Charm of the Wilderness Ep. 2 - Public Lands & American Mythologies with Betsy Gaines Quammen

Charm of the Wilderness Ep. 4 - National Park History & Advocacy with Will De Man

In the aftermath of what’s been dubbed the “Valentine’s Day Massacre,” [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/01/public-land-stewards-loss-job] where the Trump Administration unceremoniously fired thousands of federal workers, Will C. De Man [https://open.substack.com/users/290909783-will-c-de-man?utm_source=mentions]’s social media platform skyrocketed thanks to a post on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/p/DGJspZ5Ob2m/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==] expressing his empathy for the park rangers who lost their jobs. As a seventh-grade history teacher who also wrote the book A Short History of the National Parks: The Southeast [https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-short-history-of-the-national-parks-brief-stories-of-america-s-biggest-landscapes-will-c-de-man/972f96a6dbb19d8a?ean=9798218187293&next=t], he hadn’t seen himself as an “advocate,” per se, but suddenly, with that one post, that is exactly what he became. Since then, not only has Will written another book (published last month!), Creating the National Parks: Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Teton [https://bookshop.org/p/books/creating-the-national-parks-yellowstone-glacier-and-grand-teton-de-man/04252cacb3af574c?ean=9798995201106&next=t&next=t&affiliate=115368], but he has also become one of the prominent content creators on social media helping to spread the word about the stripping down of our public lands by this Administration. In this week’s episode, I talk with Will all about how he got here, interesting facts and information he’s learned while researching his books, how to advocate for your favorite public lands, and his favorite national park. You can find Will at nationalparkhistory.substack.com [https://nationalparkhistory.substack.com/], www.nationalparkhistory.com, on Instagram at nationalparkhistory [https://www.instagram.com/nationalparkhistory/], and you can find both [https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-short-history-of-the-national-parks-brief-stories-of-america-s-biggest-landscapes-will-c-de-man/972f96a6dbb19d8a?ean=9798218187293&next=t&next=t&affiliate=115368] his books [https://bookshop.org/p/books/creating-the-national-parks-yellowstone-glacier-and-grand-teton-de-man/04252cacb3af574c?ean=9798995201106&next=t&next=t&affiliate=115368] on Bookshop.com. Cramming for the Apocalypse is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Cramming for the Apocalypse at crammingfortheapocalypse.substack.com/subscribe [https://crammingfortheapocalypse.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Charm of the Wilderness - Ep. 3 - Indigenous History of Yellowstone National Park and Beyond with Shane Doyle

In January 2021, The Smithsonian Magazine published an article called “The Lost History of Yellowstone [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/lost-history-yellowstone-180976518/].” I was already in the middle of an awakening about the origins of how the land of North America became settler land (i.e., it was stolen from Indigenous peoples). The article interviews and follows researchers who had recently uncovered artifacts that proved what is now called Yellowstone National Park was a major thoroughfare for Native communities traveling through the Northern Plains region. These artifacts were not only interesting archeology, but they proved that the land so many of us were taught was uninhabited before it became a national park was, in fact, inhabited, and it was sacred ground. It thwarted the myth that we were all sold, which actually covered up the atrocities committed by the U.S. government to force Native peoples out of the region. In that story, then-research associate, Shane Doyle, who is a member of the Apsaalooke (Crow) Nation, was also interviewed. The story’s author, Andrew Geiger read a quote from a current-day Yellowstone brochure to Doyle and his colleague Doug MacDonald: “When you watch animals in Yellowstone, you glimpse the world as it was before humans.” Geiger notes that Doyle burst out laughing and responded: “The park is a slap in the face to Native people. There is almost no mention of the dispossession and violence that happened. We have essentially been erased from the park, and that leads to a lot of hard feelings, although we do love to go to Yellowstone and reminisce about our ancestors living there in a good way.” I have continued to go back to this story time and again and knew that I wanted to talk with Shane for this book and podcast. So when Betsy Gaines Quammen told me that she and Shane were also friends (they both live in Boseman!) I was thrilled. Since then, Shane has gone on to write a ton about Indigenous history and is doing so much for his community in Boseman. I’m excited for you to learn from him in this podcast. Shane is in the process of planning a Tipi Village in Yellowstone for September 2026, which is meant to celebrate the Indigenous connection to the park. Stay tuned for more information on that. For more of Shane’s writing, check out these stories: * Land of Steam | National Parks Conservation Association [https://www.npca.org/articles/3330-land-of-steam] * Commemorating Yellowstone’s 150th Birthday with the Park’s ‘First Family’ | National Parks Conservation Association [https://www.npca.org/articles/3075-commemorating-yellowstone-s-150th-birthday-with-the-park-s-first-family] * Actors: Making Meaning and Medicine in the Land of the Burning Ground | [https://www.mtoutlaw.com/actors-making-meaning-and-medicine-in-the-land-of-the-burning-ground/]Mountain Outlaw [https://www.mtoutlaw.com/actors-making-meaning-and-medicine-in-the-land-of-the-burning-ground/] * Brilliance and Beauty: Celebrating the Gift of a Blackfoot Map [https://www.distinctlymontana.com/brilliance-and-beauty-celebrating-gift-blackfoot-map] | Distinctly Montana * Following the Footsteps | [https://outsidebozeman.com/culture/following-the-footsteps]Outside Bozeman [https://outsidebozeman.com/culture/following-the-footsteps] * Above the Sky | [https://bigskyjournal.com/above-the-sky/]Big Sky Journal [https://bigskyjournal.com/above-the-sky/] Cramming for the Apocalypse is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Cramming for the Apocalypse at crammingfortheapocalypse.substack.com/subscribe [https://crammingfortheapocalypse.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Charm of the Wilderness Ep. 2 - Public Lands & American Mythologies with Betsy Gaines Quammen

Hello Crammers! I’m excited to bring you the rest of the Charm of the Wildrness podcast directly to your feeds! We’ve gotten some great traction over on the podcast platforms, but many of you haven’t had the chance to hear from the amazing people I brought to the podcast, so here we are in your feed. I’ll be publishing a couple of episodes per week, so you get to hear all 9 episodes of this series and the amazing people I got to talk with. This week I talk with Betsy Gaines Quammen [https://substack.com/profile/800224-betsy-gaines-quammen] about public lands and her book American Zion! When my family was traveling to the National Parks in Southern Utah last November, I happened to be reading American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God, & Public Lands in the West [https://bookshop.org/p/books/american-zion-cliven-bundy-god-public-lands-in-the-west-betsy-gaines-quammen/a44b86f6c0c1cf1a] by Betsy Gaines Quammen [https://open.substack.com/users/800224-betsy-gaines-quammen?utm_source=mentions], and I became a little bit obsessed. The moment I put it down, I emailed Betsy to interview her for the book I’m working on and to invite her to be one of my inaugural guests for the podcast. I’m excited for you to hear more from Betsy because she’s pretty badass and such a fun person. American Zion was her first book in 2020, so lucky you get a whole set of books to read of hers, all of which focus in some way on the mythologies we tell ourselves in the American West. Here are links to her books and other resources we mention in this episode. Betsy’s Books: * This Haunted Land: Reckoning with Ghosts and Stories that Shape America [https://bookshop.org/p/books/this-haunted-land-reckoning-with-ghosts-and-the-stories-that-shape-america-betsy-gaines-quammen/f78aa93f53ca70a2?ean=9798890920478&next=t] (Forthcoming September 2026, Torrey House Press) — PRE-ORDER NOW! * True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America [https://bookshop.org/p/books/true-west-myth-and-mending-on-the-far-side-of-america-betsy-gaines-quammen/28ea350c6c1b2681?ean=9781948814874&next=t] (2023, Torrey House Press) * American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God, & Public Lands in the West [https://bookshop.org/p/books/american-zion-cliven-bundy-god-public-lands-in-the-west-betsy-gaines-quammen/a44b86f6c0c1cf1a] (2020, Torrey House Press) Other Resources Referenced: * Bundyville [https://www.opb.org/news/article/bundyville-occupation-podcast/]Podcast [https://www.opb.org/news/article/bundyville-occupation-podcast/] — produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting and created and hosted by Leah Sotille [https://www.leahsottile.com/]. This is a great deep-dive into the Bundy family and links the events they led to Trump’s America. * Public Lands & Grazing investigative report [https://www.hcn.org/free-range/] by High Country News and ProPublica Find Betsy Online www.betsygainesquammen.com [https://www.betsygainesquammen.com/] @ betsygainesquammen [https://www.instagram.com/betsygainesquammen] Cramming for the Apocalypse is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Cramming for the Apocalypse at crammingfortheapocalypse.substack.com/subscribe [https://crammingfortheapocalypse.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Charm of the Wilderness Ep. 1 Nature Education with Allison Depuy

Welcome to the Charm of the Wilderness podcast! I’m thrilled to release our inaugural episode featuring not only an incredible educator, but one of my oldest and best friends, Allison Depuy. If you’re listening to this on the Cramming for the Apocalypse feed, make sure to Subscribe to this podcast at Charm of the Wilderness [https://open.substack.com/pub/charmofthewilderness] on Substack or you can find it wherever you get your podcasts. In this episode, we talk about innovative ways to bring the outdoors to the classroom and how we can inspire our kids to be engaged in nature. Additionally, Alli helps me introduce the podcast and what Charm of the Wilderness is all about. About Alli Alli DePuy is the CEO of Inspired Classroom [https://www.inspiredclassroom.com/], is an accomplished educator, curriculum designer, and EdTech innovator with 25 years of experience. Through Inspired Classroom, she collaborates across the public and private sectors to design and implement project-based education experiences, innovative technologies, and mentorship programs that engage learners of all ages. Her work is widely recognized across Montana and supported by educators, organizations, the Office of Public Instruction, the Office of the Governor, and other state leaders. Connect with us about Curio Camp In this episode, Alli and I discussed a project that we’re working on, an interactive card deck for kids to be inspired and excited about nature. These decks include prompts for games, meditations, fun facts, and other ways to engage kids in the places they’re visiting. Curio Camp is in the Beta stages and we are looking for families of elementary-age kids traveling to state or national parks this summer to help test out the product! If this describes you, COMPLETE THIS FORM [https://form.jotform.com/260698394880070] and we will be in touch! to Cramming for the Apocalypse is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Cramming for the Apocalypse is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Cramming for the Apocalypse at crammingfortheapocalypse.substack.com/subscribe [https://crammingfortheapocalypse.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

"Here Comes the Apocalypse" with Jennifer Heller

Did you know this Thursday, October 16th is The Great ShakeOut [https://www.shakeout.org/]? It’s a day to focus on getting ready for an earthquake. However, we at “Cramming” are using it as a day to get ready for all disasters. So we’re coming at you with a special bonus episode to introduce you to another great tool out there. But first, don’t forget that also on Thursday, we are hosting a virtual workshop called “Get Your Go Bag Together” in partnership with MakeWith PDX. This virtual workshop is on Thursday, October 16th from 5-7pm Pacific Time. We have sliding scale pricing AND we’re offering a special opportunity to purchase some go-bag essentials. REGISTER HERE [https://www.hisawyer.com/makewith-hardware-learning-center/schedules/activity-set/1634911] Now, onto my discussion with Jennifer Heller. “Here Comes the Apocalypse” In this conversation, I talk with designer and fellow “liberal prepper,” Jennifer Heller about a really great resource she created for regular people to not feel super overwhelmed by preparedness. You can learn about Jennifer in this episode. In the meantime, check out here website HERE AT www.herecomestheapocalypse.com [https://herecomestheapocalypse.com/]. There you can get her really exceptional (and dare I say fun?!) Disaster Playbook. Additionally, we spoke about a story I wrote about the North Coast Emergency Food System Partnership for Civil Eats—you can find that story here [https://civileats.com/2025/08/26/local-food-cant-reach-communities-post-disaster-this-groundbreaking-group-is-helping-change-that/]. Thank you for listening! Cramming for the Apocalypse is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Cramming for the Apocalypse at crammingfortheapocalypse.substack.com/subscribe [https://crammingfortheapocalypse.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]