Rangers of the Lost Park

Liz joins John Leshy, lawyer and public lands advocate, for a deep and thoughtful discussion about protecting public lands and what that looks like for people of all walks of life. They share what they're hearing from others, what these attacks on public lands mean, and why it is important to stay engaged and speak up. John's new podcast series, On Common Ground, tells the story of America's 640 million acres of public land - why it matters, who's trying to sell it off, and what it will cost the rest of us if we let them. Listen to On Common Ground wherever you get your podcasts! Follow On Common Ground on Instagram: @on_common_ground_ Watch On Common Ground on YouTube. 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 [email protected]. Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Liz welcomes Tara and Nancy of Crime Off The Grid Podcast for this fun collab! We talk about crazy, bizarre and intense stories from their time as Law Enforcement rangers in National Parks like Yellowstone, Crater Lake and Mount Rushmore; female friendships; exploring the outdoors, and more! About Tara & Nancy: These badass women are both true crime enthusiasts with each having over 30 years of experience as a Law Enforcement Park Rangers in the National Park Service, and Nancy has also worked as a Captain in the US Forest Service. Tara spent the majority of her career as a ranger in Yellowstone NP and the last 5 years she worked primarily assisting victims of crime across the NPS. Check out Crime Off The Grid Podcast episodes! Visit their website. Follow Crime Off The Grid on Instagram: @crimeoffthegridpodcast. 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 [email protected]. Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

You NEED To know about the most adorable little "mountain potatoes": the American pika (Ochotona princeps)! Not only is the logo for this here podcast a pika, but the American pika (Ochotona princeps) is a small, herbivorous mammal of the family Ochotonidae, closely related to rabbits and hares. They live in alpine rockslides and talus slopes; and they have the cutest "MEEP!" you'll ever hear. Pikas are widely considered a mammalian indicator of environmental change in alpine ecosystems because they have experienced climate-mediated declines in parts of their range. My two guests for this episode are an incredible scientifically-savvy duo: Dr. Johanna "Pika Jo" Varner and Karli Weatherill - who study pikas for a living! Johanna “Pika Jo” Varner is a pika biologist who lives in Colorado. During the academic year, she teaches biology at Colorado Mesa University, but during the summer, she spends a lot of time in the mountains looking for pikas, placing temperature sensors, and collecting scat samples to analyze for stress. Before she was a pika biologist, Dr. Varner was a biomedical engineer, a baker, and a blueberry farmer. But she likes studying pikas best because they are adorable and they live in beautiful places. Karli Weatherill is a Ph.D. student at the University of Oklahoma and a graduate of Colorado Mesa University, where she first met Pika Jo and earned her bachelor's degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. Her research has focused on the stress physiology of American pikas. Karli is an avid outdoor enthusiast and loves that she gets to study pikas while spending time in the mountains. She is also passionate about science communication and youth science education, striving to make science accessible and inspiring to diverse audiences. Read about the pika study implemented by Karli and Jo: Climatic stressors and habitat quality explain individual stress metrics in an isolated population of small mammals. Download the Pika Patrol app! Check out Pika Jo's website: Dr. Johanna Varner. Follow Pika Jo on Instagram: @doctorpikajo. Follow Karli on Instagram: @mtntopbiologist. 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 [email protected]. Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Jason Wise is a Certified California Naturalist, environmental educator, conservationist, trail guide, LGBTQ activist, writer, and sometimes photographer, with a master's degree in environmental policy (MPP). His passion is fostering a deeper connection between people and nature, and believes that access to and education about the natural world are essential for cultivating strong environmental advocates. His in person hikes and social media lessons explore topics like urban ecology and history, foraging, queer ecology, mindfulness, and our interconnectedness—elements that are vital for a fulfilling life and a healthier planet. Also, he's super fun! Follow Jason on Instagram: @jasonjourneyman. Subscribe to Jason's Naturalist newsletter: JourneyStack. 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 [email protected]. Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

She skinny dipped with a bear?! Yep, and she's also a backcountry adventurer and this week's guest on Rangers of the Lost Park! Her name is Emma Hoskins. Emma works at the intersection of public lands, climate resilience, and outdoor storytelling. Through research, policy work, and time spent on the road, from U.S. National Parks to New Zealand, Emma explores how travel, recreation, and conservation shape the places we love. On New Year’s Eve of 2020, she made a slightly ambitious promise to herself: visit every U.S. National Park by the time she turned 30. Did Emma make it to all 63? What's it like working in conservation in Canada? Why is Visitor Use Management Systems important in protecting public lands? Find out by listening to our episode! Follow Emma on Instagram: @emmarhoskins. Check out Emma's website: EmmaRHoskins.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. 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 [email protected]. Please download, subscribe, and leave a review! Thank you for listening! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★