Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson

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’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 around the world. 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! --- Celene Hawkins Izabella Ruffino A Win-Win-Win Solution for the Colorado River Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/celene-izabella/ --- 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. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org --- 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...

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 protected approximately 14.8 million acres of parklands in Chile and Argentina through Tompkins Conservation and its partners, making them among the most successful national park-oriented philanthropists in history. To give you a frame of reference for exactly how much land 14.8 million acres is, Yellowstone National Park is just over 2.2 million acres– so the scale and scope of Tompkins Conservation’s impact is truly mind-blowing. - Kristine’s amazing life story was beautifully told in the 2023 feature-length documentary Wild Life, which I highly recommend and can be streamed on Disney+. She was also awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, and she recently gave her second TED talk, which will be released in the coming weeks. She’s been featured by pretty much every media outlet you could imagine, so I was honored that she took time out of her very full schedule to chat with me. - Tompkins Conservation has published multiple books about its groundbreaking conservation work in South America. The most recent book is titled Patagonia National Park Chile, which tells the story of the park’s transformation from a former sheep ranch into one of the crown jewels of Chile’s National Park system. Featuring stunning photography by Linde Waidhofer and essays by Kristine, the former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, Yvon Chouinard, and many others, the coffee-table style book is equal parts inspiring and educational. It’s the kind of book that you’d proudly display on your shelf and find yourself revisiting for years to come. - I met up with Kristine at her California home, and we had a fun and fascinating conversation about everything from the book to leadership to the growth and evolution of Tompkins Conservation. We discussed optimism and pessimism, the difference between contentment and happiness, the importance of having a relentless work ethic, living an extreme life, and operating as if you have nothing to lose. We also talked in detail about the challenges of creating Patagonia National Park, balancing rewilding efforts with the need for economic vitality, and how the conservation lessons learned in South America can be applied to conservation efforts here in the American West. There are even a few brief appearances by her two very sweet pups who sat with us during our conversation, so all of you dog lovers will surely enjoy hearing from them. - Patagonia National Park Chile is available right now at Patagonia.com and available for pre-order wherever you get your books. Follow the links in the episode notes to learn more. --- Tompkins ConservationPatagonia National Park ChileRewilding ChileRewilding Argentina Wild LifeFull episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/kristine-tompkins/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:40 - Why Kris keeps coming back to books 7:30 - Who is Arnie Næss 13:45 - Discussing leadership, giving credit, and other behaviors key to Kris’s success 18:40 - Happiness vs contentment 21:30 - Discussing Valle Chacabuco 25:45 - Establishing local buy-in as a conservation entity not local to Chile 30:30 - How the Tompkins managed livestock on the Valle Chacabuco 32:15 - The speed at which settlers spread to Chile 34:15 - Whether Kris is an optimist or pessimist 36:00 - Who in the new generation gives Kris hope, and what Kris thinks about “hope” 40:45 - Kris’s view on taking action 44:30 - How Kris prioritizes her efforts 49:45 - What Kris has learned in South America that is applicable to the North American West 52:15 - Business’s impact on Kris and Doug’s conservation work...

Logan Maxwell Hagege is an Ojai, CA-based contemporary artist with modern visions of the American West. Logan is no stranger to longtime Mountain & Prairie listeners—he first joined me on the podcast back in 2019, and he made another appearance in 2022 alongside several other renowned Western artists in an episode recorded live at Maxwell Alexander Gallery’s 10-year anniversary exhibition. In this episode, I reconnected with Logan at his Ojai studio, and we caught up on a long list of fascinating topics, including his upcoming exhibition at the Gerald Peters Gallery in New York City titled Flowers Will Grow. - Since our first podcast conversation, Logan’s artistic career has continued to skyrocket, and his work has earned the acclaim of a growing number of collectors, critics, and journalists. Most recently, his painting titled “Time and Space” won Best in Show at the Autry’s Masters of the American West show. He’s also been featured in all corners of the Western art world, including a recent spread in Western Art and Architecture and collaborations with well-known brands such as Stetson and Pendleton. But perhaps most impressively, he’s accomplished all of this success while being a deeply committed husband and father of two young children. - As you’ll hear in this conversation, Logan works extremely hard and is fully committed to exploring new realms of his artistic interests, but he brings balance and calmness to what could easily become an all-consuming obsession. I caught Logan just as he was wrapping up all the final details for his upcoming show, and we had a fun discussion about a wide range of topics, including: The intensity of preparing for a show, accepting the judgment that comes with showing art, his practice of constant doodling, how living in Ojai has changed his approach, the importance of self-talk, Georgia O’Keefe, the idea that perfection is boring, the need for action, and much more. Check out the episode notes for a full list of topics discussed and links to everything. - And if you happen to be in New York, the Flowers Will Grow exhibition will open with a reception with Logan on Thursday evening, April 18, 2024, and will be on display through May 23rd. There’s a link in the episode notes with all of that information. - A huge thanks to Logan for letting me barge into his studio during such a busy time and a huge thanks to you for listening. Enjoy! --- Logan Maxwell Hagege Logan on Instagram Flowers Will Grow at the Gerald Peters Gallery NYC Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/lmh-2/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 2:45 - What the hell is happening in Logan’s studio, and his upcoming show in New York 5:15 - Why Logan is working with a gallery outside of the Maxwell-Alexander Gallery 7:30 - Whether Logan was nervous the last time he showed his art in New York 9:00 - The impact of being able to show more examples of an artist’s work 11:15 - How periods of intensity and external pressure have shaped Logan’s work 12:45 - How Logan’s art has changed since his 2018 show 14:30 - What a Logan’s process looks like when there isn’t external pressure from deadlines 17:45 - Logan’s doodling process 19:45 - The need for action 23:30 - How Logan deals with the fact that unique art will be judged 27:45 - Discussing perfection and how boring it is 28:45 - Who Logan admires 31:15 - Discussing Georgia O’Keefe 32:45 - Discussing Logan’s life in Ojai 40:00 - The importance of retreat for Logan’s art 42:00 - The impact of self-talk 44:30 - Discussing the new gallery 47:45 - Logan’s book and artist recommendations --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain & Prairie ShopMountain & Prairie on InstagramUpcoming EventsAbout Ed RobersonSupport Mountain & PrairieLeave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Dr. Emily Howe is an aquatic ecologist with the Washington state chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and she holds a Ph.D. from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. Her work integrates across ecosystem boundaries, investigating how landscape configuration and management shape cross-boundary relationships for food webs, organisms, and ecosystem processes. - At the Nature Conservancy, Emily’s projects stretch from the high peaks of the North Cascades all the way down to the estuary of Port Susan Bay, and her work highlights the interconnectedness of everything from snowpack to salmon populations, forest management to marsh grass health. Much of Emily’s work focuses on understanding liminal spaces– areas in nature where boundaries blend together and where the interactions between ecosystems can be fluid and dynamic. - Since the earliest days of European settlement, this area has been subject to a wide variety of threats to the overall ecosystem—aggressive logging, wildfire suppression, attempts to engineer order into the ever-changing estuaries, and more. And with the intensification of climate change, snowfall and its resulting snowpack have decreased, which only exacerbates the negative effects and threats to the ecosystem. - But thanks to Emily and her team of stakeholders and partners, there are many, many reasons to be optimistic about the future. Combining cutting-edge science with Indigenous knowledge, Emily and TNC are making great progress toward finding solutions that can help with everything from increasing the depth and duration of snowpack in the Cascades to restoring all-important salmon habitat, and much much more. - If you’re a fan of ecology and are interested in how Indigenous wisdom can bolster our 21st-century scientific knowledge, then you’ll love this episode. We start our conversation at sea level, discussing the magic of the tidal ecosystems, then work our way up the into mountains, eventually discussing all things snowpack and forest health. We talk about TNC’s partnership with the Stilliguamish Tribe, how forest gaps can affect snowpack, snow droughts and El Nino, collaboration with federal agencies, and rising sea levels in the Northwest. Emily also talks about her career path to becoming a scientist and she offers up some excellent book recommendations. - I love the Pacific Northwest, so I greatly appreciate everything that Emily and her partners are doing to keep this region of the West so wild, special, and healthy. I hope you enjoy. --- Dr. Emily Howe "Water Connects Us All" by Leah Palmer Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/emily-howe/ --- 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. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org --- TOPICS DISCUSSED 3:45 - Discussing the history Port Susan Bay Preserve 8:15 - The colonial reasons for the “straightening out” of the complex Stille River System 11:15 - Why TNC became interested in Port Susan Bay 13:15 - Emily’s focus on the Port Susan Bay Preserve 17:15 - Emily’s partnership with Tribal entities around Port Susan Bay Preserve 21:45 - Where and how TNC partners with the federal government on its work on the coast 26:15 - Goals for the Port Susan Bay Preserve 32:30 - How fast...

Sterling Drake is an award-winning musician whose soulful tunes reflect his deep love of the landscapes, people, and culture of the American West. The media outlet Lonesome Highway probably best described Sterling’s music by calling it a “perfect fusion of western swing, honky-tonk heartache, and dance hall treasures.” But you can’t really confine Sterling’s music to a single, over-arching category– his influences range from country to folk to blues (and more!), and he’s toured everywhere from rural Montana to the swamps of South Florida to the music epicenter of Nashville, Tennesse. And it’s those wide-ranging experiences and influences that make him such a fascinating and thoughtful character and such a fun person to talk with. - Sterling’s family has roots in the southeastern U.S., and he was born and raised in Florida. Music was always a big part of his life, but his early interests revolved around the hardcore music scene and his love of drumming. Soon after graduating high school, he decided to head out west, where he began a long stretch of working on various ranches in several different states. Over time, his musical focus shifted from the hardcore world into the roots genre, and he began to capture the attention of audiences at bars, rodeos, and everywhere in between. Today, Sterling is a full-time touring musician, and as I record this, he is preparing for his first European tour. In my mind, Sterling is a perfect example of how a person can successfully meld passion, curiosity, hard work, and respect to create an entirely unique brand of art that resonates with a large, thoughtful audience. - I met Sterling last summer at the 2023 Old Salt Festival in Helmville, Montana, and I was instantly struck by his thoughtfulness, sense of humor, and his desire to contribute to the culture of the American West. So I was glad to finally connect with him for a podcast episode and have an in-depth conversation about his artistic journey. We started out talking about his upbringing in Florida and why he eventually decided to head west. We discuss his time working on ranches, lessons learned from living and working in Nashville, and why he continues to be drawn to Montana. We discuss his most recent EP titled Jereco Sessions, and why he decided to donate all of the proceeds of that project to the nonprofit Western Landowners Alliance. We also discuss Willie Nelson, books, martial arts, straight-edge culture, travel, and much, much more. - If you want to see Sterling perform in person and have a chance to hang out with him, I’d encourage you to come to this summer’s Old Salt Festival, which is taking place June 21-23 in Helmville, Montana. Both Sterling and I will be there, and we’re both looking forward to what is guaranteed to be an amazing weekend. - Thanks for listening, hope you enjoy! --- Sterling Drake Jereco Sessions Old Salt Festival Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/sterling-drake/ Ed's Freeflow Institute Course --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 5:00 - Sterling’s first memory of music 7:45 - Reflecting on Sterling’s childhood in Florida 11:00 - How Sterling became interested in the West, and further discussing Sterling’s upbringing 14:30 - Sterling’s time in Utah 17:30 - Where Sterling’s work ethic comes from 20:00 - How music played into Sterling’s early years out West 22:00 - A brief discussion of martial arts and its impact on Sterling’s life 25:45 - Sterling’s shift into country music 28:15 - When Sterling’s country career started to take off 33:15 - Sterling’s insider take on the Nashville music industry 40:45 - How Sterling became involved with WLA 44:15 - Discussing Sterling’s recent/upcoming album cover 45:15 - Sterling’s upcoming European tour 46:45 - Looking forward to Old Salt Festival 52:30 - Where Sterling may eventually choose to settle down 54:00 - Sterling’s advice to early career professionals and aspiring artists 1:00:30 - Sterling’s book...

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 visit the episode notes for a full list of everything he mentions, and I hope you enjoy! --- Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance Kevin Krasnow Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/kevin-krasnow/ --- 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. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org -- 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...

Mike DeHoff is the Principal Investigator at Returning Rapids Project, a one-of-a-kind project that is documenting the recovery of the Colorado River in Cataract Canyon, upper Glen Canyon, and along the San Juan. Back in 1963, the construction of Glen Canyon Dam created Lake Powell, which submerged many of the area’s canyons– turning what were once wild stretches of the Colorado into flat water. Today, the southwest’s ongoing historic drought has caused Lake Powell’s water levels to drop significantly, revealing historic rapids, recently hidden geologic features, and riparian ecosystems that had been deep underwater for nearly fifty years. - Returning Rapids began as a personal project for Mike and three of his river-loving friends– Meg Flynn, Peter Lefebvre, and Chris Benson. They began to notice changes in the river created by Lake Powell’s receding waters and started documenting those changes and using historic photographs and documents to better understand the reemerging landscape. Over the years, their work caught the attention of universities, academics, scientists, and government agencies, all of whom were fascinated by what was being discovered deep in those canyons. Fast forward to today, and their work is not only enabling cutting-edge research, but it’s capturing the attention of bigtime media outlets, including a recent feature in Rolling Stone. - Mike connected with me virtually from his home base in Moab, Utah, and we had a fascinating discussion about the Colorado River, Lake Powell, and the history of the Returning Rapids project. We started out with a brief history lesson on the drought’s effect on the Colorado River, then we dug into issues such as the mind-blowing amount of sediment created by Glen Canyon Dam. We discussed when Mike and his partners realized that their personal project was capturing the attention of the public, the challenges of garnering attention for lesser-known places like Cataract Canyon, and the idea of combining Lake Powell and Lake Mead. We also talk a lot about Mike’s personal journey with this project, and how his willingness to follow his curiosity, partner with very smart people, take risks, and work extremely hard has had a significant scientific impact. We also discuss books, his mentors, his desire to learn from everyone he meets, and much more. - A huge thanks to Mike, Meg, Peter, and Chris for their important work, and for providing such a solid example for all of us who feel drawn to make a difference here in the American West. --- Returning Rapids Project Rolling Stone article on Returning Rapids Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/mike-dehoff/ --- This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation. To whom much is given, much is expected. This value guides the philosophy behind the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation today. Committed to its cause and infused with an entrepreneurial spirit, Mighty Arrow aims to invest in solutions that take action on climate change to build a more vibrant future, repair relationships from farm to market to table, heal our connection to the lands and waters we call home, and demand a more just and equitable society. To learn more about Mighty Arrow’s forward-thinking, optimistic, and visionary work here in the American West and beyond, please visit www.mightyarrow.org. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:30 - The drought of the early 2000s and how it started a 20+ year journey for Mike 16:30 - How an entire land mass of Colorado River sediment can be created with no one claiming management or responsibility of it 21:30 - When Mike’s project shifted from a personal interest to an interest of the public 26:15 - The surprising rate that Lake Powell and Cataract Canyon are capable of recovering 34:30 - How Mike garners attention for lesser-known but important places like Cataract Canyon 37:15 - Discussing the idea of combining Lake Powell and Lake Meade 44:15 - Mike’s advice for...

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. FULL EPISODE: https://www.patreon.com/posts/shed-session-you-97515649 PATREON: https://mountainandprairie.com/patreon MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: https://mountainandprairie.com/

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 art curator Spencer Wigmore. - Trespassers is an exhibit about grasslands– specifically, James examines how we think about and define America’s imperiled prairie ecosystem. Over the course of more than two years, James traveled throughout Texas and the Southern Plains, visiting private ranches and urban restoration sites, and he was often accompanied by some of Texas’s most well-renowned grasslands experts. He investigated ideas around how our man-made boundaries and concepts attempt to define grasslands, and how grasslands often do not conform to our desires to control them. He examines ideas around fire, species classification, conservation, and natural history, and the end result is a collection of more than 20 mind-blowing paintings and sculptures. - As the curator for this exhibit, Spencer played a very unique role throughout the entire project– he was the one who initially approached James with the idea, he accompanied James on many of his grasslands road trips, and he even arranged the exhibit in its stunning space within the museum. So I loved learning about the collaboration between artist and curator, how they complimented each other’s personalities, and how they ultimately worked together to bring this spectacular collection of meaningful art into the world. - As you probably remember from my first podcast conversation with James, he’s a deep thinker who has spent his entire career digging into the nuances of our natural world. And Spencer’s depth of understanding of art history and the artistic process– as well as his ability to communicate his knowledge in a fun and engaging way– is second to none. So I know you’ll enjoy this conversation that covers everything from broad, big-picture ideas around the philosophies of defining species, all the way down to the details of how James created such intricate, delicate sculptures. Be sure to check out the episode notes for a full list of everything we discussed. - I’d encourage you to visit the episode webpage, as I have included a gallery of images of the exhibit that will serve as a great reference point for some of our discussions. And the nice folks at the Carter also recorded a video of the entire event, that is embedded on my webpage and available on Youtube. Follow the link in the notes to access all of that. - The episode starts with a kind introduction from The Carter’s Manager of Adult Programming, Madeleine Fitzgerald and then James, Spencer, and I begin our conversation. I hope you enjoy! --- Amon Carter Museum of American Art Trespassers: James Prosek and the Texas Prairie James Prosek Spencer Wigmore Watch the YouTube video Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/carter/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:00 - Welcome statements 10:45 - How the Trespassers exhibition came about in Spencer’s mind, and how it landed for James 19:15 - Comparing American grasslands to the Great Pyramids 23:45 - James’ painting process 29:15 - Spencer’s role as curator 34:00 - Discussing the work Fort Worth Composition No. 1 37:45 - Discussing James’ interest in silhouettes 42:30 - James’ use of bronze to depict burned logs 47:00 - James’ clay flowers 50:15 - The biggest surprise in this project for Spencer 54:00 -What James has learned about grasslands since finishing the project 1:01:15 - James’ read on the state of western grasslands conservation 1:06:15 - James’ book recommendations 1:09:30 - How Spencer sets up the gallery space 1:14:00 - Audience questions begin 1:14:45 - Spencer’s and James’ relationship to Fort Worth, and whether or not they found remnant prairies there 1:20:00 - Where...

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! --- Ivy Sponholtz The Alaska Chapter of the Nature Conservancy Episode notes & Links: https://mountainandprairie.com/ivy-spohnholz/ -- 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. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org -- 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...

Chad Ellis is the CEO of the Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT), which is one of the nation’s leading ag-focused conservation organizations. TALT’s mission is “to conserve the Texas heritage of agricultural lands, wildlife habitats, and natural resources,” but at its core, TALT’s work is built on the foundation of long-term, trusting, mutually respectful relationships. - Given the small proportion of public lands in Texas compared to other western states, much of the responsibility for landscape-scale ecological health falls on the shoulders of private landowners. And since 2007, TALT has helped these landowners find ways to not only protect their family legacies, but to improve the overall quality of grasslands, water, air, and wildlife for all Texans. - Chad was raised in rural Texas, and from a very early age, he felt a deep connection to land, agriculture, and wildlife. While his entire career has been devoted to thoughtfully and effectively stewarding natural resources, you’ll quickly realize that at his core, Chad is a relationship builder. During his tenures at the NRSC, the Noble Research Institute, and now as the leader of TALT, Chad has implemented many cutting-edge conservation solutions– but, as you’ll hear him explain, none of these projects would be successful without solid, trusting relationships between all stakeholders. - Longtime listeners will recognize Chad from an earlier appearance on Mountain & Prairie– back in 2023, he was one of the panelists in an episode called “Landscape-Scale Management in a Private Land State,” which was recorded live at the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society’s annual meeting. In this episode, we dig more into Chad’s personal and professional journey in conservation– why he has devoted his career to such a challenging-yet-critical cause, and how he approaches his work from both practical and philosophical perspectives. We discuss his love of entrepreneurial approaches, his leadership style, mentors, the storied legacy of TALT’s founder Blair Fitzsimons, supporting the next generation of conservationists, his favorite books, and much more. - If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to check out TALT’s website and follow its work on social media– TALT is a constant source of inspiration for me and all of the Western conservation community. Thanks for listening! --- Texas Agricultural Land TrustChad on LinkedIn Landscape-Scale Management in a Private Land StateTALT on Instagramhttps://mountainandprairie.com/chad-ellis/Ed's upcoming Rogue River Trip --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 4:30 - Where Chad grew up 7:45 - Chad’s work with PERC 10:15 - Where Chad’s entrepreneurial background came from 16:15 - How Chad moved up in the NRCS ranks 18:45 - Chad’s time with Mobil Foundation 21:45 - Chad’s personal vision 24:30 - Chad’s motivation to strengthen people’s connection to the land, instead of just supporting the land itself 27:15 - How Chad hires for a passionate team 29:15 - Chad’s work securing federal funding 32:45 - How Chad thinks about failure 34:45 - How Chad presented his vision for TALT to an already accomplished director, Blair Fitzsimons 40:30 - Chad’s goal to support the next generation of conservationists 44:30 - How Chad interprets the threats facing conservation in Texas 51:30 - How Chad prioritizes his allocation of resources 58:45 - Exploring Chad’s level of patience, as well as the various ways that people learn and work 1:03:30 - The importance of relationships 1:07:45 - Chad’s book recommendations 1:09:15 - Chad’s parting words of advice --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain & Prairie ShopMountain & Prairie on InstagramUpcoming EventsAbout Ed RobersonSupport Mountain & PrairieLeave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Rick Wittenbraker is the CMO of Howler Brothers, an Austin-based apparel company that creates some of the most unique, stylish, quirky, and highly functional outdoor clothing for adventurers of all stripes. In a little over a decade, Howler has firmly established itself as the go-to brand for anglers, surfers, travelers, and fun-seekers– the kind of people who value good times with good friends in cool places. - Rick was born and raised in Texas, attended UT Austin, and spent the first years of his career in traditional businesses such as finance and sales. But in 2009, he joined an up-and-coming cooler company known as Yeti, and that is where Rick’s genius for storytelling really broke through. He eventually became Yeti’s VP of Marketing and was one of the major forces behind Yeti’s groundbreaking approach to building a brand through outside-the-box storytelling. Along the way, he met Howler Brother’s founders– Chase Heard and Andy Stepanian– and eventually decided to join them and apply his brand-building expertise toward expanding what is now known as “The Howlerverse.” - Rick has been a longtime mentor of mine, and I credit his wisdom and counsel as being one the main factors that have allowed me to build Mountain & Prairie from a silly little side project into my full-time job. And there are countless creatives and entrepreneurs who have a similar story of Rick generously taking an interest in their project, offering his hard-earned wisdom, and expecting nothing in return. So this episode with Rick was long overdue. - We recorded this in Austin, at the Howler Brothers HQ, and we covered a lot, including: Rick’s career path, lessons learned from living internationally, his philosophies around building authentic, completely original brands, his ever-present focus on generosity and humility, separating personal identity from brand identity, growing without abandoning core values, the spirit behind the Howler Brothers brand, the Howler Brothers book, some of his favorite books, and much more. - A big thanks to Rick for taking the time to chat with me, as well as for everything he’s done to help Mountain & Prairie grow and evolve over the years. Hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. --- Rick on LinkedIn Howler Brothers The Howler Brothers book Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/rick-wittenbraker/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 4:00 - Rick’s childhood and what he wanted to be when he grew up 9:15 - Rick’s first job out of college 11:15 - Rick’s mentor in his first job 14:45 - When Rick became interested in marketing 18:00 - When Rick realized he and Yeti were onto something big 20:45 - Inspirations for Rick’s style of marketing with Yeti, and why it works so well 25:30 - Fun that Rick has had on the job 27:45 - Why Rick decided to move along from Yeti 29:45 - A bump in Rick’s career road 31:15 - Balancing the merits of business ideas and businesses with the people who implement them 38:00 - Describing Howler Bros. 44:15 - How Howler Bros. balances their identity and values with the need for business growth 46:15 - Separating personal identity from brand identity 49:30 - Balancing initiative and recklessness as it pertains to business progress 51:30 - Where Rick’s generosity and willingness to help comes from 54:00 - The future of Howler Bros. 58:15 - Rick’s book recommendations 1:03:00 - Rick’s parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain & Prairie ShopMountain & Prairie on InstagramUpcoming EventsAbout Ed RobersonSupport Mountain & PrairieLeave a Review on Apple Podcasts

This is a special live episode that was recorded in Austin, Texas, in November of 2023 at the 50th Anniversary Endangered Species Act Symposium. As you may know, 2023 marked 50 years since the passing of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which is one the most influential and impactful pieces of conservation legislation in United States history. This symposium gathered together an impressive and wide range of ESA experts from governmental, non-profit, and for-profit organizations, and we spent the day discussing the ESA’s fascinating and complex past, present, and future. In this episode, we’ll hear from four leaders who have worked in the trenches of conservation for decades, and each of them brings a unique perspective on both the challenges and opportunities that the ESA creates for on-the-ground conservation. The panelists are: Gary Frazer, Assistant Director for Ecological Services at the US Fish and Wildlife Service Peg Romanik, a recently retired high-ranking attorney from the Department of Interior Jimmy Bullock, Senior Vice President at Resource Management Service LLC Leo Miranda-Castro, Former USFWS Director and current Executive Director of Conservation without Conflict All four of these distinguished panelists have worked extensively within the frameworks of the Endangered Species Act, and they bring a wealth of practical and philosophical knowledge about the ESA’s impact over the past 50 years… and its expected impacts in the future. But perhaps more importantly, these four panelists helped me to appreciate the humanity behind the historic, powerful legislation– the smart, dedicated, conservation-minded leaders whose work has allowed the act to effect change and evolve over the past five decades. We covered a lot during this hour-long discussion, and highlights include: How the ESA switched from a more punitive to a more collaborative approach; concrete examples of productive, collaborative conservation; working with the extreme opinions about climate change; hopes for the future of market-incentivized species conservation; examining potential political threats to the ESA; the evolution of using the ESA for single species conservation to using it for landscape-scale conservation, advice for young people in the conservation field, and much more. This episode was the last panel discussion of the day, so if you’d like to listen to the first three panels, you can do so on this episode’s webpage: www.mountainandprairie.com/esa. Those earlier sessions include discussions with everyone from one of the ESA’s authors to some of today’s most renowned conservation thought leaders– I really can’t imagine having a more impressive group of conservation practitioners in one room. You can check out the episode notes for a link to the Symposium’s program, which includes all the details of the day's event and speaker bios. And one more thing: This symposium was organized by the fellows of the James G. Teer Conservation Leadership Institute, which is sponsored by The Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society. The mission of the Teer Institute is to ensure a future legacy of well-trained conservation leaders by providing professional training in leadership skills and contemporary conservation. I was so impressed with all the fellows and left this event feeling very optimistic about the future of conservation in Texas and beyond. A huge thank you to the fellows and to Dr. Roel Lopez of Texas A&M University for inviting me down to Austin to moderate this panel. It was an honor to be in the same room with all these amazingly inspiring folks. Hope you enjoy! --- Episode notes and recordings of other panels: https://mountainandprairie.com/esa James G. Teer Conservation Leadership Institute Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 4:00 - Introduction 10:15 - Peg describes when the ESA switched from a more punitive to a more collaborative approach 14:45 - Leo’s example of good collaborative conservation...

An excerpt from the most recent Shed Session episode, highlighting some of the books, experiences, products, activities, and organizations that made 2023 a year to remember. To listen to the full hour-long episode and all future Shed Sessions, become a Patreon supporter. FULL EPISODE: https://www.patreon.com/posts/shed-session-12-95389124 PATREON: https://mountainandprairie.com/patreon MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: https://mountainandprairie.com/

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. --- Paige Lewis All 2023 TNC episodes Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/paige-lewis/ --- 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. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado --- 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...

Jenna Pollard is a timber framer, a farmer, and an advocate for organic agriculture, but at her core, she is a teacher. The list of Jenna’s inspiring projects, causes, and interests is too extensive to summarize in a few sentences, but to give you an overview: She hosts workshops for women in which they learn the art of timber framing and build structures as a team from the ground up. She’s a team member with Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (also known as WWOOF), where she helps to provide opportunities for aspiring farmers to build their careers. She’s also a committed traveler, community builder, reader, and all-around inspiring human. - Born and raised in South Dakota, Jenna grew up immersed in the outdoors and various outdoor adventures. After college, she went to work on an organic farm, which began her professional passion for working closely with the land surrounded by a community of like-minded individuals. As you’ll hear, she continued to follow her curiosity and has enjoyed a fulfilling and wide-ranging career– she worked as a teacher in Japan, built her own timber-frame home on the South Dakota prairie, and became deeply involved in helping to develop the skills and confidence of future farmers and timber framers. But if there’s a thread that connects all of Jenna’s work, it’s her commitment to building community through hard work and shared purpose– one of my favorite topics to discuss. - I first learned about Jenna through a short film by Patagonia Workwear that profiled her women’s timber-framing workshops– I’ve linked to the film in the episode notes. So I was thrilled that our schedules aligned so that we could have this conversation, and I learned so much for her. We discussed her upbringing in South Dakota and how her outdoor-focused childhood laid the foundation for her career. We discussed the intricacies of timber framing, and why it is such a powerful skill for building community and confidence. We talk a lot about WWOOF and its Future Farming Program, and Jenna offers some ways that aspiring farmers can get involved. We also discuss books, how Jenna accomplishes so much, how Patagonia has encouraged and supported her work, lessons learned from Japan, and much much more. - If you want to connect with Jenna, attend a workshop, or learn more about WWOOF, there are links to everything in the episode notes. Thanks for listening, hope you enjoy. --- REFRAMED | Built by Women | Patagonia Films WWOOF-USA: wwoofusa.org Steger Center - stegercenter.org The Canelo Project - https://caneloproject.com Olympic Outpost - https://olympicoutpost.com Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/jenna-pollard/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 2:30 - Where Jenna grew up 4:15 - What Jenna did for fun as a kid 6:30 - Turning points in Jenna’s life regarding self-sufficiency in the outdoors 8:45 - Post-high school for Jenna 11:00 - How something like WWOOFing drew Jenna’s career attention 13:30 - Books and thinkers that influenced Jenna’s agrarian lifestyle 16:00 - Defining “timber framing,” and exploring why it captured Jenna’s attention 20:00 - When Jenna decided to start teaching timber framing 21:15 - Discussing the process of Jenna building her house in South Dakota 24:45 - How Jenna came to specifically teach women how to timber frame 38:15 - How Patagonia became interested in Jenna’s timber framing classes 30:45 - Continuing to explore the importance of Jenna’s work with women 33:00 - Jenna’s success stories from her classes 37:15 - The relationships that Jenna builds through timber framing 39:15 - Jenna’s students’ goals 40:45 - Discussing WWOOF 43:15 - Discussing the 2024 Future Farming Program 47:15 - How Jenna manages to do all of this! 48:15 - Jenna’s time as a teacher in Japan 52:30 - Whether or not Jenna ever questioned her path 55:15 - Jenna’s book recommendations 1:01:15 - Jenna’s parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain &...

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. - 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! --- TNC Colorado Diana Lane Aaron Derwingson Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/diana-aaron/ --- 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. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado --- 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 --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain & Prairie ShopMountain & Prairie on InstagramUpcoming EventsAbout Ed RobersonSupport Mountain & PrairieLeave a Review on Apple Podcasts

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 "Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World," which is a must-read for anyone interested in wildfires, humans’ relationship with fire, and the future of fire-related disasters. And you don’t have to take my word for it– the book won the 2023 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction. - "Fire Weather" tells the story of the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire– a historic and apocalyptic fire that torched the city of Fort McMurray, Alberta, and spread across nearly 1.5 million acres of forest. With this epic disaster as the focal point, John masterfully weaves in the fascinating histories of fire, the fossil fuel industry, and climate science. He also explores 21st-century wildfires– why they are hotter, more aggressive, and more destructive than anything we’ve seen before. Whether you’re interested in the science of fire and forest health, the fascinating relationship between humans and fire, or you’re just looking for a book that you won’t be able to put down, I give "Fire Weather" my highest endorsement. - Wildfires are obviously becoming more and more intense and destructive here in the West, so I was excited to chat with John and dig deeper into the history of fire and the outlook for the future. We discussed why he decided to devote many years to writing about this particular wildfire, and how the book’s ingenious structure came to him in a dream. We talk about the similarities between living beings and fire, a fascinating idea known as the Lucretius Problem, some of the story’s larger-than-life characters, John’s long-term goals for the book, some of his favorite books, and much, much more. - A huge thanks to John for writing such an impactful book and for taking the time to chat with me. I encourage you to pick up a copy of "Fire Weather" as soon as you can, but in the meantime, enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with John Vaillant. --- "Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World" by John Vaillant Sign Up for Ed's Weekly Email: Good News from the American West Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/john-vaillant/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:30 - When John realized he wanted to write about fire 11:15 - The surprising significance of dreams in John’s writing 14:15 - How John organizes the information in his head so he can write 19:45 - A brief note on pacing, and the similarities between living beings and fire 30:45 - The Lucretius Problem 35:45 - How John finds the characters for his book 44:15 - How John handles writing about someone in a less-than-flattering light 52:00 - John’s goals for his book, Fire Weather 57:30 - John’s book recommendations 1:02:15 - John’s parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain & Prairie ShopMountain & Prairie on InstagramUpcoming EventsAbout Ed RobersonSupport Mountain & PrairieLeave a Review on Apple Podcasts

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 for free on the PBS website. Sara’s work focuses on environmental politics in the United States with a particular emphasis on the creation and development of consensus and bipartisanism, and she is especially skilled at presenting complex, sometimes controversial topics in an engaging and fun-to-learn manner. - In June of 2023, Sara updated and republished her book "Losing Eden"– she added some chapters, revised some of the content, and added lots of maps, photos, and additional resources. She somehow managed to make one of my favorite books even better. For anyone who is looking for a thorough yet fun-to-read overview of this complex region known as the American West, I can’t recommend it enough. From the migration of the first humans into North America to modern-day controversies around energy development, the book provides a solid foundation and acts as a launching point to dig into whatever specific time period you may find interesting. - Longtime listeners will remember my first conversation with Sara back in 2018, in which we discussed the early phases of North American environmental history, the tragedy of the commons, conservation vs preservation, and more. In this conversation, we focus on mostly recent environmental history, including the historic environmental legislation of the 1960s and 70s, legendary senator Frank Church, and the backlash to environmental regulation that led to movements such as the Sagebrush Rebellion. We also discuss Sara’s perspective-shifting Alaska adventure, the value of wild places, her experience working with Ken Burns, book recommendations, and much, much more. - I always enjoy my visits with Sara, and I can’t thank her enough for how generous she is with sharing her time, wisdom, and expertise. I’d encourage you to pick up a copy of the new "Losing Eden," but in the meantime, enjoy this conversation with Dr. Sara Dant. --- Losing Eden: An Environmental History of the American West by Sara Dant Sara's first M&P episode Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/sara-dant-2/ Ed's Bimonthly Book Recommendations --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:30 - Why Sara decided to republish Losing Eden 7:00 - The guiding idea of "at what cost?" 10:00 - The myth of "right or wrong," "good or bad" 16:15 - Using history to understand our current political situation 19:30 - Optimistic examples of positive political environmental bipartisanship 23:30 - The legendary Idaho senator, Frank Church 28:00 - James Watt and the backlash to environmental regulation 34:00 - Divisiveness as a power-grabbing tool 43:00 - Sara's 2019 life-changing trip to Alaska 46:30 - What is the value of wild places? 54:15 - Participating in the new Ken Burns documentary 56:30 - Something new that Sara has recently learned 1:02:30 - Book recommendations and further reading 1:10:30 - Parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain & Prairie ShopMountain & Prairie on InstagramUpcoming EventsAbout Ed RobersonSupport Mountain & PrairieLeave a Review on Apple Podcasts

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. --- More on TNC's Buffalo Restoration Workhttps://mountainandprairie.com/corissa-busse/ --- 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. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado --- 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 --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain &...