The Trail Less Traveled

Brad Lourens grew up in Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. As a child, he spent most of his free time at the ocean and during the holidays he would spend time in the bush with his father. He was a part of the Junior Honorary Rangers, where he would assist rangers in the parks. He studied to be a guide in 2007. As a level 2 trails guide, he often takes clients out on game walks where he often gets close to the Big Five. Brad works as a game ranger/guide in the most famous of the private game reserves near Port Elizabeth. Shamwari is a 70km2/27mi2 conservation project with the Big Five and, like Addo, five of South Africa’s eight biomes. (Nama Karoo, Succulent Karoo, Fynbos, Forest, Thicket, Savanna, Grassland and Desert) Guests can visit the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre and Born Free Big Cat Sanctuaries and choose between six luxurious lodges and the Explorer Camp. Swapping four wheels for a walking safari, the Explorer Camp comprises three tents, an outdoor bathroom and

Mandela interviews two of her clients while rowing them across a glacial lake connecting the Alsek River drainage. Scott and Heather have run over one hundred rivers around the world and they reflect on protecting rivers in South America as well as climate change and the importance of connecting with people wherever you go. Scott's conservation connection and focus is the Futaleufú River. Based in the town of Futaleufú, nestled at the confluence of the Futaleufú and Espolón rivers, his team works year-round to fulfill their vision of a Patagonia where rivers flow freely, developers are held accountable for their actions, and people and communities have agency over decisions that will affect their watershed, their homes, and their lives.Futaleufú Riverkeeper’s work is based on the three main pillars of environmental policymaking and litigation, scientific data collection and monitoring, and community education and empowerment. We monitor the watershed and are alert to emerging threats to wa

Dr. Bruce Stein s a scientific expert on biodiversity and wildlife conservation, and serves as the National Wildlife Federation’s chief scientist. The author of numerous publications on conservation biology, endangered species, and climate change, he is also a sought-after speaker and instructor. Since joining the National Wildlife Federation in 2008, Stein has spearheaded the organization’s work to develop new approaches for carrying out wildlife conservation in an era of climate change. Known as “climate-smart conservation,” these techniques have been widely adopted by wildlife and land managers in the United States and internationally. Stein has served as a scientific advisor to various government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Interior and Department of Defense, and is on the steering committee of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Climate Change Specialist Group. Prior to joining the National Wildlife Federation, he helped establish the non-profit organization Nat

Recorded while floating down the Selway River in the heart of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, we invite you to join us for an interview with Mark Martin. Mark is a river and fishing guide in Idaho who serves as a salmon and steelhead advocate for the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association. Mark is also a writer, conservationist and backcountry skier. Mark is also a fly tier extraordinaire who is known as the "Idaho Guide Bob Ross".Mark was born and raised in northern Maine: a place and culture where “going for a walk in the woods” is still a legitimate way to fill an empty afternoon. He spent most of his free time fishing, hunting, canoeing, and skiing, and his dad taught him to flyfish and tie flies when he was eleven. Several years of education and work in fisheries conservation led him to a realization that no wild river’s heart and soul could ever be characterized by a series of equations….and right about then he discovered central Idaho and the Middle

Neva Hassanein is a Professor of Environmental Studies at the University ofMontana, where she has taught since 2000. Neva earned her Doctorate inEnvironmental Studies from the University of Wisconsin and her Masters degreefrom the University of Oregon.Neva is author of the book, Changing the Way America Farms: Knowledge andCommunity in the Sustainable Agriculture Movement. Her recent scholarshipdevelops the concept of “food democracy,” which is the idea that people can andshould meaningfully participate in shaping the food system, rather than remainpassive consumers on the sidelines. Her work has explored various issues, such asfarmland loss, regional food economies, pesticides, the US organic program, andbiotechnology.An engaged scholar, Neva is active beyond the academy, attempting to put researchinto practice at the local level. She and her students help strengthen Montana’s foodsystem through community-based research projects and active partnerships.Neva served on the Missoula City-County Consolidated Pla

This episode was recorded inside an old Land Rover Defender 110 (the portable recording studio) parked in front of the Roxy Theater during the International Wildlife Film Festival. We sit down with the crew behind the award winning wildlife documentary, Kangaroo Valley!Journey to a secret valley in Australia, where a nervous baby kangaroo named Mala faces hungry dingoes and winter snows in this coming-of-age adventure. Kangaroo Valley is available to watch on Netflix!Tab Murphy's theatrical debut, Gorillas in the Mist, was nominated for an Academy Award for his writing. In 1995, Murphy made his directorial debut with Last of the Dogmen and wrote the feature. Afterwards, Murphy has spent nearly ten years with The Walt Disney Company writing The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1996, Tarzan in 1999, Atlantis: The Lost Empire in 2001, and Brother Bear in 2003. During his time with Disney, he was hired by TriStar Pictures&nbs

Dawn Kish received her first camera, a Nikkormat, when she was 17 years old from her mentor Sue Bennett. For over 25 years she has been shooting adventure, commercial, and conservation photography. “If it is outside,” says Kish, “I’ve probably photographed it.”She creates photos of her journeys, whether they are stories of Native Americans in her Arizona homeland or hanging off a cliff wall in Yosemite.  Dawn’s life is full of adventure activities: snowboarding, rock climbing, backpacking and white water boating. She has worked as a river guide in the Grand Canyon for the USGS. “The river is part of me. It is in my heart and soul.”Dawn was inspired at a young age by the National Geographic Magazines her mother subscribed to and kept on a bookshelf in her bedroom. Then in 1999 she started shooting for them. “It was a dream come true.”For Kish, photography is all about the people and their stories, their emotions, and the honor of the photographic moment. Direct and hones

Lara Tomov is a filmmaker and communications consultant, who keeps her ear to the ground for messages that can improve the well-being of human communities and the ecosystems they're a part of. Her work as a cinematographer has taken her around the world with productions for Travel Channel, Discovery, and independent documentaries. After growing up in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana, then living out of state for a decade, she is happily based back home in Montana. She founded her media brand, Stories for Action, in 2020, which holds a mission to use the power of storytelling to create connections around a thriving planet for all. Stories for Action and other partners launched the Life in the Land project in 2022, which is a series of films and podcasts elevating the value of community-guided and holistic approaches within Montana's landscapes. The Life in the Land film episode from Blackfeet Nation, which is screening at IWFF, is Co-Produced by Lailani Upham of Iron Shield C

Joshua Lisbon is a tracker, tanner and teacher who works as the director of education at MPG ranch. He is the co-founder of the Montana Folk School. You can learn directly from Joshua and other amazing teachers by visiting MontanaFolkSchool.ORGJoshua has designed and implemented wilderness and experiential-based education programs for various agencies since 2001. In his free time, Joshua enjoys exploring Montana’s wild places. As an avid outdoorsman, he enjoys any pursuit that keeps him connected to the natural world. We look forward to seeing you at the International Wildlife Film Festival April 22-27! Joshua has all kinds of IWFF ties including being the subject of last year’s Audience Award winner, Tracking Notes: The Secret World of Mountain Lions.STREAM the show LIVE every Sunday evening from 6-7 MST at Trail1033.comHelp keep the podcast ad free and support our international outreach programs by donating a few bucks via Patreon.com/TrailLessTraveled Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i

Elizabeth Unger is a Missoula based Nat Geo explorer, Sundance supported film maker and activist, who finds herself drawn to challenging, immersive, and impact-driven projects that can break through the boundaries set in her own mind.Elizabeth has worked and traveled across all seven continents. Her award-winning feature directorial debut, TIGRE GENTE, world premiered at Tribeca in 2021, screened at more than 35 film festivals internationally, and will be broadcast by National Geographic this year. Liz Unger is the director of BATSIES - a short film featured in the 2023 International Wildlife Film Festival selections. BATSIES examines two women’s tender relationship with an animal that’s quintessentially feared and loathed: the bat. Sara Weaver and Sarah Fritts are best friends and ecologists who are leading bat conservation efforts in Texas.STREAM the show LIVE every Sunday evening from 6-7 MST at Trail1033.comListen to the premier locally (Missoula area) on the Trail 103.3 FM.Show archive, pictures & in

Serena Early is one of Missoula's first Yoga teachers. She has been a student of Yoga for 40 years. She has studied with Geeta and BKS Iyengar in India, George Purvis in Dallas TX, as well as Judith Lasater, Ramanand Patel, Angela Farmer, and Victor van Kooten. Serena has taught Yoga for over 35 years and has developed her own style of teaching. Her approach allows each to "be" where they are in pose, facilitating correct body mechanics. This lets each posture be a way for the individual to gain the most benefit in terms of health and rehabilitation.Thank you so much for submitting your questions in celebration of exceeding 500 episodes! Mandela answer's a question submitting by Jesse Weber at the end of this episode. Jesse's question relates to Mandela's near death experiences... Please help keep the podcast ad-free and support our community outreach programs by donating a few dollars per month on Patreon. Learn more at www.Patreon.com/TrailLessTraveled#travel #adventure #adventuretravel #travelpodcast #adve

Michael Kroon was born and raised as a farmer in the Karoo. In the language of the Bushmen, "Karoo" means "Dry Place" and the main threat to farmers and their livestock is drought. During this episode, Michael talks about the importance of conserving the "Veld" plantlife on the landscape and how he helps people ethically hunt kudu, springbok and blesbok. Michael's son loved planting trees in the community, and after he lost his life, Michael and his wife continue to plant and water 1,000 trees around the town of Willowmore. This episode was recorded after Mandela made her first springbok harvest and completed the blood ceremony in order to respect the culture of the Bushmen and the animal. The meat was shared by friends and family.Stream the show LIVE Sundays from 6-7pm MST at Trail1033.com OR Listen locally (Missoula) on the Trail 103.3 FMPlease help keep the podcast ad-free & our outreach programs available to rural schools by donating a few dollars per month at Patreon.com/TrailLessTraveled Hosted

This week we sit down with a raptor ecologist who is informing the nation through his in depth research regarding the demographic implications of lead poisoning for eagles. Over the past year, his paper has been featured in National Geographic, The New York Times, Popular Science, The Wall Street Journal, and many more. Mandela recently collaborated with him on a lead-free ammunition shooting demo in Livingston and they recorded this interview afterwards!"Demographic implications of lead poisoning for eagles across North America" This paper published in Science, which was lead by Dr. Vince Slabe, is the first to show continent-wide demographic consequences of chronic lead poisoning on Bald and Golden Eagles. It was found that nearly half of studied eagles exhibited chronic lead poisoning, and that lead poisoning is a barrier to the growth of eagle populations across North America.Vince is originally from central Illinois and graduated with a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the Un

This show was recorded on the veranda of a 130+ year old Victorian home near the salt marshes on the southern coast of Georgia. Featuring, Tim Keyes, an ornithologist and wildlife biologist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Tim's focus is coastal non-game birds. Tim will elaborate deeply on how dinosaurs evolved into birds, physiological aspects of birds in terms of why they are able to fly & sometimes swim underwater. Tim talks about eggs & their various shapes and colors in terms of how they differ from species to species and why. In addition, Tim talks about bird's eye sight, feather makeup & we take an in depth look at massive migration and how birds are able to fly across oceans without stopping to destinations they have never been to before. Did you know that birds use celestial navigation? The knowledge embedded in this show will blow your mind. *In order to keep the podcast ad free and in order to work towards financial indep

Raymond Gildenhuys grew up in South Africa on a farm 20 kilometers from the Indian Ocean. From a young age, his grandfather helped inspire his passion for old Land Rovers, honey farming and the utter joy of living a simple life by the sea. When he isn't spearfishing, you might find him volunteering in Zambia or installing Toyota Hilux engines into old Land Rovers. Over a period of 80 days, Raymond rode his horse around 1,000 kilometers of southern Africa. Tune in for some truly inspirational stories about faith, family and adventure. *In order to keep the podcast ad free and in order to work towards financial independence, Mandela is asking folks to donate a few dollars each month via Patreon.com/TrailLessTraveledEvery donation helps. Thank you so much for helping to keep this podcast and our educational outreach programs available to everyone.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ester Van Der Merwe is a Black Rhino Monitor for South African National Parks. Ester grew up on a diary farm located near Kruger National Park. She has been passionate about wildlife and conservation for as long as she can remember. With a lengthy history in monitoring large predators she has extensive experience exclusively focused on Black Rhino. Ester does most of her work on the ground and has been charged by rhinos more times than she can remember. She is a talented photographer and a passionate individual with an absolute love for the African bush and teaching others.*In order to keep the podcast ad free and in order to work towards financial independence, Mandela is asking folks to donate a few dollars each month via Patreon.com/TrailLessTraveledEvery donation helps. Thank you so much for helping to keep this podcast and our educational outreach programs available to everyone.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Orea Roussis is originally from Connecticut and has been running rivers all over the world for over 35 years. She is one of the most experienced yet humble guides who will ever meet and loves sharing the wilderness experience with her guests. Orea often lives a nomadic life for half the year driving around rivers in California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and the Grand Canyon. When she is not in the U.S. you could potentially find her kayaking in Chile, Nepal or New Zealand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jenna Lyons is a paraglider, long distance runner, kite boarder and whitewater kayaker based in Missoula. During this episode she reflects on the meditation of running long distances in the mountains and the joy of learning to paraglide above Missoula, Montana. Jenna also shares some lessons learned from law school, injuries and the life long journey of paragliding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike McTee shot his first weapon before he could recite the alphabet. Now, understanding weapons is part of his job. His career took this trajectory after Mike gained a B.S. in Environmental Chemistry. Curious about potential pollution at a historic shooting range at MPG Ranch, he earned an M.S. in Geosciences studying the site. Strangely, the sulfur inside the trap and skeet targets posed the main threat, not the lead in the shotgun pellets. Regardless, lead contamination soon grabbed Mike’s focus. Each winter at MPG Ranch, biologists caught eagles that had lead coursing through their veins. Lead can cripple eagles flightless and even kill them. Mike soon initiated studies on scavenger ecology and began investigating the wound ballistics of rifle bullets, the suspected source of lead.Mike often connects with the public through his writings and speaking engagements, whether it be to a local group of hunters, or a gymnasium full of middle schoolers. He frequently writes about the outdoors, with work appearing

Ceilidh O'Sullivan was born and raised on the Eastern Coast of Australia in a little town known for its delicious ginger beer and all inclusive schools for the disabled. Ceilidh was born profoundly deaf and with the help of her mother, she learned to speak well. At a young age she became obsessed with "Bush Tucker" which is a reference to edible wild foods in Australia. To this day she can go out into the bush or on the beach and gather food to create delicious meals. Ceilidh placed second in the country and wanted to continue her path competitive BMX biking but instead made the hard decision to undergo surgery and receive a cochlear implant which helped her ear sounds for the first time such as leaves under her feet. Ceilidh is into eco construction and sustainability as a result of her countless trips to Uganda where she built a school for deaf children and had a part in changing that country's attitude regarding the abilities of deaf children. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.