Podcast Episode March 29, 2022

Episode 58 | Benny Braden on Public Lands Stewardship


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Summary

Benny Braden is a public lands advocate and accomplished long-distance hiker. In this episode, Andrew and Ryan chat with him about public lands stewardship, social media, National Park funding, and more. Also in this episode – what’s up with bagging dog poop but leaving it on the side of the trail?

Outline

  • 00:00:28 – spring in the Rockies
  • 00:03:30 – low snowfall in the Sierra this year
  • 00:04:04 – climate change and snowpack in the Sierra and Rockies
  • 00:06:14 – bagging your dog poop but leaving it on the side of the trail
  • 00:09:46 – Benny Braden interview begins
  • 00:14:00 – Max Patch destruction
  • 00:17:38 – social media as a tool – negative vs. positive effect on public lands
  • 00:22:05 – what can public lands give us vs. how we can give back to public lands
  • 00:23:32 – drone footage from Max Patch
  • 00:26:00 – rehabbing Max Patch
  • 00:28:02 – the interface between private charity and federal agencies
  • 00:31:59 – practical advice for working with federal agencies
  • 00:37:00 – Save our Smokies
  • 00:43:08 – why trash is so bad in the smokies
  • 00:47:00 – our parks need better funding
  • 00:50:19 – Responsible Stewardship
  • 00:57:36 – local non-profits vs. national organization – what is Responsible Stewardship adding to the leave no trace landscape?
  • 01:00:48 – internet, social media, and tagging lightly
  • 01:05:34 – a brief conversation on gatekeeping
  • 01:12:31 – a responsible stewardship reminder
  • 01:14:19 – community kudzu
  • 01:15:49 – end of Benny Braden interview
  • 01:17:14 – minimizing personal impact
  • 01:25: 22 – what’s new at BPL

Resources

Max Patch

Drone footage from September 19, 2020:

Still photos:

max patch drone photo aerial view september 19, 2020 copyright mike wurman used with permission
September 19, 2020 at Max Patch. Photo by Mike Wurman (used with permission).
Max Patch aerial photo october 2021. by Mike Wurman. Used with permission.
Max Patch, October 24, 2021. Photo by Mike Wurman. Used with permission.

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Home Forums Episode 58 | Benny Braden on Public Lands Stewardship

Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #3744638
    Backpacking Light
    Admin

    @backpackinglight

    Locale: Rocky Mountains

    Companion forum thread to: Episode 58 | Benny Braden on Public Lands Stewardship

    Andrew and Ryan talk with public lands advocate and accomplished backpacker Benny Braden about vandalism, stewardship, and social media.

    #3744639
    Andrew Marshall
    BPL Member

    @andrewsmarshall

    Locale: Tahoe basin by way of the southern Appalachians

    Enjoy!

    #3744641
    Scott H
    BPL Member

    @cbk57

    Listening to the podcast today so much trash everywhere, my son is in BSA and we do watershed clean up every year there is more trash, but I remember as a child in the 1970s in Illinois, my grandparents had a seasonal stream behind their house and they did not have garbage service, they just dumped their non burn able trash along the stream, they burned what could be burned but everything else was just dumped.  I had another relative that would pull up to a ditch along side a farm field he owned and would dump his trash in the ditch instead of pay for some sort of trash service in the town he lived in.  Believe it or not things might be better now than they were at one time.

    #3745385
    Andrew Marshall
    BPL Member

    @andrewsmarshall

    Locale: Tahoe basin by way of the southern Appalachians

    Scott H, I believe it! This is what I was referencing when I mentioned the Cuyahoga. Like…is our current state hopeful or distressing? Kind of hard to figure it out. Thanks for listening.

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