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Common Land

Common Land

Author: The Wild Lens Collective

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Follows show producer Matt Podolsky as he attempts to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail with his 65-year-old mom, Candy. Matt and his mom face extreme weather, illness, and injury as they trek 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine. Along the way, Matt shares stories of remarkable people, surprising history, and the modern challenges facing the Appalachian Trail — all as the iconic footpath marks its 100th anniversary. Season two of Common Land was produced by The Wild Lens Collective, in partnership with New Hampshire Public Radio. 

36 Episodes
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Season Two of Common Land was supposed to be focused on the Appalachian Trail, and production was scheduled to start in March of 2020. Unfortunately, the spread of COVID-19 has forced us, along with many others hoping to thru-hike the entire 2,200-mile-long trail, to postpone their trips. In this bonus episode of the show, we explore the motivations behind those seeking to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, and examine how the spread of COVID-19 has affected these hikers, as well as the trail itself.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
John Freemuth was a public policy professor and the Cecil Andrus Endowed Chair of Environment and Public Lands at Boise State University whose voice was featured in season one of Common Land. He passed away on May 2nd, 2020 - this is our tribute to a professor who shaped the way that we view public lands in the West.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
In this bonus episode of the show, shared with you via the podcast HumaNature, we’ll hear about a father who takes his young daughter out on her first backpacking trip in one of our most treasured protected areas - Bryce Canyon National Park.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Season One trailer

Season One trailer

2019-12-1903:161

Season One of Common Land explores the creation story behind the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. This unique stretch of the Snake River Canyon in Southwest Idaho is home to the highest nesting densities of birds of prey anywhere in North America, and the story behind how it was protected is complex and fascinating.Episode One of the series is scheduled for release on January 22nd, 2020.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
One man is largely responsible for establishing the vision for protection of the Snake River Canyon - Morley Nelson. Our first episode tracks Morley's deep passion for birds of prey, and examines how he set the stage for the establishment of protected status for this unique stretch of canyon in Southwest Idaho.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
By the late 1960s Morley Nelson had a clear goal - to establish federal protection for the Snake River Canyon. He began to steer his ever growing cadre of falconry apprentices towards conducting the research that was needed to protect the area, while continuing to establish strategic political partnerships. Morley befriended the young, newly-elected governor of Idaho, Cecil Andrus, cementing a political alliance that would prove crucial in the establishment of protection for the Snake River Canyon. Morley also brought more attention to birds of prey in Southwest Idaho with the production of a new raptor film starring the daughter of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
The 1970s saw the emergence of a truly unique partnership in the Snake River Canyon between scientific researchers and policy makers. Raptor biologists Mike Kochert and Karen Steenhof, at the direction of former Idaho Governor and Secretary of the Interior Cecil Andrus, began conducting research that would determine a biological boundary for a newly expanded protected area along the Snake River. The story behind this research project and how it influenced the dramatic expansion of the Snake River Birds of Prey Natural Area is deeply fascinating and highly instructive.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Just two years after the expansion of the Snake River Birds of Prey Natural Area, an extremely controversial water rights issue exploded into the forefront of Idaho politics. The epicenter of this controversy was the Swan Falls Dam, which sat in the heart of the newly expanded Birds of Prey area, and would play a central role in the future of the Snake River Canyon.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Although Idaho is known as one of the most politically conservative states, it also has a long legacy of land protection. In this episode, we analyze the political process behind the establishment of permanent protection for the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, and explore the future of public lands policy and politics in Idaho.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Conflict erupted in the newly designated Snake River Birds of Prey NCA as land managers and recreational users were forced to deal with the presence of an active military training area within the conservation area. Although this National Guard training area had been established in the 1950s, the creation of the NCA presented a series of challenges for those tasked with managing this newly created protected area. Although many of these challenges remain, the story of the Snake River Birds of Prey NCA over the past 26 years has been one of collaboration and co-management between the Bureau of Land Management and the National Guard.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
While our primary focus in this series has been the very recent history of the Snake River Canyon region, this area has been occupied by humans for over 14,000 years. In this episode we look at the history, culture and life-ways of the Shoshone and Paiute people, who were the stewards of this land for many thousands of years before the arrival of the first European American settlers.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
The arrival of substantial numbers of European American settlers in Southwest Idaho in the mid-1800s led to conflict over land ownership with the Shoshone and Paiute tribes. Although attempts were made to settle these conflicts via treaty-making, the treaties that cover the Snake River Canyon region were never ratified by the US Senate. This, according to current leaders of the Shoshone and Paiute tribes, means that these tribal nations still have a legal ownership claim over all of the land of Southwest Idaho.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Cheatgrass, an invasive annual grass species, has spread throughout the Intermountain West, including the entire area that makes up the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA. As this invasive species has become dominant throughout this large region, it has transformed shrubland ecosystems and dramatically increased the risk of wildfire, causing innumerable problems for both humans and wildlife.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
The future of the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA is highly uncertain as the area and its unique raptor population face a multitude of threats stemming from our current climate crisis. Despite this, basic research and monitoring of the health of raptor populations and their habitats has been defunded in recent decades, making it impossible to know what the future holds for this globally unique population of birds of prey.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Before embarking upon a 6-month-long hike across the spine of the Appalachian Mountain range, my 8-year-old son Rowan had some questions. This is the interview that Rowan conducted with me just a few days before my departure.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
On day two of my journey along the Appalachian trail, an encounter with an Army Ranger training exercise inspired this interview.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Throughout Southern Appalachia, church groups commonly provide what’s referred to as “Trail Magic” - a free bonus snack or meal shared with Appalachian Trail thru-hikers. In this mini-episode, we explore the phenomenon of Trail Magic and its association with the church.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
An update from the Appalachian Trail, in which producer Matt Podolsky and his mom Candy share stories from one of their best days of the journey thus far.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Just a few weeks ago, a 23-year-old thru-hiker lost his life on the Appalachian Trail. This mini-episode is a reflection on this tragic loss.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Birdsong is ever present on the Appalachian Trail, and in this mini-episode, host Matt Podolsky shares recordings that he’s gathered of birds that he’s seen and heard on his AT thru-hike thus far.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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