The ideas behind this podcast sprung from the conversations of two good friends in our kitchens in Seattle, on chairlifts, in bars, and on the skin track. Once, a friend of ours (likely tired of listening to us bantering) suggested “Hey, guys––why don’t you make a podcast so you can always listen to yourselves talk.” So, we did.

This is a podcast about places, the people who care for them, and the things we love to do in them. We realized that as the current state of public lands, recreation, resource extraction, and politics continues to get more complex and the consequences more significant, we had a desire to dig into these issues and share our ideas as well as the ideas of others. We hope that by doing so, we will not only further our own knowledge, but we will inspire you, our listeners, to think more deeply and engage more confidently in the ownership and use of the landscapes around you. Lastly, we want to recognize that we are not journalists, and that we will certainly experience some growing pains and might even run into some uncomfortable truths while attempting to shed some light on different issues. Despite that, we are greatly looking forward to sharing our thoughts with you and hope that you will do the same with us.

Got an idea for an episode? Want to tell us we got something wrong? Just want to say hey? [email protected]

The Team

Will Russack: Will Russack is a restoration practitioner working to improve the health of public lands in the Puget Sound region. He’s an avid skier, backpacker, and photographer, and enjoys being dragged to live concerts by Tony. Will received his B.S in Environmental Studies from Tufts University, and his B.F.A in Photography from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. http://www.willrussack.com

Tony Cannistra: Tony Cannistra is a graduate student in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington in Seattle. His graduate research focuses on using data science and machine learning techniques to predict ecosystem responses to climate change. Tony enjoys skiing, running, and walking the trails of the Pacific Northwest, which are mostly excuses to drink celebratory beers in beautiful locations. He received his B.S. in Computer Science and Biology from Tufts University. http://www.anthonycannistra.com