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 belong outdoors, too.

We speak with SJ about what happened on May 20 when they flew the flag and what happened in August when they were consequentially fired for it. SJ also shares about their passions, education, and belief in the Constitution and the right to express Freedom of Speech. We also have some fun and share some silly stories together because, at the end of the day, we want to be joyful despite the adversity thrown our way.

Follow SJ on Instagram: @shannonekj
-DM them for emails of the superintendents and NPS in charge of their firings to tell them to reinstate SJ immediately.

Donate to SJ's GoFundMe to help with legal fees: GoFundMe

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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.

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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.

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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 lands?

Sources Cited in this episode:
1. Conservation and Landscape Health Rule
2. Federal Register
3. Overview of Public Lands Rule
4. Proposed Rescission
5. Resistance Rangers Instagram Post: Instagram vs. Reality
6. BLM About Livestock Grazing
7. BLM Livestock Grazing Overview
8. 7 Ways Oil and Gas Drilling are Bad for the Environment
9. Renewable Energy Article
10. National Recreation and Park Association

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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. You can support Alex's enthusiasm for nature and Wildlife Forever by checking out his books featuring critters from different states! To connect with Al, follow him on instagram and be sure to visit his website for more information.

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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 protection, and climate justice for over 3 decades. As a representative of Women for Forests and the Tongass Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN International), Yolanda has rallied for the protection of the Tongass National Forest and the codification of the Roadless Rule to ensure the survival of ecosystems, cultures, and food sovereignty in Southeast Alaska. Grounded in her ancestral traditions, Yolanda works to amplify Indigenous women’s voices in environmental policy, ensuring that future generations inherit a thriving, just, and sustainable world.

Tlingít & Haida's mission is to: "Preserve our sovereignty, enhance our economic and cultural resources, and promote self-sufficiency and self-governance for our citizens. In 1935, the Central Council of the Tlingít and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska was established to pursue a land suit on behalf of the Tlingít and Haida people. We evolved out of our people’s struggle to retain our way of life, strongly based on subsistence. Today, we are one of the two federally recognized regional tribes in Alaska. The Tlingít and Haida people are brought together by common interests in protecting, preserving and advocating for the rights of our people, including our rights to claim lands we have used from time immemorial, lands we were given no claim to under the Western concept of land ownership." (Source: Official Tlingít & Haida Website)

To learn more about the Roadless Rule, listen to our previous recording of Episode 5: The Roadless Rule (Apple Podcasts & Spotify).

Follow WECAN International on Instagram: @wecan_intl
Learn more about Yolanda & Women For Forests - Tongass Forest, Alaska here: WECAN Website

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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, Riva joined Grassroots Wildland Firefighters advocacy non-profit. She also joined the US Forest Service's International Programs as an emergency management specialist assisting national parks in North Macedonia and the Republic of Georgia and teaching wildland firefighting skills virtually to first responders and military personnel in Ukraine.

Riva shares a crazy story about a bear encounter while fighting fire, Mikayla talks about the time she almost lost her house to a wildfire, and Liz discusses a time she called in a fire she stumbled upon!

Follow Riva Duncan on Instagram: @firechik
Visit Riva's website: RivaDuncan.com

Follow Grassroots Wildland Firefighters on Instagram: @grassrootswildlandfirefighters
Learn more about Grassroots Wildland Firefighters: GrassrootsWildlandFirefighters.com

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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 looks like, specifically for the US Forest Service, how this may impact the agency and the American people as a whole, and why it might not be a very good idea.

Sources Cited in this episode:

1. USDA Reorganization Announcement
2. Secretary Memorandum SM 1078-015
3. About the US Forest Service - usda.gov
4. About the US Forest Service - supremecourt.gov
5. USFS Organization
6. USFS Regional Foresters
7. Region 5 - About the Area
8. Field Organization and Administrative History of the National Forest System - forestservicemuseum.org
9. The USDA Forest Service - The First Century
10. Forest Service Regions
11. The Land We Cared For . . . A History of the Forest Service's Eastern Region
12. 8KPAX - Missoula & Western Montana Article
13. Montana Free Press Article
14. Mountain Journal Article
15. The Guardian Article

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