Episodes

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 Cou...

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 riv...

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 W...

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 hi...

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 experienc...

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 ...

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 co...

*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 cre...

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 m...

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 youn...

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 my local city council would probably be willing to have a chat on the show to walk us through how to run and what it's like serving on a local council. This is that wide-ranging conversation. I recognize that many of us are likely not in a position to run for office. We ...

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 leadership speaking and consulting work. This one is all about Purpose and how connecting your people and organization to something bigger can be intrinsically motivating. If you're interested in learning more or digging deeper into these topics, reach out to me at outdoor...

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... Samuel Malkasian, a young tech entrepreneur in Des Moines, is developing AI systems that can make climbing walls safer and that can "see" in places without cameras. And he's doing it all with no venture capital. He's currently working for free because he believes in the ab...

This is the first 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 leadership speaking and consulting work. This one is all about People, and how for workplaces to thrive, people must be at the center. If you're interested in learning more or digging deeper into these topics, reach out to me at outdoorexecutivedad@gmail.com or contact me t...

With the holiday season upon us, it's a perfect time to assess whether we are really getting JOY out of our lives. It's real easy to bogged down in the daily grind, the hustle of life, and the chasing of the things that society tells us to chase. But Lisa Even brings a perspective that I like, and it's this: we should pursue JOY like it's our job. What if we put the same priority on enjoying life as we do all the things we prioritize at work? In her new book, Joy is My Job, and through her spea...

For the last four weeks, I've had the benefit of having a 7-person Americorps NCCC team serving with my team at Des Moines County Conservation. Today, after the last-day lunch I treated them to, I sat down with a couple of the team members to discuss their experience with the program, best practices for managing a team, and the opportunities that national service programs such as Americorps offers young people today. The Americorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is a 10-11 month servi...

In Harrison County, Iowa, less than an hour northeast of Omaha is the brand new Willow Lake Nature Center, now the headquarters of Harrison County Conservation and the showpiece for Willow Lake Recreation Area. In this episode, I talk with Conservation Director Scott Nelson about how such a big project came to be (it was 10 years in the making), and how he cultivated the relationships necessary to tackle such an undertaking in a small county. And while we do get into the practical and tactical ...

Emily Naylor has been deeply involved with County Conservation for the better part of a decade. Now that she's with Bolton & Menk, her job is specifically to help us as parks and conservation leaders serve our communities and achieve the dreams we have for our parks and landscapes. In this sponsored episode, I talk with Emily about what Bolton & Menk can do for us in the world of parks and conservation, specifically those of us in Iowa's County Conservation System (that's literally written into...

Many of us in the parks and conservation world either have written, or will write grants at some point. I've been on both sides of the grant process - I've written many grants (some successfully, even!) and have served on grant scoring committees. Having just concluded a scoring process and with several grant deadlines coming up in the not-too-distant future, I took some time in this episode to share my tips for writing successful grants. Here's the quick summary: 1. Have a good project 2. Do...

Jody Maberry started the first podcast focused on developing park leaders way back in 2014. Now, nine years and almost 300 episodes of The Park Leaders Show later, he chats with me about how it all began and what he's learned from talking with so many great leaders from around the country. We discuss some of his favorite episodes and guests and how we as park and conservation leaders can adapt to a changing industry. Be sure to check out the Park Leaders Show wherever you get your podcasts.

At my department, a 33-year veteran employee just retired. Not only does it suck to lose a long-tenured employee, it really sucks because he played a big role in the culture of our department. As the leader of the organization, I find myself in the position of navigating this change with my team and thought I’d share with you one strategy I just used to get feedback from the crew and to take a proactive role in cultivating a culture that we all enjoy being part of going forward. This is a differ...

This brand new nonprofit wild turkey conservation organization is investing heavily in research, collaboration, and ways of getting turkey science out to the hunting public. Turkeys for Tomorrow (TFT) officially began in February of 2021 with the goal of reversing declining wild turkey populations using research as the foundation of decision making. The organization is currently working with several universities on multiple research projects. TFT also sponsors the Wild Turkey Science podcast w...

Michelle Wilson wants to change the way REAP Assemblies are held, but she needs our help doing it. Iowa's Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program has been around for over three decades and for as long as most of us can remember, the biannual REAP Assemblies have been done the same way. That's going to change this year. Hear what's changing, what's staying the same, and what the future holds for Iowa's most impactful park and conservation program to date. Learn more about the REAP pr...

We've all seen the impact our parks and public lands have on the people in our communities. But how many people do those parks bring to the community from somewhere else? How many new residents chose to move to your community because those places existed? We also know how much our parks make in direct revenue. But what's the real economic impact to our community? To the state? In this episode, I talk with Chelsea Lerud, Executive Director of Iowa Travel Industry Partners, about the economics o...