Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson

Latest Episodes:

Mike Schaedel - Restoring Balance to Fire-Adapted Landscapes Nov 28, 2025

Show notes

Mike Schaedel is the Western Montana Forest Restoration Director for The Nature Conservancy, where he leads some of the most ambitious and collaborative forest restoration work happening anywhere in the West. Based in Missoula, Mike works at the intersection of science, community partnerships, and land stewardship—helping restore fire-adapted forests, reduce wildfire risk, and improve the health and resilience of landscapes across the region.

Mike's career path is super interesting and anything but traditional. He grew up in Portland, fell in love with the mountains through rock climbing, and eventually landed in Missoula, where the combination of wild landscapes and a rich literary community drew him in. After earning an undergraduate degree in creative writing, he found his way into forestry and fire ecology through conservation corps work, hands-on restoration experience, and a graduate program focused on forest dynamics and fire.

In this conversation, Mike offers a clear overview of how Western Montana's forests came to look the way they do today—shaped by millennia of tribal burning, transformed by railroad-era land grants and industrial logging, and altered further by a century of fire suppression. He explains why effective restoration now depends on combining mechanical thinning with prescribed fire and on working across ownership boundaries with partners ranging from local communities to tribes and federal agencies. We also discuss some of the innovative collaborative efforts underway in the region, as well as a memorable story of a prescribed burn that came together through quick problem-solving and deep trust.

This is a rich, informative, and hopeful conversation about what it takes to restore forests at scale—and why the future of these landscapes depends on both ecological understanding and strong community partnerships. Enjoy!

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Michael Schaedel, Western Montana Forest Restoration Director
Reserved Treaty Rights Lands Program: The Power of Partnership
Complete episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/mike-schaedel

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This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

During the last week of every month throughout 2025, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy's leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy's impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

3:02 – Intro, Mike's love for Missoula
6:04 – Getting a creative writing degree
8:21 – And fighting back into forestry
12:26 – Early writing influences
13:39 – Switching sides of the brain
15:32 – First job out of grad school
20:08 – And that work now
23:38 – Checkerboard landownership
33:04 – Conservation accomplishment
34:56 – Fitting in forest health
39:33 – Fire scars
45:52 – The Big Burn
52:59 – Fire playing a beneficial role
58:51 – And the role mill workers play
1:02:03 – Projects down the pipeline
1:12:00 – Book recs
1:13:49 – Parting words

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SHED SESH: September & October 2025 Book Recommendations Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

This month marks ten full years of my bimonthly book-recommendations project—a decade of weird little paragraphs about the books that grab my scattered attention. Whether you've been here since the beginning or signed up five minutes ago, thank you. I'm still baffled anyone reads these things, but I'm grateful all the same.

To mark the occasion, I recorded a late-night solo episode from The Shed, diving deeper into each of my September & October picks: why I chose them, what stayed with me, and the sometimes-unexpected lessons I gleaned from each of them. Or you could just describe it as a guy sitting in his garden shed talking to himself. Your choice.

You can read all of the recommendations here, or, if you're clamoring to receive more emails, you can sign up for the list here.

Thanks for listening, thanks for reading, and here's to 10 more great years of great books.

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BOOKS DISCUSSED:

00:00 — Intro + 10 years of book-rec emails
05:45 — Burn by Peter Heller
11:00 — Jaber Crow by Wendell Berry (related rec)
11:45 — The Way Out by Devon O'Neil
17:10 — Simple Fly Fishing by Yvon Chouinard
21:50 — Pheasant Tail Simplicity by Yvon Chouinard
25:40 — Little Woodchucks by Nick Offerman
29:20 — Dirtbag Billionaire by David Gelles
35:00 — Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (related rec)
35:55 — Apple in China by Patrick McGee
40:45 — When McKinsey Comes to Town (related rec)
42:10 — The Devil's Hand by Jack Carr
46:15 — Closing thoughts

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Devon O'Neil — On Nature's Power and the Price of Adventure Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Devon O'Neil is a journalist, author, and longtime friend of mine whose new book "The Way Out: A True Story of Survival in the Heart of the Rockies" is one of the best pieces of outdoor nonfiction I've read in years. The book tells the harrowing true story of a backcountry ski trip near Leadville, Colorado, that turned tragic—and the years-long process of understanding what really happened, and how a mountain town wrestled with loss, resilience, and the complicated relationship we all have with risk and wild places. It's gripping, deeply reported, and beautifully written—equal parts survival epic, community portrait, and meditation on how we find meaning in the aftermath of tragedy.

Devon has spent more than two decades as a writer and reporter based in Summit County, Colorado, covering everything from adventure sports and avalanches to the cultural and emotional undercurrents of life in mountain towns. Before turning his attention to this book project, he worked in newspapers, wrote for Outside, Men's Journal, and ESPN.com, and somehow managed to balance all of that with being a hardcore athlete and a dedicated dad and husband. He's one of those rare writers whose empathy and endurance match the people that he writes about.

In this conversation, Devon and I dig into the story behind "The Way Out"—how he first heard about the tragedy, earned the trust of a close-knit community, and spent years piecing together a complete and compassionate account. We talk about the ethical tightrope of telling other people's hardest stories, how his own brushes with danger shaped his perspective on risk, and what this project taught him about the fine line between adventure and recklessness. We also get into his childhood growing up on a sailboat in the Virgin Islands, his evolution as a journalist and athlete, and the hard-earned wisdom that comes from spending a lifetime chasing stories in the mountains.

"The Way Out" is available now wherever you get your books, so follow the links in the episode notes to grab your copy. Big thanks to Devon for the chat, and thank you for listening. Enjoy!

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Devon O'Neil
"The Way Out" by Devon O'Neil
Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/devon-oneil/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

2:23 – Intro and finding The Way Out story
6:59 – Making people comfortable
11:10 – The story in Devon's words
16:29 – Mountain town people
20:48 – Lifestyle overlaps
24:20 – Devon's own accidents
30:10 – It's all great until someone gets hurt
33:03 – The bonds of risk
35:18 – Adjustments
39:22 – Growing up on islands
43:43 – How Devon got to Colorado
47:34 – Pros and cons of different types of writing
51:22 – Book writing advice
55:42 – Not just about getting it right
1:00:09 – Book and writer recs

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Carli Kierstead – Wyoming Forests and the Work of Keeping Water Flowing Oct 31, 2025

Show notes

Carli Kierstead is the Forest Program Director for The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming, where she leads efforts to understand and restore some of the West's most critical—and often overlooked—ecosystems. From beetle kill and wildfire to drought, Wyoming's forests face a range of challenges that ripple far beyond the state's borders. These high-country forests are the headwaters of several major river basins, providing water to millions of people across the American West.

In this conversation, Carli and I dig into the past, present, and future of Western forests—how management philosophies have evolved over the decades, what's threatening their health today, and what can be done to make them more resilient in a changing climate. We talk about her team's groundbreaking work using snowtography—a deceptively simple but powerful way to study how forest structure affects snowpack and water supply—and how those findings could help guide future restoration across the Colorado River Basin.

Carli also shares her personal journey from growing up in San Diego to finding her calling in Wyoming's wide-open landscapes, her insights on collaboration and trust-building in conservation, and a few book recommendations that shaped her path. It's a hopeful, science-grounded conversation about water, forests, and how collaboration can shape a more resilient future for the West.

Thanks for listening, hope you enjoy!

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Carli Kierstead
Wyoming forests + TNC
Snowtography short film
Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/carli-kierstead/

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To learn more about The Nature Conservancy's impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

2:34 – Intro and Wyoming forest health
7:16 – Beetle issues
8:30 – Why forest health?
12:35 – Economic benefit of forests
16:28 – Wyoming's claim to water
17:10 – Snowtography
23:18 – Lessons from the snow
27:33 – On the ground impact
33:53 – How it scales
40:42 – Relationship building
46:08 – The tendrils of the Colorado River Basin
46:46 – Carli's environment obsession
52:01 – How to build a relationship
55:10 – Book recs
58:38 – Last thoughts

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Bex Frucht — Story Wrangler! Vibe Steward! One of a Kind! Oct 24, 2025

Show notes

Bex Frucht is a force of nature—a storyteller and community builder whose work blends performance, land, and small-town life in the American West. Based in Livingston, Montana, she's the founder of TMI Live, a storytelling series that celebrates vulnerability, humor, and human connection, and for the past three years, she's been the "vibe steward" of the Old Salt Festival, where her talent for bringing people together has become legendary. Whether she's hosting a show, coaching storytellers, or emceeing a fundraiser, Bex radiates generosity, intelligence, and positivity in a way that elevates every room she's in.

Like so many of my favorite people, her career path is as winding as it is fascinating: a Morehead-Cain Scholar at UNC Chapel Hill, she spent her early years in media and entertainment in New York and Los Angeles, then pivoted to environmental work before landing on a ranch in Colorado to learn about land stewardship from the ground up. Those years on the prairie, combined with her creative life in cities and her Southern roots, helped hone her rare ability to connect seemingly opposite worlds—artists and ranchers, movie stars and cowboys, locals and newcomers—through the shared power of story.

In this conversation recorded at her home in Livingston, we trace her inspiring journey and talk about the lessons she's learned along the way: what it means to find your authentic voice, how storytelling can build bridges across divides, and why embracing your weirdness can be the key to a meaningful life. It's a funny, authentic conversation that's as instructive as it is entertaining. For anyone who's ever wondered how to forge their own path, live creatively, and stay grounded in community, this episode is for you.

Be sure to check out the episode notes for a full list of all the topics we discussed and links to everything. And give Bex a follow on Instagram to stay in the loop about her upcoming storytelling shows and appearances in Montana and beyond.

A big thanks to Bex for her friendship, encouragement, inspiration, and this conversation. And thank you for listening.

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Bex on Instagram
Bex on LinkedIn
Bex's Seven Talk
Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/bex-frucht/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

2:29 - Intro, where Bex grew up and how she got West
10:40 - Grade stress
14:21 - Being yourself so others can be themselves
16:11 - How Bex changed after college
24:11 - Lawyer land ethic to MTV
27:27 - NYC love
28:32 - LA freelancing and leaving MTV
32:49 - Live storytelling
37:24 - Oversharing is caring
42:54 - Starting with the person and Bex's views on food systems
47:31 - It's all messy
54:19 - Lessons from the ranch
1:00:44 - Vibe steward
1:03:52 - Bex's job in Livingston
1:10:11 - Creatives and cowboys
1:19:30 - Relationship currency
1:24:39 - Valuing creatives
1:27:57 - Book recs

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Yvon Chouinard – The Perpetual Pursuit of Simplicity Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

Yvon Chouinard needs no introduction. The founder of Patagonia, pioneer of clean climbing, co-founder of 1% for the Planet, and lifelong advocate for simplicity and wildness, he's one of the world's most influential environmental leaders. Now in his mid-80s, Yvon continues to live, work, and fish by the same principles that have guided him since his dirtbag climbing days: live simply, take responsibility for your impact, and keep finding meaning through deep, direct engagement with nature.

His newest book, "Pheasant Tail Simplicity: Recipes and Techniques for Successful Fly Fishing," distills those philosophies into one of his lifelong passions—fly fishing. Co-authored with his longtime fishing buddies Craig Mathews and Mauro Mazzo, Pheasant Tail Simplicity begins as a guide to tying and fishing with only pheasant-tail flies, and becomes a case study in creativity, restraint, and how simplifying our pursuits can reconnect us to what really matters. You don't have to be a hardcore angler to glean important lessons from the book—its insights can be applied to almost any part of life.

In this conversation, Yvon and I start out talking about fly fishing, of course—but we quickly veer into broader terrain: how constraints can become a path to freedom, how business can be a demonstration of ethics, and how pessimism can serve as a productive form of realism. He shares a ton of amazing stories—learning to fish with a tenkara master in Italy, teaching Crow Reservation children to fly fish, founding 1% for the Planet, why rebellious personalities make the best entrepreneurs, his love of regenerative agriculture, and why he still believes that action—no matter how small—is the cure for depression. It's a wide-ranging, funny, and wise discussion with someone who's spent a lifetime proving that the process is far more important than the outcome.

During our conversation, you'll hear us reference several of Patagonia's pioneers—Kris Tompkins, Rick Ridgeway, and Vincent Stanley—all of whom I've interviewed here on Mountain & Prairie. If you'd like to listen to those episodes or check out their books, there are links in the episode notes.

A huge thank-you to Patagonia, Patagonia Books, Patagonia Fly Fishing, and of course Yvon for the opportunity to have this conversation. Like many of you listeners, I've been deeply influenced by Yvon's work and worldview, so it was a dream come true to sit down with him for a long, relaxed conversation.

Be sure to check out "Pheasant Tail Simplicity" and the many other excellent titles from Patagonia Books. Thanks so much for listening—I hope you enjoy.

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"Pheasant Tail Simplicity"
"Simple Fly Fishing"
Patagonia Books
Patagonia Fly Fishing
M&P Interview with Kris Tompkins
M&P Interview with Rick Ridgeway
M&P interview with Vincent Stanley
Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/yvon-chouinard/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

2:50 - Intro, the blind fisherman in Labrador
5:37 - Why another book about flyfishing?
8:26 - The story of a Japanese tenkara rod
13:00 - It's the action that counts
16:03 - Democratic fly fishing
17:37 - Fishing emergers
19:45 - No shortcuts
25:12 - Simplifying sports
26:30 - Seeking constraints
29:06 - Juvenile delinquent energy
31:46 - A bug's life
36:05 - Origins of 1% for the Planet
40:16 - Yvon's regenerative ag interest
44:15 - Fighting climate change with market forces
46:36 - A happy pessimist
48:34 - Fly fishing forever
53:47 - Action as the anecdote to depression

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Chris Keyes – From Outside to RE:PUBLIC Oct 06, 2025

Show notes

Chris Keyes is the Executive Director of RE:PUBLIC and the former longtime Editor in Chief of Outside magazine. During his decades-long career in journalism, Chris helped guide Outside through some of its most iconic years—publishing award-winning stories, mentoring top writers, and keeping the magazine's adventurous spirit alive in an era of massive change across the media landscape. Earlier this year, after leaving Outside, he launched RE:PUBLIC, a new nonprofit newsroom dedicated to one of his lifelong passions: America's public lands.

RE:PUBLIC was created to fill a growing gap in environmental journalism. At a time when newsroom budgets are shrinking and coverage of conservation and land management issues has nearly disappeared, Chris saw an opportunity to build a publication focused entirely on public lands—how they're managed, who uses them, and why they matter. Structured as a nonprofit, RE:PUBLIC will publish deeply reported, narrative-driven stories that reach across political lines and help readers better understand the forces shaping the landscapes we all share.

In this episode, we talk about what inspired Chris to start RE:PUBLIC, why public lands deserve more consistent and credible coverage, and how he's building a business model that protects editorial independence. We also discuss his years at Outside, the changing nature of journalism, the challenges of freelance writing, and why great storytelling still has the power to cut through the noise and connect people to big ideas.

Be sure to sign up for RE:PUBLIC's free newsletter by following the link in the episode notes. Big thanks to Chris for the fun conversation, and thank you for listening.

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Chris Keyes
RE:PUBLIC
Sign up for the free RE:PUBLIC newsletter
Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/chris-keyes/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

2:00 - Intro, two comments and a question
6:08 - From Outside to RE:PUBLIC
10:57 - Public lands in the mainstream
13:12 - Nonprofit model
18:41 - Preaching to the choir
24:11 - Managing conflict as a people pleaser
29:17 - Journalism institutions and its role today
33:20 - Where it's all going
39:41 - The editing hierarchy
44:27 - How Chris discovered Outside
49:46 - Adding in some personal connection
51:52 - The plan at Duke
57:09 - Book recs
1:00:20 - Wrapping up

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Brad Johnson – Building Trust and Soil Health Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

Brad Johnson is the Senior Regenerative Agriculture Advisor for The Nature Conservancy, where he helps farmers across Idaho and beyond explore new ways of working the land that build healthier soils, stronger operations, and more resilient communities. Brad's path into this work is deeply personal—he grew up on a multi-generational farm in northern Idaho, where as a teenager he saw firsthand how no-till practices could dramatically reduce erosion on the steep, fertile hills of his family's farm. That early "aha moment" set him on a winding path through farming, ranching, research, and even a stint in agricultural sales, before eventually joining TNC in 2019.

In this conversation, Brad and I dig into the practical realities of regenerative agriculture—what it looks like on the ground, why it's both promising and challenging to scale, and how trust and relationships are every bit as important as science and technology. He shares stories from TNC's demonstration farms, where producers are experimenting with new biological practices that reduce reliance on fungicides and pesticides, and from high school programs where the next generation of Idaho farmers are already putting regenerative methods into practice.

Brad's perspective is grounded in lived experience and a genuine respect for the farmers he works with. Whether you're deep in the ag world or simply curious about how food systems can adapt to a changing climate, this episode offers a clear, hopeful look at what's possible when conservation and agriculture work hand in hand.

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Brad Johnson
Regenerative Farming at TNC
Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/brad-johnson/

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To learn more about The Nature Conservancy's impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

2:47 - Intro, 100 years in Idaho
4:52 - Bluegrass sod and Idaho's land
6:53 - No-till drill
9:43 - Buying into no-till
10:54 - From no-till to regenerative
11:40 - Brad's farmer life pre-TNC
14:45 - The TNC introduction
18:46 - Roadblocks to switching to regenerative
20:52 - Examples of regenerative farms
22:54 - Spray to no-spray
28:05 - Another regeneration demonstration farm
31:04 - Success stories
33:27 - Working with a high school
36:34 - Scalability
39:32 - Building trust
41:09 - Looking forward and first steps
43:57 - Podcast recs
45:43 - Wrapping up

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Paul Hendricks – The Conservation Alliance and the Future of Public Lands Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

Paul Hendricks is the Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance, a coalition of more than 270 businesses working together to protect wild places across North America. Founded nearly four decades ago by Patagonia, REI, The North Face, and Kelty, The Conservation Alliance has grown into one of the most important forces in conservation—pooling dollars, influence, and a collective business voice to support grassroots campaigns that keep public lands and waters healthy for generations to come. At a time when those places are under constant pressure, The Conservation Alliance is showing that businesses don't have to sit on the sidelines—they can be a powerful part of the solution.

Paul's own path to this role winds through some of the most interesting corners of the conservation and environmental worlds. After earning a few advanced degrees, he started at Global Greengrants Fund, working with grassroots activists around the globe. He then joined Patagonia's legendary environmental team, where he learned firsthand how a company can weave values into every decision. From there he helped build sustainability programs at Rivian, tackling the climate footprint of a car company from the inside. And woven through all of that is a through-line of humility, service, and adventure.

In this conversation, Paul and I talk about the roots of his love for the outdoors, the mentors and lessons that shaped his career, and what it's like to step into the hot seat as a first-time executive director. We dig into The Conservation Alliance's mission and why business advocacy matters, the current threats facing public lands, and how Paul stays grounded in turbulent times. We also talk about family, leadership, failure, and why hope is not just possible but necessary. It's a candid, thoughtful conversation with someone who's not only shaping the future of conservation, but doing it with humility, persistence, and just enough humor to keep it human.

I've had the privilege of knowing Paul for almost 15 years–we met when he first moved to Colorado, became running and climbing partners, and have logged more hours together in the mountains and had more meaningful conversations than I can count. Watching him grow into this role has been inspiring, both for the positions he's held and for the way he's carried himself along the way.

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Paul Hendricks
The Conservation Alliance
Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/paul-hendricks/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

2:37 – Intro, Ed's one running partner
4:03 – How the outdoors has shaped Paul's career
6:48 – Plan post-college
12:41 – Sunk-cost fallacy
14:22 – Global Greengrants Fund
17:05 – Learning from Rick Ridgeway
20:23 – Lessons from Patagonia
24:25 – Ready for a new challenge
30:00 – Laid off at Rivian
36:02 – Being in charge
38:01 – The Conservation Alliance history
43:07 – TCA within public lands threats
48:58 – What's missing from the public lands story?
51:49 – Paul's role as a leader
56:14 – Role models
59:04 – Getting outdoors now
1:01:10 – Book recs
1:03:09 – 1% for the Planet collab
1:05:14 – Wrapping up

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Kate Williams – Leadership Lessons from the CEO of 1% for the Planet Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

Kate Williams is the CEO of 1% for the Planet, the global nonprofit that has turned a simple idea into a worldwide force for good: businesses committing 1% of their annual revenue to environmental causes. If you've ever spotted that little 1% for the Planet logo on a favorite brand, you've seen Kate's work in action– under her leadership, the organization has grown to more than 4,400 members across more than 110 countries, certifying nearly a billion dollars in giving to date.

Kate's path to this work is anything but conventional, though looking back, it all makes perfect sense. A NOLS course at age 18 opened up new horizons for Kate and gave her a crash course in leadership, responsibility, and the joy of working hard alongside passionate people with a shared purpose. That experience led her into experiential education, then to leading the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, and eventually to 1% for the Planet. Along the way, she's stayed grounded in service and humility, and she has a knack for seeing challenges as opportunities to grow.

In this conversation, Kate and I dig into her personal journey and the philosophy that drives her leadership. We talk about the growth of 1% for the Planet, the credibility it brings to a crowded sustainability space, and why she believes real leadership is built in "small, consistent, humble moments." We also get into her outdoor roots, her parents' influence, the importance of curiosity, and her belief that no matter where you are in life, "the journey continues." It's a wide-ranging, generous conversation with someone who's helping to reshape how businesses and individuals show up for the planet. Enjoy!

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