Rangers of the Lost Park

This week’s episode takes a deep dive into the life of the American farmer– the culture surrounding it, why what we eat matters and how we farm matters, and a new documentary that is just now starting to show screenings: Fork in the Road. I found out about this exciting new documentary from renowned actor and woodworker Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson, for those who need a reminder) online, and I was instantly intrigued! He is one of the Executive Producers for Fork in the Road and makes appearances in the film as well.Joining Rangers of the Lost Park to talk about this investigative and humanistic film are the two people who are the creatives behind it: Executive Producer and Co-Director Vivian Sorenson and Executive Producer Lisa Holmes! These women are intelligent, creative, kind, and truly wonderful. We talk about the importance of supporting local farmers and the non-profits directly involved; we talk about finding community and enlightening conversations at the kitchen table; we talk about sea otters and pikas; we talk about Mary and Wendell Berry's involvement in the film-- and so much more!Visit the Fork in the Road website to learn more about upcoming showings, the farmers and organizations involved, and more: forkintheroaddocumentary.com.Follow Fork in the Road Documentary film and team on Instagram: @forkintheroaddoc.Follow Vivian Sorenson on Instagram: @vivstirnyc.Follow Lisa Holmes on Instagram: @lisaholmesct.Check out Zero Foodprint: zerofoodprint.org.Learn more about Wild Child Films: wildchildfilms.net.Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.Now available on YouTube! Watch Rangers of the Lost Park select episodes.Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at info@rangersofthelostpark.com.Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Jesse Hamner is an experienced and knowledgable wildland firefighter with a huge heart. After experiencing great loss in 2025, she embarked on a grand roadtrip around the United States in search of community and healing. Since then, Jesse created "Keep Flaming," a safe space for anyone who feels "othered" in wildland fire (especially queer folk) and seek a supportive community in order to thrive not only in their careers but in their personal lives as well. Jesse shares raw aspects of her journey throughout her Fire career, who she is at her core and how she dedicates her time to speaking up for herself and for others. She also shares some exciting stories from her time as a firefighter! Follow "Keep Flaming" on Instagram: @keep.flaming.Follow Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics & Ecology (FUSEE) on Instagram: @fuseefire.Follow Hotshot Wellness on Instagram: @hotshotwellness.Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.Now available on YouTube! Watch Rangers of the Lost Park select episodes.Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at info@rangersofthelostpark.com.Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Alligator Alcatraz: remember that? Well, it's still very much a thing. In fact, it is still operating despite the lawsuits and public outcry. And guess what? It's going to be on your radar again very soon. Did you know that the location of Alligator Alcatraz, the very place that is currently causing ecological destruction, is the reason for the existence of the Clean Water Act, NEPA, and Earth Day? Do you want to know how? Let me tell you a story. You will get to learn all about its fascinating history, the environmental fight that came out of a proposed jetport in the heart of the Everglades, and what Friends of the Everglades is now doing to take action against Alligator Alcatraz. I'm joined by Eve Samples, the Executive Director for Friends of the Everglades, who gives us an intimate perspective of how to combat Alligator Alcatraz and protect the important ecological diversity of the Florida Everglades.Take Action: Sign up for Friends of the Everglades' newsletter to keep up to date with what's happening in the Everglades.Take Action: Visit the "STOP Alligator Alcatraz page and call your Reps & Senators and tell them to speak out against Alligator Alcatraz.Follow Friends of the Everglades on Instagram: @friendsoftheeverglades.Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at rangersofthelostpark@gmail.com.Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening!Sources:1. "How a detention center awoke a decades-old environmental fight" - NPR2. "STOP "Alligator Alcatraz" - America's WORST idea" - Friends of the Everglades3. "Lawsuit Opposing "Alligator Alcatraz" Points To Federal Ties, Land Disturbance" - National Parks Traveler4. "Unpacking Florida's immigration trends - demographers take a closer look at the legal and undocumented population" - WLRN Public Media5. "Trump gets key wins at Supreme Court on immigration, despite some misgivings" - Reuters6. "Trump says his plan to expel millions of immigrants will be a 'bloody story'" - Independent UK7. "Denied, detailed, deported: the faces of Trump's immigration crackdown" - The Guardian8. "America's Everglades - The largest subtropical wilderness in the United States" - National Park Service9. "Endless Opportunities in Nature's Mosaic" - National Park Service10. "An Insider's Guide to Everglades & Beyond" - NPCA ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

My guest today is someone I am so beyond stoked to talk to. She is a powerful woman who specializes in wilderness skills, traditional lifeways, and ancestral skills. She is an author, a mother, a teacher, a woman of bushcraft, and a lover of nature. Oh, and did I mention she is the first female winner of the History Channel’s show Alone? Yes, my friends, my guest today is Woniya Thibeault.We talk about her time and experiences from both Season 6 of Alone and Season 1 of Alone: Frozen, of which she won after 50 days alone out in the harsh (and beautiful) Canadian wilderness. Woniya also shares her perspectives as a woman who practices bushcraft and her sense of belonging in nature. What does she wish she had brought with her as an item on the show? What are some of the biggest mistakes she has seen contestants make? What was recovery for her like afterwards? All this and more on this week's very special episode!Join Woniya for one of her courses: In-person or Online. Visit Woniya's website: WoniyaThibeault.com.Follow Woniya on Instagram: @woniya_timelessways.Order her book: Never Alone.Check out her YouTube Channel: Buckskin Revolution.Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at rangersofthelostpark@gmail.com.Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

He's back! It's N8ture AL (also known as Alex Troutman)! Liz and AL catch up since they last spoke in September. AL has worked in conservation as a wildlife biologist for years until last February when he was caught in the crosshairs of the DOGE firings. Since then, he has made it his mission to provide representation for kids and black and brown communities. AL helps ease folks into loving the outdoors and has a warm, earnest personality and heart. Listen to AL's stories about a wolf pack encounter in Alaska, his perspective and expertise regarding communities who are most prone to the "nature gap," and how he is determined to continue working in the conservation field.Follow AL on Instagram: @n8ture_al.Check out his website: alextroutman.wixsite.com.Learn more about nature gaps from The Nature Gap: Communities of Color and Those With Low Incomes Are Bearing the Brunt of America's Nature Loss study by The Center for American Progress, Justice Outside, and Conservation Science Partners.Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at rangersofthelostpark@gmail.com.Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Music has been used as an act of resistance and protest for generations. You may have heard the saying: "you know times are bad when folk music is getting better." Well, we seem to be living that kind of time period right now. And musicians like Kirstie Lynn are making waves and utilizing music as an outlet for their strife. With soaring songbird melodies and a voice as clear as a bell, Kirstie Lynn is one to watch in the folk music scene. Drawing inspiration from nature and the human experience, her poetic lyricism and nostalgic songwriting harken back to the folk music revival of the 60’s but with a refreshing feeling of newness. With her vocal training, Kirstie Lynn's voice is free and easy to listen to. Listeners have compared her voice and style to that of Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Brandi Carlile, and Judy Collins, but her singing is truly something new and refreshing. ​Liz and Kirstie talk about all things music and its colorful past within protest eras. Kirstie shares stories from her past and present, discusses folk artists who inspire her, and how music soothes her soul.You can find Kirstie Lynn playing either solo or with long-time friend and music partner, Galen Clark, in the Kansas City area.Follow Kirstie Lynn on Instagram: @kirstietheworsty.Check out Kirstie Lynn's Website: KirstieLynn.com.Listen to Kirstie Lynn on Spotify.Songs played on the episode in order of appearance:1. "Sweetest Someone" by Kirstie Lynn (2021)2. "Pray The Snow Melts" by Kirstie Lynn, Galen Clark (2025)3. "Turn, Turn, Turn" by Pete Seeger (1959)4. "There But For Fortune" by Joan Baez (1966)5. "The Time's They Are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan (1964)6. "The Fiddle And The Drum" by Joni Mitchell (1969)7. "Freedom Day" by Max Roach ft. Abbey Lincoln (1961)8. "Blowin' In The Wind" by Peter, Paul & Mary (1963)9. "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke (1964)10. "Eve Of Destruction" by Barry McGuire (1965)11. "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield (1966)12. "Ain't I Right" by Marty Robbins (1966)13. "An Open Letter To My Teenage Son" by Victor Lundberg (1967)14. "The Fish Cheer / I-Feel'-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" by Country Joe & the Fish (1967)15. "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" by Pete Seeger (1959)16. "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie (1940)17. "Song About America" by Olive Klug (2024)18. "Wind Through The Trees (feat. Joseph Nuñez) (Waltz)" by Kirstie Lynn, Galen Clark (2022) Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at rangersofthelostpark@gmail.com.Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Andrea Delgado is a fierce and kind leader who immigrated from Ecuador to the United States at a young age. This is someone who has spent nearly two decades operating at the intersection of power, policy, land, and people. She often worked behind the scenes and in rooms where the consequences of decisions ripple across generations. Andrea is a nationally recognized strategist who has advised the White House, Cabinet officials, unions, NGOs, Tribal Nations, and community leaders. She’s helped pass bipartisan legislation on everything from immigration and farm labor to wildfire, toxic chemicals, and pay for federal wildland firefighters. She’s served at the highest levels of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service, overseeing wildfire management, public lands, and Tribal relations across millions of acres in the Rocky Mountain region. But Andrea’s story isn’t just about titles or wins. It’s about what it costs to lead with integrity inside massive systems—and what happens when you do. Today, we’re talking about power, public lands, policy, uphill battles, being fired by this administration, resilience, and what it really means to serve.Check out Andrea's consulting business: Hawkeye Strategies, LLC.Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at rangersofthelostpark@gmail.com.Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Concessionaires have been around even before the Park Service in what we now know as National Parks. Today, there are nearly 500 concessionaires within our Parks, which mean there are tons of folks who work for them. Liz's dear friend Kayla Babb, whom she worked with for a concessionaire company in Yellowstone National Park in 2015, joins the podcast to talk about her experiences within the Parks and how it differentiates from Park Rangers. They have a lot of laughs and share fun memories together- including a menacing raven named Gunter, whistle pigs terrorizing trash bags, bison run-ins, bear stories, and more! January is Be Kind to Servers Month, so to honor those who work so hard to serve the general public: we hope you enjoy this joyful and thoughtful episode.Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at rangersofthelostpark@gmail.com.Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Alex Haraus is an outdoor and public lands advocate, experienced traveler and an incredible digital creator. We talk about his journey outdoors, his love for the environment and the thought behind Colorado Creator Collective. He gives us the three things that makes content impactful and successful. Alex also shares a mountain lion story and we talk about cool hikes in Iceland - and more! We hope you enjoy this informative and joyful episode!Follow Alex on Instagram: @alex.haraus.Follow Alex on TikTok: @alex.haraus.Subscribe to Alex on YouTube: Alex Haraus - YouTube.Follow Colorado Creator Collective on Instagram: @coloradocreatorcollective.Book recommendation from Alex: Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky and Connie Burk.Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at rangersofthelostpark@gmail.com.Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

For our last episode of 2025, we bring to our listeners some much needed information on a public lands topic. What would coal mining look like from a National Park? Why is this being proposed? Let's take a deep dive with the Legal Director & Attorney Steve Bloch of Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA)! Steve talks about how SUWA is working to stop coal mining from being implemented in the 48,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land that would directly affect visitors' experiences in Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Capitol Reef National Parks and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. He also tells us his favorite fossils, details an account with a raccoon who stole his food, and more! Thank you to our listeners for tuning in for our 2025 Rangers of the Lost Park podcast kickoff. We are so grateful for you and plan on ramping up our content even more for 2026. We sincerely hope you have a happy New Year and go in with a new sense of vigor and hope.Learn more about this issue on SUWA's website.Follow SUWA on Instagram: @ProtectWildUtah.Other Sources:1. U.S. Energy Information Administration: Coal Explained.2. Stanford University: Q&A: Stanford expert explains why we continue burning coal for energy.3. @thegarbagequeen on TikTok.Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at rangersofthelostpark@gmail.com.Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Ranger Emily is a park ranger within the wild landscapes of Alaska. She shares her experiences and perspectives with us as an individual who works as an archaeologist in some of the most beautiful National Parks. From glaciers to bear attacks and tribal relationships -- Emily has some incredible stories from her time in the outdoors. She even answers the ever-popular question of: what can I do, as an individual, to help support our rangers right now? And, of course, we talk about Indiana Jones. We hope you enjoy!Follow Emily on Instagram: @ecaselman89. Book recommendations by Emily: 1. Pilgrim's Wilderness: A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier by Tom Kizzia 2. The Sun is a Compass: A 4,000-Mile Journey Into the Alaskan Wilds by Caroline Van HemertFollow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at rangersofthelostpark@gmail.com.Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening!Please download, subscribe, and leave us a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What does it mean to be a "responsible influencer"? How can someone with a prominent social media platform advocate responsibly for the places that they love to showcase online? Ashley Petefish, @ashley.goes.hiking on Instagram and @hiking_adventures on TikTok, has worked tirelessly on her social media platforms in digital advocacy for our public lands. Not only is she a regular volunteer within the bustling public lands of Sedona, Arizona, but she is also the Vice Chair of Oak Creek Watershed Council. Ashley shares with us what it it's like to constantly "go viral," as well as solid advice on what to do and what not to do on social media when highlighting nature and recreation. Follow Ashley on Instagram: @ashley.goes.hiking.Follow Ashley on TikTok: @hiking_adventures.Follow Oak Creek Watershed Council on Instagram: @theoakcreekwatershedcouncil.Learn more about Oak Creek Watershed Council on their website.Find out about upcoming guided trips from Ashley: LinkTree.Have a marriage proposal coming up? Contact Ashley here for information about her new business: SedonaEngagements.com.Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at rangersofthelostpark@gmail.com.Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What's it like to work along the borderlands of the US-Mexico border as a public lands steward? Ranger Red joins us to talk about his experiences as a GIS specialist and physical scientist and has worked for the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. From car chases to jaguars, Red's got some interesting stories to share! We also discuss Senator Mike Lee's newest act against public lands called the "Borderlands Conservation Act" and why it is just another unnecessary attack on Wilderness and fragile ecosystems.Read about Senator Mike Lee's proposal: Borderlands Conservation ActSee the full text here: Energy.Senate.GovRead the SF Gate article: 'Shameless': Utah senator revives crusade against public lands*In the episode Liz mistakingly said Outside Magazine instead of SF Gate*Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.Join Patreon! Become a Ranger Friend for bonus content and to join an incredible community.Got a cool Ranger Tea story? Want Liz to share your interesting outdoors story on the podcast? Fill out the Listener Story Form!Have a question for Liz? Want her to answer it on an episode? Fill out the Listener Question Form!Do you know someone who would make a great guest on the podcast (yourself included)? Fill out the Podcast Guest Request Form!For episode suggestions and feedback, please email Liz at rangersofthelostpark@gmail.com.Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★