Welcome to Parks and Restoration!
Parks and Restoration

Parks and Restoration

Great parks and healthy landscapes are the products of strong leadership. This show is dedicated to helping you become that leader.

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How to build a workplace people don't want to leave with Marcus Nack | Episode 87
How to build a workplace people don't want to leave with Marcus Nack | Episode 87

Upcoming Meetups

These are free, virtual meetups for the Parks and Restoration community. Everyone is welcome to join.

Join us on March 20 at 9:30 AM to chat with Dr. Nick Askew from Conservation Careers, a UK-based podcast and organization that explores wildlife conservation careers from around the world. 

Register here

 

Join us on March 27 at noon to chat with Brett Hoogeveen, co-founder of BetterCulture and host of the BetterCulture podcast. 

Register here

Recent Episodes

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How to build a workplace people don't want to leave with Marcus Nack | Episode 87
March 10, 2026

How to build a workplace people don't want to leave with Marcus Nack | Episode 87

What makes people want to stay on your team for the long haul? In this episode, Chris is joined by Des Moines County Conservation’s Environmental Education Manager, Marcus Nack, for a conversation about workplace culture, lea...
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How to lead like a burn boss | Episode 86
Feb. 24, 2026

How to lead like a burn boss | Episode 86

What do prescribed burns have to do with leading a team? More than you’d think. In this episode, Chris and Jeremy break down leadership lessons pulled straight from burn season — burn plans, clear objectives, contingency plan...
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Does everything really need a price tag? Exploring the real value of our parks | Episode 85
Feb. 10, 2026

Does everything really need a price tag? Exploring the real value of our parks | Episode 85

What’s the ROI of a prairie? A bat you’ll never see? A fence line removed to stitch habitat back together? In this episode, Chris and Jeremy dig into a pressure most parks and conservation leaders feel right now: the growing ...
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The origins of "Organizational Ecology" | Episode 84
Jan. 27, 2026

The origins of "Organizational Ecology" | Episode 84

What if the key to better leadership isn’t “managing harder”…but managing like an ecologist? From a difficult conversation where Chris was told he could be "intimidating" to his questioning whether he was cut out for a leader...
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How to build culture with performance evaluations | Episode 83
Jan. 13, 2026

How to build culture with performance evaluations | Episode 83

What if “performance evaluations” weren’t a dreaded, once-a-year formality… but one of the best tools you have to build culture? In this episode, Chris and Jeremy talk about a different way to look at performance evaluations—...
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Jessica DeAngelo - Bestselling author of The Wild Advantage: Why your brain on nature is your boldest business move | Episode 82
Dec. 30, 2025

Jessica DeAngelo - Bestselling author of The Wild Advantage: Why your brain on nature is your boldest business move | Episode 82

Back in November, we invited the Parks and Restoration Next Level Leader Community to an exclusive meetup with Jessica DeAngelo, author of the new book The Wild Advantage: Why Your Brain on Nature is Your Boldest Business Mov...
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We often talk about finding and cultivating energy in your workplace. We've built a FREE guide to help you map out the energy sources and drains for your team.

Get your Personal & Team Energy Audit Guide here.