14. Protecting National Parks and Keeping Nature Wild w/ Alex Wild

Happy Earth Day! 🌎💚 In this special bonus episode, we sit down with Alex Wild, a park ranger and naturalist who recently made headlines after being caught in the crossfire of controversial executive orders affecting National Parks. We filmed this episode live from the San Elijo Lagoon with Alex’s pet tortoise and now education ambassador, Franklin. Alex shares his journey as a steward of public lands, about the recent DOGE job cuts, his opinion on the recent executive orders, and his natural, spiritual connection to the landscape. Learn about how Alex embodies what it means to be a Planet Person in this exciting discussion about current events and the conservation of public lands! 

Topics Covered:

• Personal Stories and Environmental Passion: Alex shares the childhood experiences that sparked his passion for environmental stewardship. We recorded live in one of his many spirit homes, the San Elijo Lagoon, in Cardiff, CA. He shares the spiritual meaning behind being a Planet Person and how that reflects in his everyday life as a naturalist and a ranger. We recount wild and memorable experiences from Alex's time as a park ranger, like his experience hiking in the Yosemite wilderness to measure glaciers that John Muir once observed.

• Recent Policy Changes and Their Impact: Alex recounts his experience of being laid off due to the DOGE program and then shares how he was reinstated following a San Francisco judge's ruling. We discussed how these changes affect thousands of park workers. 

• Recent Adventures: Alex has a full and exciting life, recounting his many travel adventures around California working for county, state, and federal parks. He shared his meaningful encounter with Jane Goodall and how she has shaped his approach to advocacy and actionable ways listeners can support conservation efforts. He also briefly touched on his recent trip to Tanzania and his experience living with the Maasai tribe around Arusha. 

Looking Ahead to Season 2:

• Preview of our upcoming season focusing on desert conservation.
• Discussion of the potential impacts of current policies on desert ecosystems.
• Concerns about the Mojave Desert conservation corridor.

Resources & People Mentioned:

• National Parks Conservation Association, @npcapics
• Sierra Club, @sierraclub 
• American Bird Conservancy Bird Study 
• Brene Brown, What It Means To Be a Leader
• Wendell Berry
• Edward Abbey 
• John Muir
• Mary Hunter Austin, The Land of Little Rain

Connect with Alex Wild:

• Follow Alex on Instagram: @ranger_wild
• “Don’t Sell Public Lands” - outdooralliance.com