The Trail Less Traveled

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.

Zoe Mavis is originally from Boulder, Colorado and has been skiing her entire life. She now works as a ski instructor in Big Sky Montana during the winter and as a river guide based out of Missoula. Zoe is on the national team of The Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors. The PSIA-AASI is the world’s largest organization dedicated to teaching people how to ski and snowboard.100% of the support for the podcast comes from donations via www.Patreon.com/TrailLessTraveled Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Kanter is the senior wildlife biologist for the National Wildlife Federation. John has been hooked on wildlife since he was, as they say, knee-high to a grasshopper. As a child, he loved African animals, especially elephants, and got to watch his pediatrician mother take care of the first eight gorillas born at the Cincinnati Zoo. From there his interest grew from taking care of animals to understanding them in the wild and taking care of their natural habitats. John works on many projects including Recovering America's Wildlife Act, climate change and the movement to having lead free landscapes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Baird is one of the world’s leading Back-country Primitive Survival Experts and Guides.Dan regularly travels and lead’s survival training and exploration trips to some of the most remote and hostile places on earth.As Head Instructor of the largest survival training school in the U.S., the California Survival School.Dan is responsible for programs training an average of 4k+ persons annually in wilderness and urban survival skills.Dan has been featured for his remote guiding and survival expertise in the media with National Geographic, History Channel, Forbes, Good Morning America, and many more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us on the edge of the river next to the prairie under the Mission Mountains of Northwestern Montana for an episode with Steve McCoy. Steve is joined by his good friend and adventure companion, Gary Steele, for plenty of hearty laughs, storytelling and a look into their conservation work that made national headlines for Earth First 40 years ago. Steve moved to Montana in 1976 to fly fish and live the dream. He will reflects on the restoration of the American prairie and the return of the Buffalo. Climate change will come up in conversation alongside the breathtaking dream of establishing the "American Serengeti". Did you know that an acre of prairie absorbs more carbon than an acre of rain forest? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded in the forested mountains just outside Missoula featuring Alec Underwood, the federal conservation campaigns manager for the Montana Wildlife Federation. In this episode we learn about cold water fish species of concern here in Montana as well as climate change and good ole' fashioned elk hunting stories as well as a deep dive into the world and history of wildlife conservation here in Montana.Alec brings his passion for conservation and admiration of public lands to the job. He has spent several years in the field of fisheries and holds a degree in aquatic wildlife biology from the University of Montana. He has worked in collaboration with federal agencies, private landowners, and conservation organizations on a variety of different issues. While not working or volunteering his time for conservation, Alec can be found on a trout stream or in the mountains of southwest Montana pursuing elk in September. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arturo Ramirez is a Southwestern Artist who found his niche painting on Gourds. Growing up on the banks of the Cimmaron River in Northern New Mexico, Arturo is the epitome of the South West. Arturo is inspired by ancient symbolism, especially Mesoamerican symbols. He now focuses his energy on making rattles which incorporate animal, mineral and plant. The rocks inside his rattles come from ant hills near sacred sites in the southwest where he makes an offering for the gifts from inside the earth that the ants bring to the surface. Arturo paints and carves gourds that are one of a kind. There are no two alike. With the help of his family, Arturo actually starts each creation with the planting of the gourd seeds in his backyard. www.gourdsbyarturo.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Thompson is the region two wildlife manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Mike has had a 40-year commitment to managing and conserving the wildlife resources of Montana. Mike’s incredible work ethic, communication skills and unfailing ability to guide discussions and decisions concerning controversial wildlife issues and land acquisitions, is a true gift. Mike continues to bridge the gap among the biological, social and political sciences to represent the agency in a way that earns public trust and support. Mike’s career with FWP began in 1980. His early work included fencing on the Mt. Haggin Wildlife Management Area and working the paddlefish run at Intake along the Yellowstone River. In 1981, Mike completed his Master’s Degree at Montana State University by studying mountain goats along the Rocky Mountain Front. FWP hired Mike as a field assistant on the Elkhorn Mountains Elk Ecology project, to help develop an elk management plan for the area. Mike became a full-time FWP wildlife biologist

Dr. Tyler Eugene Nordgren is an artist, author, astronomer, dark skies ambassador and professor of physics at the University of Redlands.Nordgren earned a B.A. in physics from Reed College and an M.S. and Ph.D. in astronomy from Cornell University.Before joining the University of Redlands in 2001, Nordgren was an astronomer at the United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station and Lowell Observatory.In 2004, with six other astronomers and artists, Nordgren helped develop MarsDials, functioning sundials that NASA's Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity rovers carried with them to MarsNordgren also designed the giant sundial that resides on the wall of Appleton Hall at the University of Redlands and is accurate within 10 minutes.For the past five years, Nordgren has been traveling around the U.S. to educate the public about what eclipses are and how the opportunity to see the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017 should not be missed. More of Nordgren's research on eclipses can be found in his most recent book

Since 1985, the Clark Fork Coalition has worked to restore and protect the Clark Fork River basin, a 22,000 square mile area draining western Montana and northern Idaho. The Coalition's work is science-based and results oriented, and the organization strives to connect communities to the recovery of the Clark Fork River and its tributaries. Get involved as a volunteer with the Coalition at clarkfork.org.Is superfund cleanup of mining wastes in the Clark Fork making a difference? Yes! At least it is in terms of total amounts of copper and arsenic. And that’s especially good news because both are toxic: copper is extremely bad for fish, and arsenic is poisonous for people.It took decades of hard work by advocates for the river to make cleanup happen. Today we’re seeing tangible benefits from that unwavering commitment to a clean and healthy Clark Fork. What is Superfund?Thousands of contaminated sites exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly manage

Recorded inside a short bus home in the Sonoran Desert with Tamra, a nomadic minimalist. Tamra shares her heartfelt journey of recovery from a shopping addiction and her transformation into a nomadic minimalist who lives in a short bus and teaches survival skills and wilderness therapy. You will get an introduction into how to convert a bus into a home, how important it is to connect with the natural world, and some survival skill sets which could save your life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded recently at Lake Missoula Tea Company in the heart of downtown Missoula, Montana. This episode features Jake Kreilick who reflects on talks about environmental activism and conservation in addition to the wonders of tea and the travels it has taken him on through China, Japan and Colombia. Jake moved to Missoula in 1985 to attend graduate school. He has a long history of involvement in forest protection and restoration with Earth First!, Native Forest Network, National Forest Protection Alliance and currently with the WildWest Institute where he works part-time as the Restoration Coordinator. Jake is a hard core frisbee golf (folf) addict, a long-time player and coach for the Missoula All-Maggots Rugby Club, and is also involved in administering and coaching Missoula Youth Rugby. Jake manages the Missoula wholesale accounts, is responsible for new wholesale accounts, and serves tea behind the bar. High Mountain Oolong from Taiwan is his favorite tea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in

In this episode, we travel around the world with Lake Missoula Tea Company owner, Heather Kreilick. Heather is a native Montanan who grew up in the Bitterroot Valley before leaving to attend college in Arizona. She was a hotshot forest firefighter before teaching on the Navajo Reservation. She returned to Montana in 1999, completed a Geography masters in 2006, and has worked in the GIS field ever since. Heather is an avid hiker, occasional climber, and full time adventurer and likes to spend time with family and close friends. Heather manages the Lake Missoula Tea Company website, selects and blends tea, and makes the hard decisions. Her favorite teas include Sangamon Sunset Red (black tea) and Gu Hua Puerh, both from the ancient tea trees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blade Elliot was born and raised in rural Alabama and knew from a young age that he wanted to be a pro rodeo cowboy. He almost stopped when his father threatened to burn his gear but in his heart he knew he was meant to ride. Blade trained in his uncle's backyard on (stolen) mules and eventually went on to be awarded a full ride scholarship for his rodeo skills. Blade has competed in bare back pro rodeo since the age of 18 and has had no major injuries to date (knock on wood). Blade rides in 70-100 rodeos per year and has won countless awards as a top rider. Blade now lives with his wife in Montana and enjoys fly fishing in his spare time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.