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A horse walking on grass with wildflowers and blue mountains in the distance.
Mountain & Prairie Podcast In partnership with the Colorado Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, M&P will be releasing one episode a month featuring TNC leaders and topics. © Mountain & Prairie
Stories in Colorado

Nature Podcasts for All

Tune in to Mountain & Prairie for exclusive conservation stories, updates, advice and more from TNC leaders and host Ed Roberson.

Last updated December 01, 2024

Add some nature to your queue!

On the fourth Tuesday of every month, the Mountain & Prairie podcast brings you 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.

Recognized by the Aspen Institute, Apple Podcasts, High Country News, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and more—and regularly ranked in the top ten of its category on the podcast charts—Mountain & Prairie features long-form conversations with innovators of the American West. Through informal yet substantive conversations, conservationist Ed Roberson introduces you to these fascinating characters, giving you a better understanding of their careers, influences and outlooks, as well as a deeper appreciation for life in the American West.

Latest Release

 

Science as a Catalyst for Human Connection

Nichole Barger is an ecologist, former university professor, and the current deputy chief scientist and lead global scientist for The Nature Conservancy. Whether she’s teaching, researching, or working with conservation stakeholders, she never loses sight of the importance of human connection.

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A headshot of a woman in a sweater outside.
Green plants growing from dirt.
Three people sitting at picnic tables.
A group of indigenous people smiling with certificates outdoors.
A headshot of a woman in a sweater outside.

Nichole Barger: Nichole serves as the deputy chief scientist and lead global scientist for The Nature Conservancy (TNC). © Garrett Herndon

Green plants growing from dirt.

Nichole Barger: Previously, she was the research director of the Canyonlands Research Center located at the Dugout Ranch. © Stuart Ruckman

Three people sitting at picnic tables.

Center Pavilion: The Canyonlands Research Center has several gathering spaces for groups of researchers to convene. © Stuart Ruckman Photography

A group of indigenous people smiling with certificates outdoors.

2022 NATURE Program Grads: The NATURE program, Native American Tribes Upholding Restoration and Education, is a paid internship program at TNC in Utah's Canyonlands Research Center and Dugout Ranch. © TNC

Effecting Change Through Authentic Conversation

February 2023 | Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is a world-renowned climate scientist, professor, and chief scientist for TNC. Ed and Katharine dive into a riveting conversation about climate opportunities and challenges facing the West and how to have challenging conversations with smart people who do not think that climate change is a threat.

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A photo of a woman kneeling outside in grass smiling with a barn in the background.
An aerial image of a field covered in solar panels and a sunset.
A woman standing in a theater at a podium talking to a room full of people.
A view from below of tall white aspen trees.
A photo of a woman kneeling outside in grass smiling with a barn in the background.

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe: Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy. © Ashley Rodgers / Texas Tech University

An aerial image of a field covered in solar panels and a sunset.

Solar project: Aerial image of the Maricopa West solar project site in the San Joaquin Valley, near the town of Taft, California. © Stuart Palley

A woman standing in a theater at a podium talking to a room full of people.

Hope in Action: Katharine Hayhoe speaking in Wyoming about how to talk about climate change by first finding common ground. © Noah Waldron

A view from below of tall white aspen trees.

Aspen Popsicles: The aspen forest in Steamboat Springs, CO was frozen and stunning with a deep blue sky above on January 21, 2019. © Anita Merrigan/TNC Photo Contest 2019

Creating Opportunities in Uncertain Times

January 2023 | How did the pandemic impact and alter conservation? What are the different pathways to a career in conservation? In this episode, Ed Roberson and Carlos Fernandez, state director for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, answer these questions and more to kick off the podcast partnership.

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A headshot of a man smiling at the camera with trees in the background.
A large group of people huddled together smiling at the camera with mountains in the background.
A person standing knee deep in a river, holding a fish that they just caught.
A woman sitting in a car looking out of the window with binoculars.
A headshot of a man smiling at the camera with trees in the background.

Carlos Fernandez: State Director for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. © Lauryn Wachs/TNC

A large group of people huddled together smiling at the camera with mountains in the background.

TNC Colorado Staff Retreat: In Fall of 2023, TNC Colorado staff gathered at TNC's Silver Mountain Ranch Preserve for annual staff retreat. © Alexa Garcia/TNC

A person standing knee deep in a river, holding a fish that they just caught.

Community Fly Fishing at Phantom Canyon: Community Fly Fishing (CFF) at TNC's Phantom Canyon Preserve. In 2023, TNC began hosting Austin Campbell and CFF at Phantom Canyon. CFF increases access to the outdoors by creating free fly fishing learning opportunities across Colorado for those who do not have experience. © Ivan Orsic

A woman sitting in a car looking out of the window with binoculars.

In the field: TNC staff work in a variety of environments, from an office desk to our most remote preserves. © Anna Sofia Vera/TNC

Durable Conservation and Collective Action

December 2023 | Nature had a year of great conservation progress and innovation, and 2024 will be even greater. In this podcast episode, discover TNC's top priorities that we're working to accomplish in Colorado and beyond.

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A woman smiling at a camera for a professional headshot.
Purple wildflowers growing on grass in a valley with mountains and sunset in the background.
Yellow flowers growing in grass with a cloudy blue sky.
An up close shot of water flowing and reflecting the sun.
A woman smiling at a camera for a professional headshot.

Paige Lewis: Deputy State Director and Director of Conservation Programs for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. © Lauryn Wachs/TNC

Purple wildflowers growing on grass in a valley with mountains and sunset in the background.

Conservation: TNC is working in every landscape of Colorado to protect the lands and waters on which all life depends. © Ethan Herrold/TNC Photo Contest 2019

Yellow flowers growing in grass with a cloudy blue sky.

2023 Acquisitions: TNC CO completed the first phase of acquiring Bohart Ranch, 48,000 acres in southeast Colorado. © Tegan May/TNC

An up close shot of water flowing and reflecting the sun.

Collaborative Water Projects: TNC is working with partners, communities, Tribal Nations, and other stakeholders to ensure a sustainable future for the Colorado River. © Erika Nortemann/TNC

The West’s Renewable Energy Transition

What's going on in the world of renewable energy? TNC renewable energy and climate experts Peter Gower and Chris Menges join Ed to provide digestible updates on our transition from fossil fuels to renewables, as we work to find solutions that protect lands, wildlife and communities.

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A headshot of a man smiling at the camera in a button down shirt.
A headshot of a blonde man smiling at the camera with a button down shirt.
A wind turbine on rolling grasslands.
Wind turbines on rolling hills and blue skies.
Sun flowers growing in between solar panels on the ground.
A headshot of a man smiling at the camera in a button down shirt.

Peter Gower: Peter is TNC's Climate and Renewable Energy Program Director for the Western United States and Canada Divisions. © Courtesy Peter Gower

A headshot of a blonde man smiling at the camera with a button down shirt.

Chris Menges: Chris is the Director of Climate Action for TNC in Colorado. © TNC

A wind turbine on rolling grasslands.

Renewable Energy: Wind turbines above TNC's Hole In The Mountain Prairie near Lake Benton, Minnesota. © Richard Hamilton Smith

Wind turbines on rolling hills and blue skies.

The transition: TNC is advancing transition from fossil fuels to renewables, working to find solutions that protect and benefit working lands, natural landscapes, wildlife, and communities. © Kent Mason

Sun flowers growing in between solar panels on the ground.

Agrivoltaics: TNC is using the learnings gleaned from Jack’s Solar Farm and planting vegetation with hopes to create a wildlife-friendly solar site. © Joanna Kulesza

Conservation in the Cascades

Dr. Emily Howe is an aquatic ecologist with the Washington state chapter of TNC. Combining cutting-edge science with Indigenous knowledge, Emily and TNC are making great progress toward finding solutions that can help with everything from increasing the depth and duration of snowpack in the Cascades to restoring salmon habitat and much more.

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A blonde woman smiling at the camera with the ocean in the background.
A woman wearing winter clothes standing on snowy ground and looking into a valley with snow-covered pine trees.
A woman looking at a camera attached to a tree in the snow.
A woman scientist measuring something on the ground in the snow.
A blonde woman smiling at the camera with the ocean in the background.

Dr. Emily Howe: Emily is an aquatic ecologist with the Washington chapter of TNC and holds a Ph.D. from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. © Kelly Compton

A woman wearing winter clothes standing on snowy ground and looking into a valley with snow-covered pine trees.

Science-led: Emily’s projects stretch from the high peaks of the North Cascades all the way down to the estuary of Port Susan Bay. © Hannah Letinich

A woman looking at a camera attached to a tree in the snow.

Research: TNC staff visit a Snotel site, check time lapse camera status and measure snowpack. Emily Howe checks on an outdoor time-lapse camera. © Hannah Letinich

A woman scientist measuring something on the ground in the snow.

Washington State: TNC staff visit a Snotel site, check time lapse camera status and measure snowpack. Emily Howe measures snow depth at the perimeter of the snotel site. © Hannah Letinich

Lands

 

The Creation of Great Sand Dunes National Park

Back in 1999, TNC acquired the Medano-Zapata Ranch in the San Luis Valley due to the significant natural value of the land, with some species found nowhere else in the world. In this episode, Ed and Nancy Fishbein dive into the history of the ranch, the conservation bison herd that calls the land home, and the establishment of Great Sand Dunes NP.

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A woman with brown hair smiling at the camera for a headshot.
Large sand dunes with blue mountains in the background.
A herd of bison grazing on grasslands.
A field of yellow blooming flowers with sand dunes and blue mountains in the background.
A woman with brown hair smiling at the camera for a headshot.

Nancy Fishbein: Director of Resilient Lands for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. © Lauryn Wachs

Large sand dunes with blue mountains in the background.

San Luis Valley: Sunrise at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. © Erika Nortemann/TNC

A herd of bison grazing on grasslands.

Conservation Bison Herd: Bison grazing on the Zapata Ranch with the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Sangre de Cristo mountains in the background in Colorado. © Nick Hall

A field of yellow blooming flowers with sand dunes and blue mountains in the background.

Diverse landscape: This diverse habitat view, photographed from the Medano Zapata ranch, shows flowering prairie, The Great Sand Dunes National Park and the distant Sangre de Cristo mountains of southern Colorado. © Wendy Shattil & Bob Rozinski

Western Wildfires and Forest Health

June 2023 | What’s the outlook for wildfire season? How can beavers play a role in fire mitigation? Tune in as Rob Addington, TNC's director of forest and fire programs in Colorado, answers these questions and more, diving into our forest restoration and climate resilience work in Colorado.

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An aerial view of a forest. Half of it is burned by wildfire, and the other half is still a healthy green pine tree forest.
A headshot of Rob Addington, a white man with brown hair and a bear.
A baby tree planted in the ground next to a log burned by wildfire, and a shovel to plant the tree.
An aerial view of a healthy, green forest full of pine trees.
Three volunteers with hard hats and vests walking through a forest burned by wildfire.
An aerial view of a forest. Half of it is burned by wildfire, and the other half is still a healthy green pine tree forest.

Edge of Burn: Parkview Mountain, west of CO-125 in Grand County, CO. © Jason Houston

A headshot of Rob Addington, a white man with brown hair and a bear.

Rob Addington: Rob is the Director of Forest and Fire Programs at The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. © Lauryn Wachs/TNC

A baby tree planted in the ground next to a log burned by wildfire, and a shovel to plant the tree.

Reforestation: Replanting a double-burn scar forest - first burned by the High Park fire in 2012 and again by the Cameron Peak fire in 2020. © PrylinskiProductions.

An aerial view of a healthy, green forest full of pine trees.

Lodgepole Pine: TNC and partners are working hard to find collaborative, creative, and effective solutions to the challenges facing our forests here in the West. © Mark Godfrey/TNC

Three volunteers with hard hats and vests walking through a forest burned by wildfire.

Collaboration: Alongside partners and volunteers, TNC has been leading and implementing some of the most innovative forest health work in the country. © PrylinskiProductions

Grassland Conservation on the Southern High Plains

April 2023 | Did you know grasslands are the least protected ecosystem in the world? Matt Moorhead and Galen Guerrero-Murphy join Ed Roberson to dive into TNC's collaborative and innovative conservation work in the Southern High Plains, 71 million acres across Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

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Two people walking across green grasslands.
A lesser prairie chicken jumping into the air with its wings covering its face.
Two people looking through binoculars into a canyon.
A group of pronghorn running off into grasslands.
A horse walking on a ranch with snow capped mountains in the background.
Two people walking across green grasslands.

Bartlett Mesa: Acquisition of the Bartlett Mesa property in New Mexico builds on cross-border conservation and provides benefits for people and nature. © Brad Cory/TNC

A lesser prairie chicken jumping into the air with its wings covering its face.

Biodiversity: The lesser prairie chicken is emblematic of grasslands. © Mike Krehbiel/TNC Photo Contest 2023

Two people looking through binoculars into a canyon.

Building Relationships: TNC and partners are building long-term partnerships with landowners and conservation partners to find win-win solutions that can be mutually beneficial for all parties. © Lauryn Wachs/TNC

A group of pronghorn running off into grasslands.

Habitat Connectivity: Pronghorn have the longest land migration of mammals in the U.S. Conservation of the Southern High Plains is critical to their habitat connectivity. © Steven G. Mlodinow

A horse walking on a ranch with snow capped mountains in the background.

Silver Mountain Ranch Preserve: This 14,000-acre working cattle and bison ranch in Colorado has a broad range of habitats and wildlife, such as elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep and black bear. © Jason Houston

The Sagebrush Sea Is Vanishing

September 2023 | The Sagebrush Sea, one of the largest natural systems in North America, is shrinking at an alarming rate—1 million acres per year. Matt Cahill, TNC's Sagebrush Sea program director, joins Ed Roberson to dive into the groundbreaking innovation, collaboration and partnerships we are applying to save this diverse ecosystem.

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A selfie of a man smiling at the camera with a lake in the background.
A small grey rabbit stands tall on dirt in the dark.
A greater sage grouse bird facing away from the camera in sagebrush.
A large ranch with colorful native wildflowers, grass, and sagebrush.
Sagebrush plant at golden hour during sunset.
A selfie of a man smiling at the camera with a lake in the background.

Matt Cahill: The Nature Conservancy's Sagebrush Sea Program Director. © Matt Cahill

A small grey rabbit stands tall on dirt in the dark.

The Endangered Pygmy Rabbit: Pygmy rabbits rely on a landscape of mature sagebrush that has been repeatedly damaged or fragmented by development and extreme wildfires. © Morgan Heim

A greater sage grouse bird facing away from the camera in sagebrush.

Greater sage-grouse: The sagebrush sea provides habitat for wildlife like the greater sage-grouse. © Tatiana Gettelman

A large ranch with colorful native wildflowers, grass, and sagebrush.

Native Forbs and Sagebrush: An abundance of grass, sagebrush, and native wildflowers at the McCoy Ranch in Montana. © Thomas Lee

Sagebrush plant at golden hour during sunset.

Rolling Grasslands and Plains: Sagebrush once stretched across almost 500,000 square miles from the Dakotas to California. © Chip Carroon

Tales from the Dugout Ranch

In 1997, Heidi Redd sold her family’s Utah ranch to TNC, located at the gateway to Canyonlands NP and within the boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument, in a historic conservation deal to protect the land from development. Discover the rich history and partnership on the ranch with Heidi and Sue Bellagamba, TNC's Canyonlands Regional Director.

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A close up image of a woman smiling, wearing a cowgirl hat and a red bandana.
A photo of a woman smiling at the camera while on a raft and wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a life vest.
A close up image of a brown horse and red canyon rocks behind.
A group of horses grazing on a grass field and a red rock arch in the background.
A man on a horse wrangling a group of cows on a ranch.
A close up image of a woman smiling, wearing a cowgirl hat and a red bandana.

Heidi Redd: Heidi is a renowned rancher, conservationist, author, and member of the National Cowgirl Museum’s Hall of Fame. © Ted Wood

A photo of a woman smiling at the camera while on a raft and wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a life vest.

Sue Bellagamba: Sue serves as Canyonlands Regional Director at TNC, and for more than thirty years, she has worked to protect the lands and waters of southeastern Utah. © TNC

A close up image of a brown horse and red canyon rocks behind.

Canyonlands Friends: The Canyonlands Research Center is located within Dugout Ranch, a working ranch that doubles as a home to ranch lessee Heidi Redd and several ranch animals. © Stuart Ruckman Photography

A group of horses grazing on a grass field and a red rock arch in the background.

Dugout Ranch: Horses graze in the landscape of the Dugout Ranch in Utah. © Stuart Ruckman

A man on a horse wrangling a group of cows on a ranch.

Herding: Topher Dalrymple ropes the calves in the coral at the Dugout Ranch, Utah. © Ted Wood

Collaboration in the Northern Great Plains

The Matador Ranch, a 60,000-acre TNC-owned property near Dodson, Montana, is home to an innovative conservation initiative known as a grassbank, which offers ranchers grazing access to rich grasses in exchange for adopting sustainable practices. Discover the exciting ins and outs of grassbanks and how they provide opportunities in times of drought.

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A selfie of a woman on grassland plains wearing a ball cap.
A headshot of a blond woman wearing a jean jacket and standing on a ranch.
Cows grazing on grass on a ranch.
A pronghorn on grasslands.
A greater sage grouse standing on grasslands.
A selfie of a woman on grassland plains wearing a ball cap.

Kelsey Molloy: Kelsey Molloy is the Northern Great Plains Director at The Nature Conservancy. © TNC

A headshot of a blond woman wearing a jean jacket and standing on a ranch.

Angel DeVries: Angel DeVries is the Executive Director of the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA). © RSA

Cows grazing on grass on a ranch.

Grassbanks: This partnership opportunity offers ranchers grazing access to rich grasses in exchange for adopting sustainable practices on their own property. © Brett Kuxhausen

A pronghorn on grasslands.

Pronghorn: Through TNC and partners' efforts at Matador Ranch, species like pronghorn can coexist with ranching and have plentiful habitat to forage and thrive. © Brett Kuxhausen

A greater sage grouse standing on grasslands.

Greater Sage-Grouse: The greater sage-grouse thrives in healthy grassland habitats like those found at the Matador Ranch. © Jeremy Roberts | Conservation Media LLC

Keeping Jackson Hole Wild and Beautiful

Why do we practice prescribed fire? What did we learn from the historic 1988 fires in Yellowstone? Kevin Krasnow, fire ecologist and Conservation Director for the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, joins host Ed Roberson to discuss the important role of wildfire in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, lessons learned from the 1988 fires in Yellowstone, and TNC's work growing the prescribed fire workforce.

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A red fox pounces into snowy ground.
A wide river flows through a forest with pine trees and hills at sunset.
A herd of pronghorn running towards the camera with snow on the ground.
A river flowing through a forest of pine trees with a geiser in the background.
A red fox pounces into snowy ground.

Winter in Yellowstone National: This fox spent a great deal of time trying to catch a mouse under the snow in a meadow. This time the mouse won and the fox went elsewhere. © Lin Teichman/TNC Photo Contest

A wide river flows through a forest with pine trees and hills at sunset.

Yellowstone National Park: An overcast river's edge in Yellowstone National Park. © Dylan Rorabaugh

A herd of pronghorn running towards the camera with snow on the ground.

Biodiversity: A herd of pronghorn migrate through Yellowstone National Park. © Matthew Scott / TNC Photo Contest

A river flowing through a forest of pine trees with a geiser in the background.

Riverside Geyser: Riverside Geyser // While photographing Riverside Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in the USA, I experimented with a slow shutter speed to put a little movement into this spectacularly located geyser. © Mark Johnson/TNC Photo Contest 2021

Waters

 

Solving Challenges with Ancient Tribal Wisdom

July 2023 | As vice chair of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, trustee for TNC Colorado and the first-ever Tribal member on the Colorado Water Conservation Board, discover how Lorelei Cloud is applying her expertise to complex challenges in the basin.

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A headshot of a Native American woman with glasses smiling at the camera being sworn into a government position.
A reservoir with low water levels and dried up stream paths.
A group of buffalo walking on grass with sand dunes and mountains in the background.
A stream flowing through green agricultural landscape.
A luscious green pine tree forest with snow-capped mountains in the background.
A headshot of a Native American woman with glasses smiling at the camera being sworn into a government position.

Lorelei Cloud: Lorelei Cloud is the Vice Chairman of the Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council, and a board member for the Colorado Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. © Jeremy Wade Shockley

A reservoir with low water levels and dried up stream paths.

Green Mountain Reservoir: Low water levels in Green Mountain Reservoir in Heeney north of Silverthorn, CO. May 20, 2021. Drone photograph. © Jason Houston

A group of buffalo walking on grass with sand dunes and mountains in the background.

Grazing Buffalo Herd: A buffalo herd grazes in grasslands at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains adjacent to the Great Sand Dunes National Park at Medano-Zapata Ranch in southern Colorado. © Dave Showalter

A stream flowing through green agricultural landscape.

Streams: A stream flows through an agricultural landscape. © Jeremy Wade Shockley

A luscious green pine tree forest with snow-capped mountains in the background.

SUIT Mountain: A beautiful landscape of snow-capped mountains and pine trees. © Trennie Collins

Innovation in the Colorado River Basin

March 2023 | Taylor Hawes, TNC's Colorado River program director, provides background on the river basin’s challenges and how TNC is working to solve these problems by building community support, working collaboratively with Tribal Nations and helping agricultural producers become more efficient.

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A woman standing in front of a river and trees, smiling for a headshot.
A wide river flowing through the grand canyon's red rock mesa canyons.
A person standing in a river fly fishing.
A man walking through a flooded agricultural area next to a stream.
Sunset reflexing on a wide flowing river.
A woman standing in front of a river and trees, smiling for a headshot.

Taylor Hawes: Director, Colorado River Program © Matthew Staver

A wide river flowing through the grand canyon's red rock mesa canyons.

Colorado River: Snow is an important factor in determining the amount of water that flows into the Colorado River system each year. © Tom Till

A person standing in a river fly fishing.

Fly Fishing: Fishing the Blue River in Summit County, Colorado. © Lauryn Wachs/TNC

A man walking through a flooded agricultural area next to a stream.

Collaboration: TNC and partners are collaborating with agricultural producers to help them become more efficient. © Jason Houston

Sunset reflexing on a wide flowing river.

Yampa River: Sunset on the Yampa River at Carpenter Ranch in Northwest Colorado. © John Fielder

Resilient Rivers, Agriculture and Communities

November 2023 | Water experts Diana Lane and Aaron Derwingson join Ed Roberson to discuss some of Colorado's most urgent water-related challenges and opportunities and how TNC is working with a wide range of stakeholders to find mutually beneficial solutions.

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A headshot of a woman wearing glasses with curly hair, smiling in front of trees.
A man in a plaid shirt standing in front of dam full of water.
An aerial image of agricultural fields and plots intersected by a river.
A large agricultural field being irrigated.
A tractor driving on an agricultural field with mountains in the background.
A headshot of a woman wearing glasses with curly hair, smiling in front of trees.

Diana Lane: Director of Sustainable Food and Water, Colorado. © Lauryn Wachs

A man in a plaid shirt standing in front of dam full of water.

Aaron Derwingson: Aaron is The Nature Conservancy's Water Projects Director, Colorado River Program. © The Nature Conservancy

An aerial image of agricultural fields and plots intersected by a river.

Colorado Fields: Agricultural fields near Grand Junction, CO. © The Nature Conservancy (Ken Geiger)

A large agricultural field being irrigated.

Reducing Water Demands: Irrigation for fields on Florida Mesa south of Durango, CO is fed by the Florida River. June 17, 2021 © Jason Houston

A tractor driving on an agricultural field with mountains in the background.

Colorado farming: (ALL INTERNAL RIGHTS, LIMITED EXTERNAL) 2013. Ute Farm and Ranch in Towaoc, Colorado. Photo credit: © Mark Skalny for The Nature Conservancy © Mark Skalny

Building Trust with Indigenous Communities

Celene Hawkins, Tribal Water Partnerships Program Director at The Nature Conservancy’s Colorado River Program, and Izabella Ruffino, Tribal and Indigenous Engagement Program Manager at TNC in Colorado, join Ed to discuss building trust and solid relationships, recent collaborations with Tribal Nations and recommended resources for deeper learning.

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A woman smiling and looking to the side.
A wide blue river flowing through wetlands.
A woman smiling softly at the camera while sitting next to a flower bed.
An aerial shot of a wide river flowing in many directions between green trees and mesas.
A woman smiling and looking to the side.

Celene Hawkins: Celene is the Tribal Water Partnerships Program Director at The Nature Conservancy’s Colorado River Program. © Celene Hawkins

A wide blue river flowing through wetlands.

San Juan River: The Conservancy joined state, federal and Native American partners in a comprehensive effort to restore the river, a major waterway of the Colorado River Basin. © Erika Nortemann/TNC

A woman smiling softly at the camera while sitting next to a flower bed.

Izabella Ruffino: Tribal and Indigenous Engagement Program Manager at the Colorado Chapter for The Nature Conservancy. © Izabella Ruffino

An aerial shot of a wide river flowing in many directions between green trees and mesas.

San Juan River. Farmington, NM: July 2023. San Juan River, Farmington, New Mexico. © Roberto Rosales

A Simple Approach to Riparian Restoration

Do you like beavers? Well then, you'll enjoy this episode. Discover how TNC experts are improving our streams in the West by adding simple structures made of natural materials to simulate processes like beaver dams in streams and wetlands.

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A blonde woman smiling at the camera with a stream in the background.
An aerial image of riparian wetlands and people working on the stream
A headshot of a blonde man smiling at the camera with a button down shirt.
A stream flowing through green grass meadows and trees in the background.
A blonde woman smiling at the camera with a stream in the background.

Nancy Smith: Conservation Director for TNC's Colorado River Program. © TNC

An aerial image of riparian wetlands and people working on the stream

Riparian Restoration: An aerial view of stream restoration work. © Jeremy Roberts

A headshot of a blonde man smiling at the camera with a button down shirt.

Austin Rempel: Riparian Restoration Program Manager at The Nature Conservancy. © TNC

A stream flowing through green grass meadows and trees in the background.

Wetlands: Both Nancy and Austin are working on the front lines of some of the West’s most innovative water and habitat conservation projects. © Harold E. Malde

Communities

 

Using Nature to Build Healthier Communities

May 2023 | What is urban conservation? How can cities help balance the needs of people & nature in a hotter and drier future? Chris Hawkins, Colorado Cities program director, joins Ed Roberson to discuss the important work that TNC & our partners are doing to improve urban tree canopy, climate resilience and more in the Denver Metro area.

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Four hands of different skin tones moving dirt around a tree planterbed.
A group of people of different ages helping plant a tree in the ground.
A person picking up trash in a green, shaded park with many trees.
A woman wearing a construction vest flexing her strong arms.
Four hands of different skin tones moving dirt around a tree planterbed.

GES Denver Tree Planting: A community-led tree planting celebration in Globeville, Elyria-Swansea in Denver in fall 2019. © Kevin Mohatt

A group of people of different ages helping plant a tree in the ground.

GES Tree Planting 2019: A community-led tree planting celebration in Globeville, Elyria-Swansea, Denver in Fall 2019. © Kevin Mohatt

A person picking up trash in a green, shaded park with many trees.

Parks, Rivers, Trails and Trees 2022: Citywide stewardship day in Denver, Colorado. © © Evan Semón Photography

A woman wearing a construction vest flexing her strong arms.

GES Tree Planting 2018: Tree planting effort on October 13, 2018. More than 120 volunteers came together in the Denver neighborhoods of Globeville & Elyria-Swansea (GES) to plant >400 plants. © Christopher Hawkins/TNC

Approaching Conservation in Nevada with Empathy

From mining for rare earth metals to groundwater for agriculture, Ed Roberson joins Mauricia Baca, State Director for The Nature Conservancy in Nevada, to discover how TNC is addressing very unique conservation challenges across the state.

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A headshot of a woman with short hair.
An aerial image of green hills with rivers flowing through.
A landscape image of sagebrush on rolling hills.
An aerial image of agricultural lands.
A landscape image of mountains reflecting off of a large pond on the ground.
A headshot of a woman with short hair.

Mauricia Baca: TNC Nevada State Director Mauricia Baca © The Nature Conservancy

An aerial image of green hills with rivers flowing through.

River Fork Ranch Preserve: Aerial view of River Fork Ranch Preserve in the Carson Valley © Chip Carroon/TNC

A landscape image of sagebrush on rolling hills.

Sagebrush Sea: The “sagebrush sea” covers 150 million acres of 13 states, including this Nevada landscape. © Chip Carroon/TNC

An aerial image of agricultural lands.

Diamond Valley: Aerial view of agriculture in Diamond Valley © Chip Carroon/TNC

A landscape image of mountains reflecting off of a large pond on the ground.

River Fork Ranch Preserve: River Fork Ranch Preserve is located where the east and west forks of the Carson River meet. © Chip Carroon/TNC

Catalyzing Innovation in Conservation

August 2023 | With our ambitious conservation goals, innovation is a necessity. This episode dives into TNC CO's Catalyst Fund, a cutting-edge conservation funding initiative that supports forward-looking projects that enable innovation and rapid learning to test new ideas and build greater capacity for innovation over the long term.

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A woman standing on vast sand dunes with mountains in the background.
A man kneeling on the ground in an agricultural field with solar panels.
A group of people gathered under a solar panel with plants to plant in the ground underneath.
A bird perched on top of a solar panel with clouds in the sky.
A woman standing on vast sand dunes with mountains in the background.

Carrie Segil: People and Culture Manager at The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. © TNC

A man kneeling on the ground in an agricultural field with solar panels.

Duncan Gilchrist and Agrivoltaics: Duncan Gilchrist, TNC CO Climate Policy Associate, at the site of an agrivoltaics project, the colocation of solar energy and food production, that TNC Colorado is working on alongside community partners near Boulder, Colorado. © Charlene Din/TNC

A group of people gathered under a solar panel with plants to plant in the ground underneath.

Agrivoltaics: A project funded by TNC CO's Catalyst Fund is an agrivoltaics site, which is when agriculture and solar panels are located in the same place. © Rhianna Truex (DAR)

A bird perched on top of a solar panel with clouds in the sky.

Jack’s Solar Farm: TNC is using the learnings gleaned from Jack’s Solar Farm and planting vegetation with hopes to create a wildlife-friendly solar site. © Joanna Kulesza

Tribal-Led Buffalo Restoration

October 2023 | Restoration is more than about land—American buffalo are returning to Tribal lands. Hear from Corissa Busse, Buffalo Restoration Program director at The Nature Conservancy, and Ed on the history of buffalo in North America, TNC’s focus on Tribal-led buffalo restoration, recommended resources for deeper learning and much more.

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A woman with hiking gear smiling at a camera outdoors.
A large bison grazing on grass with snow-capped mountains in the background.
A herd of bison on grasslands with sand dunes and mountains in the background, and a pink sunset in the sky.
A baby bison sleeping on green grass.
A woman with hiking gear smiling at a camera outdoors.

Corissa Busse: Corissa is the Buffalo Restoration Program Manager for The Nature Conservancy. © Corissa Busse

A large bison grazing on grass with snow-capped mountains in the background.

Silver Mountain Ranch Preserve: After Ted Turner, TNC is the largest owner of bison in the U.S. with herds on 12 preserves from Colorado to Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska and Iowa. © Jason Houston

A herd of bison on grasslands with sand dunes and mountains in the background, and a pink sunset in the sky.

Buffalo Transfers: Buffalo from the herd at TNC's Medano-Zapata Ranch Preserve have been transferred onto Native lands. © Nick Hall

A baby bison sleeping on green grass.

Baby buffalo: American buffalo roam and graze the spring grasses across the more than 40,000 acre Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. © Morgan Heim

Bolstering Biodiversity in Arizona and Beyond

Arizona is one of the largest and most biodiverse states in the U.S., which creates unique conservation challenges and opportunities—both in its arid, wide-open landscapes and densely populated urban centers. TNC AZ State Director Dan Stellar joins Ed to discuss forest heath, rivers, aquifers, outdoor recreation and resilient cities.

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A man in a button down shirt smiling at the camera.
A woman holding a baby in a shallow part of a lake.
A few flowering cacti in the desert.
A river flowing through green trees.
A man in a button down shirt smiling at the camera.

Daniel Stellar: Dan Stellar is state director for the Arizona Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC). © 2022 Mark Skalny / Mark Skalny Photography

A woman holding a baby in a shallow part of a lake.

The Verde River: The Verde River, an important river in the Colorado River system, where TNC is working with local agriculture producers and communities to increase river flows. © Rick Triana Photography

A few flowering cacti in the desert.

The Mighty Saguaro: In pre-dawn light, a might saguaro cactus shows off some of her first flowers of the season. © Ian Adrian/TNC Photo Contest 2022

A river flowing through green trees.

The Verde River: The Verde River, an important river in the Colorado River system. © Rick Triana

Working at the Speed of Trust in Alaska

Ivy Spohnholz is the Alaska State Director at The Nature Conservancy. In a conversation with Ed, she discusses her heart for public service and why working for meaningful change begins with building relationships, along with a background on what makes Alaska’s Bristol Bay so remarkable.

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Ivy Spohnholz smiles while standing in a room of an office building.
Aerial view of an ocean bay with rivers leading into a green forest with blue mountains in the background.
Underwater view of a school of wild sockeye salmon, fish with a red body and green pointy snout, swimming in the ocean.
Ivy Spohnholz stands with a rifle slung over her shoulder in a field of wetlands with mountains in the background.
A woman fisherman pulling salmon out of a large fishing net.
Ivy Spohnholz smiles while standing in a room of an office building.

Ivy Spohnholz: Ivy Spohnholz, TNC Alaska State Director. © Matthew Waliszek

Aerial view of an ocean bay with rivers leading into a green forest with blue mountains in the background.

Clean Water: Bristol Bay’s many lakes and rivers are a global treasure. © Jason Ching

Underwater view of a school of wild sockeye salmon, fish with a red body and green pointy snout, swimming in the ocean.

Wild Sockeye: Spawning sockeye salmon fill healthy streams every summer in the Bristol Bay headwaters. © Jason Satoshi Ching

Ivy Spohnholz stands with a rifle slung over her shoulder in a field of wetlands with mountains in the background.

Ivy Spohnholz: Ivy Spohnholz, TNC Alaska State Director, hunting in the Tanglelakes area. August 2015. © Troy Bowler

A woman fisherman pulling salmon out of a large fishing net.

Healthy Catch: Bristol Bay is home to the planet’s largest run of wild salmon. © Jason Satoshi Ching