Public Lands Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mark Pedelty
A weekly podcast about public lands and waterways, mainly in the United States and North America, covering current developments and featuring the insights of rangers, scientists, and others working at our public land sites.
Three visitors tell us about their most memorable park adventures, featuring audio production by University of Minnesota students. Yellowstone, Ho Rain Forest (Olympic National Park), and the US/Canada border on Lake Superior.
The start of a new series: "Park Stories." Visitors to Bryce Canyon National Park, Cabrillo National Monument, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, as well as the coast of Alaska recall special moments on public lands and waterways. Photo of Bryce Canyon by Jon Sullivan, reprinted with permission via Creative Commons License. Thanks, Jon, and all artists that make their work available to the public via Creative Commons. Thanks as well to the two uncredited storytellers for this episode: Robert Poch and Debbie Reiter.
The Friends of the Falls tell us about the history, present, and possible futures of an iconic waterscape in Minneapolis on the Mississippi River, including an act of truth telling and restitution.
A look back at the recent floods in Death Valley National Park and Kentucky opening its state parks to flood refugees, plus recent research regarding "forever chemicals" in rainwater, as well as a look forward to new programming that starts in September.
A look at National Monuments at the local, state, and national level; why their existence is so tenuous and necessary.
As we continue to bridge our interview format from the past several years to more interviews, stories, and policy discussions later this fall, today is about some hopeful and fun stories from and about our public parks, including Ecosia's global search engine, California's attempts to expand and diversify public access to public lands, and a wonderful "What if" event in Kirtland, Ohio.
Three stories--one local (SC, GA), one at the state level (ID), and one national (USA)--illustrate ongoing threats to our public lands.
An interview with Anjela Barnes, Vice President of the Accokeek Foundation, concerning her organization's efforts to enhance conservation and support cultural heritage work at Piscataway National Park.
A conversation with Cora Berchem of the Friends of Blue Springs State Park in Orange City, Florida. Photo
Three audio rich stories from Campfire Stories: Tales from America's National Parks, performed and produced by guest hosts.
Guest host Ben Reiter interviews Maddy Witt, Education Supervisor at the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota. Wolf photo by Derek Bakken, used via permission, Creative Commons.
Professor Olusegun Titus discusses his research and performances in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Germany and the UK, explaining how music amplifies the voices of communities struggling against environmental injustice.
Three experts from the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC) explain their informative research and creative mitigation efforts for dealing with carp.
Sierra Salato and Mikaela Morris interview the band NUNNABOVE about their environmental musicianship for the Together Alone project, performance for Metro Blooms, new album, as well as their experience on America’s Got Talent.
An interview with musician Alisha Todd from the Gold Coast of Australia. Alisha discusses her music and music videos as well as her upcoming performance for the Together Alone project.
A quick recap of the past year and an introduction to a special series of upcoming episodes with musicians from the Together Alone project.
A conversation with Clement Loo, Host of the Just Sustainability Podcast, concerning public land policies and changing cultural perspectives on land.
Environmental Journalist Heather Hansman discusses the reclamation of mines and other lands for the creation of parks and trails as well as the work and life of an environmental journalist.
An interview with Stephen Capra, Executive Director of Footloose Montana. Capra discusses conservation issues surrounding the trapping of wildlife in Montana as well as the increasing numbers of wolves hunted each year in the state. Photo taken by Gary Kramer and used under Creative Commons license.
Courtney Lyons-Garcia, Executive Director of the Public Lands Foundation, discusses the work of the PLF and their ongoing efforts to steward and advocate for Bureau of land Management lands, waterways, and communities. Credit and thanks to Justin Meissen for the use of photo, copyright: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
A discussion with Trish Riley, Founding Director of the Cinema Verde Film and Arts Festival in Gainesville, Florida. Trish explains the important and growing roles of film, festivals, and the arts in environmental stewardship.
Today we talk with Abby Wines, Spokesperson for Death Valley National Park, about the recent heat waves and what can be learned from Death Valley when facing a future of increasingly extreme weather.
An interview with Chris Havel, Associate Director of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. After Portland hit 116 degrees on Monday, June 28, and a “heat dome” hovered over the Pacific Northwest, what did this weather event portend for Oregon's state parks and what does it portend for the future?
Patrick Kelly explores the Newton Horace Winchell Trail along the Mississippi River Gorge
Sean Quartz interviews Blair Libby. Libby has helped facilitate collaboration between Forest Managers belonging to the National Forest Service, Salish, Kootanai, and Pend d’Oreille tribes.
Nicole Binder covers the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood of Raingardens project in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and interviews the Executive Director of Metro Blooms, Becky Rice
Dalicia Davis speaks to environmental justice organizer and teacher, Louis Alemayehu. Alemayehu teaches environmental sustainability at the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs in Minneapolis Minnesota and is a community organizer with Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota (EJAM).
This week we visit Milltown State Park and the Four Dances Recreation Area in Montana as well as the Lower Paddock Trail in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It is a hopeful story of confluence, conservation, and restoration told at and across each of these beautiful parks and preserves. Photography and original sound produced on site. Additional sound files provided by the following Freesound contributors: sandyrb, ryanconway, AlanCat, Andune, fabianofa, waxsocks, InspectorJ Bansemer, Nivatius, and bevibeldesign.
An interview with Tim Morton about his book Hyperobjects: Philosophy and Ecology after the End of the World, hosted by the Environmental Humanities Initiative at the University of Minnesota.
Carynn Jo Randolph explores discrimination against LGBTQ communities, equity, access, and inclusion in outdoor recreation
Alexandra Barret explores the ecological roles played by urban parks and gardens and interviews Dr. Greg Pratt in regard to the effects of poor air quality on parks and gardens. Photo used by permission from Mactan Urban Demonstration Farm.
Valerie Lucas interviews Julie Van Stappen, Chief of Resource Management at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore about the islands, Lake Superior, and the environmental challenges they have been facing in recent years. Photo courtesy of Jeff the quiet, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Grace Hiljus interviews National Park Service Ranger Hanna Schwalbe about the impact of air pollution at Joshua Tree National Park.
This year will bring new interviews of environmental and public land experts each week, dropping on Mondays, starting January 25. This podcast kicks off the year by telling what's to come and reviewing the many environmental regulations rolled back during the Trump Administration, including in the waning days of his Presidency.
Taylor Leapaldt interviews legendary singer songwriter about his performance for the Together Alone project (togetheralonemusic.net) and the role of music in relation to environmental justice, making place, and protecting public lands. Photo of Chuckanut Point used with permission: By Waterboy881 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76218539
Dr. Catherine Squires, Associate Dean at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, discusses her long term research and community engagement at the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center and Gordon Park High School in St. Paul, the history of racist displacement by development and transportation plans, and community resistance and healing.
David Beard and Heather Graves join us to talk about their book, The Rhetoric of Oil in the Twenty First Century. Photo used by permission, thanks to Ali Abu Ras https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=95959798
A panel of scientists and organization leaders discuss the impact of whale watching on Southern Resident Killer Whales to mark the free public launch of "Sentinels of Silence: Whale Watching, Noise, and the Orca," which is available on YouTube and Ecosong.Net.
A conversation with Geographer Rod Squires about the cultural landscape of public land policy making in America.
We chat this week with Colorado University's Phaedra Pezzullo about her book Toxic Tours, her collaboration with the Sierra Club's (and UNC prof) Robert Cox, environmental advertising, and signs of hope in environmental communication.
This week we explore the rise of Zoomtowns in gateway communities to our state and national parks, and the overcrowding problem that has resulted in part from COVID-19.
This week we explore the rise of "Zoomtowns" and the impact of COVID-19 on public lands as visitation to parks and wildlands increases.
As we think about the public dissemination of science in relation to our public lands and waterways, a rebroadcast of one of our greatest hits, and interview with marine scientist, Joe Gaydos, Director of the Sea Doc Society.
Hadley Nellis brings us Part 3 of her series on Environmental Racism, interviewing Gina Ramirez of the National Resources Defense Council.
Associate Producer Hadley Nellis brings us her 2nd podcast in a series on Environmental Racism and Justice. Adrien Salazar, Senior Campaign Strategist for Climate Equity, brings home the story of the inequitable systems and relationships that created the climate crisis, and offers effective and equitable responses to the global climate crisis.
Public lands news of the week and interpretive resources in the time of COVID-19, and a rerun of last year's interview with NPS ranger, Paula Swingley, to remember what interpretation was like before the virus and will be again in the future.
Hadley Nellis interviews David Paolella, a research and policy analyst at the Clean Energy Transition Institute. David is a graduate of Yale, whose research into environmental racism at the University of Washington sheds light on the scope and costs of environmental injustice.
Relaunching 2020 and starting off a new season of podcasting with a recap, reset, and brief review of recent events, podcasted from Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.
Caroline Arkesteyn brings us a report on the privatization of public lands, featuring an interview with Land Tawney, CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. Tawney has been leading an innovative and effective movement to stop the transfer of public lands into private hands.
Sophia Lahmers interviews Nancy Cook Lauer, an environmental journalist working in Hawaii who has extensively covered the many threats to island wildlife, from invasive species to over-development. The rapidly accelerating extinction that marks this era as the "Anthropocene" is particularly apparent in the islands, where a number of native species hang at the brink of extinction.
Bruce Stevens interviews veteran environmental attorney, Jim Coda, who discusses the impact of industrialized dairy farming on the Point Reyes National Seashore. Coda explains alternative management policies that would foster greater biodiversity and restore the ecosystem.
Lauren Anderson interviews Clyde Cooper, Council Member of St. James Parish. They discuss the history of the area, a region that is often referred to as "Cancer Alley" thanks to corporate and governmental treatment of the community as an industrial "sacrifice zone." Cooper discusses opposition to permits for new, pollution-producing plants in the Parish.
Cassie Hagen brings us a story about efforts in the Union Hill neighborhood of Richmond, VA, to promote equitable and sustainable energy in the region. The community has been combatting plans by Duke and Dominion Energy to build a Compressor Station in Union Hill, part of the controversial Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Cassie interviews Harrison Wallace, Virginia Director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
Brian Grabowski interviews Janet VanDine of the Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association about the organization's efforts to help steward Seneca Lake and deal with broader environmental threats and policy matters involving the Finger Lakes ecosystem.
Max Chao talks to Lisa Interlandi of the Everglades Law Center and Curtis Morgan of the Miami Herald about current initiatives to protect, preserve, and restore the Florida Everglades.
Andy Bjerk interviews Taylor Hawes, Director of The Nature Conservancy's Colorado River Program. The Colorado River is the life giving central artery for the desert Southwest of the USA and Northwest of Mexico, and it is being impacted by drought, climate change, and pressures of development throughout this special watershed.
Dominic Binggeli interviews Ileene Anderson, Public Lands Deserts Director and Senior Scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity in Los Angeles. Binggeli and Anderson discuss the Trump Administrations’ plans to allow fracking in California despite that State’s opposition to that method for extracting oil and natural gas.
Taylor Leapaldt interviews Tim Woody, the Regional Communications Manager for the Alaska office of the Wilderness Society. Taylor and Tim talk about the past, present, and future of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge.
Dmytro Hutsal interviews Kerry Morrison of the Ecomedia Compass about environmental threats to the Salton Sea and surrounding region.
Hadley Nellis talks to Tim Rogers, Trails Program Manager at the Santa Fe Conservation Trust. This is the 3rd and final episode in Hadley's series on trail conservation and access.
This week Hadley interviews Ken Ilgunas, author of "This Land Is Our Land: How We Lost the Right to Roam and How to Take It Back."
Hadley Nellis visits the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin and talks to Eric Sherman of the Ice Age Trail Alliance.
Rachel Presley discusses the Dakota Access Pipeline resistance movement, with special attention to the soundscape at Stand Rock during the coalitions' actions to oppose construction of the pipeline.
A conversation with the distinguished ethnomusicologist, Jeff Todd Titon, who discusses his conception of the "sound commons." Titon explains how the various ways we listen to, think about, and manage our soundscapes impact the lives of all living creatures, including humans.
Kicking off a new year with a preview of the upcoming guest reports and a report on controversial moves by William Perry Pendley, Nominee for Director of the Bureau of Land Management, to fulfill his dream of dismantling the BLM and privatize federally managed public lands. Shelley Silbert, Executive Director of Great Old Broads for Wilderness, explains why her group and 91 others signed a letter calling for Congress to reject Perry's nomination and the impending move of the BLM from Washington D.C. to Grand Junction, CO.
Wrapping up an exciting year of podcasting, a frightening year of public land policy, and moving toward bigger and better things in 2020
Peyton Wood brings us an interview with Alec Felton about freshwater mussels in Minnesota and surrounding states.
Hadley Nellis presents a report on public libraries as public lands and public spaces, with a guest interview from the Verona Public Library in Verona, Wisconsin
Haley Cherry brings us entertaining and informative interviews with interpretive naturalists at William O'Brien State Park, MN and Interstate State Park, WI.
Jeremiah Michalik presents a report about the Pipeline 3 controversy in Canada and the USA, including interviews with Margaret Breen of MN350 and Frank Bibeau of Honor the Earth.
Ethnomusicologist Rebecca Dirksen (Indiana University) discusses her fascinating research with musicians in Haiti.
This week we visit Archeology Day at Mille Lacs Kathio State Park and hear from a variety of local environmental stewards.
Today we hear about the Mississippi River Gorge from National Park Service Ranger, Paula Swingley, an NPS steward that has worked with communities along the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and visitors to the area throughout her career.
We headed out to Brown's Creek Park and their annual celebration to interview Karen Kill and Cameron Blake about all the exciting work the BCWD is doing to improve water quality, habitat, and recreational opportunities in the region.
This week we hear from Becky Rice, Executive Director of Blue Thumb, as well as James Wolfin, a landscape manager for Blue Thumb that is helping to restore habitat for the Rusty Patch Bumblebee, Minnesota's state bee. We spoke to James onstage at the Minnesota State Fair.
This week we travel to the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary to experience a bee survey led by Clara Costello of the Bee Squad.
Image provided by By Sirley: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17643714
A live look in at an interpretive talk presented by Jeff Hodge of the NPS at American Camp on San Juan Island. Also, interviews with Lauren Kim and Celida Moran concerning their acoustics research in Moran State Park on Orcas Island.
A brief pause from the interview and report schedule to catch-up on some of the environmental news stories affecting public lands and health.
This week we sit down with Peg Carlson-Hoffman and Chuck Hoffman, Executive Directors of Holden Village above Lake Chelan in Central Washington State. They discuss recent mine remediation efforts in the tailings surrounding Holden Village and the Village's environmental sustainability, stewardship, and education work.
An exchange with the Friends of Moran State Park. Sandi Talt, Board President, shares her ideas and information about Moran State Park and FoM's stewardship activities as part of an exchange of music and conversation with members of the Friends and a public audience as part of a live event in the park. Singer-songwriter Tim Gustafson joins the podcast.
Joe Gaydos of the Sea Doc Society discusses his organization's scientific research and stewardship programs around the Salish Sea.
We take a short break from our line-up of guest interviews to discuss some of the latest news about public lands and public participation in environmental decision making.
Sorrel North, from the Southern Resident Protection group on Lopez Island, WA, explains her organization's efforts to put a whale watching measure on the ballot to protect orca whales from excessive boat noise.
Photo courtesy of Gail Hampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K.
A brief news roundup featuring discussion of legislative debates concerning the US Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
Michele Mahoney, President of the Friends of Widewater State Park on the historic Potomac River near Stafford, Virginia, joins Paul Anderson, Park Manager, to discuss their brand new park and a collaboration with the Patawomeck Tribe.
Photo of Patawomeck Chief Emeritus John Lightner courtesy of Mike Morones of the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star.
An interview with Joanne Park, Education and Volunteer Program Director at the Marine Science and Technology Center (MAST) in Des Moines, Washington
An interview with legendary singer-songwriter Dana Lyons about his upcoming Rise for the Orca Tour
Today we hear from Geo Takach about his work as an environmental communication professional, scholar, and artist at Royal Roads University
A discussion with Brett Ramey, Director of the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program about the role of education, collaboration and indigenous knowledge in stewardship
An interview with the dynamic Executive Director of the Friends of Lime Kiln Society (FOLKS), Erin Corra, on San Juan Island in Washington State.
Photo credit: Dale Sitts (as it appears on the FOLKS website).
We take a pause this week from hearing from environmental stewards, leaders, live events, and musicians to turn to a "Roundup" of the news including some news about Roundup: a 2+ billion dollar award in damages levied against Monsanto's weed killer glysophate (if you have not guessed it yet, that's their Roundup brand of herbicide).
A conversation with Carly Cohen, Mackenzie Gerringer, and Billy Swalla, researchers at the Friday Harbor Labs.
The Public Lands Podcast kicks off 2019 the Friends of Saltwater State Park Earth Day Celebration. This week's podcast features interviews with Rhoda Green, Director of the Friends, and amazing singer-songwriter Cascade Cascade.
Things kickoff on Earth Day with a full reboot. Download and listen to all of the new segments, voices, experts, and excursions that we have planned for the coming year's podcast.
Photo used by permission: By Ravi Khemka from Mumbai, India - Plastic Beach, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50590859
Photo by Chris Twomey used by permission - Office of Senator Rachel Siewert ([1]), CC BY-SA 2.5 au, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7890029
Buckthorn photo by Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
A news report concerning Fort Snelling State Park's efforts to tell the stories of all peoples whose histories connect to a sacred place that the Dakota call "Bdote."
Photo by McGhiever - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62458171
Dward Trout Lily photo thanks to Jonathunder:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58271580
Photo by Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota (Lake Maria State Park in Winter)
[CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
A news report on Canada's Impact Assessment Act (IAA), NAFTA's warning regarding leakage from oil sand tailing ponds in Alberta and three special reports from Minnesota: Swans in Baker Park Reserve, Plant Communities of the MN Valley Wildlife Refuge, and the History of the University of Minnesota Arboretum. Image courtesy of Mindaugas Urbonas: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2502135
An interview with Jeff Reed of the Yellowstone Gateway Business Coalition concerning their opposition to mining on public lands near the national park.
The first podcast of 2018, setting off a special series of four podcasts from and about Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park
Christian Angelich dissects a public meeting to provide a glimpse into how our railways are regulated and how citizens can provide input.
Mark Crawford discusses the threatened Blanding's Turtle and efforts to protect it at Lake Maria State Park in Minnesota. The Media Matters report presents data on the sharp decline of climate change coverage in 2016 among the TV news networks, including during the US Presidential Campaign.
Madison Johnson of the Como Zoo discusses primate conservation and communication with the public.
This week we hear an interpretive talk from a Butterfly Garden, the final of a three-part series by Alexa Bobyak, and news about a boycott of Utah over public land issues
Christian Angelich brings us the story of Lac Megantic, Quebec, and we cover the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission deliberations about a new Enbridge pipeline project.
An update on the week's news, including the appointment of Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State, and Alexa Bobyak's interview with three monarch butterfly behavior and preservation experts
Today Alexa Bobyak interviews Judy Geck at the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge. Also, as Donald Trump signs an executive order to complete the Dakota Access Pipeline, a brief history of the pipeline is provided.
Dr. Deborah Giles of the Center for Whale Research discusses threats to orca whales in the Salish Sea of Washington State and British Columbia, marine sanctuaries, and ways to better protect the remaining resident whales.
In this week's inaugural podcast we interview Pauline Schafer, the Education Director at the Hanford Reach National Monument's "Reach Museum" and discuss the Trump Administration's choice to head the EPA. Cover photo by By Vaido Otsar: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29501791