Enjoy the mental benefits of a break from the hustle and bustle with this guided meditation from Josh Lane. Enjoy anywhere, anytime, except while driving ..read more

In this episode we speak with Emalee Hill and Anna Robinson, two friends who took it upon themselves to do an unconventional music tour by taking their talents on the trail, the Continental Divide Trail to be exact. Emalee is a visual artist and thru-hiker based out of Washington State and Anna Robinson, who we met in the previous episode, is a musician, fisheries project manager, and thru-hiker from South Dakota and currently based in Washington State as well. In this episode Emalee and Anna recount the stories of their adventure, from their decision to take on such a trip, to the many experi ..read more

Interview with Tim Smith of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School and Podcast out of Maine, USA. Tim and I talk about some of the underlying educational principles of his long-term wilderness living educational programs, specifically the value of learning by doing and the idea of baseline and how it relates to our ability not only to take care of ourselves in the wild places, but also how it may affect our happiness and ability to live well in the not so wild places. Tim also describes some of the traits he witnesses his student gaining through wilderness living including confidence in their abil ..read more

In this episode we talk with Nathan Donnelly, permaculture practitioner, Youth Conservation Corp. crew coordinator, nature awareness and survival skills instructor, and contestant on the Alone Show, season 6. In our discussion we get into a lot of topics, namely how humans can live with the natural fire cycle, Nathan’s work with the Youth Conservation Corp., the healing aspects of nature that Nathan has experienced, especially while on the Alone show, permaculture and our role as stewards of the land, hunting and conservation, Talequah and the plight of Southern Resident Orcas, and the importa ..read more

In this episode I speak with avid hunter, fisherman, self-taught survivalist, and contestant on the History Channel’s Alone show, Ray Livingston. Ray takes us through his journey into outdoor skills and living by detailing his experiences as a kid fishing with his dad, harvesting his first Elk with a bow at 14 years old, and choosing to pursue survival skills to overcome his trepidation in wild places and transforming from feeling like a stranger in the woods, to being an integral part of them. Ray tells us how he was cast for the Alone show and how he prepared for the experience of surviving ..read more

Discussion on the subject of bushcraft with long-time bushcraft instructor and author, Tony Nester. In this interview we talk about what bushcraft is, its evolution in the last several decades, and the importance of curiosity and getting outdoors for the budding bushcrafter and naturalist. Tony gives tips for anyone wishing to delve into bushcraft or increase their self-reliance while outdoors, what to consider for gear that won’t break the bank, and how to be prepared for a disaster type situation. We also discuss how bushcraft relates to human health and wellness. Additionally, Tony tells a ..read more

In this episode we talk with self-described Earthroamer, Donny Dust, who is a prolific primitive skills practitioner, sometimes spending a month or more in the bush, unsupported, with only a stone knife, clay water vessel, animal hide, and handrill fire kit. Donny is also a contestant on the History Channel’s “Alone” show season 6. In our discussion we focus chiefly on Donny’s recently released book “Scavenger: A Primal Approach to Lifestyle Change” which espouses Donny’s 13 principles of living a healthier, fuller life. Some of those principles are “Eat Wild”, “Functional Fitness”, “Never Set ..read more

In this episode of the podcast I speak with naturalist, herbalist, and field ornithologist Kristi Dranginis. Kristi is a mentor and educator for people in all kinds of naturalist skills, but especially in the world of birding and bird language. During Kristi and I’s conversation we discuss the power of birds and developing the skills to know them. We talk specifically about building relationships with birds and how to truly look at each bird. Kristi is gracious enough to let us in on some of her unconventional secrets and techniques for learning about the birds and explains why the instant gra ..read more

An extremely enlightening and in-depth discussion with researcher and university professor Dr. Alyssa Crittenden about the Hadza, an indigenous, modern hunter-gatherer society living in Tanzania, Africa. In this interview we talk about Dr. Crittenden’s time among the Hadza (about 16 months accumulatively since 2004), conducting research in the field of human evolutionary biology, particularly in the area of food and how we, as a species, evolved in relation to the available foods in our environment. We also discuss the objective realities of the idea of “rewilding” ourselves based on field res ..read more

In this episode I speak with Jerry Ward, biologist, hunter, trapper, outdoor skills instructor, and homesteader who is creating a homestead from scratch outside of Fairbanks, AK and inviting interested folks to come learn firsthand about the homesteading lifestyle. We discuss Jerry’s interest and journey in learning self-reliance and outdoors skills, some of his experiences travelling the world, his current progress in his homesteading efforts and the ways he wishes to build community and educational opportunities through his homestead project on 11 acres of land situated 100 miles south of th ..read more