Rangers of the Lost Park

In this week's episode, Liz is joined by her sister (and our first returner guest) Sarah. They talk about how the constant circulation of bad news is exhausting and wearing people thin, but that we need to remember to find joy wherever we can. They talk about coping mechanisms and how they, themselves, get through it all. They share belly laughs and cover humorous questions and topics. Sarah share...

Alex Haraus is an outdoor and public lands advocate, experienced traveler and an incredible digital creator. We talk about his journey outdoors, his love for the environment and the thought behind Colorado Creator Collective. He gives us the three things that makes content impactful and successful. Alex also shares a mountain lion story and we talk about cool hikes in Iceland - and more! We hope y...

2025: you were one hell of a year. Going into 2026, Liz & Mikayla are embracing the Year of the Horse with determination and even more amazing things! A completely revamped Patreon, exciting new guests, Ranger Lore episodes, and more! Thank you to all of our listeners for supporting us. We are so happy to have you and will continue encouraging you to Ranger On! Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rang...

For our last episode of 2025, we bring to our listeners some much needed information on a public lands topic. What would coal mining look like from a National Park? Why is this being proposed? Let's take a deep dive with the Legal Director & Attorney Steve Bloch of Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA)! Steve talks about how SUWA is working to stop coal mining from being implemented in the...

Today’s very special guest is one that many of you may recognize: Charles F. Sams III, who goes by Chuck Sams, is well-renowned in the park ranger community. Chuck is Cayuse, Walla Walla and is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Northeast Oregon, where he grew up. Famously known as the first Indigenous Director of the National Park Service, Chuck se...

Ranger Emily is a park ranger within the wild landscapes of Alaska. She shares her experiences and perspectives with us as an individual who works as an archaeologist in some of the most beautiful National Parks. From glaciers to bear attacks and tribal relationships -- Emily has some incredible stories from her time in the outdoors. She even answers the ever-popular question of: what can I do, as...

Joining us for this incredibly special episode is Ken Burns - one of the greatest documentary filmmakers of his time. Ken Burns is known for his epic and historically focused films such as: The Civil War , Baseball , Jazz , The Vietnam War , The Roosevelts , Prohibition , and, our personal favorite, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea . Most recently, he meticulously created the 9-years-in-the...

What does it mean to be a "responsible influencer"? How can someone with a prominent social media platform advocate responsibly for the places that they love to showcase online? Ashley Petefish, @ashley.goes.hiking on Instagram and @hiking_adventures on TikTok, has worked tirelessly on her social media platforms in digital advocacy for our public lands. Not only is she a regular volunteer within t...

Whether we like them or not, wolves are our neighbors and have an ecological impact. We sat down with Monica Stallman, who goes by their pen name Leokadia George, to talk about wolf conservation and her newest book called Trumpet the Miracle Wolf Pup: Trumpet Becomes a Mom . Leokadia volunteers her time at the Wolf Conservation Center in New York, where she was inspired by one Mexican Gray Wolf (...

What's it like to work along the borderlands of the US-Mexico border as a public lands steward? Ranger Red joins us to talk about his experiences as a GIS specialist and physical scientist and has worked for the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. From car chases to jaguars, Red's got some interesting stories to share! We also discuss Senator Mike Lee's newest act against public l...

This bonus episode is inspired by Sandra Ramos, our guest and known fondly as the National Park Patch Lady. Sandra is the wizard behind the curtain with "Adopt-a-Ranger" mutual aid initiative, which aims to support rangers who need some joy in these hard times. We also get to know Sandra and hear about her undying love for National Parks and the rangers who care for them. If you are a ranger (form...

This week we talked with New Mexico Wild's Conservation Director, Bjorn Fredrickson about the importance of wilderness protections and some of the legislation that aims to strip these protections. Specifically, the Border Lands Conservation Act introduced by Senator Mike Lee of Utah poses a lot of concerns for conservationists, and people who enjoy and use public lands. *Disclaimer: The sound is a...

The magic of foraging for mushrooms, berries, medicinal plants and so much more is not just a hobby for Gabrielle Cerberville, but a lifestyle. In this episode we discuss the rights of nature, protecting public lands, foraging ideologies, and a fun round of Ranger Ranking questions. Gabrielle, also known as "Chaotic Forager" on social media, just wrote and published her first book Gathered: On For...

Bats, caves & rescues, oh my! Ranger Hannah Croxton immerses us in some spooky stories from their time as a US Forest Service Lead Ranger at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument in Oregon. Alongside all the other amazing federal workers who protect our public lands, Hannah has experienced the tumultuous uncertainty that plagues the federal workforce this year. She shares what she is doing n...

Author and former Wildland Firefighter River Selby (they/them) wrote and published their memoire Hotshot: A Life on Fire on August 12, 2025. In this episode, River talks about what it was like being a hotshot and wildland firefighter from both a personal and scientific perspective. In Hotshot , readers are taken on a journey through sweltering wildfire action, awareness regarding fire ecology and...

SJ Joslin (they/them), a bat biologist from Yosemite National Park, was unjustly fired from their dream job by the federal government for flying the trans flag in the park. They were off-duty, left no trace (aka zero damage) and did this purely with good intentions. This was not a demonstration, despite what the Department of Interior stated, but an act of inclusion depicting that trans people bel...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to support 640 million acres of public lands across the United States? In this episode, Gaby Rojas from Public Lands Alliance explains how nonprofits support our nation's treasures for the future. Find Public Lands Alliance at publiclandsalliance.org. Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark . Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark . Join Patreon...

Join us this week for reviews from National Parks, Monuments, Forests, and more! Liz explains the difference between each type and then dives into the reviews. We hope this silly episode can bring joy to a chaotic week! Thank you to our friends at National Park After Dark for the episode idea. Follow ROTLP on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark . Follow ROTLP on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark . Join P...

The Department of Interior proposed to rescind the Public Lands Rule, also known as the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, on September 10, 2025. This rule codifies conservation as a "legitimate use" of public lands, and in this week's episode Mikayla and Liz explore different uses and their impacts on conservation. Do you think conservation, or "no use", is a legitimate use of our public lan...

Joining us this week is Alex, or Al, Troutman. His passion for fish and wildlife biology, writing and communicating really shines through. As a co-organizer for many Black in X weeks including Black Birders Week and Black Mammalogists Week, Al seeks to increase diversity in nature, celebrate Black individuals and scientists, and awareness of Black nature enthusiasts and diversity in STEM fields. Y...

The Roadless Rule in Alaska has been controversial and succumbed to many changes throughout the last couple of decades. Joining us today is someone who not only lives in Alaska, but has also been fighting for protecting Roadless Areas for years. Yolanda Fulmer is a Tlingít Matriarch of The Raven Nest House from Glacier Bay, Alaska. She has been a tireless advocate for Indigenous rights, forest pro...

Wildfires are burning more and more drastically each year. The people who serve and protect the landscape and its inhabitants are not only brave but also incredibly vital to have in the workforce. Speaking with us today is Riva Duncan, who retired at the end of 2020 after 32+ years with the US Forest Service, first as a forester then a wildland firefighter and manager.  Shortly after retirement, R...

On July 24 of this year, US Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a new reorganization effort for the entire USDA, which includes the US Forest Service. By ridding the US Forest Service of all current Regions and, therefore, Regional Offices, things are a bit up in the air about what this will actually look like. Liz takes us into a deep dive of what the USDA reorganization...

Bogs and Badgers, oh my! Joining us for this episode is Liz's sister, Sarah Crandall, who is a botanist and wildland firefighter. We discuss her work caring for rare and sensitive plant species and share funny stories about bogs, badgers, Harry Potter camp, favorite nonessential things to bring backpacking, and more! This is our silliest episode yet, so we hope you enjoy as much as we did. Follow...

Have you seen the phrase "Make America Beautiful Again" and thought to yourself, "What does that even mean?" Well you're in luck because this week Mikayla explains the two Executive Orders, Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks and Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission while Liz helps fact-check the fact sheet . The impacts of these directive...