Parks and Restoration

What keeps you showing up to work when the politics are messy, the budget is tight, and the trail never really ends?

In this episode of Parks and Restoration, Chris and Jeremy explore the power of purpose—your WHY—and why it’s a powerful force for staying motivated, engaged, and resilient in parks, natural resources, and outdoor recreation work.

Drawing inspiration from Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why,” they share personal stories, lea...

In this episode, I explore how onboarding isn’t just about filling out forms and handing over keys—it’s about shaping culture, boosting retention, and setting your team up for long-term success.

Whether you're bringing on seasonal staff or full-time hires, this episode breaks down the three essential functions of onboarding—belonging, purpose, and clarity—and offers practical, field-tested strategies to help new team members th...

Back around the first of the year, I was a (co)guest on the Outliers Edge Podcast hosted by Niiamah Ashong. We discussed some of my "leadership through the lens of ecology" ideas, how it's not good to go it alone, and much more.

Outliers Edge is "a podcast for high-performing unconventional leaders and entrepreneurs (aka Outliers) who use what makes them different to make a difference."

I got permission from ...

There's an effort in the Iowa Senate to repeal what would be the most impactful funding mechanism for parks and conservation that has ever existed in the state of Iowa.

Iowa's Water and Land Legacy fund, also known as IWiLL is technically the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. It was established by a 63% majority vote by Iowans in 2010, writing the fund into the state's constitution. But the fund sits ...

In this episode, I chat with John Fullbright who has one of the craziest life stories of anyone I know. A lifelong adventure guide currently residing in New Mexico, he recently led a nighttime whitewater rescue the likes of which belongs on one of those crazy "I shouldn't have survived" TV shows.

But that's not a fraction of what makes him so interesting. Among other things, he is now venturing into beekeeping as...

Some of us are lucky enough to have great mentors in our professional lives. This is the story of one of mine.

When I first became Director, I saw one of my board members, Jim Garnjobst, as difficult. Argumentative. Contrarian. "This guy's gonna be the death of me..." I remember lamenting to my wife back then.

Fast forward a dozen or so years and I saw Jim as one of the most important people in my professional life. A mentor. A f...

I'm joined by sustainability consultant Kenny Oleson for an insightful discussion on clean energy, energy efficiency, and sustainability.

This episode covers, among other things, the Clean Energy Districts of Iowa program, practical energy-saving measures for homes and businesses, and the benefits of long-term planning in construction. We also explore the vulnerabilities of power grids, the potential of renewable energy, and Earth...

Lora Friest is no stranger to big goals. Early in her career, she played a key role in the state's largest watershed project - an effort to clean up the Upper Iowa River. Now as a tourism liaison with Travel Iowa, she's helping to change the nation's perception of Iowa.

One way she's doing that is by highlighting the incredible parks and natural resources that people like us manage everyday. It turns out that those outdoor ameniti...

Warren County Conservation Director Zach Hall isn't afraid to explore the more esoteric side of our industry. After chatting with him at a conference this summer, I knew I wanted to get him on the show to do just that.

In this episode we explore the hard-to-explain and possibly yet-to-be-understood factors that draw people to natural landscapes. From that, we discuss possible innovative non-traditional marketing strategies, includ...

The fight against invasive species seems to never end. Natural resource managers need to deploy every tool possible to stay ahead of the game (or catch back up, as the case may be). One tool in the toolbox is not man or machine, but goats.

In this episode, I talk again with Jeremy Yost, Natural Resource Tech in Pottawattamie County, IA about their experience using goats as a natural resource management tool.

While they're no silv...

After a couple month hiatus, Parks and Restoration is back!

In this episode, I chat with Adam Shirley, CEO of Iowa's County Conservation System. We talk about upgrades to the MyCountyParks.com website and the role we as park and conservation leaders play in community development and tourism.

We also discuss the possibility of seeing legislation to fund the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, among other things.

...

I've heard that turfgrass is the most widely cultivated "crop" in the world. But at what value, and more importantly, at what cost?

In my community is a self-taught ecologist that is on a mission to re-wild the urban yard, starting with his own. Samuel Hollingsworth has become a fixture among our pollinator programs and a champion for all things wild and NOT monocultured.

In this conversation, we explore Sam's jo...

Where is the balance between conserving natural resources and developing park amenities?

This is a question I have struggled with several times throughout my career, and most recently with a campground expansion we recently completed at our main park, Big Hollow Recreation Area, an 800-acre slice of Iowa with a built lake, campsites, and other amenities but also a robust natural resource management program.

I'm joined this we...

This year, Project AWARE will pull its 1,000,000th pound of trash from Iowa's rivers...with volunteers in canoes!

In this episode, I talk with the organizers behind Iowa's Project AWARE - A Watershed Awareness River Expedition - the state's largest annual river cleanup event.

We discuss the logistics, challenges, and the incredible organizing effort that goes into orchestrating these massive cleanup events. From coordi...

In this episode, I chat with Michael Leytem, leadership consultant, speaker, and author of the book, "Catching Leadership" which draws parallels between fishing and leadership. What's not to love about that?

We discuss the often-overlooked importance of mindfulness and self-reflection for leaders. Michael discusses the value of embracing paradoxes in leadership, the wisdom from the Tao Te Ching, and the eight timeles...

Today the podcast goes international. Sean Stewart, currently based in Berlin, leverages the power of history and applies it to leadership development. He helps uncover the invaluable insights that have accompanied our shared human journey of triumphs and trials over the millennia. The insights he shares are both inspiring and entertaining.

Since many parks departments have historic sites and historic interpretive centers and prog...

Jessica DeAngelo helps corporate leaders and entrepreneurs develop clear and actionable business strategies using a powerful tool: the hiking trail.

A self-proclaimed "hiking business strategist," Jessica uses time on the trail in her consulting business to help corporate clients gain clarity, improve insight, and connect with other team members.

In this episode, we talk about how, and more importantly, WHY she chose to...

This is the final of five leadership-focused mini-episodes where I discuss the elements of my framework: The 5-P's of thriving organizations.

This one is all about being proactive in the implementation of your Processes, and being willing to try things not fully knowing if they'll work.

Being a leader is not something you are by title. Real leadership is something you DO. Unceasingly.

Listen to this short episode to see wh...

This is the fourth of five mini-episodes I will post focused on leadership and organizational culture. Through these episodes, I discuss my framework, the 5-P's of a Thriving Culture, that I present through my leadership speaking and consulting work.

This one is all about process - the systems we need to put in place to put theory into action.

If you're interested in learning more or digging deeper into these topics, reac...