risks has changed during Paige’s tenure
  • 52:15 – What qualities Paige thinks makes a good team member at TNC
  • 56:15 – Paige’s book recommendations
  • 1:02:15 – Paige’s parting words

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on December 26, 2023 by

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Diana Lane & Aaron Derwingson – Thriving Rivers, Resilient Agriculture, and Strong Communities
Diana Lane

Diana Lane is the Director of Sustainable Food and Water at the Colorado Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, and Aaron Derwingson is the Water Projects Director for the Nature Conservancy’s Colorado River Program. Both Diana and Aaron work at the intersection of water sustainability, thriving rivers, resilient agriculture, and strong communities– harnessing TNC’s relationships and resources to advance some of the most cutting-edge and effective conservation initiatives in the American West.

Diana and Aaron bring a diverse set of skills and experiences to their work at TNC. Diana holds a PhD in Biological Sciences and has spent much of her career working with a wide array of partners on restoration ecology and planning, climate adaptation, and management of public funding. Aaron is a river guide-turned-conservationist who began his career focusing on conservation in the Rio Grande River basin, and now applies his skills toward creating pragmatic, solution-oriented approaches to freshwater challenges in the greater Colorado River basin. But perhaps most importantly, they both bring a deep level of passion and focus to their work– their optimistic commitment to solving some of the West’s most pressing water and agricultural challenges is infectious.

Aaron Derwingson

Diana, Aaron, and I connected virtually and had an educational and inspiring conversation about water, agriculture, and community here in Colorado and beyond. We discussed some of the most urgent water-related challenges and opportunities and how they are working with a wide range of stakeholders to find mutually beneficial solutions. We discuss the Yampa River fund, their work helping agricultural producers adjust to a drier climate, and the all-important role of building solid relationships with stakeholders. We discussed the Maybell Irrigation Ditch Project, which is a fascinating, win-win project for both producers and recreational river users, and we discussed some of the water-related challenges that keep both Diana and Aaron up and night. And as usual, they both have plenty of excellent book recommendations.  

A huge thank you to Diana and Aaron for taking the time to talk with me, and thank you for listening. Hope you enjoy!

Header photo by Ken Geiger; all photos courtesy of the Nature Conservancy.

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google Podcasts

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West. You can access all of the 2023 episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:30 – Diana and Aaron’s backgrounds
  • 7:30 – Aaron’s read on the future of water
  • 12:30 – Diana’s overview of the Yampa River Fund
  • 18:30 – Aaron’s work with producers to adjust to the new water reality
  • 23:15 – The process of building relationships with producers for water projects
  • 27:00 – The Colorado Water Plan’s impact on Diana and Aaron’s work
  • 31:45  – Discussing the Yampa River Fund
  • 41:15 – The things about Colorado water that keep Diana and Aaron up at night
  • 47:15 – What makes a solid conservation professional
  • 51:00 – How you can help TNC in this work
  • 55:30 – Diana and Aaron’s book recommendations
  • 1:00:00 – Parting requests and words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on November 28, 2023 by

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Corissa Busse – Tribal-Led Buffalo Restoration in the American West and Beyond
Corissa Busse

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 buffalo back to tribal lands, which not only contributes to healthier, more resilient landscapes, but helps to heal and restore a web of natural relationships that has been broken for hundreds of years.

TNC has been working with buffalo for many decades now, and it owns herds at numerous TNC preserves across the United States. Each year, those herds produce approximately 1,500 buffalo that are in need of new homes, so TNC has begun working with Tribal nations to transfer these buffalo from the TNC preserves onto Native lands. But transferring the animals from one place to another is relatively simple– it’s the trust-building, infrastructure development, and long-term, collaborative vision that requires strong relationships and outside-the-box thinking. As you’ll hear in this conversation, it’s a complex and important project with amazing potential.

I’ve always loved learning about buffalo, and given the recent release of Ken Burns’ newest documentary on this very subject, I was extra excited to chat with Corissa. We started out with the most basic question of all– “Should we call them bison or buffalo?”– and then moved into the more complex topics. We discussed when and why TNC initially became interested in buffalo, TNC’s history of working with Tribal partners, the challenges of overcoming historical realities, the potential for tension between cattle and buffalo producers, specific success stories from TNC’s buffalo restoration work, the all-important role of strong relationships, resources to learn more about buffalo, and Corissa offers some excellent book recommendations.

I greatly appreciate Corissa taking the time out of her busy schedule to educate me on the finer details of buffalo as well as the large-scale vision for TNC’s work. I learned a lot from this conversation, and I know you will too.  Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy.

Header photo by John Fielder courtesy of The Nature Conservancy, headshot courtesy of Corissa Busse

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google Podcasts

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West. You can access all of the 2023 episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:30 – Is it buffalo or bison?
  • 6:30 – A brief history of buffalo in the US
  • 10:30 – Books and resources that have helped Corissa learn more about the history of buffalo 
  • 13:45 – TNC’s interest in buffalo
  • 17:00 – TNC’s history of relationship-building with Tribal nation partners
  • 22:15 – How buffalo from TNC’s herds are transferred to other partners
  • 23:30 – Exploring the tension between cattle and buffalo businesses
  • 27:15 – Examples of the success of Corissa’s program
  • 31:15 – Measuring success in this work
  • 35:00 – The challenges in this work that Corissa worries about
  • 39:15 – The market for buffalo
  • 42:15 – How Corissa got into work with buffalo
  • 48:00 – The importance of relationships to Corissa’s work
  • 52:30 – Corissa’s book recommendations
  • 56:00 – Ways you can support Corissa’s work, and Corissa’s parting words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on October 31, 2023 by

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Matt Cahill – A Deep Dive into the Sagebrush Sea
Matt Cahill

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, and local community projects. But as you’ll hear in this conversation, Matt is optimistically leaning into the challenge and making great strides to protect this uniquely Western ecosystem.

To give you some context into the vastness of North America’s sagebrush ecosystem, it spans 150 million acres and is home to 350 rare, threatened, and endangered species. Since 1998, 14 million acres of sagebrush ecosystems have been lost, and currently, we’re losing approximately one million acres to invasive species, catastrophic wildfires, development, improper grazing, and climate change. 70% of the Sagebrush Sea is found on public lands, so efforts to protect, manage, and restore the ecosystem are dependent on creative, action-oriented public-private partnerships. Again, Matt is leading a huge and complex effort!

In this episode, we start our conversation by discussing why the Sagebrush Sea is important, and why even people who live far from the ecosystem should care about it. We discuss the history of the threats to sagebrush, and we also do a deep dive into the specific threat of cheatgrass– a true scourge on the landscapes of the West. We discuss the ecology of sagebrush, how TNC measures success when it comes to protecting such a fragile ecosystem, and the importance of partnering with ranchers. We talk about the efficacy of for-profit approaches to restoration, collaboration with government agencies, and specific cutting-edge approaches to restoration. Matt also explains his career trajectory that led him from the East Coast to becoming obsessed with sagebrush, and he offers several great book recommendations.

Be sure to check out the episode notes for links to everything we discuss, including a few videos and writings by Matt that will provide even more context into this nuanced issue. Thanks to Matt and his team for all of their hard work, and thank you for listening. Hope you enjoy.

Photos courtesy of The Nature Conservancy

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Download on Apple Podcasts

Download on Spotify

Download on Google Podcasts

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West. You can access all of the 2023 episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:30 – Description of the Sagebrush Sea
  • 7:45 – Why sagebrush matters
  • 10:30 – The state of the Sagebrush Sea and how it got there
  • 15:15 – Cheatgrass’s impact on the Sagebrush Sea
  • 23:30 – TNC’s Sagebrush Sea program
  • 26:45 – Exploring the restoration aspect of Matt’s work
  • 33:15 – The restoration timeline for sagebrush regions
  • 35:30 – Measuring restoration success
  • 39:00 – The management portion of Matt’s work
  • 41:30 – Matt’s success stories of collaborating with ranchers
  • 46:00 – The land protection (acquisition, easement, etc.) portion of Matt’s work
  • 49:15 – Evaluating the for-profit wing of conservation of sage grouse habitat
  • 43:15 – Discussing TNC’s collaboration across its own programs as well as with government land managers
  • 57:00 – How Matt ended up an expert in sagebrush biomes when he grew up on the East Coast
  • 1:00:30 – Matt’s book recommendations
  • 1:04:00 – Matt’s parting words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on September 26, 2023 by

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Carrie Segil & Duncan Gilchrist – Catalyzing Conservation in Colorado and Beyond
Carrie Segil

Carrie Segil is the People and Culture Manager at The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, and Duncan Gilchrist is a Climate and Natural Resources Policy Associate at The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. Both Carrie and Duncan are deeply involved with TNC Colorado’s Catalyst Fund, a cutting-edge conservation funding initiative that supports forward-looking projects that enable innovation and rapid learning, both to test new ideas and to build greater capacity for innovation over the long term.

One of the Catalyst Fund’s most notable projects involves agrivoltaics, which is the simultaneous use of land for both solar energy production and agriculture. The project is called the Agrivoltaics Retrofit Partnership, and it’s a Boulder-based partnership between TNC, Jack’s Solar Garden, Drylands Agroecology Research, Boulder Housing Partners, and a conservation-justice / community outreach partner called FLOWS. The project aims to achieve multiple conservation and community objectives, including restoring degraded land, producing perennial plants with medicinal, economic, and indigenous cultural value, and providing a host of benefits to local marginalized community members– benefits that we discuss in this episode.

Duncan Gilchrist

In this episode, we talk in detail about this specific agrivoltaics project, as well as some of the other innovative projects that are being pushed forward thanks to support from the Catalyst Fund. We discussed how and why TNC Colorado decided to create the Catalyst Fund in the first place, and the need to push boundaries and take risks in the conservation space. Carrie offers insights into specific Catalyst projects, such as virtual fencing for bison, and Duncan discusses all the details about this agrivoltaics project– including the genesis of the idea, the challenges of the projects, and why it has proven to be so successful and replicable. We also discuss how policy on the state and federal level is creating more opportunities for agrivoltaics, why it garners bipartisan support, and lessons learned from all of the Catalyst Fund projects.

I was so impressed with Carrie and Duncan’s enthusiasm, professionalism, and commitment to innovation, and I learned so much from this conversation. Be sure to check out the episode notes to learn more about everything we discussed, and please share this episode with any friends or colleagues who might find it valuable.  Thanks so much for listening, I hope you enjoy!

Photos courtesy of The Nature Conservancy

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

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EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West. You can access all of the 2023 episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:30 – An overview of the Catalyst Fund
  • 7:00 – Talking to funders about the Catalyst Fund
  • 8:45 – How TNC evaluates what it is looking for regarding the Catalyst Fund
  • 10:30 – Duncan’s project
  • 12:45 – Duncan’s job before his agrivoltaics project
  • 14:45 – More on Duncan’s project and his site
  • 19:00 – About Boulder Housing Partners, and how they reacted to Duncan’s idea
  • 20:30 – How Duncan worked to turn the rocky land he was working into agricultural land
  • 22:30 – The outlook for Duncan’s project, and how it stacks up against his expectations
  • 25:00 – The federal and state (CO) push for more projects like Duncan’s
  • 28:00 – Why agrivoltaics seems to garner bipartisan support
  • 29:30 – Why everyone isn’t doing agrivoltaics 
  • 31:30 – The potential for grazing under agrivoltaics
  • 32:30 – Other synergies between solar energy and agriculture
  • 33:30 – Carrie’s outlook on Duncan’s project, and some other projects funded by the Catalyst Fund
  • 36:45 – What it’s like for TNC to work with external partners
  • 37:45 – Other projects funded through the Catalyst Funds
  • 40:00 – Big lessons from the Catalyst Fund project
  • 45:00 – The power of advocating for policy
  • 47:15 – Where the Catalyst Fund is going
  • 51:00 – Carrie and Duncan’s book recommendations
  • 53:45 – Closing thoughts

Information Referenced:

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 Posted on August 22, 2023 by

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Lorelei Cloud – Solving Modern-Day Challenges with Ancient Tribal Wisdom
Vice Chairman Lorelei Cloud
Photo: Jeremy Wade Shockley

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 Network, a Board Trustee for the Nature Conservancy, and serves on the Colorado River Basin’s Water & Tribes Initiative. Earlier this year, she was appointed by the Governor of Colorado to serve on the Colorado Water Conservation Board (“CWCB”), making her the first-ever Tribal member of the board.

Lorelei was born and raised on the Southern Ute Reservation, which is located in the far southwestern corner of Colorado. From the very beginning, water has played a central role in Lorelei’s life– much of her childhood was spent without running water and access to drinking water continues to be a challenge on the Reservation to this day. Much of Lorelei’s early career was spent working in various businesses, including banking and energy, all while being a mother and raising four children. In 2015, she was elected to the Tribal Council, which began this new phase of her life and career– a phase devoted to serving her Tribal Community, as well as the communities, landscapes, and natural resources of the American West.

I’ve been hearing such great things about Lorelei for years, so I was honored to have the opportunity to chat with her on the podcast. We enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation about her upbringing on the Southern Ute Reservation, the history of the Southern Ute Tribe, her recent appointment to the CWCB, why she decided to devote herself to public service, the goals of the Indigenous Women’s Leadership Network, her work with the Nature Conservancy, the need to elevate Tribal voices on issues of water and land conservation in the West and beyond, advice for aspiring leaders, her favorite books, ways the listeners can get involved and support the work of the Southern Ute Tribe, and much more.

Be sure to check out the episode notes for a full list of topics discussed and links to everything. A huge thanks to Lorelei for taking the time out of her busy schedule to talk with me and for her deep commitment to doing such impactful work in Colorado and beyond. Enjoy!

Header photo by Trennie Collins, Portrait by Jeremy Wade Shockley

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Download on Apple Podcasts

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…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West. You can access all of the 2023 episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:30 – Lorelei’s youth on the Southern Ute Reservation
  • 6:15 – How Lorelei’s family would get water
  • 8:15 – Lorelei’s childhood personality, school years, and early jobs
  • 13:30 – Whether or not Lorelei wanted to stay on the reservation
  • 15:30 – A brief Ute history
  • 19:00 – How Lorelei’s appointment as the first Indigenous representative on the CWCB
  • 22:15 – What the CWCB does
  • 27:30 – How Lorelei decided to pursue public service
  • 30:15 – About the Indigenous Women’s Leadership Network
  • 34:00 – Lorelei’s advice for aspiring leaders
  • 36:15 – Lorelei’s mentors
  • 40:30 – About Lorelei’s role as Vice Chairman of the Southern Ute Tribe
  • 43:00 – How Lorelei became involved with TNC and how she evaluates whether or not to pursue a professional opportunity
  • 48:15 – Whether or not Deb Haaland has elevated Tribal voices through her work
  • 52:00 – Lorelei’s book recommendations
  • 55:00 – How you can help Lorelei’s work
  • 56:00 – Lorelei’s words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

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 Posted on July 25, 2023 by

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Rob Addington – A Deep Dive into Western Wildfires and Forest Health
Rob Addington

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 have to live in the West to know that the region has been battling ongoing drought, historically large and intense wildfires, and various forms of insect-induced forest devastation. Over the past few years here in Colorado, we’ve experienced some of the most destructive wildfires in recorded history, and the pine beetle infestation continues to be a source of serious and increasing concern. And Colorado is obviously not alone– there are similar stories of struggling forests throughout all of the Western states.

While the current conditions may be dire, you’ll be happy to know that Rob and his team at The Nature Conservancy are working extremely hard to find collaborative, creative, and effective solutions to the challenges facing our forests here in the West. By partnering with government agencies, Tribal nations, private landowners, various non-profits, and more, TNC has been leading and implementing some of the most innovative forest health work in the country– work that is creating more resilient, healthy landscapes across hundreds of thousands of acres.

For all the listeners who have been asking for a wildfire and forest health-focused episode, this one is for you. I met up with Rob at the TNC office in Boulder, and he was kind enough to educate me on both the big picture and finer details of all things forest health. You can check out the notes for a full list of everything we discussed, but a few of the topics include: The infamous 2020 wildfire season and the outlook for 2023, the history of land management and how that has affected wildfires, pine beetles, wildfire’s effects on water quality, how beavers can play a role in fire mitigation, some specific success stories, business solutions for forest health, the all-important focus on partnerships, post-fire land management strategies, good books, and much more. Be sure to visit the episode webpage for links to everything, including TNC’s exciting new Western Division Forest and Fire Initiative.

A huge thanks to Rob for taking the time to answer all my questions and another huge thanks to TNC for leading all of this important work. I hope you enjoy!

Headshot courtesy of The Nature Conservancy

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Download on Apple Podcasts

Download on Spotify

Download on Google Podcasts

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West. You can access all of the 2023 episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:30 – Discussing the fire season of 2020
  • 9:45 – The outlook for the fire season of 2023
  • 12:00 – Discussing the variability in Colorado’s recent fire seasons
  • 14:45 – The causes for Colorado’s changing fire seasons
  • 17:30 – Exploring, specifically, the role of historic land management and how it impacts fire behavior
  • 20:30 – Discussing pine beetles
  • 26:00 – How the forest regime progresses in beetle-killed stands without fire, and how changing fire behavior is impacting the forest regime
  • 32:00 – How fires impact water
  • 39:15 – Discussing potential solution strategies for Colorado’s fire situation
  • 42:00 – Discussing the importance of managing partnerships in this work
  • 44:45 – A specific, fire-related project that Rob is happy about
  • 47:15 – Exploring the potential of a for-profit business that is incentivized to thin out fire-prone forests
  • 50:30 – Beavers’ role in wildfire prevention
  • 54:30 – Rob’s favorite period of history to read about
  • 56:30 – Management strategies for an area that has been wiped clean by fire
  • 1:00:30 – Rob’s book recommendations

Information Referenced:

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 Posted on June 27, 2023 by

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Chris Hawkins – Using Nature to Build Healthier & More Equitable Communities
Chris Hawkins

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 vast grasslands and wild landscapes– but TNC also conducts some of its most innovative conservation work in cities— work that leads to more resilient, healthy, and equitable communities. Chris’s work in Denver is a shining example of how nature-based solutions in densely populated urban areas can have positive ripple effects far beyond the city limits.

Chris was born and raised on the east coast, attended college in Boston, and from the very beginning of his career, he’s been focused on service and causes greater than himself. He’s worked as a Corps Member of AmericaCorps, as Chief of Staff in New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection, and for the past nine years, he’s been with the Nature Conservancy. As you’ll hear in this conversation, Chris’s diverse professional experiences have allowed him to bring a unique and effective perspective to the complex world of urban conservation.

Chris was nice enough to join me at my dining room table for an engaging and educational conversation about all things urban conservation. We started out by discussing why TNC has chosen to devote its resources and expertise to conservation in cities, and he explains the unique challenges facing cities in the West. We discuss how public health is directly related to people’s access to nature, and how the simple-but-not-easy strategy of planting trees in neighborhoods can have huge conservation and public health benefits. As is the case with all of my conservation-related conversations, we discuss the critical importance of relationships, and how Chris has managed to build relationships with a diverse group of Denver residents. We also discuss his professional trajectory, the importance of exporting urban conservation ideas to other cities, and the critical roles of mayors and local leadership. And finally, Chris is a serious history buff, so we have a great discussion about books.

There is so much fascinating information packed into this episode, and I greatly appreciate Chris’s taking the time to share his wisdom with the Mountain & Prairie community. Check out the episode notes below for links to everything we discuss. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Photos courtesy of Chris Hawkins and The Nature Conservancy

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Download on Apple Podcasts

Download on Spotify

Download on Google Podcasts

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West. You can access all of the 2023 episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:45 – Why do Chris and TNC work in cities
  • 7:00 – Thriving cities in the West and the unique challenges they present
  • 9:30 – Whether or not the health benefits of the outdoors have become a larger part of Chris’s work recently
  • 15:30 – Discussing trees
  • 27:45 – How Chris builds relationships in his work in cities
  • 33:45 – Specific strategies Chris uses to build trust
  • 38:30 – Where Chris grew up and why he became involved in this work
  • 43:30 – Discussing the work of city mayors
  • 53:00- How ideas that are exported or imported between cities show up in Chris’s work in Denver
  • 1:00:15 – Chris’s book recommendations

Information Referenced:

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Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on May 23, 2023 by

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Matt Moorhead & Galen Guerrero-Murphy – Grasslands Conservation on the Southern High Plains
Matt Moorhead

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 to some of the country’s most important grasslands, as well as the people and wildlife who depend on the invaluable shortgrass prairie ecosystem. 

Officially, Matt is TNC’s Conservation Business & Partnership Development Advisor and Galen is TNC’s Land Conservation Program Manager– but at their core, they are both relationship builders. As you’ll hear in this conversation, both Matt and Galen work tirelessly to build long-term, rock-solid partnerships with landowners and conservation partners with the goal of finding win-win solutions that can be mutually beneficial for all parties.  Through genuine curiosity, creative thinking, and a deep respect for landowners and their legacy, Matt and Galen have helped to implement lasting conservation outcomes in the Southern High Plains.

Galen Guerrero-Murphy

The three of us connected virtually and had a fascinating conversation about grasslands, ranching, buidling relationships, and purpose-driven work. We start out by defining exactly what constitutes the Southern High Plains and why this is such an important region for conservation. We then discuss why the large percentage of private ownership creates such a compelling case for conservation, the need for balancing conservation with various forms of energy development, the current markets around grasslands carbon sequestration, and the all-important role of TNC’s partners. We also discuss Matt and Galen’s mentors, how they measure conservation success, and some of their favorite books. 

I’ve considered Matt and Galen to be friends and mentors for many years now, so I was grateful for the opportunity to talk with them on the podcast. Hope you enjoy.

Photos courtesy of The Nature Conservancy, header photo by Lauryn Wachs

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Download on Apple Podcasts

Download on Spotify

Download on Google Podcasts

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West. You can access all of the 2023 episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:10 – Introductions
  • 6:25 – What are the Southern High Plains 
  • 9:55 – Why the Southern High Plains are so critical in conservation
  • 16:10 – How the patchwork of private lands in the Southern High Plains allows Matt and Galen to be effective in their conservation work
  • 20:55 – The process of building relationships in private lands conservation work
  • 29:10 – Balancing the potential for landowners to earn revenue through energy development with the interest in conserving landscapes 
  • 35:10 – Where things stand on grassland carbon sequestration as a method of generating both landowner revenue as well as conservation outcomes
  • 39:10 – The importance and skills of TNC’s partners
  • 43:10 – Matt and Galen’s mentors
  • 50:10 – What progress on the Southern High Plains Initiative would make Matt and Galen happy in 10-15 years
  • 53:40 – Matt and Galen’s book recommendations

Information Referenced:

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 Posted on April 25, 2023 by

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Taylor Hawes – Innovative Conservation in the Colorado River Basin
Taylor Hawes
Photo credit: Matthew Staver

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 brought about by climate change, overallocation, and increasing demand, Taylor and her team are making great strides toward finding long-term solutions to create a sustainable future for the Colorado River and the people, plants, and animals that depend on it.

Taylor grew up on the east coast, and, from a young age, she felt a deep connection to land, water, and natural resources. She fell in love with wide-open spaces while on a course with the National Outdoor Leadership School, and she’s devoted her career to protecting land and water in the West. Prior to joining the team at TNC, she served as Associate Counsel to the Colorado River Water Conservation District on Colorado’s Western Slope, working on water quality, water policy, environmental permitting, and water rights litigation.

If you pay attention to the news, then you’ll know that the Colorado River has been receiving tons of media attention for the dire conditions and projections facing the entire region. Reservoirs are at historic lows, temperatures are rising, and the need for more water is increasing. In the first part of this conversation, I ask Taylor to decipher many of the surface-level sound bytes that I’ve heard in the news, and she provides some much-needed context and background regarding the river basin’s current challenges. We then talk about how TNC is working to solve these problems, by building community support, working collaboratively with Tribal nations, and helping agricultural producers become more efficient. And we spend the last part of the conversation talking about Taylor’s professional journey– why she chooses to do this work, what gives her hope, and her goals for her work on the Colorado River.

This was a timely conversation, and I hope it sheds some light on the challenges facing the Colorado River today– and provides some optimism about the river’s future. Thanks to Taylor for taking the time to chat, and thank you for listening.

Photos courtesy of Taylor Hawes and The Nature Conservancy

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Download on Apple Podcasts

Download on Spotify

Download on Google Podcasts

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West. You can access all of the 2023 episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:15 – An overview of the situation regarding Colorado River water
  • 8:00 – Discussing the “bandaid” solutions for the overallocated Colorado River implemented over the years
  • 10:45 – Who is making the water allocation decisions for the Colorado River
  • 12:00 – The breakdown of water use in the West
  • 16:45 – Why has this situation has become an emergency right now, meriting the involvement of the federal government
  • 19:30 – The timeline of Colorado river use reduction mandates
  • 21:30 – The potential impacts of shrinking Colorado River on the Grand Canyon
  • 23:00 – What will happen if the Colorado River Basin states do not agree on a plan to reduce water use in accordance with federal mandates
  • 24:45 – How Taylor focuses on solutions regarding such a complex, difficult-to-model problem
  • 28:30 – Some strategies TNC is employing to support and work with producers in reducing their water use 
  • 35:00 – Discussing the difficulties and importance of relationship building in this work
  • 40:15 – TNC’s work supporting Tribal water challenges
  • 44:45 – What drives Taylor’s work and what are her goals
  • 47:00 – How Taylor ended up doing this work
  • 53:45 – How law school helped Taylor
  • 55:45 – What keeps Taylor energized about her work and TNC
  • 58:15 – How anybody can get involved in this work
  • 1:02:00 – Taylor’s book recommendations

Information Referenced:

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 Posted on March 28, 2023 by

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Dr. Katharine Hayhoe – Effecting Change Through Authentic Conversation
Katharine Hayhoe
[Photo Credit: Ashley Rodgers]

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 podcast. Whether you are interested in learning more about the facts, data, or projections regarding climate change, or if you are seeking guidance on how best to approach challenging conversations about climate, I highly recommend Saving Us. It’s an optimistic, solutions-oriented guidebook for finding common ground and having productive conversations.

Katharine was born and raised in Canada and has been obsessed with science, the natural world, and the universe for as long as she can remember. Her undergraduate studies focused on physics and astronomy, but as she was finishing up her degree, she happened to take a climate science course, which captured her imagination and changed the focus of her education and career. Today, Katharine is a distinguished professor at Texas Tech, a highly respected researcher, and a sought-after speaker with a TED Talk that’s been viewed more than 4 million times. And to top it all off, in 2021, she joined The Nature Conservancy as its Chief Scientist.

Katharine and I met up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where she was the keynote speaker at a community event focused on climate and climate change in the Yampa Valley and beyond. Katharine and I chatted for an hour before her event, and we managed to cover a lot of ground. We discussed her book Saving Us, her TED talk, and a concept known as “The Six Americas of Global Warming.” We discuss how and why her Christian faith plays such an important role in her work to solve climate change, and she offers some common-sense, optimistic approaches to having challenging conversations with smart people who do not think that climate change is a threat. She also talks about her role at The Nature Conservancy, specific climate opportunities and challenges facing the American West, and she offers a ton of excellent book recommendations.

Thank you to Dr. Hayhoe for taking the time out of her busy schedule to chat with me, and thank you for listening. Hope you enjoy.

Header photo and headshot by Ashley Rodgers

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD:

Download on Apple Podcasts

Download on Spotify

Download on Google Podcasts

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West. You can access all of the 2023 episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:30 – Why Dr. Hayhoe wrote Saving Us
  • 5:45 – Regarding Dr. Hayhoe’s TED Talk
  • 8:15 – Discussing The Six Americas of Global Warming
  • 12:00 – The relationship between Dr. Hayhoe’s faith and climate work
  • 17:45 – When religion and climate change dismissal historically became tied together
  • 21:30 – Discussing the balance between fear and guilt as motivating and stagnating forces
  • 28:00 – What surprised Dr. Hayhoe in writing the book
  • 33:45 – Role-playing how to interact with intelligent people who doubt climate science
  • 37:30 – Applying lessons learned from COVID-19 to climate change
  • 41:30 – Dr. Hayhoe’s time as a 9-year-old abroad in Columbia and how it influenced her thinking and career
  • 46:15 – Why Dr. Hayhoe decided to work with The Nature Conservancy, and the impacts she hopes to make
  • 50:15 – The stats Dr. Hayhoe would want to see to feel she has had an impact in five years
  • 54:45 – The challenges and opportunities facing the arid West amidst climate change
  • 57:00 – Dr. Hayhoe’s reading habits and some books she has loved

Information Referenced:

Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:

Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.

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 Posted on February 28, 2023 by

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Carlos Fernández, Part 2 – Creating Conservation Opportunities During Uncertain Times
Carlos Fernández

Carlos Fernandez is the Colorado State Director of The Nature Conservancy, one of the most effective conservation organizations in the American West and around the globe. You probably remember Carlos from our first conversation back in August of 2020, in which we discussed his inspiring career trajectory, the importance of collaborative conservation partnerships, and several of TNC’s cutting-edge initiatives throughout the West.

When we recorded that first episode, we were in the very early stages of the pandemic– a time marked by unprecedented uncertainty in almost every aspect of life. When we recorded today’s episode– nearly two-and-a-half years after that first conversation– the worst of the pandemic is now behind us. Carlos was able to look back on that trying period with some perspective, discussing the many challenges and opportunities that arose from such a difficult few years. This conversation is a case study of how critical work can be produced during challenging times, and how optimism, focus, and old-fashioned teamwork can lead to lasting outcomes.

Carlos and I met up at his office in Boulder and had an in-depth conversation about TNC’s conservation initiatives and collaborations over the past few years. I asked Carlos about his leadership strategies and tactics during the most intense days of the pandemic and what he and TNC  learned from those challenges. We talk about Carlos’s recent 2022 year-end letter and TNC Colorado’s 2022 Year In Review, and we dig into several inspiring conservation victories from the past 12 months. We also revisit the Southern High Plains Initiative and the Yampa River Fund, and we discuss TNC’s future plans around climate change and diversity, equity, and inclusion. We also talk about this year-long partnership between TNC and Mountain & Prairie, which we are both very excited about.

A huge thank you to Carlos for taking the time to chat, and a huge thanks to all of you for listening. I hope you enjoy!

Photos courtesy of Carlos Fernández

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EPISODE PARTNER:

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

On the fourth Tuesday of every month throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West. You can access all of the 2023 episodes here.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado.

RESOURCES:

Topics Discussed:

  • 3:00 –  Carlos discusses the evolution of TNC Colorado during COVID
  • 10:00 – Why the eastern plains and grasslands of Colorado are important and such a focus area of TNC Colorado’s work
  • 12:00 – The power of partnerships in conservation work
  • 14:45 – Why TNC Colorado feels it is important to focus on underserved and underrepresented groups in any work concerning climate change and conservation
  • 19:30 – The importance of storytelling in conservation work
  • 23:00 – How he and TNC prioritizes the focal points of their work, including who he seeks council from
  • 30:45 – What he is excited about for TNC Colorado moving forward
  • 33:30 – How he evaluates difficult choices and newest trends in conservation to ensure action is intentional and not controlled by external trends (not chasing every shiny object)
  • 36:30 – What he thinks TNC Colorado’s role is in the state’s overall conservation sector, returning again to the importance of partnership and collaboration in this field 
  • 44:00 – The Yampa River Fund and updates us on its progress
  • 49:45 – TNC’s relationships with businesses 
  • 53:00 – Advice for folks looking to work in conservation
  • 56:00 – Carlos and Ed talk about the upcoming podcast series that Mountain & Prairie will be conducting with TNC Colorado
  • 59:45 – Book recommendations
  • 1:01:45 – Parting words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

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 Posted on January 24, 2023 by

 Blog, Podcast, The Latest, TNC

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