National Wildlife Federation Outdoors

About National Wildlife Federation Outdoors

The National Wildlife Federation Outdoors Podcast explores the biggest conservation issues and most interesting conservationists and programs throughout the country, from national programs to statewide conservation efforts and current issues driving the conversation within the conservation community.

Publisher

National Wildlife Federation Outdoors

Category

business · leisure · sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Aug 2019

Latest episode

28 Jan 2026

Latest episodes

2 of 118 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   28 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Urgent Action Needed to Protect the Boundary Waters with Lukas Leaf and Matthew Schultz

   Urgent Action needed! In this episode Aaron sits down with Lukas Leaf and Matthew Schultz from Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters. The House of Representatives recently voted to strip a 20-year moratorium on mining in the Boundary Waters region and in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness through the unprecedented use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA). A vote in the U.S. Senate is expected to be held any day. Aaron, Lukas, and Matthew walk you through the conservation history of the region and its values, why mining here is a terrible idea, how the 20 year mining moratorium came to be, what the CRA is and why this particular use of the CRA is like nothing in history, and what you can do today to help keep protections in place. This episode is a must listen if you are an American conservationist. NWF Outdoors action alert: https://support.nwf.org/page/93268/action/1?utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=20260126_Outdoors_ETT_Senate_BoundaryWaters_NoSpecies_Email1&utm_content=20260126_Outdoors_ETT_Senate_BoundaryWaters_NoSpecies_Email1+6313878455&ea.url.id=4517047 Sportsmen for Boundary Waters website: https://sportsmenbwca.org/; Sportsmen for Boundary Waters action alert: https://bit.ly/SpeakUpForTheBWCA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2. 

   3 Nov 2025TRANSCRIPT

   The Legacy of America’s Public Lands - with Hal Herring

   Aaron and Tanner sit down with renowned, award-winning journalist, writer, and communicator Hal Herring — one of the leading voices on the history and future of America’s public lands. From the hills of Alabama to the Montana mountains, Hal has explored nearly every facet of conservation, restoration, and land management. He’s thought about it, written about it, and lived it. In this episode, he shares his deep understanding and fiery passion for wild places and public lands. Join this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation as we trace the origins of America’s public lands—how we got them, the defining (and sometimes disastrous) decisions along the way, and what’s at stake today. Hal helps us imagine a hopeful path forward, one where healthy, thriving landscapes remain a shared inheritance for future generations. Hal is a one-of-a-kind storyteller and advocate for wild spaces. Tune in for an insightful, funny, and thought-provoking discussion that will leave you inspired to reconnect with—and reinvest in—our public lands. Explore Hal’s work:https://www.halherring.com/ The Narrow Corridor – Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson From the Nobel Prize–winning authors of Why Nations Fail, this book explores how liberty survives only when governments and citizens maintain a delicate balance of power. Natural Rivals: John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and the Creation of America’s Public Lands – John Clayton A dual biography of two giants—Muir the preservationist and Pinchot the conservationist—whose collaboration helped establish the concept of publicly owned lands. Our Common Ground: A History of America’s Public Lands – John D. Leshy A sweeping account of how the U.S. came to hold nearly one-third of its land for the public good. Leshy reveals how bipartisan decisions built the foundation for recreation, conservation, and education on 600 million acres of shared land. Mining Law: A Study in Perpetual Motion – John D. Leshy A deep dive into the 1872 Mining Law—its history, flaws, and modern-day implications for land use, environmental protection, and mineral policy. DeVoto’s West: History, Conservation, and the Public Good – Bernard DeVoto A collection of essays from one of America’s most eloquent defenders of public lands. DeVoto fought to protect Western landscapes from privatization and exploitation, arguing for strong federal stewardship—a message still powerfully relevant today. This America of Ours: Bernard and Avis DeVoto and the Forgotten Fight to Save the Wild – Nate Schweber An award-winning chronicle of Bernard and Avis DeVoto’s crusade to save national parks from privatization during the McCarthy era. Their fight for conservation, free speech, and democracy remains a timeless call to action. Lands Worth Saving: The Weeks Act of 1911, the National Forests, and the Enduring Value of Public Investment – James G. Lewis A look at the transformative 1911 law that created national forests in the East and restored millions of acres. This book connects the historic Weeks Act to today’s efforts in climate resilience and forest protection. The Nation’s Largest Landlord: The Bureau of Land Management in the American West – James R. Skillen A comprehensive history of the BLM and its evolving mission to balance conservation, industry, and public access across 258 million acres of land. Skillen explores how this complex agency reflects America’s conflicted relationship with its own natural resources. Hal’s Reading List Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3. 

   25 Jun 2025

   A Critical Moment for Public Lands and How We Can Respond: A Conversation with Congressman Gabe Vasquez

   Congressman Gabe Vasquez discusses the threats facing public lands with hosts Aaron Kindle and Tanner Saul, emphasizing the need for bipartisan action to protect these national treasures in this interview.

Who has been a guest on National Wildlife Federation Outdoors

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Gabe Vasquez
• Angus Thuermer
• Walt Dabney
• Bren Haase
• Jim Heffelfinger

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

33 ratings

Spotify

4.8 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 31 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

43

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact National Wildlife Federation Outdoors

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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