Nature Connection Radio

37:39

Ambassador Dr. Nabhit Kapur: Water Is Life, Life Is...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/10/05

Clean water and sanitation touch nearly every part of life: health, education, safety, economic opportunity and human dignity. On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Table & Compass" Podcast, Lisa D. Smith is joined by co-hosts Joelle Machia and Ryan Slough of Wanderers Compass for a conversation with His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Nabhit Kapur, Permanent Observer to the United Nations for the Pan-African Intergovernmental Agency on Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA). Dr. Kapur began as

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57:47

Comedian Ben Miller – Volcano: A Science Comedy Special

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/10/03

What happens when a comedian walks into a volcano? In this return visit on this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast to the Arts & Parks" Show with the National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF), Lisa D. Smith catches up with stand-up comedian Ben Miller, the scientist-turned-comedian who became the first stand-up comedian ever selected as an NPAF artist in residence, at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park in February 2023.That month on the Big Island, spent learning from volcanologists,

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40:38

Author Jared Schoch – Riding the Solar Coaster

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/09/29

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast, host/producer Lisa D. Smith talks with clean energy executive Jared Schoch, founder and chairman of TurningPoint Energy and author of "Solar Coaster: The Untold Story of the Solar Industry, One Man's Journey Leading with Soul" (Regalo Press, November 10, 2026). Jared has spent more than two decades in the industry and has managed more than 3 gigawatts of projects representing over $5 billion in solar and energy efficiency

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35:42

Author James Michael Dorsey – The Friendly Whales of...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/09/28

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Before They Vanish" Podcast, explorer and author James Michael Dorsey returns to talk about the gray whales he has spent decades getting to know in Baja's San Ignacio Lagoon, and about his book, "The Lagoon: Encounters with the Whales of San Ignacio." Once hunted to the edge of extinction, these forty-ton animals now swim right up to the boats to be petted, and James explains why he calls the lagoon the only place on earth where wild animals in their natural

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39:28

The Life of a Tree: England's Forests, Folklore, and...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/09/26

On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "English Connection" Podcast, Glynn Burrows takes us for a wander through England's forests — ancient and modern, native and man-made — and what a single tree can teach us about history, health, and home. From Sherwood's legendary (and ailing) Major Oak to Thetford's man-made pine forest, from tree-ring dendrochronology to the real origin of the word "underdog," this one covers a lot of ground. Along the way: tree equity and environmental justice in

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45:54

Yellowstone: America's First National Park, Still...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/09/15

Travel writer and advisor Lisa Evans, host of Big Blend Radio's "Journey Jukebox" Podcast takes us to Yellowstone National Park — America's very first national park, marking 110 years of the National Park Service this year. This episode picks up right where her Cody, Wyoming visit left off: after basing herself in Cody, Lisa spent a day and a half looping through Yellowstone by chartered bus, and brings back a full rundown — bison herds thick enough to stop traffic for fifty cars, a moose sighting

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41:03

Snorkeling the Solomon Islands: Two Weeks Aboard the...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/09/11

Author and adventurer Inga Aksamit returns to this shared Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel" show with the International Food Wine Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) — to take us snorkeling for two weeks aboard the MV Bilikiki in the Solomon Islands. From a camouflaged crocodile fish and venomous sea kraits to a floating village market and the Coral Triangle's marine biodiversity, Inga shares what it's like to spend eleven days snorkeling with Snorkel Venture on one of the South Pacific's

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56:00

Epic Southern Africa: Wildlife, Wine, Waterfalls,...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/09/10

On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Quiltripping Travel" Podcast, travel writer and photographer Rose Palmer shares her epic month-long journey across Southern Africa with her husband — starting with wine tasting in Cape Town, riding the historic Rovos Rail into Zimbabwe, chasing wildlife and waterfalls at Victoria Falls, safari glamping in Botswana's Khwai Private Reserve and Okavango Delta, and ending with a river boatd cruise on the Chobe River. Rose talks border crossings, elephant

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40:29

Explore Tualatin Valley, Oregon

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/09/08

Just 30 minutes from Portland, Tualatin Valley is Oregon's underrated wine country — home to 40+ wineries, one of the state's most ethnically diverse food scenes, tax-free shopping, and a 21-mile paved trail past a giant wooden troll. On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel Show," presented in partnership with the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), Sylke Neal-Finnegan, VP of Communications and PR at Explore Tualatin Valley, gives us a

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42:11

Vernonia, Oregon: How a Community Turned an Old...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/08/26

Michael Calhoun, a lifelong resident of Vernonia, Oregon and Board Chair of the Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District, joins this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Parks & Travel" Podcast — timed to National Park Week 2026 — to share the story of the Banks-Vernonia Trail, a 20-mile former logging railroad that became Oregon's first rails-to-trail conversion and later earned National Recreation Trail certification from the National Park Service.Michael talks about growing up in a

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25:04

Film Director Sasha Waters: Mary Oliver - Saved by...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/08/24

Sasha Waters, director and producer of the new American Masters documentary "Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World," joins Big Blend Radio to talk about bringing the life of one of America's most beloved and most private poets to the screen.Mary Oliver was a bestselling poet and Pulitzer Prize winner whose work — including "Wild Geese" and "The Journey" — has reached readers far beyond the usual poetry audience. Waters discusses how Oliver's decades in Provincetown, Massachusetts shaped her

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12:22

To Use a Mountain: Filmmaker Casey Carter on...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/08/21

Filmmaker Casey Carter joins Big Blend Radio to talk about his feature documentary debut, "To Use a Mountain," which traces the search for a permanent U.S. nuclear waste repository back to the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act. Casey and Lisa dig into the six candidate communities featured in the film — in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Nevada — and the farmers, miners, tribal leaders, and citizen scientists who fought back when their land was marked as a possible dumping ground

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24:47

Lessons Learned from Travel: From Adventure to...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/08/19

In Part Three of her “Lessons Learned from Travel” series, travel writr Linda Ballou takes us into the wilds of Alaska and Canada for a powerful story about adventure, wilderness, and environmental stewardship.In this shared episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Lost Angel Travel Adventures” Show, Linda reflects on her journey down the Tatshenshini River, also known as Raven’s River, which begins near Haines, Alaska, travels through Canada, and flows toward the Gulf of Alaska. She shares an excerpt from

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29:37

Exploring Audubon’s Francis Beidler Forest &...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/08/09

Celebrate American Adventures Month with this shared episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Jo Goes Everywhere!” travel podcast featuring writer Jo Clark who takes us into the wild and wonderful world of Audubon’s Francis Beidler Forest Center and Sanctuary in Harleyville, South Carolina—an extraordinary old-growth forest and swamp ecosystem filled with ancient trees, wildlife, birds, waterways, and fascinating history.Jo shares her experience exploring this remarkable sanctuary, which is home to

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77:51

Building a Better World Through Community, Travel &...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/07/07

Welcome to this shared inaugural episode of Big Blend Radio's "Table & Compass" Podcast with hosts Lisa D. Smith, Joelle Machia, and Ryan Slough.Pull up a chair for global conversations that shape a better world as we explore how travel, community, culture, and collaboration connect to the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this debut episode, the hosts are joined by Carlisle Richardson, an international relations expert whose career has included serving as Ambassador

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38:39

We Are Guardians Film: Rob Grobman & Chelsea Greene...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/06/22

In recognition of World Rainforest Day, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast features co-directors Rob Grobman and Chelsea Greene who discuss their acclaimed documentary film, "We Are Guardians," produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker, actor, and environmental activist Fisher Stevens. Available worldwide on digital platforms including Amazon, Apple TV, and Tubi, "We Are Guardians" takes viewers deep into the Brazilian Amazon, where Indigenous Guardians risk their lives to

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33:20

Wild, Wonderful Alaska: A Windstar Cruise Through The...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/06/12

Celebrate Great Outdoors Month with this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's Quiltripping Travel" Podcast. Travel expert, photographer and host Rose Palmer joins producer Lisa D. Smith from France — where she's in between trips — to share her unforgettable experience aboard Windstar's brand-new Star Seeker on its inaugural Alaska cruise. Unlike the big-ship experience, the Star Seeker's small size unlocked a side of Southeast Alaska most travelers never see. Rose takes us deep into Misty Fjords

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32:38

When Travel Becomes a Pilgrimage: Lessons from the...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/06/07

What happens when you travel — not for sightseeing, but for the soul? In this shared and heartfelt episode of Big Blend Radio's "Soul Diving Sunday" Show, Live & Die Happy Coach Shelley Whizin shares her extraordinary pilgrimage to South Africa, where she spent time on the sacred land of the White Lion Global Protection Trust alongside lionhearted leadership author Linda Tucker and spiritual activist Andrew Harvey. Shelley traveled in real physical pain — dealing with a bulging disc and

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35:31

Waterfalls, Wildflowers & Wonders: Exploring...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/06/03

In celebration of Great Outdoors Month, this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Adventures in Asheville" Podcast features cohosts Steve and Karen Wilson, owners of the Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast, sharing their favorite ways to experience Asheville's natural beauty. From spectacular waterfalls and colorful wildflowers to fascinating mushrooms, butterflies, and wildlife encounters, this conversation highlights why Western North Carolina is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts.Known for

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46:09

Travel Writer & Storyteller Elaine Masters: Following...

Nature Connection Radio ·

2026/05/30

In this special "Getting to Know You" episode of Big Blend Radio, we celebrate National Creativity Day and reconnect with longtime Big Blend friend, travel writer, author, and storyteller Elaine Masters as part of the launch of our new online community, Big Blend Media House, and its Front Porch News newsletter. A longtime Big Blend contributor and friend, Elaine is known for her thoughtful travel writing, cultural sensitivity, environmental awareness, and love of water adventures. Hear about her

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