Rangers of the Lost Park

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...

Liz is joined by Danielle and Cassie of National Park After Dark Podcast ! Together they read and react through Trail Tales (listener stories), all of which are park ranger-themed, and discuss a variety of topics regarding National Parks, public lands, and more. Last year, 2025, Liz was featured on NPAD's March 3rd episode A Love Worth Fighting For: Speaking Up For Our Public Lands alongside two o...

My guest today is someone I am so beyond stoked to talk to. She is a powerful woman who specializes in wilderness skills, traditional lifeways, and ancestral skills. She is an author, a mother, a teacher, a woman of bushcraft, and a lover of nature. Oh, and did I mention she is the first female winner of the History Channel’s show Alone ? Yes, my friends, my guest today is Woniya Thibeault. We tal...

Liz chats with Vikram Baliga - known for his online presence as The Plant Prof and podcast Planthropology - about loving plants and the plant community, wild 5-minute plant hack videos, Big Bend National Park, and more! Vikram also shares that he wishes for folks to find the beauty in the outdoors whenever they can. Yay plants! Follow Vikram on Instagram: @the.plant.prof . Listen to his podcast: P...

He's back! It's N8ture AL (also known as Alex Troutman)! Liz and AL catch up since they last spoke in September. AL has worked in conservation as a wildlife biologist for years until last February when he was caught in the crosshairs of the DOGE firings. Since then, he has made it his mission to provide representation for kids and black and brown communities. AL helps ease folks into loving the ou...

Lance Garland is an author, climber, father, husband, former Navy SEAL trainee, and has become the first openly gay fireman in the Seattle Fire Department.  But who is he at his core? He is kind. He is funny. He is deeply thought-provoking. He is an incredible writer. And, perhaps most heartwarmingly, he is unapologetically himself. In this episode, we talk about Lance's newest book called Out The...

Music has been used as an act of resistance and protest for generations. You may have heard the saying: "you know times are bad when folk music is getting better." Well, we seem to be living that kind of time period right now. And musicians like Kirstie Lynn are making waves and utilizing music as an outlet for their strife.  With soaring songbird melodies and a voice as clear as a bell, Kirstie L...

Joining Liz is author and journalist Emily Pennington! Not only is Emily super rad-- she is also the first guest who had previously submitted the Submit A Guest form ! We talk about her favorite National Parks (of which she has vistited all 63!), vanlife, being a woman in the outdoors, a few bear stories, and more. Emily was put on her first international flight at 3 weeks old and has been an avid...

Andrea Delgado is a fierce and kind leader who immigrated from Ecuador to the United States at a young age. This is someone who has spent nearly two decades operating at the intersection of power, policy, land, and people. She often worked behind the scenes and in rooms where the consequences of decisions ripple across generations.  Andrea is a nationally recognized strategist who has advised the...

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota is the most visited Wilderness area in the United States, garnering around 150,000 to 250,000 visitors per year. Its vast wilderness extends 150 miles along the U.S.-Canada border, covering approximately 1,098,000 acres with over 1,100 lakes and 1,200 miles of canoe routes, attracting more than 150,000 visitors annually. Now, that is under thr...

Concessionaires have been around even before the Park Service in what we now know as National Parks. Today, there are nearly 500 concessionaires within our Parks, which mean there are tons of folks who work for them. Liz's dear friend Kayla Babb, whom she worked with for a concessionaire company in Yellowstone National Park in 2015, joins the podcast to talk about her experiences within the Parks...