Wild Nevadacast

EP 031 - Michael Sykes, Floating Island Books

Our old friend Sydney Martinez returns with exciting news – she has published a brand new book of her photographs and writings from all across the Silver State.  Sydney tells us the story behind the creation of this expression of her love for the wildest parts of Nevada.  

When people spend little time outdoors in nature, it can have negative effects, but Frances Munoz knows one way to get a healthy dose of the natural world: The Wilbur D. May Arboretum.  Learn about the Arboretum Society and the many opportunities available to us to surround ourselves in nature without even leaving town.  

Rafael Villanueva is the first ever CEO of Travel Nevada, a marketing veteran who loves Nevada and tells us all about the ways Nevadans can discover their state through Travel Nevada’s marketing efforts, website, and soon, Adventure Centers, opening in 2026 in Boulder City and Carson City with plans for more.

Chris DeFranco is the man behind the production of Outdoor Nevada, Vegas PBS' statewide recreation show hosted by Connor Fields.  DeFranco has a lot of compelling stories about the production and his passion is evident as he shares some of his memorable experiences.  

Rockhounding can be a lot of fun for many people, but where are the good places to hunt?  Hilary Loupee, President of the Reno Gem & Mineral Society tells us  about the Society’s field trips to great rockhounding spots and explains how the Society has an impressive array of tools to turn your discoveries into works of art. 

Julianne Mahoney is one of the two lucky winners of the Carson City to Canada Quest, which gives her the opportunity to hike from Nevada’s capitol to the U.S. – Canada border along the Pacific Crest Trail.  She stopped by to visit just before hitting the trail to begin this epic journey.  

Ranger Nick Steuer and Mike Mac Millan, General Manager, Reno Public Market.  Restoration and recovery continues after the devastating Davis Fire last September.  Ranger Nick Steuer and Mike Mac Millan of Reno Public Market talk about the benefit event UP! The Creek, coming July 19 to support the recovery effort.  

Sue Norman’s relationship with the outdoors began at age 2 and it continued through a life on the river, where she learned the resilience to eventually win World Championships in Kayaking and Whitewater Rafting. Sue settled in Lake Tahoe, where she wrote her memoir, RISK: A Life Saved By The River, which releases June 24.  

Harmony Heywood combined her love of history and good old fashioned paper maps into a YouTube channel called Map Adventures, where she teaches us everything from the dramatic and lesser-known stories of our region to how to properly read and fold a map.  

Wild Nevada has visited Walker Lake a few times over the years, and we’ve seen the water diminishing to alarming effect.  Peter Stanton leads the charge to return the water to Walker Lake.  We talk about how that is happening and what effect it will have on recreational opportunities.  

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the NNPS educates Nevadans about the wide variety of native plants, including the beautiful wildflowers that can be found all over northern Nevada.  Emma Wynn gives us some wonderful suggestions to go out and experience a spring and summer full of brilliant color and a greater appreciation for our plant life.

Sutro Tunnel Caretaker Spencer Davidson joins Executive Director Chris Pattison to give an update on the progress of the ambitious project at Sutro, which Wild Nevada last visited in 2022.  

Have you ever wondered whether you could live off the land by foraging?  Evert Broderick knows that you probably can’t, at least not in Nevada.  Broderick has been teaching people about the medicinal and edible properties of plants for years, and he sets us straight about realistic expectations on the trail.  

Stephen Provost is a prolific writer, with more than 40 books to his name, many covering travel on Nevada’s highways, like Highway 50, The Loneliest Road, and through historic towns with stories to tell, like Goldfield.   

Mike Branch is a renowned writer, especially about the West, a subject he knows intimately after years living his own Wild Nevada life in the high desert while raising a family and chronicling that unique experience.  

Mary Beth Roselli & Mark Cameron, Tahoe Pyramid Trail.  Executive Director Mark Cameron and Board Member Mary Beth Roselli explain the “audacious idea” that is the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail, update the progress of the trail as they strive for its completion, and share their favorite sections for hikers, runners and cyclists.  

Tami Force, Nevada Ghost Towns & Beyond.  Tami Force has been all over Nevada’s back roads, exploring ghost towns and mining camps and sharing her discoveries with her online friends and family through Nevada Ghost Towns & Beyond at nvtami.com, @nvtami on social media and soon through a new book, In The Shadow Of The Sierra, publishing in 2025.

David Rodriguez, Travel Writer and Food Blogger.  David Rodriguez discovered a love of Nevada’s great outdoors and combined that with his passions for writing and food.  Now he is a regular contributor to many publications, sharing his experiences from Nevada’s back roads, small towns and quirky restaurants. 

Joy Orlich, Historic Reno Preservation Society.  Joy Orlich is the President of HRPS, a volunteer organization dedicated to sharing the stories of Reno’s history by highlighting important properties and advocating for their recognition and protection.  Joy explains the organization’s mission and its various programs, from walking tours to a speaker series and even an app that shows us the history...

John Trent, Ultrarunner.  John Trent is a longtime journalist, author, and trail runner who took up ultrarunning after experiencing the Western States 100 race up close.  Trent explains the mindset of an ultrarunner and details the preparation that goes into such a grueling activity.   

Jack Sutton, Nevada Backroads .  Jack Sutton has been bringing viewers the stories of Nevadans for over four decades on 2 News Nevada (KTVN) with his Nevada Backroads stories.  Jack tells us of his own unlikely path which took him from his office work as an optometrist out on the road to find and share the wide spectrum of stories of life in Nevada.

Rich Moreno, author, Frontier Fake News .  Rich Moreno guided the  Wild Nevada  team on four episodes in the show’s early seasons, introducing memorable locations, such as The Sump in central Nevada.  Dave & Rich relive those experiences and Rich tells some old Nevada newspaper tales from his latest book,  Frontier Fake News .

Mike White, trail guide author.  Mike White has written over 30 trail guide books for hikers and has appeared as a guide on Wild Nevada to show us a few of those trails.  He tells us how books like his happen and we question the future of physical hiking books in an age of digital devices.

Helena Guglielmino is a lover of the outdoors who writes about local trails for the Reno News and Review along with adventure stories for numerous other publications. She is working on a trail guide book, no doubt enhanced by her work with the Tahoe Rim Trail.