Rangers of the Lost Park

Liz joins John Leshy, lawyer and public lands advocate, for a deep and thoughtful discussion about protecting public lands and what that looks like for people of all walks of life. They share what they're hearing from others, what these attacks on public lands mean, and why it is important to stay engaged and speak up. John's new podcast series, On Common Ground , tells the story of America's 640...

Liz welcomes Tara and Nancy of Crime Off The Grid Podcast for this fun collab! We talk about crazy, bizarre and intense stories from their time as Law Enforcement rangers in National Parks like Yellowstone, Crater Lake and Mount Rushmore; female friendships; exploring the outdoors, and more! About Tara & Nancy: These badass women are both true crime enthusiasts with each having over 30 years o...

You NEED To know about the most adorable little "mountain potatoes": the American pika (Ochotona princeps)! Not only is the logo for this here podcast a pika, but the American pika ( Ochotona princeps ) is a small, herbivorous mammal of the family Ochotonidae, closely related to rabbits and hares. They live in alpine rockslides and talus slopes; and they have the cutest "MEEP!" you'll ever hear. P...

Jason Wise is a Certified California Naturalist, environmental educator, conservationist, trail guide, LGBTQ activist, writer, and sometimes photographer, with a master's degree in environmental policy (MPP). His passion is fostering a deeper connection between people and nature, and believes that access to and education about the natural world are essential for cultivating strong environmental ad...

She skinny dipped with a bear?! Yep, and she's also a backcountry adventurer and this week's guest on Rangers of the Lost Park! Her name is Emma Hoskins. Emma works at the intersection of public lands, climate resilience, and outdoor storytelling. Through research, policy work, and time spent on the road, from U.S. National Parks to New Zealand, Emma explores how travel, recreation, and conservati...

Big Bend National Park and the local communities surrounding it are being threatened by a destructive border patrol endeavor. The Department of Homeland Security released “Smart Wall” plans for this area of Texas (including Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park) which include PHYSICAL construction of border walls in both the Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park. "Thi...

From sleeping in flowers to keeping the natural world thriving, native bees are absolutely magical. Krystle Hickman loves bees and is incredibly knowledgable! She is a National Geographic Explorer and Expedition Expert, award-winning conservation photographer and author, keynote speaker, and artist whose work explores biodiversity, pollinators, and environmental storytelling through fieldwork arou...

You may recognize him from his quirky Instagram / Tiktok reels - the man known for creating quality, local artist-driven conservation tees: Jim Morris! Jim Morris is the founder of Boulder-based Jim Morris Environmental & Wildlife T-Shirt Co . Since 1976, he has been screen-printing eco-friendly tees to raise environmental awareness and support conservation efforts. A few years ago, Jim became...

In this episode, Eli Henderson of The Ground Between Us Podcast sits down with Liz Crandall of Rangers of the Lost Park Podcast to explore how a passion for wilderness can grow into a lifelong commitment to conservation and public lands advocacy. Liz shares the experiences that shaped her connection to the outdoors and led her to dedicate her career to protecting public lands. From her work in Yel...

This week's guest is someone who has a wonderful sense of humor, tenacity in conservation work and is a young person trying to do good for nature. Her name is Nancy Nan, or Nance.  Nance graduated from UCLA in 2024 with a bachelor’s of arts in Geography and Sociology. She is originally from North Carolina, but has done work in Arizona with the US forest service and Arizona Conservation Corp before...

Who knew learning history could be so fun?! Will DeMan (known as "NationalParkHistory") is a Michigan-based educator, writer, and public land advocate. His content on Instagram and Substack combines history and advocacy to help his audience understand and respond to the many issues our public lands and national parks are facing. He is the author of two books on the origin stories of the national p...

The Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission (located in Moab, Utah), the longest-running film commission, started in 1949 to help facilitate John Ford movies that were going there. Since then, over 200 films have been shot in the area on - you guessed it - public lands! Bega Metzner, the Film Commission Director for the Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission, makes sure everyone is doing it the r...

What happens when you gather a group of nature enthusiasts in an old growth forest? This episode is truly unique and not something Liz has done on this podcast before. Liz went out into the remote backcountry with a wonderful group of public land protectors and will be sharing four of their stories with you all today. You’ll get to hear some personal stories of deep love, resiliency and intrigue s...

This week's guest is Robert "Bob" Pahre: a professor in the Political Science Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he is also currently Department Head. Liz and Bob discuss the consequences of erasing history from our nation's National Parks will entail, especially in regards to future generations and their access to knowledge and historical facts. They also talk abo...

Meg Carney, host of Outdoor Minimalist Podcast, and Liz Crandall, host of Rangers of the Lost Park Podcast, team up for an effortless collaboration where they talk about how they both find joy in a world of bad news. As Meg says: it can feel impossible to find joy when the headlines never seem to let up. From attacks on public lands and environmental protections to growing uncertainty for the peop...

Gwyn & Ami are a dynamic duo who plan incredible itineraries for folks looking to venture into National Parks and public lands. They share their tips and tricks in planning, pride outside as a queer couple, a spooky trail story, a "grizzly" encounter, and more! Follow Gwyn & Ami on Instagram: @gwynandami . Visit Gwyn & Ami's Website: gwynandami.com . Follow Gwyn & Ami on TikTok . F...

"Green Girl" Leah Thomas coined the term Intersectional Environmentalist at the age 25, when she wrote and published her book titled The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet . Since 2020, Leah has spoken up in the name of eco-communication and brings forth the understanding that social justice and climate justice are one in the same. Le...

Chrisha Favors isn't afraid to be her authentic self and spread joy whenever she can! She spends her days tending to her garden and is proud to be a black woman landowner in the state of Oregon. Historically, people of color could not own land in the Pacific Northwest area we now call Oregon. In fact, it was punishable by physical force (and even death) and backed by racist colonizers. Chrisha ser...

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) covers about 19.3 million acres in northeast Alaska and is the largest national refuge in the United States. And unfortunately, it is a huge target for oil and gas drilling despite its protections currently in place. The Refuge includes diverse habitats that support an abundance of species including caribou, brown, black and polar bears, Dall sheep, moose...

Sam Forstag is an outdoorsy guy! He worked as a smokejumper and wildland firefighter for years with the US Forest Service-- until December of 2025, when he decided it was time to run for Congress. And the amazing part? He's only 31, he's from a working-class lifestyle, and he speaks up for rangers. Oh, and he really cares about public lands. Visit Sam's website: samformontana.com . Follow Sam on I...

This week’s episode takes a deep dive into the life of the American farmer– the culture surrounding it, why what we eat matters and how we farm matters, and a new documentary that is just now starting to show screenings: Fork in the Road . I found out about this exciting new documentary from renowned actor and woodworker Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson, for those who need a reminder) online, and I was...

Aaron Murphy of American Hunters & Anglers (AHA) is truly a public lands patriot! Since he was young, Aaron has loved the outdoors unconditionally. He served as a Ranger at Yellowstone National Park in the late 90s, he has campaigned and was chief of staff for a Senator, and now he advocates for public lands with AHA on social media and in Washington DC. Aaron and Liz talk about their shared l...

Jesse Hamner is an experienced and knowledgable wildland firefighter with a huge heart. After experiencing great loss in 2025, she embarked on a grand roadtrip around the United States in search of community and healing. Since then, Jesse created "Keep Flaming," a safe space for anyone who feels "othered" in wildland fire (especially queer folk) and seek a supportive community in order to thrive n...

Mattison "Matt" Shreero & Max Scott: two park rangers who are both incredible paleontologists and geologists! Matt and Max join Liz on this jurassic episode of Rangers of the Lost Park to talk about all sorts of cool things. They help debunk some of the big myths we are hearing in the news, they talk about fossils and how old the Earth is (hint: it's older than 6,000 years), and so much more!...

Alligator Alcatraz: remember that? Well, it's still very much a thing. In fact, it is still operating despite the lawsuits and public outcry. And guess what? It's going to be on your radar again very soon. Did you know that the location of Alligator Alcatraz, the very place that is currently causing ecological destruction, is the reason for the existence of the Clean Water Act, NEPA, and Earth Day...