Nature Connection Radio

Michael Calhoun, a lifelong resident of Vernonia, Oregon and Board Chair of the Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District, joins this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Parks & Travel" Podcast — timed to National Park Week 2026 — to share the story of the Banks-Vernonia Trail, a 20-mile former logging railroad that became Oregon's first rails-to-trail conversion and later earned National Recreation Trail certification from the National Park Service.
Michael talks about growing up in a town shaped by the timber industry, the community debate that surrounded turning an old rail line into a public trail, and how that decision revitalized Vernonia decades later. He and host Lisa D. Smith dig into the balance between resource extraction and conservation, why community-led certifications like National Recreation Trail status can help protect public lands from development pressure, and how Vernonia is now pursuing Dark Sky community status to protect migrating birds and pollinators.
This conversation covers real, practical advice for any community sitting on an overlooked trail, railroad corridor, or public land asset — and why stacking certifications and designations can build long-term resilience.
Learn more and connect with Michael:- Banks-Vernonia State Trail (National Recreation Trail Database): https://www.nrtapplication.org/trails/banks-vernonia-state-trail - L.L. Stub Stewart State Park (Oregon State Parks): https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=104 - Michael Calhoun on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael--calhoun/ - Michael Calhoun for Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Michael-Calhoun-for-Columbia-Soil-Water-Conservation-District-100086151820617/ 

Sasha Waters, director and producer of the new American Masters documentary "Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World," joins Big Blend Radio to talk about bringing the life of one of America's most beloved and most private poets to the screen.
Mary Oliver was a bestselling poet and Pulitzer Prize winner whose work — including "Wild Geese" and "The Journey" — has reached readers far beyond the usual poetry audience. Waters discusses how Oliver's decades in Provincetown, Massachusetts shaped her writing, the restorative power of nature and dogs in Oliver's life, and her four-decade love story with photographer Molly Malone Cook. 
The conversation also explores how the film balances intimacy with the privacy Oliver so fiercely protected, the process of bringing in voices like John Waters, Steve Buscemi, Helena Bonham Carter, and Stephen Colbert to read her work, and why Oliver's message about paying attention to the natural world feels more urgent than ever.
This episode also lands right in the middle of American Artists Appreciation Month — a fitting time to celebrate a filmmaker telling the story of one of America's great literary artists.
The film premiered as the opening selection at True/False Film Festival this year, and has since screened at the Berkshire International Film Festival and Provincetown Film Festival. It's out now in theaters — including IFC Center in New York and Laemmle theaters in LA — and expanding nationwide, with a digital and home video release coming August 25th. "Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World" also premieres nationwide on PBS Tuesday, August 25 as part of American Masters.
🎬 Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/B7bfYkgotBM  📺 More on PBS/American Masters: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/mary-oliver-documentary/37967/  🎟️ Theaters, showtimes & booking: https://kinolorber.com/film/mary-oliver-saved-by-the-beauty-of-the-world 

Filmmaker Casey Carter joins Big Blend Radio to talk about his feature documentary debut, "To Use a Mountain," which traces the search for a permanent U.S. nuclear waste repository back to the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act. Casey and Lisa dig into the six candidate communities featured in the film — in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Nevada — and the farmers, miners, tribal leaders, and citizen scientists who fought back when their land was marked as a possible dumping ground for the nation's most dangerous waste.
The conversation traces a direct line from that 1980s fight to today's headlines: Casey explains how the current data-center boom and a so-called "nuclear renaissance" are reviving interest in new reactor sites, including small modular reactors proposed for underground placement near data centers. Lisa connects the dots to ongoing battles over public lands, from Chaco Canyon to Bears Ears, and asks what it means for communities asked to carry this burden for 10,000 years with no lasting solution in sight.
"To Use a Mountain" opens theatrically at DCTV in New York on Friday, August 21st, and arrives on VOD through Grasshopper Film in early 2027.
Learn more: https://www.touseamountainfilm.com 

In Part Three of her “Lessons Learned from Travel” series, travel writr Linda Ballou takes us into the wilds of Alaska and Canada for a powerful story about adventure, wilderness, and environmental stewardship.
In this shared episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Lost Angel Travel Adventures” Show, Linda reflects on her journey down the Tatshenshini River, also known as Raven’s River, which begins near Haines, Alaska, travels through Canada, and flows toward the Gulf of Alaska. She shares an excerpt from her book "Lost Angel Walkabout: One Traveler’s Tales," describing the river’s glaciers, wildlife, birds, salmon, and breathtaking wilderness—and the profound effect the journey had on her.
But this adventure became much more than a rafting trip. Linda explains how experiencing this pristine wilderness transformed her from an “adventure junkie” into an environmentalist and inspired her to become involved in the fight against the proposed Windy Craggy mine. She also discusses the current threat of the Palmer Project in the Chilkat River Valley, the importance of the region to the Tlingit people, and its significance as habitat for salmon, bears, and thousands of bald eagles.
Linda also explores what travelers can learn from rivers: letting go, unplugging from the outside world, being fully present, listening to nature, and finding your own “inner river” or current during times of change.
The conversation ultimately becomes a call for environmental stewardship and citizen action, reminding us that travelers are temporary members of the communities and landscapes they visit—and that protecting wilderness requires a constant vigil.
🌎 American Adventures Month: This episode celebrates the spirit of exploring and protecting America's extraordinary natural landscapes.RESOURCE LINKS:🎧 Listen to the new audiobook edition of Lost Angel Walkabout: One Traveler's Tales: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Angel-Walkabout-Travelers-Tales/dp/ 
🌍 Linda Ballou:https://www.LindaBallouAuthor.com https://www.LostAngelAdventures.com 
🎙️ Subscribe to Lost Angel Travel Adventures Podcast:https://lost-angel-travel-adventures.podbean.com 
📖 Explore the NEW Lost Angel Travel Adventures Digital Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/podcast-retrospective/ 

Celebrate American Adventures Month with this shared episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Jo Goes Everywhere!” travel podcast featuring writer Jo Clark who takes us into the wild and wonderful world of Audubon’s Francis Beidler Forest Center and Sanctuary in Harleyville, South Carolina—an extraordinary old-growth forest and swamp ecosystem filled with ancient trees, wildlife, birds, waterways, and fascinating history.
Jo shares her experience exploring this remarkable sanctuary, which is home to 1,000-year-old bald cypress trees, more than 150 bird species, hundreds of vertebrate and plant species, alligators, and other unique wildlife. The conversation also explores the history behind the forest, including the Santee River Cypress Lumber Company and how land once threatened by logging was ultimately preserved. The sanctuary and nearby Congaree National Park trace part of their history to the same former timberland holdings.
The episode also highlights the many ways visitors can experience the forest, from its elevated boardwalk and guided bird walks to seasonal paddling, nighttime excursions, UV flashlight adventures, and spectacular synchronized firefly viewing. Jo explains why timing your visit matters, including how spring's higher water levels can make kayaking possible and how different seasons offer different wildlife experiences.
Accessibility and trip planning are also part of the conversation, including available wheelchairs and binoculars, nearby lodging at Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Santee, dining at the long-established Clark's Restaurant, and the importance of checking current hours and booking special programs in advance.
Whether you're interested in nature travel, birding, wildlife, South Carolina road trips, old-growth forests, conservation, or unique outdoor adventures, this episode offers plenty of inspiration—and another destination to add to Jo's ever-growing travel list.
📖 Read Jo's companion article:https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/audubon-francis-beidler-forest-center-sanctuary 
📖 Check out Jo's New "JO GOES EVERYWHERE!" Digital Magazine:https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/kkbr/ 
📲 Follow Jo:https://haveglasswilltravel.com/ | https://recipestravelculture.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JoGoesEverywhere Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HaveGlassWillTravel/ 
🎧 New episodes air every 2nd Sunday. Listen:https://jogoeseverywhere.podbean.com/ 

Welcome to this shared inaugural episode of Big Blend Radio's "Table & Compass" Podcast with hosts Lisa D. Smith, Joelle Machia, and Ryan Slough.
Pull up a chair for global conversations that shape a better world as we explore how travel, community, culture, and collaboration connect to the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In this debut episode, the hosts are joined by Carlisle Richardson, an international relations expert whose career has included serving as Ambassador of St. Kitts and Nevis to the United Nations and as a United Nations Economic Affairs Officer. Carlisle played a key role in negotiations that helped establish the landmark Sustainable Development Goals and contributed to preparations for the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Together they discuss:- Why the Sustainable Development Goals matter to everyone- - How travel builds understanding across cultures- The importance of protecting heritage sites and cultural identity- Sustainable tourism and water conservation- Community-led solutions that create global impact- Inspiring children and future generations to become changemakers- The role of storytelling in preserving culture and encouraging sustainability- Why every individual can help build a more resilient future
Whether you're passionate about travel, conservation, education, culture, or simply making your community stronger, this conversation offers practical inspiration and a hopeful perspective on creating positive change—one story and one connection at a time.
Carlisle's Books📚 The Soft Underbelly — https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Underbelly-Carlisle-Richardson-ebook/dp/B0H2FLMPN8/ 📚 Rose Grows Veggies — https://www.amazon.com/Rose-Grows-Veggies-Carlisle-Richardson/dp/1068739991 📚 Island Journeys: The Impact of the Island Way of Life at Home and Abroad — https://www.amazon.com/Island-Journeys-Impact-Life-Abroad/dp/1599326124 
Resources & Links➡️ Wanderers Compass: https://www.wandererscompass.com/ ➡️ Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/ ➡️ The Steppes of Henry Foundation: https://theglobalhenry.org/ ➡️ UN Sustainable Development Goals: https://sdgs.un.org/goals 
New episodes of Table & Compass air every first Monday on Big Blend Radio: https://table-and-compass.podbean.com/ 

In recognition of World Rainforest Day, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast features co-directors Rob Grobman and Chelsea Greene who discuss their acclaimed documentary film, "We Are Guardians," produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker, actor, and environmental activist Fisher Stevens.
Available worldwide on digital platforms including Amazon, Apple TV, and Tubi, "We Are Guardians" takes viewers deep into the Brazilian Amazon, where Indigenous Guardians risk their lives to protect one of Earth's most vital ecosystems from illegal logging, mining, land grabbing, and deforestation.
The conversation explores the complex intersections of politics, economics, history, science, and environmental stewardship while highlighting the critical role Indigenous communities play in safeguarding the rainforest. Rob and Chelsea share how the film came together, the dangers they faced while filming, and the hope they found through the resilience, courage, and leadership of the people working to protect the Amazon.
They also discuss how deforestation impacts global climate stability, biodiversity, freshwater resources, and local communities, and share practical ways individuals can support conservation efforts through advocacy, consumer choices, and direct action.
Watch the film, host a screening, support Indigenous Guardians, and learn more at https://www.weareguardiansfilm.com/ 

Celebrate Great Outdoors Month with this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's Quiltripping Travel" Podcast. Travel expert, photographer and host Rose Palmer joins producer Lisa D. Smith from France — where she's in between trips — to share her unforgettable experience aboard Windstar's brand-new Star Seeker on its inaugural Alaska cruise. 
Unlike the big-ship experience, the Star Seeker's small size unlocked a side of Southeast Alaska most travelers never see.
Rose takes us deep into Misty Fjords National Monument by zodiac, up close to the Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm, and through the authentic streets of Wrangell — one of Alaska's last truly uncrowded towns. She shares wildlife encounters including humpback whales, sea otters, sea lions, bald eagles, and even a mother black bear and her cubs in Ketchikan.
Along the way, Rose explores the Tongass National Forest — one of Earth's last great coastal temperate rainforests — and reflects on why slow travel is the only way to truly experience Alaska's wild, pristine beauty.
📰 READ ROSE'S ARTCILES:🔗 Sailing Off the Beaten Path on a Windstar Cruise to Alaska: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/windstar-cruise-to-alaska 🔗 Windstar Star Seeker Review: https://quiltripping.com/windstar-star-seeker-review/ 🔗 Rose's Full Alaska Cruise Article: https://quiltripping.com/windstar-cruise-to-alaska/ 
🎙️ Rose Palmer shares her travel adventures every second Thursday on Big Blend Radio. Find her at:https://quiltripping.com https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/rose-palmer-travel-writer-photographer