
She Explores
Come find inspiration with women in the outdoors. Interviews, in-the-field recordings, and listener submissions make up a tapestry of episodes covering themes such as solo hiking and camping, entrepreneurship, outdoor equity, aging, conservation, motherhood, chronic illness, and more as they intersect with outdoor experiences. Hosted by Gale Straub.
Latest episodes

Feb 22, 2017 • 34min
Conservation and Experience: Jerryne Cole
Our talk with Jerri gave us a lot to think about: 1) How companies on private land can respect and uplift the missions of our public land organizations. 2) How the way you grow up so impacts your relationship with the outdoors. 3) How experience is key to stewardship. And 4) How we all make choices every day when it comes to the footprint we leave on the earth.
Jerryne "Jerri" Cole believes experience is key to conservation of public and private land. For Jerri, a lifetime of connection to nature has correlated to a lifetime of stewardship for the natural world. Jerri is a member of the board of Public Lands Alliance and the owner of Camp Denali, for-profit lodging near Denali National Park. Learn about raising kids in the Alaskan interior in the 1970's and maintaining a for-profit model with a "not for profit" mission.
Learn on the episode page via www.she-explores.com/podcast
Thanks to our sponsor, Oru Kayak.
Music is by Ryan Little, Minds Eye, and Chris Zabriskie via freemusicarchive.org.

Feb 8, 2017 • 30min
Finding Your Voice to Speak for Public Land - Katie Boué
Learn how you can help protect the outdoors you love by using social media. We interview Katie Boué about how you can use the phone in your pocket to enact real-life change in an ever-changing landscape.
Katie Boué cares. She's a resource for people - young and old - across the outdoor industry. Over the past year, she has become the megaphone for using social media as an advocacy tool. A proud Miami native with Cuban, Irish, and Venezualian heritage, Katie made a name for herself as the writer behind her blog, The Morning Fresh, writing with vulnerability about her experiences hiking, climbing, and trying new sports like trail running.
More recently, she took the social media reigns at the Outdoor Industry Association, or OIA.There she learned what she already knew - social media is a powerful tool. She’s since gone freelance from her full time role with OIA, but she considers herself a full time advocate for the outdoors.
A theme for this episode is what Katie said right off the bat - we’re all in this together. We can all be advocates for conservation and public land.
Learn more via She-Explores.com/podcast
Thanks to our sponsor, Oru Kayak
Music is by Music is by Mindseye & Dr. Rinkel, Halogen, Lee Rosevere, Aenon, Josh Woodward via freemusicarchive.org

Jan 25, 2017 • 29min
Weekend Warrior: Paulina Dao
Weekend climbing, camping, hiking, and backpacking is not so different from going it "full time." Meet Paulina Dao, the blogger behind "Little Grunts" and an honest advocate for spending time outside. We talk about overcoming insecurities, growing, and finding the activities and issues you're passionate about in the outdoors.
Be sure to read Paulina's piece, "Why Don't They Look Like Me?" on the diversity dilemma in outdoor media.
Learn more about this episode via www.she-explores.com/podcast
Sponsored by Oru Kayak
Music by Mise, Chris Zabriskie, Halogen & Lee Rosevere via freemusicarchive.org

Jan 11, 2017 • 32min
Backcountry Bonding: Trail Mavens & Wild Women's Project
Bringing women together in the outdoors. Meet Sasha Cox, founder of Trail Mavens, and Amanda Goad, founder of Wild Women's Project, two very different companies whose missions are built on backcountry bonding. We talk with each founder about the benefits of bringing women outside together, the community that springs from outdoor endeavors, and how much we have to learn from each other.
Learn more via the episode page at www.she-explores.com/podcast |
Sponsored by Oru Kayak
Music by Mise, RoccoW, Keshco, and Fleslit via Freemusicarchive.org CC by SA.

Dec 21, 2016 • 40min
Towards a More Inclusive Outdoors: What We Can Do
Communication, activism, and reflection. In the second part of our series on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors, we talk with experts to provide practical steps for how organizations AND individuals can cultivate a more inclusive outdoor space. Liz Song of Snowqueen and Scout cohosts with Gale Straub on this special two part series.
Featuring Ava Holliday and Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin of The Avarna Group; Elyse Rylander of "Out There Adventures"; Graciela Cabello of "Latino Outdoors" and Miho Aida.
Voice memo submissions from Sara Murphy & Monserrat Alvarez.
Make sure to listen to part one, "Diversity, Beyond the Buzzword" to fill yourself in on the background of this episode. Learn more on the podcast landing page via www.she-explores.com/podcast.
Thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Goal Zero.
Music in this episode is by MindsEye, Dr. Rinkel, & Mise.
CC by SA

Dec 14, 2016 • 32min
Kim Vawter: After the PCT
Life lessons learned on the PCT. We interview Kimberly Vawter, who quit her job as a school principal in Los Angeles to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. We've found that a lot of people thru hike because they're looking for an in-between. They want more in their lives but they're not sure what. They need time to think. Just 5 days off the trail, Kim is bursting with lessons learned and she is holding them close and bringing them off the trail and into the "real" world. We highlight them so you can put them into practice own life.
Learn more on She-Explores.com/podcast
Take the She Explores Podcast Survey.
Music is by RoccoW, Mindseye, and Dr. Rinkel
CC by SA 4.0

Nov 30, 2016 • 35min
The Women of Wylder
Entrepreneurship, sustainable outdoor gear, and making a difference: a new kind of outdoor retail company. We talk with the women of Wylder Goods, which just launched this week. Featuring Jainee Dial, Lindsey Elliott, and Gina Peters.
Starting a business can be challenging, but it helps when there is a lot of heart behind it. We talk with three women who are rethinking outdoor retail with their new company Wylder Goods.
Learn more on She-Explores.com/podcast
Music is by MindsEye, CC by SA 4.0

Nov 23, 2016 • 37min
Diversity: "Beyond the Buzzword"
The outdoors and diversity, equity, & inclusion. We team up with Liz Song from Snowqueen and Scout to investigate the many barriers that a diverse group of people from enjoying and embracing the outdoors.
Thanks to listener Sara Murphy for the push and prompt to go "beyond the buzzword of diversity."
This episode features:
Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin & Ava Holliday, The Avarna Group co-founders.
Graciella Cabello, Latino Outdoors National Director.
Miho Aida, "If She Can Do It, You Can Too.
Elyse Rylander, Founder of Out There Adventures.
And voice memos from:
Simone Martin-Newberry, Ambreen Tariq aka @brownpeoplecamping, Lisa Dougherty, Marinel de Jesus, Monserrat Alvarez, Renuka Nagaraj, Rachel Samaniego, and Stephanie Harper.
Sponsored by Sierra Club Outdoors.
Learn more at http://she-explores.com/podcast

Nov 9, 2016 • 30min
Carrot Quinn: After the PCT
Hope, empowerment, and appreciation. Carrot Quinn, author of "Thru Hiking Will Break Your Heart", teaches us lessons from the trail and reminds us that WE have the power to change the world we live in. Carrot has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail twice and the Continental Divide Trail. Follow Carrot on Instagram via instagram.com/carrotquinn
The second in a series of "After the PCT" interviews.
Music by MindsEye, Dr Rinkel, Nihilore, and Fles lit
Support She Explores via she-explores.com/support
Learn more via she-explores.com/podcast

Oct 31, 2016 • 30min
Part 2: Adventuring with Kids
The benefits and challenges to getting outdoors with your kids. We interview Shanti Hodges, founder of "Hike It Baby", as well as Aly Nicklas and Alisa Geiser, cofounders of "Born Wild Project."
Featuring voice memo submissions from Lynn Doiron, Stephanie Harper, and Dylann Stubblefield.
Learn more about the women featured here via she-explores.com/podcast
Sponsored by Goal Zero
Music by Nihilore, MindsEye, Mise, and RoccoW.