Nature Connection Radio

Pet & Horse Safety and Disaster Preparedness

In observance of National Pet Preparedness Month, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "The Pet Connection" Podcast focuses on pet and horse safety and disaster preparedness. 
FEATURED GUESTS- ANGELA LAWS - Cohost, veteran petsitter, and community manager at https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/ - CHRISTY WOOD - World champion horse trainer, instructor, author, and horse show judge. See: https://wdnhorse.com/ 
The American Red Cross has steps you can follow to make an emergency plan for your animals. See: https://tinyurl.com/mtpv5x4s 

Christy Wood - What to Feed Your Horse

From Hay to Carrots, it's all about the Equine Diet on this episode of Big Blend Radio's "ABC's of Horses" equestrian podcast with Christy Wood.
Christy Wood is a World Champion horse trainer, also exhibiting in jumping and trail. She is a winner in extreme trail obstacle challenges, and is a carded horse show judge with 7 breed associations. Along with being an author and instructor, she is the owner of Wood N Horse Training Stables in Three Rivers, California. Learn more about Christy, her equine services, and her books, at: https://wdnhorse.com/ 
The "ABC's of Horses" Podcast with Christy Wood airs every 2nd Saturday. Listen to the latest episodes here: https://abcs-horses-christywood.podbean.com/ 
This episode is also featured on Big Blend Radio's "Pet Connection," and "Nature Connection" podcast channels.

Hiking Your Feelings in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

In celebration of June being Great Outdoors Month, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "California Sequoia Country" Podcast with the Sequoia Tourism Council focuses on the upcoming Hike and Heal Sequoia National Park Wilderness Wellness Retreats. These retreats are facilitated by Sydney and Barry Williams of Hiking My Feelings in partnership with the Sequoia Parks Conservancy Field Institute. Starting in June, there will be three retreats this summer.
FEATURED GUESTS:- NICOLE STIVERS of the Sequoia Parks Conservancy, the official nonprofit partner to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park and Lake Kaweah. They fund and enable park projects and programs that protect, preserve, and provide access to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.  Visit https://sequoiaparksconservancy.org/ - SYDNEY WILLIAMS -  Author, and Founder & CEO of Hiking My Feelings. This unique organization is on a mission to improve community health by creating opportunities for people to experience the healing power of nature.More at: https://hikingmyfeelings.org/ 
Located in Central California, Tulare County is home to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Giant Sequoia National Monument and Sequoia National Forest, and charming art and agricultural communities including Visalia, Tulare, Exeter, Dinuba, Porterville, Three Rivers, Lindsay, and Woodlake.  Plan your visit to Tulare County  at https://www.discoverthesequoias.com/ 
Select featured photos are by Barry Williams / Hiking Your Feelings.

Jessica Carter - California State Parks Week 2024

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast features Jessica Carter, Director of Parks and Public Engagement at Save the Redwoods League, who discusses the 3rd Annual California State Parks Week happening June 12-16, 2024. 
Through over 200 special in-person community events and virtual programming, this week-long event celebrates California’s 280 state parks and the people who visit and help protect these iconic places. California State Parks Week is presented by California State Parks, Save the Redwoods League, Parks California, and California State Parks Foundation. 
Visit:* https://castateparksweek.org/  * https://www.parks.ca.gov/ * https://www.savetheredwoods.org/ * https://parkscalifornia.org/ * https://www.calparks.org/ 
Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast airs every 4th Friday in collaboration with Margot Carrera, a fine art nature photographer who is passionate about the environment. More: http://margotcarrera.etsy.com/ 
This  episode is also featured on Big Blend Radio's "Parks & Travel," "Vacation Station," and "Big Daily Blend" podcast channels. Follow Big Blend Radio's Network of Podcasts: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork 

The Pet Connection - Rescue Dogs and Cats

In observance of National Rescue Dog Day, this inaugural episode of Big Blend Radio's "The Pet Connection" Podcast is all about Rescue Dogs and Cats with conversations that span from adoptions and volunteering to petsitting and behavioral care. 
FEATURED GUESTS- Angela Laws - Cohost, veteran petsitter, and community manager at https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/ - Mabel Lujan - Senior Communications Director at Asheville Humane Society in North Carolina. More: https://www.ashevillehumane.org/ - Steve & Karen Wilson - Pet Parents and Animal Welfare Advocates, and owners of The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast in Asheville, North Carolina. More: https://www.lion-rose.com/ 

Lost Angel Travel Adventures in South America

From the Andes to Patagonia, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Lost Angel Travel Adventures with Linda Ballou" covers her 17-day sojourn into South America with Overseas Adventure Travel. You can read her stories on her South American experiences on NABBW.org here:* Chile: https://tinyurl.com/5n8caxzj* Patagonia: https://tinyurl.com/33ffa7be
When Linda visited Chile and Patagonia, conservation efforts spearheaded by Kristine Tompkins were underway. When her husband, Doug Tompkins, died in a kayaking accident in 2015, she picked up the pieces of their shared dream to purchase millions of acres in Patagonia and Chile with the plan to give the land to the government to create a national park system that would rival the one we enjoy here in the U.S. In this Ted Talk she provides all the details with images of the transformation she is leading in Patagonia and Chile. https://youtu.be/UWothcLpazU?si=pwm6HXxkzWnjcnzM
In 2023 National Geographic produced the film "Wild Life" spotlighting Tompkins efforts. Trailer: https://films.nationalgeographic.com/wild-life
Follow Linda Ballou's adventures at https://lostangeladventures.com/ and learn more about her books at http://www.lindaballouauthor.com/
Listen to Big Blend Radio's "Lost Angel Travel Adventures" Show every 3rd Wednesday at High Noon PST, here on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzIUCV2e7qm3Bmktgu8osUzx2VOF35dgO&feature=shared

Christy Wood - Horse Care, Colic, and Common Sense

It's all about Horse Care, Colic, and Common Sense on this episode of Big Blend Radio's "ABC's of Horses" equestrian podcast with Christy Wood.
Christy Wood is a World Champion horse trainer, also exhibiting in jumping and trail. She is a winner in extreme trail obstacle challenges, and is a carded horse show judge with 7 breed associations. Along with being an author and instructor, she is the owner of Wood N Horse Training Stables in Three Rivers, California. Learn more about Christy, her equine services, and her books, at: https://wdnhorse.com/ 
The "ABC's of Horses" Podcast with Christy Wood airs every 2nd Saturday. Listen to the latest episodes here: https://abcs-horses-christywood.podbean.com/ 

Poet Lauren Martin - Night of the Hawk

This episode of Big Blend Radio celebrates Earth Month and National Poetry Month with Lauren Martin who discusses her book, "Night of the Hawk: Poems" which will be out on May 14, 2024 through She Writes Press. 
A powerful and wise poetry collection on shamanism, feminism, and disability, "Night of the Hawk" tells untold stories of the marginalized. Inspired by the Lauren's own experiences as an aging woman living with chronic illness, the poems in this collection will inspire readers to seek compassion and kindness in an often inhospitable world. 
LAUREN MARTIN is a psychotherapist, poet, and a devoted Ìyânífá. She lives in Oakland, California. Lauren studied poetry at Sarah Lawrence College. She spent years writing without submitting her work due to a long shamanic journey, which led her to both Ifá, and to the writing of this collection of poems. More at: https://www.laurenmartin.net/