Episodes

What can parks and natural resource leaders learn from military operations, professional athletes, top performers, and Pixar? How to build effective feedback systems. In this episode, Chris and Jeremy dig into the power of After-Action Reviews and exit interviews—two tools that can help you capture honest feedback, build trust, and make your organization better season after season. Whether you're managing a summer trail crew, hosting college interns, or just wrapped a big event, this conversatio...

Struggling to get qualified interns to apply for your conservation or parks program—let alone relocate from across the country? Recruiting great interns in parks and natural resources is harder than ever, especially when you're working in a rural or lesser-known area. In this episode, Chris and Jeremy break down how one Iowa county attracted interns from places like Alaska and New Jersey—not with big paychecks, but with bold storytelling and smart strategy. If you’ve ever posted a job and heard ...

What keeps you showing up to work when the politics are messy, the budget is tight, and the trail never really ends? In this episode of Parks and Restoration , Chris and Jeremy explore the power of purpose—your WHY—and why it’s a powerful force for staying motivated, engaged, and resilient in parks, natural resources, and outdoor recreation work. Drawing inspiration from Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why,” they share personal stories, leadership insights, and practical ways to reconnect with your pu...

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 seasonal staff or full-time hires, this episode breaks down the three essential functions of onboarding—belonging, purpose, and clarity—and offers practical, field-tested strategies to help new team members thrive from day one.

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 more. Outliers Edge is "a podcast for high-performing unconventional leaders and entrepreneurs (aka Outliers) who use what makes them different to make a difference." I got permission from Niiamah to share this episode here so I thought I'd break from the norm and share an epi...

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 is technically the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. It was established by a 63% majority vote by Iowans in 2010, writing the fund into the state's constitution. But the fund sits empty because no legislature since has passed the necessary 3/8-cent sales ta...

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 which belongs on one of those crazy "I shouldn't have survived" TV shows. But that's not a fraction of what makes him so interesting. Among other things, he is now venturing into beekeeping as he is one of the most outspoken champions for the use of bee venom for intractable ...

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. Contrarian. "This guy's gonna be the death of me..." I remember lamenting to my wife back then. Fast forward a dozen or so years and I saw Jim as one of the most important people in my professional life. A mentor. A friend. Jim passed away recently and the hole he leaves on my board ...

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, practical energy-saving measures for homes and businesses, and the benefits of long-term planning in construction. We also explore the vulnerabilities of power grids, the potential of renewable energy, and Earthships, whatever the heck those are... Many of us in parks and cons...

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 helping to change the nation's perception of Iowa. One way she's doing that is by highlighting the incredible parks and natural resources that people like us manage everyday. It turns out that those outdoor amenities are one of the key things that inspire people to want to move t...

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 this episode we explore the hard-to-explain and possibly yet-to-be-understood factors that draw people to natural landscapes. From that, we discuss possible innovative non-traditional marketing strategies, including art, as a means to connect people with nature and convey the e...

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 machine, but goats. In this episode, I talk again with Jeremy Yost, Natural Resource Tech in Pottawattamie County, IA about their experience using goats as a natural resource management tool. While they're no silver bullet, goats can be effective when utilized as part of a multif...

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 and conservation leaders play in community development and tourism. We also discuss the possibility of seeing legislation to fund the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, among other things. This one is a good listen for those of us working in Iowa's County P...

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, starting with his own. Samuel Hollingsworth has become a fixture among our pollinator programs and a champion for all things wild and NOT monocultured. In this conversation, we explore Sam's journey from native plant enthusiast to Lorax for the insects, so to speak. He's even ...

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 completed at our main park, Big Hollow Recreation Area, an 800-acre slice of Iowa with a built lake, campsites, and other amenities but also a robust natural resource management program. I'm joined this week by Jeremy Yost, Natural Resource Technician with Pottawattamie Count...

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 Expedition - the state's largest annual river cleanup event. We discuss the logistics, challenges, and the incredible organizing effort that goes into orchestrating these massive cleanup events. From coordinating 225 people in canoes to tackling funding hurdles, these dedicated river...

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 often-overlooked importance of mindfulness and self-reflection for leaders. Michael discusses the value of embracing paradoxes in leadership, the wisdom from the Tao Te Ching, and the eight timeless lessons for mindful leadership from his second book, "Keep Your Head in the Wi...

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 human journey of triumphs and trials over the millennia. The insights he shares are both inspiring and entertaining. Since many parks departments have historic sites and historic interpretive centers and programs, I thought it'd be fun to hear Sean's approach to weaving his...

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 trail in her consulting business to help corporate clients gain clarity, improve insight, and connect with other team members. In this episode, we talk about how, and more importantly, WHY she chose to start her own unique consulting business. We discuss some of her experiences...

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 being willing to try things not fully knowing if they'll work. Being a leader is not something you are by title. Real leadership is something you DO. Unceasingly. Listen to this short episode to see what I mean. If you want to dig deeper into these principles, hit me up at o...

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 speaking and consulting work. This one is all about process - the systems we need to put in place to put theory into action. If you're interested in learning more or digging deeper into these topics, reach out to me at outdoorexecutivedad@gmail.com or contact me through the comm...

*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 leadership. During his 38 years in Buchanan County, he has served on many committees, including the one that put Iowa's Water and Land Legacy (IWiLL) amendment on the ballot in 2008. In this episode, I chat with Dan about that experience and much more. He shares insights into crea...

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 speaking and consulting work. This one is all about perspective and how we as leaders need to see the big picture (landscape view) and the small details (microclimate view) simultaneously. If you're interested in learning more or digging deeper into these topics, reach out to me ...

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 work and the skills they bring to their various worksites. I wanted to find out how he did it, so I got him on the show to talk about it. If you need a temporary work crew, considering contracting with Conservation Corps. If you want to find out how and these crews of young...