Safe Travels: A Nature Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve: Geology & Hydrology with Park Ranger Andrew Valdez May 23, 2025

Show notes

Andrew Valdez is a Physical Scientist and is the first, and only, geologist at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. He is a native of Alamosa, Colorado - which is the gateway city to the Great Sand Dunes. Valdez was hired full-time with the NPS in 1994 and his work as a geologist helped lead the Great Sand Dunes to national park status.

In this conversation, Andrew and I chatted all about the geology and hydrology of this magnificent landscape.

It was such an honor to have Andrew join the podcast. He is filled with incredible passion and knowledge for the Great Sand Dunes.
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Preparing for the Pacific Crest Trail with Ultrarunner Mak Regan May 16, 2025

Show notes

Mak Regan is an ultrarunner based out of Colorado. Mak has an amazing running resume, including competing in multiple 100-mile races. In addition to running, Mak is a chemical engineer and has a passion for thru-hiking and the great outdoors.

Soon, she will be taking off to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), a trail that spans 2,650 miles from the southern border in California to the northern border in Washington state.

In our conversation together, Mak and I talk about her preparation for the PCT, food logistics, her passion for the outdoors and the amazing online community that she has built.

Grateful to have had Mak on the podcast! A full-circle moment for us as we've known each other since the early days of elementary school.

The episode will also be available on YouTube.
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Glacier National Park: Bears & Carnivores with Wildlife Biologist John Waller May 09, 2025

Show notes

John Waller is a Park Ranger and Wildlife Biologist at Glacier National Park. He has spent over 20-years at the park and has accomplished many incredible feats during his tenure with the National Park Service.

In this conversation, John and I go in-depth on grizzly bears and the carnivores that roam Glacier National Park. We cover grizzly behavior, share stories about John's incredible wildlife encounters, visitor and carnivore safety, plus a whole lot more.

Big thanks to John for joining me on the podcast! I think this is one of our most authentic conversations yet.

You can also watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ofojKsauwYg
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Glacier National Park: Geology, Park History & General Info with Park Ranger Diane Sine May 02, 2025

Show notes

Park Ranger Diane Sine is a fixture at Glacier National Park. She's been recreating and working at the park for 45 summers and is currently the Lead Interpreter at Many Glacier.

In this podcast, Diane and I chatted about her journey with the National Park Service, the geology of Glacier National Park, park history and general information surrounding trip planning to this majestic setting.

Diane is an incredible human whose dedicated her life to telling the stories of one of America's most iconic national parks.

The episode is also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bVrSq5bYR8E
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Captain, Champion & Conservationist with Hockey Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer Mar 28, 2025

Show notes

Scott Niedermayer is a four-time NHL Stanley Cup Champion, two-time Olympic Hockey Gold Medalist as the captain for team Canada and is a Hockey Hall of Famer. Scott is widely considered to be one of the best defensemen in NHL history and the greatest winner of his generation. In addition to his illustrious professional hockey career, Niedermayer is a conservationist with a deep passion for the outdoors.

Scott's love for nature developed throughout his childhood while being raised in beautiful Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada. In this podcast we talk about Niedermayer's love for the outdoors, the steps he's taken to further his understanding of the natural world and his current involvement with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative.

Here is where you can find more information on Y2Y: https://y2y.net/

The full podcast is also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JfAXmHszI5U
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Protect our Parks with Former Park Ranger Kenan Chan Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

Kenan Chan is one of the 1,000 NPS Park Rangers that were recently wrongfully terminated. Kenan was a Biological Science Technician at Channel Islands National Park that focused on long term monitoring of kelp forests and intertidal ecosystems.

Kenan's work with the NPS was incredibly impactful for visitors and the ecosystems within the park. In our podcast together, Kenan and I chatted about his journey, the current challenges that the National Park Service is facing, how rangers were terminated and what visitors can do to support the parks.

Here is Kenan's website: https://www.kenanchanphotography.com/New-site/About/About

The full podcast will also be available on YouTube.
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Death Valley Dark Sky Festival: Galaxy Evolution with Dr. Cameron Hummels Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Cameron Hummels is an astrophysicist and research scientist at Caltech focused on the formation and evolution of galaxies. Cameron and I recorded this episode at Death Valley National Park during their Dark Sky Festival.

In this podcast, Dr. Hummels discussed the formation and evolution of galaxies, supercomputers, his journey through Death Valley, Occupy Mars, and much more!

It was an honor getting to chat with Dr. Hummels, I had an absolute blast meeting him. I left the Dark Sky Festival absolutely enthralled and fascinated with space.

For more information on Caltech Astronomy: https://www.astro.caltech.edu/

View the full podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QenYStu130A
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Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation: Cultural Significance of the Redwood Tree with Chairperson Jeri Lynn Thompson Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

We're back among the redwoods! This time, we're at the mouth of the Smith River at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park in Northern California. We were very lucky to be joined by the Chairperson of Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, Jeri Lynn Thompson.

Jeri and I chatted about Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation and their history, their relationship with the National Park Service today, the cultural significance of the redwood tree and much more.

Chairperson Jeri Lynn Thompson is incredible. The story of the Tolowa Dee-ni' people is beyond special.

I hope you love this episode! The history of the ancestral tribes adds so much context to what you're seeing when you visit each of our National Parks.
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Saguaro National Park: Geology, Biology & Ecology of the Saguaro Cactus with Biologist Lucas Hetherington Jan 31, 2025

Show notes

We've arrived at Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona! In episode one from Saguaro, we're joined by Lucas Hetherington who is a biologist at the park.

In our conversation, Lucas and I chatted about the geology of the Rincon and Tucson mountains, the biology of the Saguaro Cactus and the many interactions that the keystone species has with the Sonoran Desert.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Lucas and I am so thankful for all of their work in the park.

You can watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dRJt0mbVk30
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Redwood National & State Parks: A Comeback Story with Superintendent Steve Mietz Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

There's an incredible story unfolding at Redwood National & State Parks. Redwood National Park Superintendent, Steve Mietz, joined the podcast to discuss the amazing restoration efforts that are happening with the redwood forests in Northern California.

The parks are focused on restoration as opposed to preservation. In addition to restoring old-growth redwood forests, Superintendent Mietz also discussed the reintroduction of the California Condor.

One huge side effect of the current restoration efforts it's the revival of the cultural heritage in this area with many local tribes.

Superintendent Mietz is incredible. I had such a blast spending time with him, I hope you enjoy this episode.

You can also watch this full podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FsC-A4SPaZU
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