, “Sometimes one experience is all it takes to awaken a new passion.” There are many paths to making a meaningful impact on conservation. Christopher Hill grew up surrounded by the mountains, trails, and wild spaces of New Zealand and Australia. That early connection to the outdoors eventually shaped a career where travel and conservation […]
Conservation
A Look at the Parks and Restoration Podcast
“When you create a thriving ecosystem you’ll have people that are motivated to go and do good work, move your organization forward, and make an impact on the people and resources that you serve.” Chris Lee has a clear passion for parks and the people who care for them. Our recent conversation gave us a […]
Takes From a Wilderness Warrior
“Fear often comes from not knowing. Once you take time to learn, fear can turn into respect.” When I first started visiting national parks, I’ll admit, I was scared of grizzly bears. I don’t mean cautious. I mean nervous-to-go-on-the-trail scared. Over time, that changed. Watching how bears behave, listening to people who had lived […]
Protecting Pucheguin – An Underdog Conservation Story
“When you truly love a place, you do whatever it takes to protect it, even if it takes a decade.” I recently returned from Chile, where I witnessed one of the most inspiring conservation stories I’ve ever encountered. Rodrigo Condeza and Jose Claro are two remarkable individuals who have spent over a decade fighting to […]
Stories Connect People to Conservation
“The only way you’re going to save the world is with a damn good story.” What if the future of conservation hinged less on policy and more on storytelling? That’s one of my favorite takeaways from my conversation with Jeff Parrish, Global Managing Director for Protect Oceans, Lands, and Water at The Nature Conservancy. Jeff […]
The Politics of Public Lands
After a recent expedition to Chile with The Nature Conservancy, I returned home reflecting on a global truth: public lands are political. Whether it’s South America or South Carolina, land conservation stirs up a lot of passion. For many people it’s complexity can also lead to quite a bit of debate. For years, I’ve avoided […]
Talking About the Glacier Park Conservancy
“By bringing varied backgrounds into conservation careers, we are ensuring our parks represent all of America.” In Glacier National Park, the journey to reintroduce bison is a great example of the power of perseverance and learning from failure. The collaborative effort between the US Federal Government, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Glacier Park leaders, and […]
Managing Protected Areas
“Part of the narrative that we find ourselves in is talking about creating areas that are protected for people, not from people.” Ryan Finchum is the co-director of the Center For Protected Area Management at Colorado State University and a seasoned expert working with the US Forest Service international programs. He joins for a conversation […]
The Impact of Local Conservation
“those little tidbits of information really help park and conservation leaders be better in their jobs, be better stewards of the resources, and just be better community leaders.” – Chris Lee Local conservation efforts have a lasting impact on communities and individuals. Chris Lee, the executive director of Des Moines County Conservation, joins for […]
Who is Gifford Pinchot?
On this episode of the Park Leaders Show, guest co-host, Phil Gaines, returns to discuss the life and legacy of Gifford Pinchot. As a top 10 influencer on Phil’s park and conservation list, Pinchot, often heralded as the Father of American conservation, left an impressionable legacy on national parks. Not only did he professionalize forest […]