Episodes

In this episode, I explore how onboarding isn’t just about filling out forms and handing over keys—it’s about shaping culture, boosting retention, and setting your team up for long-term success. Whether you're bringing on sea...

Back around the first of the year, I was a (co)guest on the Outliers Edge Podcast hosted by Niiamah Ashong. We discussed some of my "leadership through the lens of ecology" ideas, how it's not good to go it alone, and much mo...

There's an effort in the Iowa Senate to repeal what would be the most impactful funding mechanism for parks and conservation that has ever existed in the state of Iowa. Iowa's Water and Land Legacy fund, also known as IWiLL i...

In this episode, I chat with John Fullbright who has one of the craziest life stories of anyone I know. A lifelong adventure guide currently residing in New Mexico, he recently led a nighttime whitewater rescue the likes of w...

Some of us are lucky enough to have great mentors in our professional lives. This is the story of one of mine. When I first became Director, I saw one of my board members, Jim Garnjobst, as difficult. Argumentative. Contraria...

I'm joined by sustainability consultant Kenny Oleson for an insightful discussion on clean energy, energy efficiency, and sustainability. This episode covers, among other things, the Clean Energy Districts of Iowa program, pr...

Lora Friest is no stranger to big goals. Early in her career, she played a key role in the state's largest watershed project - an effort to clean up the Upper Iowa River. Now as a tourism liaison with Travel Iowa, she's helpi...

Warren County Conservation Director Zach Hall isn't afraid to explore the more esoteric side of our industry. After chatting with him at a conference this summer, I knew I wanted to get him on the show to do just that. In thi...

The fight against invasive species seems to never end. Natural resource managers need to deploy every tool possible to stay ahead of the game (or catch back up, as the case may be). One tool in the toolbox is not man or machi...

After a couple month hiatus, Parks and Restoration is back! In this episode, I chat with Adam Shirley, CEO of Iowa's County Conservation System. We talk about upgrades to the MyCountyParks.com website and the role we as park ...

I've heard that turfgrass is the most widely cultivated "crop" in the world. But at what value, and more importantly, at what cost? In my community is a self-taught ecologist that is on a mission to re-wild the urban yard, st...

Where is the balance between conserving natural resources and developing park amenities? This is a question I have struggled with several times throughout my career, and most recently with a campground expansion we recently c...

This year, Project AWARE will pull its 1,000,000th pound of trash from Iowa's rivers...with volunteers in canoes! In this episode, I talk with the organizers behind Iowa's Project AWARE - A Watershed Awareness River Expeditio...

In this episode, I chat with Michael Leytem, leadership consultant, speaker, and author of the book, "Catching Leadership" which draws parallels between fishing and leadership. What's not to love about that? We discuss the of...

Today the podcast goes international. Sean Stewart, currently based in Berlin, leverages the power of history and applies it to leadership development. He helps uncover the invaluable insights that have accompanied our shared...

Jessica DeAngelo helps corporate leaders and entrepreneurs develop clear and actionable business strategies using a powerful tool: the hiking trail. A self-proclaimed "hiking business strategist," Jessica uses time on the tra...

This is the final of five leadership-focused mini-episodes where I discuss the elements of my framework: The 5-P's of thriving organizations. This one is all about being proactive in the implementation of your Processes, and ...

This is the fourth of five mini-episodes I will post focused on leadership and organizational culture. Through these episodes, I discuss my framework, the 5-P's of a Thriving Culture, that I present through my leadership spea...

*There was a glitch in the original upload that cut the audio off at about 18 minutes. That's fixed now so you can now hear the whole episode. In Iowa's county conservation system, the name Dan Cohen is synonymous with leader...

This is the third of five mini-episodes I will post focused on leadership and organizational culture. Through these episodes, I discuss my framework, the 5-P's of a Thriving Culture, that I present through my leadership speak...

As Iowa's leader of the Conservation Corps of Iowa & Minnesota, DeWitt Boyd leads an organization that employs young people in low-paying, term-based positions. Yet I have seen first hand how hard Conservation Corps employees...

What if more parks and conservation people ran for office? I've long thought that more outdoor-minded people need to be in office. But how do you even run for such a position? Turns out, I happen to know one of the members of...

This is the second of five (or more) mini-episodes I will post focused on leadership and organizational culture. Through these episodes, I will discuss my framework, the 5-P's of a Thriving Culture, that I present through my ...

If you think technology won't influence the parks and conservation world, this episode will make you think otherwise. And if you think today's young people aren't planning to change to world, you haven't talked to this guy......