Mark Easter – Food, Soil, and Our Planet’s Future
Mark Easter is a Colorado-based ecologist and author whose new book is titled The Blue Plate: A Food Lover’s Guide to Climate Chaos. If you care about food and you care about Planet Earth, The Blue Plate is a must-read. It explores the production, consumption, and disposal of many of our favorite foods– seafood, salad, …
Kevin Grange – The Secret Lives of Grizzlies
Kevin Grange is a Wyoming-based author, paramedic, and firefighter. His most recent book is titled Grizzly Confidential: An Astounding Journey Into the Secret Life of North America’s Most Fearsome Predator, which is a must-read for anyone interested in the evolving relationship between humans and bears. The book follows Kevin’s journey throughout the American West and …
Nick Mott – A Masterclass in Nuanced Storytelling
Nick Mott is an award-winning multimedia journalist who lives in Livingston, Montana. His latest project is a wonderful new podcast called The Wide Open, which he produced in collaboration with Montana Public Radio and the Montana Media Lab. The podcast offers a fresh look into our ever-changing relationship with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and …
Heidi Redd & Sue Bellagamba – Tales from the Dugout Ranch
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 …
Curt Meine – Aldo Leopold’s Life, Work, and Enduring Legacy
Curt Meine is a Senior Fellow at The Aldo Leopold Foundation and one of the world’s foremost experts on the life, work, and legacy of conservation icon Aldo Leopold. Curt is the author of the biography Aldo Leopold: His Life and Work, and he also works as a conservation biologist, a professor, a senior fellow …
Dr. Alan Townsend – Generosity & Curiosity in the Face of Tragedy
Dr. Alan Townsend is a scientist, author, and Dean of the Franke College of Forestry & Conservation at the University of Montana. His new book is titled This Ordinary Stardust: A Scientist’s Path from Grief to Wonder, and it’s an unbelievably powerful book. It’s the story of Alan’s family being rocked to the core by …
Pete McBride Returns – Exploring & Documenting His Backyard River
If you’re a longtime Mountain & Prairie listener, then you’ll definitely remember Pete McBride. He’s a renowned photographer, filmmaker, and author, and he’s joined me on the podcast twice before– once to discuss his epic hike of the length of the Grand Canyon, and then to chat about his global search for silence in a …
Hampton Sides Returns: The Wild and Tragic Tale of Captain James Cook
Hampton Sides is a Santa Fe-based historian and bestselling author who has written many books that are favorites of Mountain & Prairie listeners, including Blood and Thunder, On Desperate Ground, and Ghost Soldiers. His newest book is The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook, which …
Kristine Tompkins – Nothing to Lose
Kristine Tompkins is an iconic conservationist, the president and co-founder of Tompkins Conservation, and the former CEO of Patagonia. For three decades, she has committed to protecting and restoring wild beauty and biodiversity by creating national parks, restoring wildlife, inspiring activism, and fostering economic vitality through conservation. Kristine and her late husband Douglas Tompkins have …
SHED SESSION: Seven Must-Read Books That You May Not Know About
An excerpt from my most recent Shed Session episode, highlighting seven of my favorite books that you may have never heard of. To listen to the full episode and all future Shed Sessions, become a Patreon supporter. https://www.patreon.com/posts/shed-session-you-97515649
Live at the Amon Carter Museum – In Conversation with James Prosek and Spencer Wigmore
This is a special live episode that was recorded at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas. The event was centered around the museum’s ongoing exhibition titled Trespassers: James Prosek and the Texas Prairie, and the episode features a fascinating on-stage conversation with artist and past podcast guest James Prosek and …
John Vaillant – A Riveting Exploration of Fire
John Vaillant is a renowned writer and journalist whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Geographic, and more, and he’s also the author of classic books including The Tiger and The Golden Spruce. His most recent book is titled Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World, which is a …
Dr. Sara Dant Returns – “Losing Eden: An Environmental History of the American West”
Dr. Sara Dant is a Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor of history at Weber State University, and she’s the author of one of my most-often recommended books, Losing Eden: An Environmental History of the American West. She is also one of the featured historians in Ken Burns’ newest documentary, The American Buffalo, which you can watch …
Vincent Stanley – Lessons Learned from Patagonia’s First Fifty Years
Vincent Stanley is the Director of Philosophy at Patagonia, and he holds the honor of being the company’s longest-serving employee. He is also an author, poet, and a resident fellow at the Yale Center for Business and the Environment. His most recent book, which he co-authored with Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard, is titled The Future …
Rebecca Clarren – “The Cost of Free Land”
Rebecca Clarren is an award-winning journalist who has been writing about the American West for more than twenty years. Her most recent book is titled The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance. The book is a powerful, nuanced, and deeply personal exploration of her ancestors fleeing antisemitism in Russia and immigrating …
Nick Offerman – Empathy, Nuance, & Good Hard Work
Nick Offerman is an actor, author, humorist, and woodworker who is best known for playing the legendary character Ron Swanson on NBC’s Parks and Recreation. But his success as an actor is just the tip of the iceberg– he’s written five New York Times bestselling books, is the narrator of three of Wendell Berry’s audiobooks, …
James Prosek – Art, Philosophy, & Our Natural World
James Prosek is an artist, writer, and naturalist whose work deeply examines our relationship with the natural world. Over the course of his career, he’s focused his artist’s eye and philosopher’s mind on everything from trout to eels, from birds to ocean fishes. For the past two years, he’s been focused on understanding and documenting …
Anna Borgman – Obsession, Curiosity, and Purpose-Driven Work
Anna Borgman is a Montana-based butcher, chef, and writer whose work focuses on helping people better understand and appreciate the origins of their food. Whether writing an article for Steven Rinella’s MeatEater or helping to field harvest and process a bison, Anna has a gift for helping curious, conscientious people become more educated about the …
David James Duncan – Live at the Old Salt Festival
David James Duncan is one of those Western literary legends who needs no introduction to Mountain & Prairie listeners. But for those of you who may be new to the podcast or to Western literature, David is a renowned Montana novelist, activist, and flyfisherman. He’s the author of The River Why and The Brothers K, …
David Gessner Returns – “A Traveler’s Guide to the End of the World”
David Gessner is no stranger to Mountain & Prairie listeners– he’s joined me for many episodes and is the author of many of my favorite books, including All the Wild That Remains, Leave It As It Is, My Green Manifesto, and more. His newest book is A Traveler’s Guide to the End of the World: …
Doug Peacock – 50 Years of Fighting for the Grizzlies
Doug Peacock is a legendary environmentalist, writer, filmmaker, and grizzly bear advocate. He’s the co-founder of two conversation nonprofits– Round River Conservation Studies and Save the Yellowstone Grizzly. Doug was also the inspiration for the character George Washington Hayduke in his friend Edward Abbey’s classic novel The Monkey Wrench Gang. And to top it all …
Jesse Griffiths – Humility, Curiosity, and Creative Cuisine
Jesse Griffiths is an Austin-based chef, author, hunter, and fisherman, and he’s also the co-owner of Dai Due Butcher Shop & Supper Club and the New School of Traditional Cookery. Jesse’s work has been featured everywhere from The New York Times to the Joe Rogan Experience, and he’s a regular contributor to Steven Rinella’s MeatEater. …
Christian Beckwith, Part 2 – The Fascinating History of the 10th Mountain Division
For today’s conversation, I was thrilled to chat once again with Christian Beckwith, a Jackson, Wyoming-based writer, historian, conservationist, and entrepreneur. Christian’s latest project is “Ninety-Pound Rucksack: A podcast about the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division and the dawn of outdoor recreation in America.” If you enjoy spending time up high in the mountains here …
Chandra Brown, Part 2 – Teaching & Learning in the West’s Wildest Landscapes
I first met Chandra Brown through the podcast more than four years ago, and with each passing year, I’ve been more and more inspired by her life and work. You may remember that she’s the founder of Freeflow Institute, a Montana-based organization that curates immersive outdoor learning experiences in Earth’s wildest classrooms. What started with …
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe – Effecting Change Through Authentic Conversation
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is a world-renowned climate scientist, professor, and Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where she leads and coordinates the organization’s scientific efforts. She is also the author of Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, an excellent book you’ve likely heard me reference on the …
Megan Torgerson – Storytelling from Rural America
Megan Torgerson is a podcaster and the creator of Reframing Rural, a narrative podcast whose mission is to “share stories of people and places in rural America in an effort to celebrate culture, preserve history and cultivate curiosity and conversation across geographic, class and cultural divides.” In just three seasons, Megan has grown Reframing Rural …
Bryce Andrews, Part 2 – “Holding Fire”
Bryce Andrews is a Montana-based rancher and writer, and he’s the author of the brand new book Holding Fire: A Reckoning with the American West. Longtime Mountain & Prairie listeners will remember my first conversation with Bryce back in 2019 when we discussed his writing, conservation work, ranching experience, and his first two books. I …
Cole Mannix – Building Community through Land Stewardship and Local Food
Cole Mannix is the President and Founder of the Old Salt Co-op, a new, purpose-driven company that “provides meat raised with integrity from Montana landscapes its customers know and care about.” Cole and his team partner with a growing number of Montana ranches, butchers, chefs, and businesses to connect customers and producers, while simultaneously encouraging …
Christian Beamish – West Coast Craftsman
Christian Beamish is a writer, craftsman, surfboard shaper, and all-around adventurer who lives and works between Ventura and Carpinteria, California. He’s the author of one of my favorite books– The Voyage of the Cormorant– which tells his deeply personal story of building an open-hulled boat by hand and then sailing it down the Baja Peninsula …
Chris Dombrowski, Part 2 – “The River You Touch”
Chris Dombrowski is a Missoula-based writer, poet, teacher, and fishing guide, and he’s also the author of the excellent new book The River You Touch: Making a Life on Moving Water. If you’re a longtime Mountain & Prairie listener, you probably remember Chris’s first appearance on the podcast in which we discussed his first book …
