Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson

Latest Episodes:

Becca Aceto - Forging Her Own Path in the West Oct 17, 2019

Show notes

Becca Aceto is an Idaho-based conservationist and is currently the Communications and Outreach Coordinator for the Idaho Wildlife Federation. Prior to this position with IWF, she worked in a variety of jobs closely connected to Idaho'sIdaho's rugged landscapes—as a naturalist, Forest Service wilderness ranger, and a Forest Service Wildlife Technician. Given her professional commitment to the lands and wildlife of the northern Rockies, you might assume that she's a native westerner, but in fact, she grew up in Ohio and attended the University of Kentucky before heading West after graduation.

As the oldest of six siblings, Becca has never been shy about "putting herself out there," learning new skills, or diving head-first into new experiences. She's studied various types of conservation in far-flung places like Thailand and Costa Rica, and she moved to the small town of Stanley, Idaho, without knowing a soul who lived there. Most recently, in 2017, she took up hunting and has fallen in love with the sport, becoming the Idaho ambassador for the sportswomen's group Artemis. Becca's willingness to step outside her comfort zone both professionally and personally can serve as a blueprint for many non-western young people who want to build a fulfilling life and career for themselves in the Rocky Mountains.

Becca and I caught up between a few of her fall hunts and had a wonderful conversation, discussing everything from her early days in Ohio to her current life and work in Idaho. We started by chatting about her upbringing—her childhood spent fishing in a small neighborhood creek, her love of horses, and the positive influence of her grandmother (who happens to be a Buddhist and a vegetarian). We talked about her time working as a ranger and some of the hard-won lessons she learned by suffering in the backcountry. We talk a lot about her relatively new journey becoming a hunter and some of the challenges and opportunities that come with learning to hunt as an adult. We also discuss the important conservation work of the IWF, in politics, on-the-ground stewardship, and public lands advocacy. As usual, we discuss lots of books and the best advice she's ever received.

We cover a lot in a little over an hour, and I jump around with my questions even more than usual, so be sure the check out the episode notes for a list of everything we discuss. Enjoy!

https://mountainandprairie.com/becca-aceto/

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

4:00 - Where Becca grew up
6:10 - Decision to study natural resources at University of Kentucky
8:45 - Working in Costa Rica
10:00 - Decision to move West
11:30 - First jobs in Idaho
14:30 - Bravery to move out West on her own
16:30 - Becca's Buddhist, vegetarian grandmother's influence
19:30 - Working conditions as a forest ranger
21:00 - Importance of discomfort and fear
25:00 - Starting to work at the Idaho Wildlife Federation
29:15 - Importance of politics
30:00 - Threat to public lands
34:30 - Learning to hunt
38:30 - Hunting lessons learned from year to year
42:45 - Artemis sportswomen
45:20 - Need for diversity in hunting and conservation
47:00 - Advice for novice hunters
49:15 - Becca's most recent hunting trip
57:00 - Writing
1:00:15 - Favorite books
1:02:30 - Favorite films
1:04:30 - Out-of-the-ordinary hobbies
1:06:00 - Favorite location in the West
1:07:00 - Best advice ever received
1:08:30 - Words of wisdom
1:10:00 - Connect with Becca

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Duke Phillips III - A Vision for the New West Sep 27, 2019

Show notes

Duke Phillips III is the founder and CEO of Ranchlands, a Colorado-based, family-owned ranch management company. If Ranchlands sounds familiar, that's because last week's episode was with Duke's son, Duke Phillips IV. You may remember that the younger Duke referenced his father's philosophies around business and leadership several times, so I thought it would be fun to have the elder Duke on the podcast for an in-depth conversation. And in-depth it was—in a little under an hour we covered a wide range of subjects, everything from the future of ranching to world travels to poetry.

Duke has led a fascinating life, starting with his early years spent growing up on a remote cattle ranch in rural Mexico. His twenties were devoted to traveling and working around the world, including places like Europe, Central America, Australia, and the Bering Sea. Around age thirty he started his first "real job" in ranching, which eventually led to the formation of his company Ranchlands. Since its beginnings over two decades ago, Ranchlands has set a new standard what is possible when ranching, conservation, education, and business are successfully combined. And Ranchlands partnership with Colorado's State Land Board is a case study in effective, mutually beneficial public-private partnerships.

I caught up with Duke on the phone, where he was gracious enough to take time away from one of his New Mexico operations to chat with me. We started by talking about his childhood in Mexico and the lessons he learned from growing up in such a wild and remote landscape. Then we discussed the series of travels and jobs that led to his founding Ranchlands in his mid-forties. From there, our conversation hits on a variety of subjects, including the joys of working with his kids, Duke III and Tess, the ins-and-outs of the bison ranching business, and his thoughts on the recent popularity of regenerative agriculture. There's minimal overlap between the topics covered in this conversation and my conversation with young Duke, so be sure to check the episode notes for a full list of all the interesting information discussed.

Palmer Land Trust will be honoring Duke and his family at the 10th Annual Southern Colorado Conservation Awards on October 3rd in Colorado Springs. It's going to be a fun and inspiring evening, so follow the link in the episode notes for more information and tickets. Hope to see you there!

•••

https://www.palmerlandtrust.org/2019-scca

Notes: https://mountainandprairie.com/duke-phillips-iii/

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

3:30 - Where Duke grew up
6:30 - Lessons learned from growing up in Mexico
8:30 - Having patience with those new to ranching
9:45 - Leaving Mexico
11:50 - World travels and adventures in his 20s
14:30 - First "real job"
15:45 - Lead-up to Chico Basin
17:00 - Ranchlands explained
22:00- Ranchlands' grazing philosophy
26:00 - Joys of working with Tess and Duke IV 27:30 - Keys to running a successful family business
29:30 - Keeping kids humble
31:20 - Importance of positivity in life and business
35:00 - Importance of honesty in business
37:40 - Successful partnerships with Colorado's State Board and The Nature Conservancy
41:30 - Running a bison ranch
45:00 - Regenerative agriculture
48:30 - Heroes and mentors
52:00 - The future of ranching
54:00 - Favorite books and poetry
56:30 - Most powerful outdoor experience

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Duke Phillips IV - Living with the Land Sep 20, 2019

Show notes

Duke Phillips IV is the Chief Operating Officer of Ranchlands, a Colorado-based ranching and ranch management company that is widely celebrated for its deep conservation ethic. Duke oversees all operations across Ranchlands' properties, which include the renowned 87,000-acre Chico Basin Ranch and the 103,000-acre Medano Zapata Ranch. Working closely with his father Duke III and his sister Tess, the Duke and his family share a commitment to long-term land stewardship, and they embody the Ranchlands philosophy of "Working together to live with the land."

As part of a multi-generational ranching family in southeastern Colorado, Duke grew up with one foot in the ranching culture and the other in a more traditional life of school, sports, and typical childhood activities. After college, he decided to return to the family business, where he began to work his way up through the ranks to his current role of COO. Along the way, he learned lessons in leadership, humility, conservation, stockmanship, and business, many of which he shares with me during this conversation. Duke is one of the more humble and understated people I've met, especially when considering all that he's accomplished so early into his career.

I met Duke out at the Chico where we sat around his kitchen table and chatted-- and it was truly a delightful conversation. We talked about the operations at their ranches, delving into some of the details around their breed of cattle, the Beefmaster. We discussed the apprentice and intern programs at Ranchlands, and why he and his family value teaching and educating both the general public and the next generation of land stewards. We discussed Duke's thoughts on leadership and the importance of being humble and calm in all situations. He also explains Ranchlands open gate policy, and how that philosophy differs from some of the conventional wisdom around access to land in the West. We also discuss books, his heroes and mentors, flying helicopters, lessons learned from living and working internationally, and much more.

Finally, I wanted to mention that Ranchlands will be honored at Palmer Land Trust's 10th Annual Southern Colorado Conservation Awards on October 3rd in Colorado Springs. We'll be debuting a short film about the Phillips family that highlights some of their innovative conservation work throughout the state. If you're interested in attending, follow the link in the episode notes for more information. I guarantee it will be an inspiring and fun evening.

There are many important lessons to be learned from this conversation with Duke-- check the episode notes for a full list of everything we discussed. Hope you enjoy!

https://mountainandprairie.com/duke-phillips-iv/

https://www.palmerlandtrust.org/2019-scca

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

3:30 - Background on Chico Basin
6:00 - Chico Basin's open gate policy
8:00 - Education and birding programs on the ranch
11:15 - Background on open gate policy
14:00 - Beefmaster cattle breed
19:00 - Ideal characteristics of the Beefmaster breed
22:15 - Good books about grazing and ranching
23:30 - How travel and education have shaped their business
25:00 - Finishing high school and starting college
28:00 - Choice to study liberal arts
30:00 - Internship and apprentice program
34:00 - Traits Duke looks for in employees
40:00 - Duke's evolution as a leader
42:00 - Importance of good communication
44:00 - Heroes and mentors
49:00 - Importance of being positive
54:00 - Importance of controlling anger
56:30 - Favorite books
59:00 - Flying helicopters and planes
1:01:30 - Using helicopters in ranching
1:03:10 - Most powerful outdoor experience
1:07:30 - Favorite place in the West

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Live in Bozeman - Cate Havstad, Jillian Lukiwski, Becca Skinner & Juanita Vero Sep 13, 2019

Show notes

This episode is a special recording from a Mountain & Prairie live podcast in Bozeman, Montana. On August 30th more than 300 folks gathered at the historic Ellen Theatre in downtown Bozeman to watch, listen, and participate in a wide-ranging conversation with four amazing women of the West—hat-maker and farmer Cate Havstad; silversmith and all-around artist Jillian Lukiwski; adventure photographer and writer Becca Skinner; and rancher and county commissioner Juanita Vero. We also held a raffle that benefited the Montana Land Reliance and the critical conservation work it is doing throughout the state of Montana.

The show started out with a hilarious, high-energy welcome from the amazing Becca Frucht, who is one of the funniest and most unique human beings I've ever met. Then I spent about an hour and fifteen minutes asking the women questions about their lives, work, and shared love of western landscapes. After that, we had some excellent questions from the audience, followed by a few words from the Jessie Weisse from the Montana Land Reliance. As you'll hear, a good bit of our conversation centered around the land, conservation, and agriculture, so it was very fitting that the Montana Land Reliance was such an important part of the evening. My only complaint about the event is that I wish it could've been much longer—as you'd expect, we only scratched the surface of all the fascinating topics we could've discussed.

A heartfelt thank you to Cate, Jillian, Becca, and Juanita for being so open, thoughtful, and funny with all of their answers—the evening would not have been even a fraction of the success it was without their participation. Thanks to Becca Frucht for her energizing welcome and for figuring out a way to work Road House into her remarks. Thank you to the Montana Land Reliance for all of their important work throughout the state and for being part of the evening. A huge thanks to our sponsors—Chris Dombrowski Fly Fishing, Tom Morgan Rodsmiths, Onda Wellness, Modern Huntsman, Beargrass Writing Retreat, Heyday, Head West Bozeman, and Big Agnes. And last but definitely not least, thanks to everyone who attended the event—I know we had people travel to Bozeman from many other states and even Canada for the show, so I can't thank you all enough for being such important members of this podcast community.

It was truly a night to remember, and I'm excited to do more live shows in 2020, so stay tuned for that. But in the meantime, enjoy this audio version of the Mountain & Prairie Podcast, live in Bozeman!

Notes and photos: https://mountainandprairie.com/bozeman-live/

MLR: http://mtlandreliance.org

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

3:30 - Welcome from the great Becca Frucht
8:30 - A few words from Ed
11:30 - Quick intros
13:00 - Update on Cate's involvement in farming
15:30- Juanita's entrance into county politics
20:00 - Jillian's evolving connection to her place
21:00 - Becca's immersion in private land conservation
27:30 - Juanita's thoughts on private land conservation
32:00 - Jillian discusses the importance of hard work and adventure in wild places
35:30 - Cate discusses the business realities of farming
44:00 - Jillian and Becca talk about "putting herself out there"
47:30 - Using social media productively
50:00 - Other places the ladies would choose to live
55:30 - Best books read in the past year
1:01:30 - How their husbands/partners bolster them as individuals
1:06:30 - Jillian's "Big Enough Theory"
1:12:00 - Q&A - Mentors and mentoring
1:17:00 - Q&A - Roots to the past in the women's trades
1:20:30 - Q&A - Role of horses in the ladies lives
1:28:00 - Q&A - Balancing development and conservation in Montana
1:35:30 - Q&A - How do we connect people with their food
1:40:15 - A few words from the Montana Land Reliance

William deBuys - Sage of the Southwest Sep 05, 2019

Show notes

William deBuys is a renowned writer and conservationist farmer who is known as one of the most influential thinkers in the modern-day American West. To call Bill prolific would be a blatant understatement—a few of his many books include "The Walk," "A Great Aridness," "River of Traps," and "The Last Unicorn." For more than 40 years, Bill has owned and tended a small farm in the Sangre de Cristo mountains of northern New Mexico, a property that has heavily influenced his life, work, and appreciation for land. I was fortunate enough to meet Bill at his farm for this interview, which was a thrill and an experience I won't soon forget.

Bill was born and raised on the east coast but moved to New Mexico after college to take a job as a research assistant with writer Robert Coles. Bill found himself immersed in the arid landscape of the American Southwest and very quickly fell in love with the people, culture, and terrain. From then on, Bill's life and work centered around the land, whether earning his Ph.D., working for the Nature Conservancy and The Conservation Fund, or pursuing full-time writing. His life serves as an inspiring case study of how to meld on-the-ground conservation work with high-level aspirational writing and journalism.

My biggest challenge with this conversation was figuring out how to fit five hours of questions into a single hour! We start by discussing how Bill ended up in New Mexico, and then chat a good bit about his farm. We discuss lessons learned from his work in land conservation, and techniques he uses to find common ground among competing stakeholders. We talk a lot about his writing process and routine, including Bill's excellent advice related to the technical and psychological aspects of writing. We also discuss several of his books, and how writing each book has influenced his perspective and appreciation for his beloved New Mexico home. Bill offers up a useful and completely unique technique for summoning gratitude, a practice I believe we all can benefit from. And as usual, we discuss his favorite books, his favorite location in the West, and the best advice he ever received.

It was a dream come true to spend time with Bill at his farm, so I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Be sure the check the episode notes for links to everything we discussed!

http://williamdebuys.com

Notes & Resources: https://mountainandprairie.com/william-debuys/

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

4:30 - El Valle, New Mexico, described
5:45 - How Bill ended up in New Mexico
10:30 - Work with The Nature Conservancy and The Conservation Fund
12:30 - Lessons learned from conservation work
14:30 - Early writing experience
15:25 - Looking back at old work
16:30 - Understanding and appreciating "place"
19:45 - How Bill wrote "The Walk"
22:15 - Dealing with feedback on his writing
23:15 - The writer's mindset
24:30 - Bill's writing process
29:00 - Decision to focus mostly on writing
30:15 - Discussion of his book "A Great Aridness"
34:25 - Actionable ideas for dealing with climate change
38:00 - Valles Caldera Trust
42:00 - Techniques for finding common grounds
45:30 - "The Last Unicorn" and other international adventures
46:50 - Influentials writers and thinkers
49:00 - Teaching and its influence on his work
51:00 - Favorite books
53:00 - Practice of writing down all the "aunts and uncles"
55:00 - Most powerful outdoor experience
56:10 - Threats to ANWR and the Rio Grand corridor
59:25 - Favorite location in the West
59:30 - Best advice ever received

Emilene Ostlind - Storytelling for the New West Aug 20, 2019

Show notes

Emilene Ostlind is a Wyoming-based journalist and storyteller whose work focuses on the landscapes, natural resources, and communities of the American West. She may be best known for her work studying and documenting the long-distance migration of pronghorn antelope from Grand Teton National Park down into the Green River Valley—a topic that was the basis for her graduate school thesis, as well as her award-winning High Country News cover story about the "Path of the Pronghorn." Emilene is also the editor of "Western Confluence," an amazingly informative, entertaining, and free magazine published by the University of Wyoming's Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources. And if all of that is not enough, she is also working closely on the production of an upcoming documentary called "Deer 139," which tells the story of a mule deer's migration across Wyoming and a researcher's attempt to follow that same path on foot.

Emilene grew up at the base of the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming, a third-generation Wyomingite from a family closely connected to ranching and the land. After earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Wyoming, she landed a job in Washington DC with National Geographic, where she learned first hand the power of storytelling as a means of communicating important, complex issues. She returned to the University of Wyoming for a graduate degree in creative nonfiction writing, with a focus on understanding and documenting pronghorns' migration patterns throughout her home state. Along with photographer Joe Riis, they explored the mountains of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, shedding light on one of the lower 48's last remaining big game migration corridors.

If you've enjoyed my conversations with folks like Dan Flores and Bryce Andrews, then you'll love this episode. We dig deep into the specifics of pronghorns and discuss why they are one of the more interesting and impressive North American mammals. We talk about how Emilene initially became interested in pronghorn migrations, and how the project began and played out over several years. We also discuss her work editing "Western Confluence" and the 2018 book "Wild Migrations." As you'd expect, we discuss her upbringing in Wyoming, her career path in storytelling, and she offers some excellent advice for aspiring journalists who'd like to follow a similar path. And of course we discuss favorite books, so be sure to check the episode notes for links to all of those—there are a lot of new titles.

I encourage you to subscribe to "Western Confluence"—it's totally free which is quite a deal when you consider just how much you'll learn from reading it.

Episode Notes - https://mountainandprairie.com/emilene-ostlind/

"Western Confluence" - https://www.westernconfluence.org

"Wild Migrations" - https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Migrations-Atlas-Wyomings-Ungulates/dp/0870719432

"Deer 139" - https://www.deer139film.org

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

4:30 - Emilene's family history in Wyoming
7:00 - Her life-long interest in storytelling
8:00 - Experience at National Geographic
12:30 - Heading back West from DC
13:30 - Genesis of pronghorn migration idea
15:00 - Applying to grad school
17:00 - "Path of the Pronghorn"
21:50 - Pronghorns explained
26:30 - Reception of "Path of the Pronghorn" by the general public
30:00 - Steps that landowners can take to help animal migrations
35:00 - Wyoming as a last major migration corridor
37:30 - "Deer 139"
41:20 - Storytelling through film
44:45 - Western Confluence
50:00 - Mentors, heroes, and books
53:30 - "Wild Migrations"
56:40 - Advice to aspiring storytellers
59:45 - Favorite books about the West
1:01:00 - Favorite films
1:02:00 - Most powerful outdoor experience
1:03:40 - Favorite location in the West
1:05:00 - Best advice she's ever received
1:06:15 - Request of the listeners
1:07:40 - Connect with Emilene

PART 2: Behind the Scenes with Ed - A Never-Boring, Often-Crazy Personal Journey Aug 07, 2019

Show notes

If you listened to the previous episode, then you know that I'm mixing things up a bit. This is Part 2 of a two-part series in which I'm the one in the hot seat. It's a repost of my recent appearance on the "Truth & Dare" podcast, a wonderfully inspiring show that features in-depth conversations about personal growth, risk-taking, and living life to the fullest.

In the first part of this two-part series, you'll remember a detailed discussion around my professional interests—land, water, and agriculture. This conversation on Truth & Dare is equally detailed and deep, but focused almost exclusively on my personal life—my journey from North Carolina to the West, my obsession with long-distance running, the crazy way that I met my wife, lessons learned for a semester of NOLS, how my wife and girls' influence has made me a much better person, and much more. Many of the books and ideas that we've discussed on Mountain & Prairie play a big role in my personal evolution from wanna-be real estate developer to conservationist, so I wanted to share this with you all.

As you'll hear, the host Camden is a curious, kind, and natural conversationalist who likes to talk deeply about subjects of substance—not surface-level nonsense. I was turned on to her podcast when she interviewed my friend—artist, surfer, and family-man Kevin Mirsky—and I was thrilled and a little nervous when she asked me to join her on the show. But we had an instant connection and a great conversation that I hope you'll enjoy. But regardless of my episode, if you are interested in personal growth and stories of people who have taken unconventional paths, you should definitely give Truth & Dare a listen.

A huge thanks again to Camden for having me on, thanks to you all for listening, and I'll be back with regular Mountain & Prairie episodes in the next few days.

https://camdenhoch.com

https://camdenhoch.com/podcast/

PART 1: Behind the Scenes with Ed - Cutting-Edge Land & Water Conservation in the West Aug 07, 2019

Show notes

This episode is a little different—it's part one of a two-part series in which I'm the one in the hot seat. It's a repost of my recent appearance on the Quivira Coalition's excellent podcast named "Down to Earth - The Planet to Plate Podcast." They were nice enough to invite me on to discuss some of my conservation work at Palmer Land Trust, particularly around our focus of conserving irrigated farmland in southeastern Colorado. It's fascinating work that hits on many of the issues we've previously discussed here on Mountain & Prairie—water rights, pressures facing agricultural communities, holistic approaches to resource management, balancing the needs of agriculture with that of municipalities, and more. It's what I spend the vast majority of my time doing, and I hope you'll find it interesting and informative.

Regardless of whether or not you listen to my episode, I highly encourage you to check out Down to Earth. The host Mary-Charlotte is a journalistic pro who likes to dive deep in the nuances of agriculture and has interviewed some of the most impressive people working in agriculture today (present company excluded). If you've enjoyed my past episodes with folks like Jim Howell, Pat O'Toole, Christine Su, and, of course, Quivira Executive Director Sarah Wentzel-Fisher, then I can guarantee you'll love the "Down to Earth" podcast. There's a link to Down to Earth in the episode notes, so be sure to check it out and give them a great iTunes review if you're so inclined.

Thanks again to Down to Earth for being interested in my work, and thanks to you all for listening. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions. Hope you enjoy!

http://downtoearth.media

https://quiviracoalition.org

Morgan Irons - Finding Her Muse Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

Morgan Irons is a Montana-based artist whose captivating oil paintings combine the classic style of late 19th-century painters with her own modern-day interpretation of the West's people and places. When I first discovered Morgan's art, I assumed I was looking at the work of a classically trained artist who'd been in the trenches of painting for decades… and I couldn't have been more wrong! Morgan has only been painting since 2015, with virtually no artistic training prior. Her innate talent is matched only by her work ethic and commitment to the craft—she has built her life around the process of making art, which is inspiring and instructive for anyone with creative aspirations.

Morgan was born in Durango and spent her youth in various parts of the West, including Alaska and Idaho. After college in the flat midwest, she immediately returned to more rugged landscapes, working in Alaska and eventually landing in Bozeman. She tried her hand at a "normal" job but found the corporate world to be uninspiring and frustrating. So rather than wallow and complain, she moved on from that job and soon thereafter, discovered her talent for painting. Since then, she's gone all-in on her career as an artist, and she is building quite a strong following in the art world.

If you are a person who dreams of pursuing your creative passion full time, then you will love this episode—it's full of actionable ideas around art and the creative process. We talk about the remote cabin where Morgan lives and paints, and why she needs solitude and open spaces for maximum creative output. We discuss her daily routine and how she primes her artistic mindset through hiking, meditation, and writing. We also discuss how she blocks out distractions and her techniques for using the productive aspects of social media while avoiding the time-wasting traps. We obviously talk about the point when she discovered her talent for painting and how she has honed that talent through workshops and mentorships from top painters. Finally, Morgan tells some great stories about hunting for ghosts with her dad, her favorite books, a bear that broke into her car, and the importance of having no "Plan B." Enjoy!

https://www.morganirons.com

https://mountainandprairie.com/morgan-irons/

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

5:00 - Where Morgan is based
6:00 - Why Morgan likes solitude
8:00 - Balancing technology—productivity vs. distraction
11:00 - Morgan's younger years
12:00 - Heading to college in St. Louis
14:30 - Family history in Alaska
17:30 - Job in Alaska
22:00 - Lessons learned in Alaska
23:00 - Moving in Bozeman
25:15 - Discovering art
27:00 - Buying paint and starting to make art
30:00 - Feelings during the process of painting
32:30 - Learning from the masters while keeping the originality
35:30 - Formal learning from world-class artists
38:00 - Learning from fellow students as well as professors
40:00 - Daily routines
44:00 - Meditation practice
46:30 - Balancing friendships with her need for solo time
50:00 - How the West shapes her work
53:30 - Mentors and artists Morgan admires
56:00 - A non-painting artist who Morgan admires
58:30 - How her psychology degree has helped her art
1:00:00 - Favorite books
1:04:00 - Ghost hunting!
1:08:30 - Crazy bear encounter
1:12:00 - Words of wisdom
1:14:30 - Connect with Morgan online

Heather Hansman - Demystifying Water in the West Jul 09, 2019

Show notes

Heather Hansman is a freelance writer and editor whose work explores the intersection of science, adventure, and culture. Her new book Downriver: Into the Future of Water in the West should be required reading for everyone who enjoys this podcast—it strikes the perfect balance of being entertaining and educational while examining all sides of the many issues facing the West's water supply. There are few topics in the West as divisive and emotional as water, and in her book, Heather provides a balanced overview of all the issues, delving deep into the substance of water-related arguments, without crossing over into the mind-numbing jargon that defines most water-related writing.

The book follows Heather's 730-mile float down the length of the Green River, starting at the base of Wyoming's Wind River mountains and ending at the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers in Utah. Along the way, she meets with a wide range of western water stakeholders—ranchers, farmers, river guides, government employees, scientists, conservationists, and more—and digs into their sometimes competing interests fighting for their shares of water in the West. But the book is far from an academic examination of water law—Heather paddled two-thirds of the river completely alone, so there is also a compelling adventure narrative that runs throughout the book.

To understand most of the challenges facing the West, you need to understand water, and this episode is a perfect place to start. Heather and I start our conversation by laying out some of the basics around water—terminology that you may have heard thrown around but never truly understood. She explains how water in the West is a property right separate from land, and she explains some of the common language used when discussing water. We chat about why the Colorado River is over-allocated, and how transbasin diversions have transformed much of the West into a very large and complex plumbing system. For the second half of the conversation, we discuss Heather's professional path as a writer, journalist, and former river guide. We talk about why she moved west, her first gig as a professional writer, and some of the tricks of the trade she uses to force herself to write. And as usual, we discuss favorite books, films, and favorite locations in the West.

As a guy who spends much of my day working with water and water rights, I can't thank Heather enough for writing this book. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

https://www.heatherhansman.com

More episode notes: https://mountainandprairie.com/heather-hansman/

TOPICS DISCUSSED: