Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson

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 Barger TNC’s science work Full 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 years 7:45 - Taking a non-traditional path and her parents’ reaction 9:30 - Lessons learned from her two-year break 11:00 - Books read in high school that gave Nichole confidence to follow her own path 12:30 - Returning to school with a renewed focus 15:30 - Advice to college students who are trying to find their way in the world 18:15 - Her journey to becoming a successful scientist 20:30 - Research versus teaching 22:45 - Lessons learned from years of teaching 26:30 - When and how TNC became a professional focus 29:30 - Nichole describes her current job at TNC 31:15 - Incorporating Indigenous knowledge into TNC’s science work 40:00 - The importance and power of weaving in Indigenous knowledge 43:00 - Human health as a conservation initiative 47:00 - “Doom and Gloom” is not a motivating strategy 50:00 - Online resources for news and science (that won’t make you crazy) 52:00 - The importance of physcially being with other people 53:15 - The most exciting project Nichole is working on 55:00 - What can the average person do to take action and make a difference 59:00 - Book recommendations 1:03:00 - Parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

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 Easter The Blue Plate: A Food Lover's Guide to Climate Chaos Patagonia Books Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/mark-easter/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:00 - Intro and how Mark describes his work 7:15 - Parallels between carbon accounting and business accounting 13:45 - An overview of soil and carbon 21:30 - Carbon in grasslands vs jungles vs mangroves 25:00 - How and why Mark decided to write this book 33:00 - The ten-year process of writing the book 37:00 - Greenhouse gases explained 40:00 - Methane feedback loop explained 43:30 - A fascinating story about methane in Lake Powell 46:15 - Reservoirs and evaporation 47:00 - The most difficult chapter to write: Ruminants and meat 55:30 - The increasing global demand for meat 58:00 - Taking action and personal responsibility 1:01:30 - Personal responsibility versus regulation 1:04:00 - A helpful way to understand carbon quantities 1:06:00 - Carbon consequences of transforming forests to grasslands 1:09:00 - All about composting 1:13:00 - Business opportunities in regenerative agriculture 1:16:30 - Favorite books 1:22:15 - Parting words --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

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 Molloy Angel DeVries TNC Montana Ranchers Stewardship Alliance Full 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 themselves 8:10 - Background on the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA) 10:00 - A few of the biggest challenges facing Great Plains ranchers 15:30 - The history of the Matador Ranch and the grassbank 22:00 - Lessons learned from the grassbank 24:15 - A local’s perspective on the grassbank 25:30 - Wildlife-friendly fencing explained 26:30 - Other examples of grassbanks 30:15 - Emerging plans for a new grassbank 33:45 - Steps involved in finding a new property 36:00 - Success stories from the Matador Ranch 41:00 - Easements as a tool for grasslands restoration 43:45 - Importance of positivity and optimism 48:45 - Importance of optimism 52:00 - Important books 56:15 - RSA book club 59:45 - Words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

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. --- PORT Texas Agricultural Land Trust Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust California Rangeland Trust All PORT members Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/port/ Ed's Book Recs --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 4:00 - Intro / What brought us all to Texas 7:00 - Importance of being on the land for the conference 8:45 - Introduction to the Partnership of Rangelands Trust (PORT) 12:30 - How and why PORT was created 15:30 - Additive conservation and the future 18:45 - Examples of additive conservation projects 25:30 - Private lands conservation as an economic driver 29:15 - Intro to Michael Delbar 31:00 - How the perception of conservation easements has changed in California 32:00 - Once again, the importance of relationships 34:15 - Hard work and innovation 39:45 - Advocating in DC 42:00 - How PORT’s scale translates into results 43:30 - Future plans for PORT 47:00 - Funding needs and parting words --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

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 Grange Grizzly Confidential by Kevin Grange Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/kevin-grange/ Live podcast at the REGENERATE CONFERENCE --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 4:00 - Intro and Kevin’s upbringing 5:45 - Favorite books as a kid 8:15 - First memories of grizzlies 9:15 - First encounter with a grizzly 11:30 - Becoming a National Park paramedic 13:45 - Types of emergencies in National Parks 15:00 - Idiotic tourist mistakes 16:45 - Balancing paramedic work with writing 19:30 - Why Grizzlies? 22:15 - How this book’s angle is different from other Grizzly books 26:20 - What’s the difference between a “Grizzly bear” and a “Brown bear”? 27:45 - Washington State University’s Bear Center 32:45 - Grizzly poaching 37:15 - Learning bear defense methods, including bear spray 41:15 - Basic backcountry safety in bear country 44:15 - Examples of good and bad coexistence strategies 48:15 - Debunking certain grizzly myths  52:45 - Continued learning about grizzlies 55:45 - How writing this book compares to the others 57:15 0 Favorite writers and books 59:30 - How has Kevin changed because of this project? 1:05:30 - Learning to switch gears after an intense paramedic experience 1:07:30 - Parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Nick Mott is an award-winning multimedia journalist based in Livingston, Montana, known for his engaging podcast 'The Wide Open' and the insightful book 'This is Wildfire.' In this conversation, he delves into the complexities of the Endangered Species Act, sharing perspectives that humanize this divisive topic. Nick discusses storytelling in journalism, the evolution of environmental polarization, and the importance of nuanced narratives. He also recalls personal encounters with grizzly bears, reflecting on wildlife management and the role of empathy in media.

Mauricia Baca is the State Director of the Nevada Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. In this role, she leads TNC’s efforts in Nevada across a wide range of conservation issues that are familiar to Mountain & Prairie listeners– the Colorado River, the Sagebrush Sea, and renewable energy. But Nevada is also home to some very unique conservation challenges related to biodiversity, mining for rare earth metals, groundwater for agriculture, and more. So I was excited to have this opportunity to learn from Mauricia about some of the specific challenges facing Nevada, TNC’s solutions to these challenges, and how the lessons learned can be applied in other regions of the West. Mauricia was born in Mexico, grew up in New York City, and credits much of her love of nature and the environment to her childhood experiences exploring Central Park. After college, she served in the Peace Corps, worked as a community organizer in New York, and eventually attended law school. After four years of working as a prosecutor for the United States Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, she moved to Nevada and began her first position with The Nature Conservancy, leading conservation work on the Truckee River. She has served as the State Director since November 2020, and, as you’ll hear, all of her efforts are infused with a deep level of compassion, empathy, and gratitude. Mauricia has such a fascinating personal and professional trajectory, and there are many lessons to be learned from both her approach to her life and career, and the specifics of TNC’s critical work in Nevada. We talked about her youth in Mexico and New York City, and how she has been committed to environmental work since she was a very young girl. We discuss her stint in the Peace Corps and how those experiences laid the groundwork for her current work with TNC. She shares some insights from switching from the litigation world to the conservation world, and she offers some wisdom for folks looking to make a similar transition. We discuss lithium mining, groundwater conservation, and climate change, and how TNC is making strides to protect biodiversity while balancing society's growing need for rare earth metals, water, and development. She also shares some wisdom gleaned from her recent battle with breast cancer, and discusses how her approach to work has changed since that life-altering health scare. A big thanks to Mauricia for being so open and thoughtful, and for sharing so many wonderful insights from her inspiring career. Be sure to check out the episode notes for links to everything we discussed and to watch Mauricia's recent TEDx talk, which serves as a great companion to this interview. Enjoy! --- Mauricia Baca The Nature Conservancy in Nevada Mauricia’s TEDx talk Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/mauricia-baca/ --- 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 - Mauricia’s upbringing and early years in Mexico and New York City 7:00 - When she knew she wanted to devote her career to environmental work 9:15 - Legal training as thought training 11:45 - How the Peace Corps and other experiences helped her learn to build trust and relationships 16:45 - When TNC entered Mauricia’s life as a next career step 19:45 - More details on how she was able to land her first job with TNC 24:00 - Career evolution within TNC 26:00 - Starting as TNC  State Director at the beginning of the pandemic 28:45 - Tackling climate-related challenges in Nevada and beyond 34:00 - The Atwood Preserve and the quiet beauty of the Mojave Desert 39:00 - TNC’s work to preserve biodiversity in the face of lithium mining 43:45 - The importance of groundwater for Nevada’s ag sector 49:00 - Working in partnership with Tribal communities 54:00 - Thinking locally and acting globally 56:00 - Lessons learned from Mauricia’s recent cancer scare 1:03:30 - Favorite books 1:06:00 - Parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Joe Schobert is a retired NFL Pro Bowler who is devoting the second act of his professional career to advocating for the West’s wild places. Joe was born and raised in Wisconsin, and despite having an exemplary high school football career, he was not offered a scholarship to play college football. So he took matters into his own hands and walked on at the University of Wisconsin– four years later, he was awarded the Jack Lambert Trophy as the nation’s best linebacker. He was then drafted by the Cleveland Browns, and a few years later, he earned a spot on the NFL’s Pro Bowl team. After a successful career with teams including the Browns, Jaguars, and Steelers, Joe recently retired and is leaning into the next phase of his career. Since childhood, Joe has loved the outdoors and wide-open spaces. During his time with the Browns, he began leveraging his influence and resources to raise awareness and funds for conservation-focused organizations. Through an NFL fundraising initiative called “My Cause, My Cleats,” he spotlighted several Colorado-based conservation organizations on the NFL’s international stage. Back in 2021, his non-profit of choice was my old employer, Palmer Land Conservancy, and before that, he supported the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative. His most recent fundraiser is called the NFLPA Fishing for Conservation, which was created to raise funds for the amazing team at Western Rivers Conservancy. As you’ll hear in this conversation, Joe loves the West, loves hiking, fishing, and outdoor adventure, and loves exploring wild places with his wife Megan and their two young sons. He also understands and appreciates the wide range of threats facing everything from family farms and ranches to public lands to river ecosystems, and he is committed to doing his part to protect these invaluable resources. So in this conversation, we talk about it all– from Joe’s inspiring journey at the highest levels of professional athletics all the way up to this summer’s first annual Fishing for Conservation, which took place at Lake Tahoe. At his core, Joe is a focused, humble, and action-oriented guy, and it was such a treat to learn the origins of his talents and how he has applied those talents to both football and conservation. A huge thanks to Joe for joining me for a chat, and for his years-long commitment to western conservation. Enjoy! --- Joe Schobert Joe on Instagram Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/joe-schobert/ Support the podcast on Patreon --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:20 - Joe’s upbringing 6:15 - When it became clear that Joe was a talented athlete 9:30 - Discussing how, despite his clear talent, Joe did not receive an athletic scholarship to college, and how he pushed past that 18:15 - When Joe arrived at the University of Wisconsin 20:15 - What Joe is most proud of doing at Wisconsin 22:15 - Whether or not there was room for other activities (besides school and football) during Joe’s college experience 25:00 - When the NFL became a possibility for Joe 26:30 - How Joe chose an agent 29:45 - Discussing the Combine 32:30 - Discussing the NFL Draft 35:15 - Discussing training camp with the Browns 37:30 - Joe describes the training camp balance between preparing to work as a team but also working against teammates for a spot on the roster 39:00 - The importance of “intangibles” and “soft skills” in the NFL 40:45 - When conservation entered Joe’s brain, and how he ended up in Colorado 50:00 - Joe’s nonprofit, and the conservation fundraiser he held in Lake Tahoe 55:15 - Joe’s recent river trip in Montana 58:00 - Joe’s retirement and family life 1:00:30 - Joe’s book recommendations 1:03:15 - Discussing the need for action 1:06:00 - Joe’s parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts  

Heidi Redd is a renowned rancher, conservationist, author, and member of the National Cowgirl Museum’s Hall of Fame. Sue Bellagamba serves as Canyonlands Regional Director at the Nature Conservancy, and for more than thirty years, she has worked to protect the lands and waters of southeastern Utah. Heidi and TNC have been partners since 1997 when Heidi sold her family’s Utah ranch– The Dugout Ranch– to the Nature Conservancy in a historic conservation deal that protected the property from impending development. The Dugout Ranch is located at the gateway to Canyonlands National Park and sits within the boundaries of what is now Bears Ears National Monument– a fragile and arid landscape that has faced various development and environmental threats for many decades. Heidi and Sue have worked together in many capacities over the years, with one of their most notable achievements being the creation of The Canyonlands Research Center (“CRC”), which is headquartered at the Dugout Ranch. The CRC was founded in 2010, and its mission is to “promote a sustainable future on the Colorado Plateau for people and nature through research, inspiration, and demonstration of evidence-based solutions to solve some of our most pressing ecological, social, and economic issues.” Heidi is also the author of the excellent new book titled A Cowgirl's Conservation Journey: Stories from the Dugout Ranch. The book details her fascinating and adventurous life, with tales ranging from her youth (which included lots of rock climbing and skydiving), to her early years on the Dugout Ranch, all the way up to some recent behind-the-scenes stories from the designation of Bears Ears as a National Monument. If you’re a fan of history, adventure, ranching, conservation, and purpose-driven people, I know you’ll enjoy the book. We covered a lot in the episode, including Heidi’s upbringing, her first visit to the Dugout Ranch, and when she knew that she would devote her life to stewarding the Dugout’s spectacular landscapes. Sue provides some excellent context around conservation in the American Southwest, and why drylands are such a critical ecosystem and focus of TNC’s efforts. We discuss how TNC initially built trust with Heidi back in the 1990s, the creation of The Canyonlands Research Center, new insights Heidi gleaned from writing her book, and much more. Be sure to visit the episode notes for links to everything we discuss, including Heidi’s book. A huge thanks to Heidi and Sue for taking the time to chat with me and share their wisdom from so many decades of conversation work in such a special part of the country. Enjoy! --- The Dugout Ranch The Canyonlands Research Center A Cowgirl's Conservation Journey: Stories from the Dugout Ranch by Heidi Redd Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/heidi-sue/ --- 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 - Heidi’s upbringing 7:15 - Heidi describes the Dugout Ranch 13:30 - When Heidi knew she wanted to dedicate her life to the Dugout Ranch and surrounding area 16:00 - When Heidi took the reins of the Dugout 20:45 - When Heidi became interested in working with TNC 24:30 - Why Heidi trusted TNC 26:45 - Sue explains why TNC wanted to get involved with the Dugout Ranch and what their plan was once they purchased it 30:15 - Sue explains the mission and purpose of the Canyonlands Research Center 32:15 - When climate change got on Heidi’s radar 37:45 - How Heidi discusses climate change, given our political climate 41:30 - Sue explains why drylands are so important 44:00 - Heidi and Sue explain the impact of the political battle surrounding Bears Ears on their work 50:30 - Heidi discusses whether or not writing her book helped her come to new conclusions 54:00 - Heidi’s hopes for her family 55:30 - Heidi and Sue’s book recommendations 59:45 - Parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Curt Meine is a Senior Fellow at the Aldo Leopold Foundation and one of the world’s foremost experts on the life, work, and legacy of conservation icon Aldo Leopold. Curt is the author of the biography “Aldo Leopold: His Life and Work,” and he also works as a conservation biologist, a professor, a senior fellow with the Center for Humans and Nature, and much more. - Since the very beginning of Mountain & Prairie, Aldo Leopold has been one of the most referenced, admired, and influential conservation thinkers whose name and ideas have been referenced over and over on the podcast. Whether I’m talking to people in agriculture or entertainment, writing or athletics, history or politics, there always seems to be a thread of thinking that connects many Mountain and Prairie guests to the Land Ethic of Aldo Leopold. - So, I was long overdue in devoting an episode exclusively to Leopold, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with Curt, one of our most admired and trusted Leopold scholars. Whether you are brand new to the work of Leopold or you’ve read A Sand County Almanac a hundred times, I think you’ll learn a lot from this episode. Curt has a real gift for discussing the details of Leopold’s life in an amazingly engaging way, while also helping us to understand Leopold’s legacy in the context of the broad history of North American conservation. - We start the conversation with an overview of Leopold’s early years and upbringing, and his eventual enrollment in the Yale School of Forestry. We discuss Leopold’s formative years in the American Southwest, how his outside-the-box ideas about wildlife sometimes clashed with the status quo, and his eventual move back to Wisconsin. We talk a lot about Leopold’s personality and how it compares to other conservation icons, how his work was received both in his lifetime and after his death, his surprising challenges finding a publisher for A Sand County Almanac, and that book’s long-lasting influence. We also discuss criticisms of Leopold’s work, some of his ideas that may not hold up as well today as they did in their time, and Leopold’s abundant curiosity and willingness to change his mind. We also discuss books, the very important work of the Aldo Leopold Foundation, and much more. - Be sure to check out the episode notes for a full list of topics and links to everything. And also, I want to thank my friend, the great conservationist and all-around amazing human Doug Duren for so generously introducing me to the team at The Aldo Leopold Foundation and being such a steadfast champion of Leoplod’s legacy. Enjoy! --- Curt Meine The Aldo Leopold Foundation "Aldo Leopold: His Life and Work" Complete episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/curt-meine/ SIGN UP: Ed's Book Recommendations --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:45 - Aldo Leopold’s upbringing 11:15 - Leopold’s work in the Southwest 16:30 - How Leopold’s persona may or may not have helped (or harmed) him in his efforts to implement conservation 20:!5 - What brought Leopold back to his home state of Wisconsin  22:45 - How Leopold’s novel ideas for wildlife management were received by the Forest Service establishment 26:45 - How Leopold’s ideas influenced forestry and conservation thinking outside of the Forest Service, and whether or not this influenced FDR’s conservation work 32:45 - Whether or not Leopold ever lost his cool in his fight to change land stewardship thinking in the US 37:00 - Discussing A Sand County Almanac, and how long it took to be viewed as the influential work it is considered by many to be today 43:15 - Leopold’s passion for, and balance between, science and art 45:45 - Which of Leopold’s stances or ideas do not hold up today 50:45 - Leopold’s willingness to accept change and criticism, and its importance today 53:15 - An overview of the Aldo Leopold Foundation 57:45 - Curt’s book recommendations 1:01:30 - Curt’s parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts