Rediscovering Forgotten Lands with Josh Jackson

Rediscovering Forgotten Lands with Josh Jackson

From Earth to Humans by Earth to Humans Podcast

April 29, 2026 · 55 min

About this episode

Josh Jackson discusses his journey to explore and raise awareness about the Bureau of Land Management's forgotten lands in California.

Josh didn’t know anything about the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) until he was looking for an escape during the pandemic. After visiting a few BLM managed areas in California, he decided to make it his mission to visit every area managed by this federal agency in the state. This marked the start of The Forgotten Lands Project , Josh’s effort to raise awareness about these largely unknown patches of public land. I was drawn to Josh’s work because of my connection to a BLM managed protected area near my home in Boise, Idaho - the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. This National Conservation Area is a part of BLM’s National Conservation Lands system, and it is a truly special place. In less than an hour’s drive, I can be siting along the rim of a dramatic canyon with prairie falcons whizzing by and golden eagles circling overhead. This Conservation Area is home to one of the highest density nesting areas for birds of prey in the world. Because of its proximity to this unique area for raptors, Boise has become known as a global hub for raptor research. In the 1980s the Peregrine Fund established the World Center for Birds of Prey here, and Boise…

People in this episode

Guest: Josh Jackson

Topics covered

  • Bureau of Land Management
  • public land
  • conservation
  • raptor research
  • California
  • pandemic escape

Keywords

  • Bureau of Land Management
  • public land
  • conservation
  • raptor research
  • California
  • Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bureau of Land Management, Peregrine Fund, Boise State University, Intermountain Bird Observatory

Places: California, Boise, Idaho, Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area

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