It probably goes without saying that a guy named <a href="https://www.instagram.com/birdwhere/?hl=en" target="_blank">Bird</a> will see the world a bit differently. So we talked to Bird about growing up on a commune in Washington; falling in love with skiing; finding a home away from home in Chamonix; his passion for speed riding, better (and worse) ways of experiencing the mountains, and more.TOPICS &amp; TIMES:<ul><li>Bird’s life, work, and passions (3:00)</li><li>The story behind the Bird name (9:35)</li><li>“Ski Bohemian” vs “Ski Bum” (12:39)</li><li>On “listening to yourself” in the mountains (14:26)</li><li>Bird’s relationship with fear (16:17)</li><li>Speed Riding: “skiing pow in the sky” (26:08)</li><li>How social media is shaping ski culture (35:34)</li><li>Balancing Friendships &amp; Solitude (45:16)</li></ul>

Michael “Bird” Shaffer on Old & New Ways of Experiencing the Mountains

Whether or not you’re a runner, you ought to know about the <a href="http://www.skidrowrunningclub.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Skid Row Running Club</a> and the Skid Row Marathon. We talk to the club founder, Judge Craig Mitchell, about why he started the club; his background; the duty of police officers to protect and serve; the need for minimum sentencing reform; and much more. TOPICS &amp; TIMES&nbsp; <ul><li>The judge’s running background (7:09)</li><li>The Midnight Mission &amp; the running club (10:05)</li><li>What / where is Skid Row? (12:22)</li><li>Who are the club members? (15:58)</li><li>The club’s international marathons (17:26)</li><li>Stories of specific members (22:39)</li><li>Police &amp; the duty to Protect &amp; to Serve (31:59)</li><li>Mandatory minimum sentencing reform (37:32)</li><li>The importance of jury duty service (41:53)</li><li>Best ways to support the running club? (43:54)</li><li>Do you have a dream race for the club (46:33)</li></ul>

Skid Row Running Club founder, Judge Craig Mitchell

<a href="https://dotsiebauschusa.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dotsie Bausch</a> is a 7-time USA Cycling National Champion, an Olympic medalist, a featured athlete in the film, <a href="https://gamechangersmovie.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Game Changers</a>, and the executive director of <a href="https://switch4good.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Switch4Good</a>. We talked to Dotsie about her very unusual path to an Olympic podium; her work at Swith4Good; and what we ought to understand about dairy products and the dairy industry.TOPICS &amp; TIMES<ul><li>Dotsie’s athletic background (1:44)</li><li>When did you start cycling? (7:55)</li><li>Mental toughness vs. natural ability (12:50)</li><li>Getting into Track Cycling &amp; Team Pursuit (16:07)</li><li>2012 Olympics (19:19</li><li>Mountain biking (22:29)</li><li>What is <a href="https://switch4good.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Switch4Good</a>? (24:18)</li><li>Why focus on dairy? (38:04)</li><li>Where to follow <a href="https://switch4good.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Switch4Good</a> (1:00:50)</li></ul>

Olympian Dotsie Bausch on Cycling, Switch4Good, & the Dairy Industry

You are probably familiar with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but what do you know about the arguably more important National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)? NEPA is a critical piece of legislation, and each of us needs to understand what it does and why it matters so much. And currently, some major changes to NEPA are being proposed that could have extremely serious environmental and human rights consequences.So to help us understand the high stakes of the changes being proposed, we spoke to Hilary Eisen, the policy director for the <a href="https://winterwildlands.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Winter Wildlands Alliance</a>.&nbsp;TOPICS &amp; TIMES:<ul><li>What is the <a href="https://winterwildlands.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Winter Wildlands Alliance</a>? (3:15)</li><li>NEPA: It’s History &amp; What It Does (4:09)</li><li>NEPA &amp; the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) (8:36)</li><li>The Trump administration &amp; NEPA (14:33)</li><li>NEPA, Human Health, &amp; People of Color (37:25)</li><li>What We Can Do (42:02)</li></ul>

What You Need to Know - and Do - about the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA)

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/blackafinstem/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BlackAFinSTEM</a> was started to encourage and support Black individuals who are working in — or who are just passionate about — the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and also to encourage, support, and increase the visibility of Black naturalists and Black people who recreate and work outdoors.&nbsp;So we talk to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/melliferocity/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tyler Jones</a>, the co-organizer of Black Birders Week, about all of the above, plus the difference between a bird and a trash bag; Taco Bell &amp; STEM; her graduate work on bees (!!!); and more.TOPICS &amp; TIMES<ul><li>What is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blackafinstem/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BlackAFinSTEM</a>? (3:01)</li><li>BlackAFinSTEM’s objectives (10:05)</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BlackBirdersWeek&amp;src=hashtag_click" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Black Birders Week</a> (17:15)</li><li>Tyler’s background, Taco Bell, &amp; STEM (29:32)</li><li>Bees (34:33)</li><li>What’s next for Tyler? (4:31)</li><li>Best ways to support BLackAFinSTEM (55:12)</li></ul>

BlackAFinSTEM, Birders, & Bees

<a href="https://blisterreview.com/podcasts/food-sovereignty-indigenous-rights-the-film-gather-ep-131" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Last week on the show</a> we talked to Sanjay Rawal about his new film, <a href="https://www.hrwfilmfestivalstream.org/film/gather/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gather</a>, which examines the growing food sovereignty movement among Native American tribes across the United States.And this week, we are talking about why and how we need to re-invent the way that food is being grown and farmed, and the critical role that bees play in all of this.Our guests are Peter Nelson and Sally Roy who have made the film, <a href="https://www.thepollinators.net" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Pollinators</a>, which tells the fascinating story of bees and beekeeping and soil and farming practices and pesticides and the EPA and almonds and why the perfect apple is not the perfect apple, and why we need to change the way we produce food — literally from the ground up — and what each of us can do to help the cause.&nbsp;The Pollinators comes out tomorrow, June 16, on most digital platforms, including iTunes / AppleTV, amazon, GooglePlay, VimeoOnDemand.TOPICS &amp; TIMES<ul><li>Peter &amp; Sally’s background (2:57)</li><li>What is The Pollinators about? (5:48)</li><li>Why are bees so important? (7:27)</li><li>The process of pollination (10:39)</li><li>Why are bees being moved around the country? (13:37)</li><li>Why are bees dying? (19:54)</li><li>Seasonality (23:47)</li><li>Pesticides (30:08)</li><li>What can each of us do? (37:20)</li><li>What systemic changes need to happen? (44:21)</li></ul>

Bees, Green Lawns, “Perfect” Apples, & the Reinvention of Farming

Today we are talking with our friend, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mrsanjayr/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sanjay Rawal</a>, about his new film, <a href="https://www.hrwfilmfestivalstream.org/film/gather/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gather</a>. Sanjay is a fantastic story teller and a maker of films that might seem to have a pretty specific focus, but actually have wide-ranging applicability and relevance.And this is most definitely true of his latest film, Gather, which Sanjay directed, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/renan_ozturk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Renan Ozturk</a> served as the cinematographer.Gather tells the story of the growing food sovereignty movement among Native American tribes across the U.S. — which is a historical and a current cultural development that I suspect too many of us know too little about. I promise that this film will make you re-evaluate your own relationship to food and land and a lot of other things.<a href="https://www.hrwfilmfestivalstream.org/film/gather/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gather can be found here and viewed online this Thursday, June 11th through June 20th</a>, and you can get news about the film and future releases on social media <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gatherfilm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@gatherfilm</a>.Other podcast conversations we’ve had with Sanjay and Renan Ozturk:<ul><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/podcasts/filmmaker-sanjay-rawal-on-the-worlds-longest-race-ep-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sanjay Rawal, Off The Couch, ep. 2</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/featured/climber-filmmaker-renan-ozturk-on-mountain-ep-70" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sanjay Rawal, Off The Couch, ep. 33</a></li><li><a href="https://blisterreview.com/featured/climber-filmmaker-renan-ozturk-on-mountain-ep-70" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Renan Ozturk, Blister Podcast, ep. 70</a></li></ul>TOPICS &amp; TIMES<ul><li>What is <a href="https://www.hrwfilmfestivalstream.org/film/gather/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gather</a> about? (2:47)</li><li>Sanjay’s other films (5:33)</li><li>How did you get involved with this story? (7:22)</li><li>The broader relevance of Gather (15:50)</li><li>Urban farming &amp; other food systems (23:27)</li><li>How Gather is shifting perspectives (27:46)</li><li>Protest &amp; “appropriate” forms of protest (32:01)</li><li>What’s your ideal outcome from this film? (42:53)</li></ul>

Food Sovereignty, Indigenous Rights, & the Film, Gather

As a number of locations are beginning to relax travel restrictions and are able to welcome visitors back, we wanted to discuss some important reminders and best practices for recreating responsibly in this time of COVID.If you do not have time to listen to the full conversation, then we strongly encourage you to check out the show notes to this episode to ensure that you are up-to-date on state and local ordinances.So let’s all commit to doing things the right way, setting a good example, and not making our current situation harder on our local communities or the communities we might visit.IMPORTANT LINKS:* <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-in-the-us.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-in-the-us.html</a>* <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/visitors.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/visitors.html</a>* <a href="https://www.nps.gov/index.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.nps.gov/index.htm</a>* <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map</a>* <a href="https://gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/</a>TOPICS &amp; TIMES:<ul><li>Recreating Responsibly (5:53)</li><li>Trail Etiquette (9:02)</li><li>Camping Etiquette (12:37)</li><li>Parking Lot Etiquette (14:53)</li><li>Constant Mindfulness + An Analogy (15:47)</li><li>Final Thoughts &amp; Recommendations (18:36)</li></ul>

How to Recreate Responsibly in the Time of COVID

In the latest installment of our Blister Book Club, we talk with the artist, Geoff McFetridge, about Jack Turner’s book, The Abstract Wild. We discuss why Geoff selected this book; why it isn’t designed to be a comfortable read; why we need to get clear on the distinction between “the wild” and “wilderness”; and why we think that every reader of BLISTER ought to read this book.TOPICS &amp; TIMES:<ul><li>Why did you select this book? (2:50)</li><li>McFetridge on Art (11:44)</li><li>Geoff’s stand out parts of the book (23:17)</li><li>Turner’s influences and style (31:20)</li><li>Ideas and intentions of the book (36:48)</li><li>“The Wild” vs “Wilderness” (47:20)</li><li>Implications of this book for all of us (53:28)</li></ul>

Geoff McFetridge on The Abstract Wild by Jack Turner

Henry Munter is a lead heli guide and the general manager of <a href="https://www.chugachpowderguides.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chugach Powder Guides</a> in Girdwood, AK. We talk with him about making the call to shut down operations right as the heli season was in full swing; the evolution of heli skiing over the past 20-30 years; decision making, memory, and some of the tools and practices and books that Henry uses in forecasting, guiding clients, and handling all types of different aspects of the business; and we discuss environmentalism and heli skiing, and how Henry and others at CPG are thinking about those two things.TOPICS &amp; TIMES:<ul><li>COVID &amp; this past season (4:00)</li><li>How long have you been at CPG? (9:50)</li><li>How &amp; when did you meet Paul Forward? (14:57)</li><li>Growing up (17:28)</li><li>The evolution of heli skiing (24:18)</li><li>Safety assessment tools &amp; advances (32:12)</li><li>Decision making (39:03)</li><li>Bad Decisions vs Wrong Decisions (45:31)</li><li>Fear / Stress Meter (53:01)</li><li>Memory, Hans Georg Gadamer, &amp; Winnie the Pooh (54:50)</li><li>Environmentalism, Sustainability, &amp; Heli Skiing (1:05:17)</li><li><a href="https://www.drawdown.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Projectdrawdown.com</a> (1:15:33)</li></ul>

On the State of Heli Skiing: Henry Munter, Chugach Powder Guides

The BLISTER Podcast is about interesting people, the great outdoors, and a bunch of other stuff we like. We talk to the most fascinating and passionate skiers, climbers, bikers, boarders, product designers, filmmakers, etc.

The Blister Podcast is Blister's series of weekly conversations with the most fascinating and passionate people in the outdoor sports world. We’ll talk with top-level skiers, climbers, mountain bikers, snowboarders, product designers, and various Blister reviewers about their sport, their industry, and whatever else is on their minds— or ours.

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Michael “Bird” Shaffer on Old & New Ways of Experiencing the Mountains

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What You Need to Know - and Do - about the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA)

BlackAFinSTEM, Birders, & Bees