Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson

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 Spencer and James feel the anti-fire bias came from? 1:23:30 - Inquiring about the significance of a Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout in one of James’ works 1:26:15 - Whether or not James or Spencer did some fly fishing as a part of their research for this project --- 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

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 recommendations 1:03:45 - Ivy’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  

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 Trust Chad on LinkedIn Chad's first M&P appearance: Landscape-Scale Management in a Private Land State TALT on Instagram Full episode notes and links: https://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 Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave 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 Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Panel of conservation leaders discuss challenges and opportunities of the Endangered Species Act, collaboration and cooperative conservation, impact on private landowners and the Louisiana Black Bear, importance of relationships and trust, power of mentorship in conservation success, passing on advice and preparing young professionals, and concluding with a call to support the podcast.

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 makes a good team member at TNC 56:15 - Paige’s book recommendations 1:02:15 - Paige’s 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

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 Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

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 Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave 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 Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts