The Scenic Route Podcast

 Benjamin Kellett is a UK-born paraglider pilot and adventure flyer who splits his time between Queenstown, New Zealand, and the European Alps. With over a decade of experience in the air, Ben is known for his vol-biv style of travel, flying long-distance with all his camping gear and landing in remote alpine terrain to spend nights in the mountains. He’s flown tandem professionally, document...

Dr. Brendan Talwar and Dr. Chris Malinowski are marine scientists who have collaborated for more than a decade on conservation, fieldwork, and science communication. Brendan is a National Geographic Explorer and postdoctoral scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Chris is the Director of Research & Conservation at the Ocean First Institute. Together, they formed Team Shark Do...

Chad Caruso is a professional skateboarder, filmmaker, and content creator best known for setting a Guinness World Record for the fastest cross-country journey across America on a manually powered skateboard. He skated from Venice Beach, California to Virginia Beach in 2023, covering 3,027 miles and 77,000 feet of elevation in just 57 days alone, using the same board, wheels, and bearings the enti...

Cass Verdy is a Netherlands-born travel creator who, after struggling with depression in his late teens and choosing sobriety at nineteen, left his home with €6,000 and relocated to Bali, a place he first connected with during a 2018 trip. There, he spent his early months living in small village rooms, traveling across the island by motorbike, and posting daily videos. Cass’s first viral clips led...

Bobby Greco is a wildlife biologist and Ph. D. student studying American crocodile conservation in the Dominican Republic. His path began in Connecticut, where he worked on projects ranging from stream salamanders to statewide turtle and snake surveys. Since then, he’s gained global field experience, from researching crocodiles in Belize to working with alligators in Texas and supporting habitat a...

Owen Lombardi is the Chief Marketing Officer at Treka, a cutting-edge platform that connects outdoor travelers with verified local guides for bookable, GPS-enabled adventures. Owen brings deep insight into Treka’s mission to make guided hikes, multi-day treks, and unique experiences more accessible and trustworthy, all while helping guides earn more and treat their craft like a business. Down...

Tom “The Blowfish” Hird is a UK-based marine biologist, wildlife presenter, and science communicator known for blending heavy-metal energy with ocean education. With a degree in Marine Biology from Bangor University, he has become a familiar face on Discovery’s Shark Week, Netflix’s  All The Sharks , and BBC and ITV wildlife programs. His work spans shark research, ethical wildlife filmmaking...

Andrea Boccini is an Italian wildlife filmmaker, photographer, and conservation storyteller whose work blurs the line between art and ecology. Trained in scenography and photography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Andrea began his career in design before devoting himself fully to documenting the fragile balance between humans and the natural world. Through his long-term project  The...

Hallie Cowan is a wildlife biologist, photographer, and science communicator pursuing her master’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology at Clemson University. Her research focuses on mercury contamination in South American caimans, studying how these crocodilians act as bioindicators for ecosystem health. She has conducted fieldwork in Suriname and the Peruvian Amazon with organizations like F...

Randy Thomas is a wildlife biologist, scuba diver, photographer, and filmmaker from Detroit, Michigan. After earning his degree in Environmental Science from the University of Toledo, he found his calling in marine research, working in the Florida Keys and at the Bimini Shark Lab, where he performed shark workups and appeared on Discovery’s Shark Academy and Netflix’s All the Sharks...

Jake Youngblood Dobbs is founder of the community-brand Irrational Optimism and a modern-day adventurer known for undertaking extreme, unconventional trips around the world. His projects center on community building, skill development, and exploring places that challenge Western narratives and perceptions. Jake has lived with the Taliban in Afghanistan to better understand life under the...

Connor Blakley is the founder of The DropOut Companies and creator of Jams, a high-protein, crustless PB&J sandwich brand sold in over 3,000 Walmart stores nationwide. Connor began his entrepreneurial journey in high school, founding Youth Logic, a marketing agency that served over 50 businesses across the U.S. At 17, he landed a major deal with Sprint and after being expel...

Dr. Marisa Tellez is a field biologist and co-founder of the Crocodile Research Coalition (CRC) based in Belize. Her work focuses on the ecology, conservation, and health of crocodiles and other reptiles, as well as their connection to local communities and ecosystems. With a Ph. D. from UCLA, she’s conducted extensive research across Central America, using crocodiles as bioindicators to better un...

Benhail Antao is wildlife rescuer and conservation communicator from Goa India. Benhail is best known for starring in  Snakes SOS: Goa’s Wildest  on National Geographic, where he leads rescue missions, wrestles with human-wildlife conflict, and shows how conservation looks in real time. Through his career, he’s moved from studying engineering to handling venomous snakes, educating commun...

Dr. Clifford Hurst is a professor of management and entrepreneurship at Ohio Wesleyan University whose work explores how people find purpose and meaning in what they do. With a background in formal axiology (the study of values) Cliff has spent much of his career thinking about what makes work “good” beyond money or success. Before teaching, he worked as a business management consultant and crafts...

Dr. Dustin Reichard is a behavioral ecologist and professor at Ohio Wesleyan University. Dr. Reichard’s research focuses on the evolution of bird song and how communication influences sexual selection, social behavior, and survival in species like the dark eyed junco and carolina wren. Beyond the lab, he’s passionate about teaching, mentoring, and helping students understand the deep connections b...

Casey "Grizzly Guy" Anderson is a renowned naturalist, filmmaker, and explorer whose career has spanned decades of bringing people face-to-face with the wild. Known for his extraordinary bond with Brutus the Bear, Casey has built a life around wildlife education and storytelling. He's the Montana Grizzly Encounter Rescue and Educational Sanctuary and has hosted and produced acclaimed documentaries...

Dr. Shane Miller is a prehistoric archaeologist whose primary research interests are the Ice Age colonization of the Americas, the origins of agriculture in eastern North America, and how we can use lithic technology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and geoarchaeology to make inferences about past human behavior. In addition to southeastern archaeology, he has also worked at mammoth kill sit...

Natalie Kovarik is a fourth-generation rancher and social media storyteller who has woven the rugged beauty of western ranch life into a dynamic digital brand. A trained pharmacist turned rural entrepreneur, she co-hosts the hit podcast Discover Ag, runs her own ranch (Kovarik Cattle Co.) in the Nebraska Sandhills, and speaks at events like SXSW on modern agriculture and storytelling. Na...

Myke Clarkson is a natural h  istory filmmaker, television producer, and president of Herpetological Conservation International, having filmed, produced, and created programming for National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, Netflix and Animal Planet.  From working with snakes and amphibians to producing shows like  All the Sharks  on Netflix, Myke has built a career at the i...

David J DeBonis is a writer, educator, and entrepreneur with a deep passion for storytelling, nature, and personal growth. He’s the founder of Synthesis Ltd., a wellness brand inspired by ancestral health, and spends much of his time exploring the intersection of natural living and modern life. David also teaches writing and research at the Venture Academy of Leadership and Entrepreneurship. Wheth...

Dr. Kristen Lear is a National Geographic Explorer, bat conservationist, and passionate science communicator who’s dedicated her life to protecting one of the world’s most misunderstood creatures. From building bat houses as a kid in Ohio to working on international conservation projects across Australia, Mexico, and Texas, Kristen’s path proves that following your curiosity can lead to wild and u...

Rob Alleva is a wildlife expert, herper, safari guide, and TV host best known for his work on Kings of Pain . With a career that’s taken him from venom labs to remote jungles to even active war zones, Rob has made a name for himself by seeking out some of the planet’s most dangerous and misunderstood creatures. Follow Rob's Crazy Adventures on IG @cavemanrob and @cavemanherping on YT!Watch Kings o...

Julia Hellweg is a wildlife advocate and content creator whose journey has taken her from the corporate world in Germany to the heart of southern Africa. After an eye-opening exchange trip to South Africa, Julia left behind a traditional career path to work hands-on with wildlife, from tracking brown hyenas in Namibia to caring for orphaned animals in Zimbabwe. Her experiences haven’t come without...

Professor Roger Thompson is an award-winning nonfiction author and Director of the Program in Writing and Rhetoric at Stony Brook University. His acclaimed book,  No Word for Wilderness: Italy’s Grizzlies and the Race to Save the Rarest Bears on Earth , delves into the plight of Italy’s brown bears, particularly the Marsican brown bear, which survives in the Abruzzo region. Read "No Word For...