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Mountain & Prairie Podcast

Ed Roberson

Interviews with innovators of the American West. Guests include ranchers, writers, athletes, artists, adventurers, conservationists, entrepreneurs—anyone who’s doing important work and has an interesting story to tell. Through informal yet substantive conversations, conservationist Ed Roberson introduces you to these fascinating characters, giving you a better understanding of their careers, influences, and outlooks, as well as a deeper appreciation for life in the American West.

  • 1 hour 15 minutes
    Celene Hawkins & Izabella Ruffino - Tribal Partnerships, Indigenous Voices, Cutting-Edge Conservation

    Celene Hawkins is the Colorado River Tribal Water Partnerships Program Director for the Nature Conservancy, and Izabella Ruffino is the Tribal and Indigenous Engagement Program Manager for the Colorado Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Both Celene and Izabella use their skills to advance and support tribal-led land and water conservation work throughout the American West.

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    Most of Celene’s work is centered around the Colorado River Basin, and she has played an integral role in many cutting-edge water conservation projects that have sought out Tribal voices and Indigenous perspectives to create some of the West’s most effective and equitable solutions to complex water challenges. Perhaps most notably, she worked with the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, and her colleagues at TNC to create a first-of-its-kind water agreement that was a true win-win for nature and people.

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    Izabella’s work builds on TNC’s strong foundation of partnerships with Tribal Nations for land and water issues, and she is also focused on expanding Tribal and Indigenous engagement into all aspects of TNC’s wide-ranging conservation work. Additionally, she is responsible for internal efforts to fortify organizational cultural awareness and humility within TNC’s Colorado Chapter. As you’ll hear, Izabella is doing everything from leading internal educational initiatives to working with wide-ranging stakeholder groups on projects such as determining the best uses for TNC-owned land and preserves.

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    In this episode, we dig into the details of many of their specific projects and initiatives, but we also talk more broadly about the importance of seeking out Indigenous perspectives to help guide TNC’s critical conservation work around the world. They both offer plentiful resources– online courses, books, podcasts, essays, and more– that will help me (and you, the listener!) better understand the importance of bringing together diverse perspectives to guide the next chapter of conversation work in the West and beyond.

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    Celene and Izabella mention so many excellent books, people, and resources, so don’t forget to check out the episode notes for links to everything. A big thanks to them both for such a fun, inspiring, and educational conversation. I hope you enjoy!

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    This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

    On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond.

    To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

    ---

    TOPICS DISCUSSED:

    3:30 - Introductions

    8:30 - The win-win partnership between the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, and TNC

    14:00- Challenges and opportunities related to putting together the partnership deal

    19:00 - Benefits to all parties as a result of the deal

    21:30 - Positive ripple effects resulting from the partnership

    24:15 - TNC’s strategies for managing its preserves, including the Medano Zapata Ranch

    29:15- The process of gathering Indigenous and local perspectives

    32:00 - Strategies, tactics, and frameworks for building cross-cultural relationships

    36:30 - Balancing the time it takes to build solid relationships with the reality that “time is of the essence”

    40:30 - Upcoming exciting projects

    44:30 - Resources for further learning

    50:30 - Why they each chose to apply their talents, skills, and careers to the cause of conservation

    55:30 - Heroes and mentors

    1:05:00 - Favorite books

    1:11:00 - Parting words of wisdom

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    ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

    30 April 2024, 9:20 pm
  • 1 hour 24 minutes
    Kristine Tompkins – Nothing to Lose

    Kristine Tompkins is an iconic conservationist, the president and co-founder of Tompkins Conservation, and the former CEO of Patagonia. For three decades, she has committed to protecting and restoring wild beauty and biodiversity by creating national parks, restoring wildlife, inspiring activism, and fostering economic vitality through conservation.

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    Kristine and her late husband Douglas Tompkins have protected approximately 14.8 million acres of parklands in Chile and Argentina through Tompkins Conservation and its partners, making them among the most successful national park-oriented philanthropists in history. To give you a frame of reference for exactly how much land 14.8 million acres is, Yellowstone National Park is just over 2.2 million acres– so the scale and scope of Tompkins Conservation’s impact is truly mind-blowing.

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    Kristine’s amazing life story was beautifully told in the 2023 feature-length documentary Wild Life, which I highly recommend and can be streamed on Disney+. She was also awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, and she recently gave her second TED talk, which will be released in the coming weeks. She’s been featured by pretty much every media outlet you could imagine, so I was honored that she took time out of her very full schedule to chat with me.

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    Tompkins Conservation has published multiple books about its groundbreaking conservation work in South America. The most recent book is titled Patagonia National Park Chile, which tells the story of the park’s transformation from a former sheep ranch into one of the crown jewels of Chile’s National Park system. Featuring stunning photography by Linde Waidhofer and essays by Kristine, the former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, Yvon Chouinard, and many others, the coffee-table style book is equal parts inspiring and educational. It’s the kind of book that you’d proudly display on your shelf and find yourself revisiting for years to come.

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    I met up with Kristine at her California home, and we had a fun and fascinating conversation about everything from the book to leadership to the growth and evolution of Tompkins Conservation. We discussed optimism and pessimism, the difference between contentment and happiness, the importance of having a relentless work ethic, living an extreme life, and operating as if you have nothing to lose. We also talked in detail about the challenges of creating Patagonia National Park, balancing rewilding efforts with the need for economic vitality, and how the conservation lessons learned in South America can be applied to conservation efforts here in the American West. There are even a few brief appearances by her two very sweet pups who sat with us during our conversation, so all of you dog lovers will surely enjoy hearing from them.

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    Patagonia National Park Chile is available right now at Patagonia.com and available for pre-order wherever you get your books. Follow the links in the episode notes to learn more.

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    TOPICS DISCUSSED:

    3:40 - Why Kris keeps coming back to books

    7:30 - Who is Arnie Næss

    13:45 - Discussing leadership, giving credit, and other behaviors key to Kris’s success

    18:40 - Happiness vs contentment

    21:30 - Discussing Valle Chacabuco

    25:45 - Establishing local buy-in as a conservation entity not local to Chile

    30:30 - How the Tompkins managed livestock on the Valle Chacabuco

    32:15 - The speed at which settlers spread to Chile

    34:15 - Whether Kris is an optimist or pessimist 

    36:00 - Who in the new generation gives Kris hope, and what Kris thinks about “hope”

    40:45 - Kris’s view on taking action

    44:30 - How Kris prioritizes her efforts

    49:45 - What Kris has learned in South America that is applicable to the North American West

    52:15 - Business’s impact on Kris and Doug’s conservation work ethic

    53:45 - Kris’s favorite failure and lessons learned

    59:45 - Kris’s life of extremes and passion for service

    1:05:45 - Kris’s book recommendations

    1:15:45 - The land trust movement in the US, and the American grasslands

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    25 April 2024, 8:50 pm
  • 56 minutes 15 seconds
    Logan Maxwell Hagege Returns - On Taking Action & Finding Balance

    Logan Maxwell Hagege is an Ojai, CA-based contemporary artist with modern visions of the American West. Logan is no stranger to longtime Mountain & Prairie listeners—he first joined me on the podcast back in 2019, and he made another appearance in 2022 alongside several other renowned Western artists in an episode recorded live at Maxwell Alexander Gallery’s 10-year anniversary exhibition. In this episode, I reconnected with Logan at his Ojai studio, and we caught up on a long list of fascinating topics, including his upcoming exhibition at the Gerald Peters Gallery in New York City titled Flowers Will Grow.

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    Since our first podcast conversation, Logan’s artistic career has continued to skyrocket, and his work has earned the acclaim of a growing number of collectors, critics, and journalists. Most recently, his painting titled “Time and Space” won Best in Show at the Autry’s Masters of the American West show. He’s also been featured in all corners of the Western art world, including a recent spread in Western Art and Architecture and collaborations with well-known brands such as Stetson and Pendleton. But perhaps most impressively, he’s accomplished all of this success while being a deeply committed husband and father of two young children.

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    As you’ll hear in this conversation, Logan works extremely hard and is fully committed to exploring new realms of his artistic interests, but he brings balance and calmness to what could easily become an all-consuming obsession. I caught Logan just as he was wrapping up all the final details for his upcoming show, and we had a fun discussion about a wide range of topics, including: The intensity of preparing for a show, accepting the judgment that comes with showing art, his practice of constant doodling, how living in Ojai has changed his approach, the importance of self-talk, Georgia O’Keefe, the idea that perfection is boring, the need for action, and much more. Check out the episode notes for a full list of topics discussed and links to everything.

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    And if you happen to be in New York, the Flowers Will Grow exhibition will open with a reception with Logan on Thursday evening, April 18, 2024, and will be on display through May 23rd. There’s a link in the episode notes with all of that information.

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    A huge thanks to Logan for letting me barge into his studio during such a busy time and a huge thanks to you for listening. Enjoy!

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    TOPICS DISCUSSED:

    2:45 - What the hell is happening in Logan’s studio, and his upcoming show in New York

    5:15 - Why Logan is working with a gallery outside of the Maxwell-Alexander Gallery

    7:30 - Whether Logan was nervous the last time he showed his art in New York

    9:00 - The impact of being able to show more examples of an artist’s work

    11:15 - How periods of intensity and external pressure have shaped Logan’s work

    12:45 - How Logan’s art has changed since his 2018 show

    14:30 - What a Logan’s process looks like when there isn’t external pressure from deadlines

    17:45 - Logan’s doodling process

    19:45 - The need for action

    23:30 - How Logan deals with the fact that unique art will be judged

    27:45 - Discussing perfection and how boring it is

    28:45 - Who Logan admires

    31:15 - Discussing Georgia O’Keefe

    32:45 - Discussing Logan’s life in Ojai

    40:00 - The importance of retreat for Logan’s art

    42:00 - The impact of self-talk

    44:30 - Discussing the new gallery

    47:45 - Logan’s book and artist recommendations

     

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    ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

    12 April 2024, 2:13 pm
  • 1 hour 6 minutes
    Dr. Emily Howe - The Interconnectedness of Mountains, Forests, Rivers, and Estuaries

    Dr. Emily Howe is an aquatic ecologist with the Washington state chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and she holds a Ph.D. from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. Her work integrates across ecosystem boundaries, investigating how landscape configuration and management shape cross-boundary relationships for food webs, organisms, and ecosystem processes.

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    At the Nature Conservancy, Emily’s projects stretch from the high peaks of the North Cascades all the way down to the estuary of Port Susan Bay, and her work highlights the interconnectedness of everything from snowpack to salmon populations, forest management to marsh grass health. Much of Emily’s work focuses on understanding liminal spaces– areas in nature where boundaries blend together and where the interactions between ecosystems can be fluid and dynamic.

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    Since the earliest days of European settlement, this area has been subject to a wide variety of threats to the overall ecosystem—aggressive logging, wildfire suppression, attempts to engineer order into the ever-changing estuaries, and more. And with the intensification of climate change, snowfall and its resulting snowpack have decreased, which only exacerbates the negative effects and threats to the ecosystem.

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    But thanks to Emily and her team of stakeholders and partners, there are many, many reasons to be optimistic about the future. Combining cutting-edge science with Indigenous knowledge, Emily and TNC are making great progress toward finding solutions that can help with everything from increasing the depth and duration of snowpack in the Cascades to restoring all-important salmon habitat, and much much more.

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    If you’re a fan of ecology and are interested in how Indigenous wisdom can bolster our 21st-century scientific knowledge, then you’ll love this episode. We start our conversation at sea level, discussing the magic of the tidal ecosystems, then work our way up the into mountains, eventually discussing all things snowpack and forest health.  We talk about TNC’s partnership with the Stilliguamish Tribe, how forest gaps can affect snowpack, snow droughts and El Nino, collaboration with federal agencies, and rising sea levels in the Northwest.  Emily also talks about her career path to becoming a scientist and she offers up some excellent book recommendations.

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    I love the Pacific Northwest, so I greatly appreciate everything that Emily and her partners are doing to keep this region of the West so wild, special, and healthy.  I hope you enjoy.

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    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

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    TOPICS DISCUSSED

    • 3:45 - Discussing the history Port Susan Bay Preserve
    • 8:15 - The colonial reasons for the “straightening out” of the complex Stille River System
    • 11:15 - Why TNC became interested in Port Susan Bay
    • 13:15 - Emily’s focus on the Port Susan Bay Preserve
    • 17:15 - Emily’s partnership with Tribal entities around Port Susan Bay Preserve
    • 21:45 - Where and how TNC partners with the federal government on its work on the coast
    • 26:15 - Goals for the Port Susan Bay Preserve
    • 32:30 - How fast the sea level is rising in the Port Susan Bay Preserve
    • 34:15 - The 2015 Pacific Northwest snow drought
    • 38:15 - Emily’s involvement in higher elevation forest management and how it can impact snowpack and water resources
    • 45:00 - Putting Emily’s work above to practice
    • 52:30 - Emily’s personal journey to this work
    • 56:30 - Emily’s book recommendations
    • 1:02:00 - Emily’s parting words of wisdom

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    ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

    26 March 2024, 5:23 pm
  • 1 hour 6 minutes
    Sterling Drake - Roots Music, Ranching, and Giving Back

    Sterling Drake is an award-winning musician whose soulful tunes reflect his deep love of the landscapes, people, and culture of the American West. The media outlet Lonesome Highway probably best described Sterling’s music by calling it a “perfect fusion of western swing, honky-tonk heartache, and dance hall treasures.” But you can’t really confine Sterling’s music to a single, over-arching category– his influences range from country to folk to blues (and more!), and he’s toured everywhere from rural Montana to the swamps of South Florida to the music epicenter of Nashville, Tennesse. And it’s those wide-ranging experiences and influences that make him such a fascinating and thoughtful character and such a fun person to talk with.

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    Sterling’s family has roots in the southeastern U.S., and he was born and raised in Florida. Music was always a big part of his life, but his early interests revolved around the hardcore music scene and his love of drumming. Soon after graduating high school, he decided to head out west, where he began a long stretch of working on various ranches in several different states. Over time, his musical focus shifted from the hardcore world into the roots genre, and he began to capture the attention of audiences at bars, rodeos, and everywhere in between. Today, Sterling is a full-time touring musician, and as I record this, he is preparing for his first European tour. In my mind, Sterling is a perfect example of how a person can successfully meld passion, curiosity, hard work, and respect to create an entirely unique brand of art that resonates with a large, thoughtful audience.

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    I met Sterling last summer at the 2023 Old Salt Festival in Helmville, Montana, and I was instantly struck by his thoughtfulness, sense of humor, and his desire to contribute to the culture of the American West.  So I was glad to finally connect with him for a podcast episode and have an in-depth conversation about his artistic journey. We started out talking about his upbringing in Florida and why he eventually decided to head west. We discuss his time working on ranches, lessons learned from living and working in Nashville, and why he continues to be drawn to Montana. We discuss his most recent EP titled Jereco Sessions, and why he decided to donate all of the proceeds of that project to the nonprofit Western Landowners Alliance. We also discuss Willie Nelson, books, martial arts, straight-edge culture, travel, and much, much more.

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    If you want to see Sterling perform in person and have a chance to hang out with him, I’d encourage you to come to this summer’s Old Salt Festival, which is taking place June 21-23 in Helmville, Montana. Both Sterling and I will be there, and we’re both looking forward to what is guaranteed to be an amazing weekend.

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    Thanks for listening, hope you enjoy!

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    TOPICS DISCUSSED:

    5:00 - Sterling’s first memory of music

    7:45 - Reflecting on Sterling’s childhood in Florida

    11:00 - How Sterling became interested in the West, and further discussing Sterling’s upbringing

    14:30 - Sterling’s time in Utah

    17:30 - Where Sterling’s work ethic comes from

    20:00 - How music played into Sterling’s early years out West

    22:00 - A brief discussion of martial arts and its impact on Sterling’s life

    25:45 - Sterling’s shift into country music

    28:15 - When Sterling’s country career started to take off

    33:15 - Sterling’s insider take on the Nashville music industry

    40:45 - How Sterling became involved with WLA

    44:15 - Discussing Sterling’s recent/upcoming album cover

    45:15 - Sterling’s upcoming European tour

    46:45 - Looking forward to Old Salt Festival

    52:30 - Where Sterling may eventually choose to settle down

    54:00 - Sterling’s advice to early career professionals and aspiring artists

    1:00:30 - Sterling’s book recommendations

    1:03:45 - Sterling’s parting words of wisdom

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    ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

    12 March 2024, 9:34 pm
  • 1 hour 2 minutes
    Kevin Krasnow - Keeping Jackson Hole Wild and Beautiful

    Kevin Krasnow is the Conservation Director at the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, a long-standing, highly effective organization whose mission is to “protect the wildlife, wild places, and community character of Jackson Hole.” For more than four decades, the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance has been a staunch advocate for keeping Jackson Hole wild and beautiful, and it has proven to be a nimble and creative protector of the legendary Wyoming valley. The organization has served as a watchdog against poorly planned development, a champion for public land, a community voice that holds elected officials accountable, and much more.

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    Kevin brings a fascinating and diverse professional background to his work at the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance– he’s worked as an Outward Bound instructor, a high school teacher, a college professor, and, most notably, he earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from the University of California Berkley. Prior to joining the team at the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, he worked for ten years at the Teton Science Schools in Jackson. As you’ll hear in our conversation, Kevin is a high-level expert in forest and wildfire ecology, and he speaks eloquently about the role of wildfires in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and beyond.

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    When I first headed out West from North Carolina nearly twenty years ago, I moved to Jackson Hole— and I will always have a tender spot in my heart for that particular area. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to connect with Kevin and talk about all things related to ecology, wildlife, fire, and conversation in Jackson Hole. We started with a deep dive into Aspen trees, and why they are such an important and unique part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We discussed the Yellowstone Fire of 1988 and how that disaster shaped forest management in the future. We discussed the unprecedented development pressure in and around Jackson, how Kevin and his organization collaborate with a wide range of conservation partners, his professional journey from indirect to direct conservation work, and how his career as an educator informs his work today.

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    If you’ve ever spent time in the Tetons, Yellowstone, or the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, then you’re going to learn a lot from Kevin. Please visit the episode notes for a full list of everything he mentions, and I hope you enjoy!

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    This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

    On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond.

    To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

    --

    TOPICS DISCUSSED:

    3:30 - Discussing Aspen trees and how they captured Kevin’s attention

    9:30 - Threats to Aspen populations

    13:30 - Looking at the Yellowstone Fire of 1988

    24:00 - How significantly forestry and attitudes toward fire have changed after the Yellowstone Fire of 1988 

    28:30 - What brought Kevin to the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance 

    31:00 - Whether or not COVID has impacted the urgency of JHCA’s work

    35:15 - What specific problems Kevin works on at JHCA 

    39:15 - How Kevin and JHCA have collaborated with The Nature Conservancy

    43:00 - Kevin’s switch from “indirect” conservation to “direct”

    45:00 - When the outdoors became a part of Kevin’s life

    47:15 - Kevin’s early career in experiential education, and how it benefits his career now

    52:30 - Kevin’s words for a young person looking for career advice

    55:00 - Kevin’s book recommendations

    58:15 - Kevin’s parting words of wisdom, and how folks can support JHCA

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    ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

    27 February 2024, 10:48 pm
  • 58 minutes 8 seconds
    Mike DeHoff - Exploring the Colorado River's Reemerging Rapids

    Mike DeHoff is the Principal Investigator at Returning Rapids Project, a one-of-a-kind project that is documenting the recovery of the Colorado River in Cataract Canyon, upper Glen Canyon, and along the San Juan. Back in 1963, the construction of Glen Canyon Dam created Lake Powell, which submerged many of the area’s canyons– turning what were once wild stretches of the Colorado into flat water. Today, the southwest’s ongoing historic drought has caused Lake Powell’s water levels to drop significantly, revealing historic rapids, recently hidden geologic features, and riparian ecosystems that had been deep underwater for nearly fifty years.

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    Returning Rapids began as a personal project for Mike and three of his river-loving friends– Meg Flynn, Peter Lefebvre, and Chris Benson. They began to notice changes in the river created by Lake Powell’s receding waters and started documenting those changes and using historic photographs and documents to better understand the reemerging landscape. Over the years, their work caught the attention of universities, academics, scientists, and government agencies, all of whom were fascinated by what was being discovered deep in those canyons. Fast forward to today, and their work is not only enabling cutting-edge research, but it’s capturing the attention of bigtime media outlets, including a recent feature in Rolling Stone.

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    Mike connected with me virtually from his home base in Moab, Utah, and we had a fascinating discussion about the Colorado River, Lake Powell, and the history of the Returning Rapids project. We started out with a brief history lesson on the drought’s effect on the Colorado River, then we dug into issues such as the mind-blowing amount of sediment created by Glen Canyon Dam. We discussed when Mike and his partners realized that their personal project was capturing the attention of the public, the challenges of garnering attention for lesser-known places like Cataract Canyon, and the idea of combining Lake Powell and Lake Mead. We also talk a lot about Mike’s personal journey with this project, and how his willingness to follow his curiosity, partner with very smart people, take risks, and work extremely hard has had a significant scientific impact. We also discuss books, his mentors, his desire to learn from everyone he meets, and much more.

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    A huge thanks to Mike, Meg, Peter, and Chris for their important work, and for providing such a solid example for all of us who feel drawn to make a difference here in the American West.

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    This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation.

    To whom much is given, much is expected. This value guides the philosophy behind the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation today.

    Committed to its cause and infused with an entrepreneurial spirit, Mighty Arrow aims to invest in solutions that take action on climate change to build a more vibrant future, repair relationships from farm to market to table, heal our connection to the lands and waters we call home, and demand a more just and equitable society.

    To learn more about Mighty Arrow’s forward-thinking, optimistic, and visionary work here in the American West and beyond, please visit www.mightyarrow.org.

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    TOPICS DISCUSSED:

    3:30 - The drought of the early 2000s and how it started a 20+ year journey for Mike

    16:30 - How an entire land mass of Colorado River sediment can be created with no one claiming management or responsibility of it

    21:30 - When Mike’s project shifted from a personal interest to an interest of the public

    26:15 - The surprising rate that Lake Powell and Cataract Canyon are capable of recovering

    34:30 - How Mike garners attention for lesser-known but important places like Cataract Canyon

    37:15 - Discussing the idea of combining Lake Powell and Lake Meade

    44:15 - Mike’s advice for people wanting to do something similar to he and his team

    47:30 - Mike’s powerful appreciation for the people he meets, and his mentors and heroes

    50:30 - Mike’s book recommendations

    53:45 - Mike’s parting words of wisdom

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    ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

    22 February 2024, 12:02 am
  • 16 minutes 1 second
    SHED SESSION: Seven Must-Read Books That You May Not Know About

    An excerpt from my most recent Shed Session episode, highlighting seven of my favorite books that you may have never heard of.

    To listen to the full episode and all future Shed Sessions, become a Patreon supporter.

    FULL EPISODE: https://www.patreon.com/posts/shed-session-you-97515649

    PATREON: https://mountainandprairie.com/patreon

    MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: https://mountainandprairie.com/

    16 February 2024, 11:00 am
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
    Live at the Amon Carter Museum - In Conversation with James Prosek and Spencer Wigmore

    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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!

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    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:

    7 February 2024, 6:20 pm
  • 1 hour 6 minutes
    Ivy Spohnholz - Climate Solutions, Sustainable Fisheries, and Resilient Communities

    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!

    ---

    --

    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:

     

    30 January 2024, 9:46 pm
  • 1 hour 13 minutes
    Chad Ellis - On Leadership, Building Relationships, and Working for the Greater Good

    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!

    ---

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    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:

    25 January 2024, 11:10 pm
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