Episodes

  • Joe Whitworth - On Unrelenting Effort, Blazing Your Own Trail, and Taking Action

    Joe Whitworth - On Unrelenting Effort, Blazing Your Own Trail, and Taking Action
    Dec 10 2024
    Joe Whitworth is the President and CEO of The Freshwater Trust (“TFT”), an innovative and action-oriented conservation organization whose mission is to preserve and restore freshwater ecosystems. With a focus on technology and an all-star staff made up of scientists, attorneys, GIS experts, systems analysts, and more, TFT is pioneering the next generation of conservation by focusing on quantifiable results. Back when I was a Conservation Director here in Colorado, I had the great pleasure of partnering with TFT on a project involving water rights and irrigated farmland, and I was blown away by the organization’s ability to quickly put complex ideas into action for the benefit of land, water, and communities. Joe was born into a large midwestern family, and from an early age, his grandfather, who was a farmer, played a foundational role in his understanding of land, water, and conservation. After high school, Joe moved east to attend Dartmouth, where he played football, and then he eventually moved West to attend law school. Along the way, he began to focus his professional efforts on doing work that made the world a better place. After several stints at several different organizations, he took the reins of the organization that would eventually become The Freshwater Trust. Joe has now been at the helm of TFT for more than two decades and has grown the organization’s budget tenfold during his tenure. He’s focused, action-oriented, innovative, and very serious about solving big, complex conservation problems in the West and beyond. As you’ll hear, Joe and I share many common interests in everything from history to reading to conservation to rivers, and, perhaps more importantly, I connect deeply with many of Joe’s core values around hard work, following your own path, and taking action. So, it’s no surprise that we had such a fun conversation. We start out talking about Joe’s grandfather, Joe’s journey from the Midwest to the Ivy League, and how he adjusted to life at Dartmouth. We talk about his early years working as a non-profit consultant and the series of events that led him to The Freshwater Trust. We discuss the ultimatum that led to TFT’s impressive growth, the type of people who thrive as staff members, and he gives an overview of their BasinScout technology. We discuss the future of environmentalism, technology’s role in solving environmental challenges, favorite books, and much more. As I said, I’ve been a fan of TFT for many years, so I was so glad to finally have this opportunity to chat with Joe about his personal and professional operating systems. I hope you enjoy. --- The Freshwater TrustJoe WhitworthFull episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/joe-whitworth/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:00 - Joe’s grandfather and his lasting influence9:00 - Unexpected blessings from a broken femur13:00 - Adjusting to the Ivy League culture16:15 - Next moves after Dartmouth21:30 - Living like a monk and figuring out next steps25:30 - “The world is designed to make you shut up and get in line.”28:45 - Law school and beginnings at the Freshwater Trust29:00 - Revamping The Freshwater Trust34:00 - The board’s reaction to Joe’s plans for the future39:00 - The importance of making hard decisions43:45 - The magic of The Freshwater Trust team47:45 - An overview of BasinScout51:15 - A foundational BasinScout case study58:30 - Ideas and areas of focus on the horizon1:01:00 - The importance of taking action1:03:30 - Next phase of environmentalism1:06:00 - How TFT’s values meld with Joe’s personal values1:09:00 - Expectations of new team members1:12:00 - The TFT model of handing off new ideas and innovation to partners1:16:00 - Favorite books --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain & Prairie ShopMountain & Prairie on InstagramUpcoming EventsAbout Ed RobersonSupport Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts
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    1 hr and 23 mins
  • Jesse Smith – A Regenerative Approach to Land and Life

    Jesse Smith – A Regenerative Approach to Land and Life
    Dec 3 2024
    Jesse Smith is the Director of Land Stewardship at the White Buffalo Land Trust, which is a global hub for regenerative land stewardship, ecological monitoring and research, education, and more. Jesse brings a unique perspective and a diverse set of experiences to his work in regenerative agriculture– his early interest in architecture led him to pursue an education in design, which then led to a career in product design and visual communication. But over time, he became interested in combining his artistic sensibilities with his love of the land, science, and permaculture, and soon thereafter began his journey in the world of family farming, food production, and education. Jesse is now a leader in the world of regenerative ag, and, as you’ll hear, he has a real gift for communicating the art and science of land stewardship. This conversation was recorded in November of 2024 on stage at the REGENERATE conference– one of the country’s foremost gatherings of regenerative agriculture practitioners and thought leaders. REGENERATE is a collaboration between the Quivira Coalition, Holistic Management International, and the American Grassfed Association, and the conference attracts fascinating people from all over the world to share knowledge, build community, and create a culture of resilience and regeneration. Despite sitting on stage in front of an auditorium full of people, this conversation felt much more like a fun one-on-one discussion between two friends. We covered everything from Jesse’s winding path into the world of agriculture to some of the more technical details around land monitoring and certifications. We discussed the natural disasters in Jesse’s community that highlighted huge problems in the local food systems, which eventually led to the creation of the White Buffalo Land Trust. We discussed how Jesse prioritizes his work when there are so many urgent challenges to address, and he shares his experiences with big business’s growing interest in regenerative ag. We talk about the Japanese concept of Ikigai, transforming inspiration into action, advice for building a career in regenerative ag, favorite books, and much more. We also allowed ample time for Q&A from the audience, which I know you’ll enjoy. Jesse mentions tons of useful resources so be sure to visit the episode notes for a full list of topics we discussed and links to everything. A huge thanks to the team at REGENERATE for inviting me to the conference, thank you to Jesse for chatting with me and offering so much wisdom, and thanks to you for listening. The episode starts out with an introduction from Sarah Wentzel-Fisher, who is the Executive Director of the Quivira Coalition and a past Mountain & Prairie podcast guest. Hope you enjoy! --- Jesse SmithWhite Buffalo Land TrustFigure Ate FoodsREGENERATE conferenceQuivira CoalitionHolistic Management InternationalAmerican Grassfed AssociationFull episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/jesse-smith/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:00 - An introduction from Quivira’s Executive Director, Sarah Wentzel-Fisher4:45 - Ed’s introduction8:00 - Jesse’s early years and path into conservation12:15 - Recognizing the community need that led to the creation of the White Buffalo Land Trust16:00 - How does Jesse prioritize his work at the White Buffalo Land Trust21:45 - Thoughts on big business’s interest in regenerative agriculture27:05 - The complexity of regenerative certifications32:45 - Predictions about the future of regenerative certifications35:30 - Advice for people who want to work in regenerative ag41:00 - Translating inspiration into action45:30 - Audience Q&A: How do stories and on-the-ground experiences help to change people’s minds?50:43 - Audience Q&A: Why is the burden on regenerative producers to get certifications to prove that they are doing it correctly?54:15 - Audience Q&A: Thoughts on the new administration bringing regenerative practitioners into the FDA?59:20 - Audience Q&A: How do we create more accessibility around regenerative ag?1:03:10 - Audience Q&A: How does regenerative ag play a role in procurement by institutional buyers?1:05:00 - Audience Q&A: What is the source of people’s disconnection with food and what is one step to bridge that gap?1:08:20 - Audience Q&A: What are some planning strategies to help balance stewardship and profitability1:12:05 - Audience Q&A: What is the lay of the land when it comes to certifications across a broad range of markets?1:16:15 - Jesse’s book recommendations --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain & Prairie ShopMountain & Prairie on InstagramUpcoming EventsAbout Ed RobersonSupport Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Nichole Barger – Science as a Catalyst for Human Connection

    Nichole Barger – Science as a Catalyst for Human Connection
    Nov 27 2024
    Nichole Barger is an ecologist, former university professor, and the current deputy chief scientist and lead global scientist for The Nature Conservancy. She earned her master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and her PhD from Colorado State University, and her career has included extensive time researching, teaching, and practicing on-the-ground, frontline conservation on issues including land degradation, restoration, and more. Prior to assuming her current position at TNC, she was the research director of the Canyonlands Research Center located at the Dugout Ranch, which you may remember as the subject of a Mountain & Prairie episode back in August of 2024. Given her distinguished career as a scientist, you might be surprised to learn that Nichole never considered pursuing science as a vocation until the second half of her time in college. She grew up in small-town Indiana, and, although she was extremely curious, a great student, and a voracious reader, she was not particularly enamored with science and didn’t know anyone who worked as a scientist. But during college, a supportive-yet-casual comment from one of her professors planted the seed that science could be an option. Fast forward to today, she has published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers, she co-chairs the Science Policy Interface group of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and she leads many of TNC’s cutting-edge science initiatives. As you’ll hear, Nichole brings a deep level of empathy, curiosity, and open-mindedness to all of her work as a scientist. Whether she’s teaching, researching, or working with conservation stakeholders, she never loses sight of the importance of human connection. We spent the first half of the conversation discussing lessons learned from her nontraditional path into the world of science, including a two-year stint where she left college to travel and explore the United States. We discussed her renewed focus on academics when she returned to school, and the moment that professor planted the seed that eventually grew into her career in science. We discuss teaching versus research, how she evolved as an educator and mentor to college students, and when she decided to apply her talents to TNC’s mission. We discuss TNC’s incorporation of Indigenous wisdom and science into its work, human health as a conservation initiative, and the importance of face-to-face human interactions. She also offers some excellent book recommendations and ideas for remaining optimistic and action-oriented during challenging times. There’s so much wisdom packed into this episode, so be sure to check out the episode notes for a complete list of topics and links to everything. A huge thanks to Nichole for the great conversation and thank you for listening. --- Nichole BargerTNC’s science workFull episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/nichole-barger/ --- 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: 4:00 - Nichole’s upbringing and early years7:45 - Taking a non-traditional path and her parents’ reaction9:30 - Lessons learned from her two-year break11:00 - Books read in high school that gave Nichole confidence to follow her own path12:30 - Returning to school with a renewed focus15:30 - Advice to college students who are trying to find their way in the world18:15 - Her journey to becoming a successful scientist20:30 - Research versus teaching22:45 - Lessons learned from years of teaching26:30 - When and how TNC became a professional focus29:30 - Nichole describes her current job at TNC31:15 - Incorporating Indigenous knowledge into TNC’s science work40:00 - The importance and power of weaving in Indigenous knowledge43:00 - Human health as a conservation initiative47:00 - “Doom and Gloom” is not a motivating strategy50:00 - Online resources for news and science (that won’t make you crazy)52:00 - The importance of physcially being with other people53:15 - The most exciting project Nichole is working on55:00 - What can the average person do to take action and make a difference59:00 - Book recommendations1:03:00 - Parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All ...
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Mark Easter - Food, Soil, and Our Planet's Future

    Mark Easter - Food, Soil, and Our Planet's Future
    Nov 15 2024
    Mark Easter is a Colorado-based ecologist and author whose new book is titled "The Blue Plate: A Food Lover's Guide to Climate Chaos." If you care about food and you care about Planet Earth, "The Blue Plate" is a must-read. It explores the production, consumption, and disposal of many of our favorite foods– seafood, salad, bread, chicken, steak, potatoes, ice cream, and more– and offers a thoughtful and nuanced analysis of these foods' impacts on the environment. This is not a gloom-and-doom climate change book, nor does it have the condescending tone that sometimes accompanies many climate-related readings. While Mark is crystal clear about the massive threats facing our planet, this is a book built on the ideals of optimism, ingenuity, and taking action. I loved it. Mark lives and works in Fort Collins and has conducted research in academia and private industry since 1988. He has enjoyed a very successful and impactful career at Colorado State University, and he has authored and co-authored more than 50 scientific papers and reports related to carbon cycling and the carbon footprint of agriculture, forestry, and other land uses. But Mark also has a real gift for storytelling and for breaking down enormously complex topics into understandable and enjoyable writing. His writing is personal, educational, and fun to read, and I credit Mark and "The Blue Plate" with helping me to finally fully understand issues around greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration. Mark and I met up a few weeks ago at CSU and had a fun and nuanced conversation about food, agriculture, and the climate. We started by discussing why he refers to himself as a “greenhouse gas accountant,” and he offers an excellent explanation of soil's all-important role in balancing the release and capture of carbon on Planet Earth. We talk about how grasslands, jungles, and mangroves sequester carbon, and how and why the destruction of any of these ecosystems negatively affects the planet. We discuss Mark’s ten-year process of writing this book and how Patagonia Books helped him bring his vision to life. We discuss how methane is produced by everything from reservoirs to ruminants, and why that particular greenhouse gas is more harmful than the others. We discuss regenerative agriculture, meat production, composting, and personal diet choices, and Mark offers a long list of excellent book recommendations. We barely scratched the surface of all of the fascinating topics in "The Blue Plate," so if you enjoy this conversation, I’d encourage you to pick up a copy of the book and dig in. I know you’ll enjoy it and learn a lot. --- Mark EasterThe Blue Plate: A Food Lover's Guide to Climate ChaosPatagonia BooksFull episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/mark-easter/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:00 - Intro and how Mark describes his work7:15 - Parallels between carbon accounting and business accounting13:45 - An overview of soil and carbon21:30 - Carbon in grasslands vs jungles vs mangroves25:00 - How and why Mark decided to write this book33:00 - The ten-year process of writing the book37:00 - Greenhouse gases explained40:00 - Methane feedback loop explained43:30 - A fascinating story about methane in Lake Powell46:15 - Reservoirs and evaporation47:00 - The most difficult chapter to write: Ruminants and meat55:30 - The increasing global demand for meat58:00 - Taking action and personal responsibility1:01:30 - Personal responsibility versus regulation1:04:00 - A helpful way to understand carbon quantities1:06:00 - Carbon consequences of transforming forests to grasslands1:09:00 - All about composting1:13:00 - Business opportunities in regenerative agriculture1:16:30 - Favorite books1:22:15 - Parting words --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain & Prairie ShopMountain & Prairie on InstagramUpcoming EventsAbout Ed RobersonSupport Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts
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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • Kelsey Molloy & Angel DeVries – Fortifying Grasslands & Communities on the Northern Great Plains

    Kelsey Molloy & Angel DeVries – Fortifying Grasslands & Communities on the Northern Great Plains
    Nov 1 2024
    Kelsey Molloy is the Northern Great Plains Director at The Nature Conservancy and Angel DeVries is the Executive Director of the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA)– they both live and work on the Northern Great Plains in Malta, Montana. While they work for different organizations, Kelsey and Angel collaborate on a long list of critical projects, most of which are focused on grassland conservation, ranching, and community partnerships. One of their most notable collaborations involves the Matador Ranch, a 60,000-acre TNC-owned property near Dodson, Montana. The Matador Ranch is home to an outside-the-box conservation initiative known as a grassbank, which is a partnership opportunity that offers ranchers grazing access to rich grasses in exchange for adopting sustainable practices on their own property. This grassbank was introduced during the historic drought of the early 2000s, and it offered much needed grazing opportunities for ranching families whose homeplaces had been hit hard by the dry conditions. Since then, for the past 20+ years, the grassbank has continued to provide win-win solutions for ranchers and conservation-focused non-profit organizations, as well as helping to bolster trust, goodwill, and community cohesiveness. As you’ll hear in this conversation, the grassbank has been such a success, the TNC is currently searching for another ranch to acquire and eventually transform into a community led and owned grassbank. This “grassbank 2.0” will not only provide a grazing safety net during times of drought, but will also further the work of providing opportunities for new or young ranchers who are just entering the business but do not yet have the capital to purchase their own land. We connected via the magic of the internet, and had a wide-ranging conversation about their productive collaboration, grassbanks, challenges and opportunities in the Northern Great Plains, and more. We discussed the work of the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, the history of the Matador Ranch, and the ins and outs of the Matador Ranch grassbank. We discussed how skyrocketing land values are making it nearly impossible for new ranchers to enter the business, and also how succession planning is becoming an important, but often underappreciated, issue for ranching families. We also talked a lot about the need for optimism and curiosity, the importance of building community, and how TNC and RSA are working to bridge cultural and geographic divides. We also learn about RSA’s book club, which will likely be of great interest to many of you. I learned so much from this conversation and appreciate Kelsey and Angel taking time out of their busy schedules to chat with me. Hope you enjoy! --- Kelsey MolloyAngel DeVries TNC MontanaRanchers Stewardship AllianceFull episode notes & links: https://mountainandprairie.com/kelsey-angel/ --- 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: 4:00 - Kelsey and Angel introduce themselves8:10 - Background on the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA)10:00 - A few of the biggest challenges facing Great Plains ranchers15:30 - The history of the Matador Ranch and the grassbank22:00 - Lessons learned from the grassbank24:15 - A local’s perspective on the grassbank25:30 - Wildlife-friendly fencing explained26:30 - Other examples of grassbanks30:15 - Emerging plans for a new grassbank33:45 - Steps involved in finding a new property36:00 - Success stories from the Matador Ranch41:00 - Easements as a tool for grasslands restoration43:45 - Importance of positivity and optimism48:45 - Importance of optimism52:00 - Important books56:15 - RSA book club59:45 - Words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain & Prairie ShopMountain & Prairie on InstagramUpcoming EventsAbout Ed RobersonSupport Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • The Partnership of Rangeland Trusts - 20 Years of Cooperation, Collaboration, and Conservation

    The Partnership of Rangeland Trusts - 20 Years of Cooperation, Collaboration, and Conservation
    Oct 25 2024
    If you’re a longtime Mountain & Prairie listener, then you’re already familiar with the Partnership of Rangeland Trusts, also known as PORT. But for any new listeners, PORT is an alliance of agriculture-focused conservation organizations dedicated to preserving working farms and ranches and conserving productive agricultural lands. PORT is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, and in those two decades (and as of this recording), PORT organizations have helped more than 2,000 families conserve almost 3.2 million acres of productive working lands across the West. In this episode, I chat with three executive directors of PORT-affiliated organizations, two of which have been on the podcast before. You’ll recognize Chad Ellis of the Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT), and Erik Glenn of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust. And new to the podcast is Michael Delbar, who leads the California Rangeland Trust. I’ve known all three of these guys for many years now, and I have long admired the ways that they lead their respective organizations. But perhaps even more impressive to me is how they have worked as a team with all nine PORT organizations to increase the scale, influence, and effectiveness of large-scale, working lands conservation. I don’t think I’ve ever recorded an episode this early in the morning– we squeezed it in between an early morning breakfast and PORT’s board meeting. Just the day before, we had all been at TALT’s Working Lands Innovation Summit on the Birdwell-Clark Ranch in Henrietta, Texas, which was a huge success. So this was a great time to reflect on the importance of working lands, and we covered a lot: The Working Lands Innovation Summit and the importance of spending time out on the land; the history and purpose of PORT, the growth of additive conservation projects; private lands conservation as an economic driver; hard work; innovation; the importance of advocating for conservation in Washington DC; future plans for PORT, and much more. As you’ll hear, I start out chatting with Chad and Erik, and then Michael steps in for Erik about halfway through and shares his valuable perspective. A huge thanks to TALT for inviting me to Texas and another huge thanks to all the PORT organizations and landowner partners who have had such a positive and significant impact on the landscapes of the West. --- PORTTexas Agricultural Land TrustColorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land TrustCalifornia Rangeland TrustAll PORT membersFull episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/port/Ed's Book Recs --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 4:00 - Intro / What brought us all to Texas7:00 - Importance of being on the land for the conference8:45 - Introduction to the Partnership of Rangelands Trust (PORT)12:30 - How and why PORT was created15:30 - Additive conservation and the future18:45 - Examples of additive conservation projects25:30 - Private lands conservation as an economic driver29:15 - Intro to Michael Delbar31:00 - How the perception of conservation easements has changed in California32:00 - Once again, the importance of relationships34:15 - Hard work and innovation39:45 - Advocating in DC42:00 - How PORT’s scale translates into results43:30 - Future plans for PORT47:00 - Funding needs and parting words --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain & Prairie ShopMountain & Prairie on InstagramUpcoming EventsAbout Ed RobersonSupport Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts
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    51 mins
  • Kevin Grange - The Secret Lives of Grizzlies

    Kevin Grange - The Secret Lives of Grizzlies
    Oct 18 2024
    Kevin Grange is a Wyoming-based author, paramedic, and firefighter. His most recent book is titled “Grizzly Confidential: An Astounding Journey Into the Secret Life of North America’s Most Fearsome Predator,” which is a must-read for anyone interested in the evolving relationship between humans and bears. The book follows Kevin’s journey throughout the American West and Alaska as he seeks to better understand grizzly bears, debunk many deeply engrained myths, explore case studies of successful coexistence, and more. The book is part travelogue, part adventure story, and part science– making for a fun and educational read that I highly recommend. Kevin was born and raised in New Hampshire, where he grew up obsessed with the outdoors and, like many of us, obsessed with kids’ outdoor books such as Old Yeller, Sounder, and Where the Red Fern Grows. He attended paramedic school in California and began his career in downtown LA before landing a job as a National Park paramedic in Yellowstone. As you’ll hear in our conversation, Kevin has managed to successfully merge his love of medicine and adventure with his talent for writing, and with a lot of hard work, he’s enjoyed two successful, simultaneous careers– one in medicine and the other in writing. Kevin and I connected just a few weeks after the publication of “Grizzly Confidential” and had a fascinating conversation about his career, his writing process, and his journey to better understand the legendary grizzly bear. We discussed his career path that led him to the West and his first experiences working in Yellowstone. We talk about balancing his paramedic work with his writing work, and how having a full-time job allows him to be more selective with his writing projects. We obviously talk a lot about grizzly bears– grizzly research, poaching, backcountry bear safety, his travels to Alaska, success stories of coexistence, false grizzly myths, overcoming his fear of grizzlies, and much more. Kevin is also a voracious reader, so he offers up plenty of excellent book recommendations. A huge thanks to Kevin for writing such a fun and educational book, and a huge thanks to you for listening. Enjoy! --- Kevin GrangeGrizzly Confidential by Kevin GrangeFull episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/kevin-grange/Live podcast at the REGENERATE CONFERENCE --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 4:00 - Intro and Kevin’s upbringing5:45 - Favorite books as a kid8:15 - First memories of grizzlies9:15 - First encounter with a grizzly11:30 - Becoming a National Park paramedic13:45 - Types of emergencies in National Parks15:00 - Idiotic tourist mistakes16:45 - Balancing paramedic work with writing19:30 - Why Grizzlies?22:15 - How this book’s angle is different from other Grizzly books26:20 - What’s the difference between a “Grizzly bear” and a “Brown bear”?27:45 - Washington State University’s Bear Center32:45 - Grizzly poaching37:15 - Learning bear defense methods, including bear spray41:15 - Basic backcountry safety in bear country44:15 - Examples of good and bad coexistence strategies48:15 - Debunking certain grizzly myths 52:45 - Continued learning about grizzlies55:45 - How writing this book compares to the others57:15 0 Favorite writers and books59:30 - How has Kevin changed because of this project?1:05:30 - Learning to switch gears after an intense paramedic experience1:07:30 - Parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain & Prairie ShopMountain & Prairie on InstagramUpcoming EventsAbout Ed RobersonSupport Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Nick Mott - A Masterclass in Nuanced Storytelling

    Nick Mott - A Masterclass in Nuanced Storytelling
    Oct 1 2024
    Nick Mott is an award-winning multimedia journalist who lives in Livingston, Montana. His latest project is a wonderful new podcast called The Wide Open, which he produced in collaboration with Montana Public Radio and the Montana Media Lab. The podcast offers a fresh look into our ever-changing relationship with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and it digs into the history, nuance, and modern-day controversies surrounding what has been called “the most powerful environmental legislation in the world.” Nick explores this devisive topic with deep curiosity and journalistic integrity, and I found the podcast to be amazingly educational and entertaining– which is a rare combo when discussing such a complex piece of legislation. If you’re a longtime Mountain & Prairie listener, then many of the topics Nick explores in The Wide Open will be of great interest– grizzly bears, wolves, the environmental history of the West, and more. You’ll also hear a few familiar voices, including past podcast guest and living legend Doug Peacock. But what I most appreciated about The Wide Open is how Nick was able to humanize the stories surrounding such a divisive part of Western culture– he features people who love the ESA and people who hate it, but all of them are given the opportunity to share their stories and unique outlooks. In this current cultural moment of hot takes, outrage, and misinformation, The Wide Open is a much-needed return to nuance, curiosity, and civility. As you’d expect from an award-winning podcaster, Nick knows how to tell a great story, so I know you’ll enjoy this episode. We start out discussing the history of the ESA and Nick’s fresh approach to exploring such a well-known environmental story. We discuss how the ESA is used as a tool to achieve goals other than species protection, how Nick balances the need to make his podcasts both informative and fun to listen to, how he accounts for his own personal biases when telling stories, and how he goes about choosing people to interview. About halfway through the episode, Nick recounts a horrifying recent run-in he had with a grizzly bear, and he discusses how that close call affected his thinking on some of these complex wildlife issues. We also discuss his favorite books, plans for future seasons of The Wide Open, how he deals with negative feedback, wolf reintroduction in Colorado, his professional heroes, and much more. Be sure to check out the episode notes for links to everything, including Nick’s other podcasts and his book "This is Wildfire," which he co-authored with Justin Angle. A big thanks to Nick for taking the time, thank you for listening, and please subscribe to The Wide Open– I know you’ll really enjoy it! --- Nick MottThe Wide Open"This is Wildfire" by Nick Mott and Justin AngleFull episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/nick-mott/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:50 - What attracts Nick to specific stories or topics?6:30 - Nick describes his new approach to examining the ESA.8:30 - A brief history of the ESA11:35 - Using the ESA as a tool to save species OR achieve other goals16:00 - How Nick chooses people to interview and include on the podcast19:15 - Balancing telling stories that are both entertaining and substantive22:50 - Accounting for bias in journalism24:45 - Why Nick includes his own story in the podcast narrative27:30 - Introvert or extrovert?28:50 - Did Nick change his mind on anything related to the ESA?31:30 - How the internet has inflamed the divisiveness of the ESA33:00 - Nick’s recent terrifying encounter with a grizzly39:00 - The psychological aftermath of the grizzly scare44:45 - Providing a framework for thinking about wolf reintroduction in Colorado49:00 - People Nick admires53:00 - What type of journalism does Nick like the best?55:00 - Future seasons of The Wide Open?56:45 - People Nick admires1:00:00 - Favorite books1:02:00 - Dealing with negative feedback1:04:00 - Parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All EpisodesMountain & Prairie ShopMountain & Prairie on InstagramUpcoming EventsAbout Ed RobersonSupport Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts
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    1 hr and 7 mins