Episode 11: High Tides, Long Trails, and Open Roads - Lesli Hawkins

Downtown Edition 4: "Field Notes, Fossils, and Dinosaur Bones" - Dr. Rick Schmidt (Elevation Science Institute)

Welcome to this edition of Red Lodge - Downtown, an audio space where we provide the listener with a look at various events and projects taking place in and around Red Lodge, Montana. This content opens up a glimpse into the interesting people and happenings that highlight the social fabric of this unique place that sits at the foothills of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and gateway to Yellowstone National Park. In this downtown edition, we welcome Dr. Rick Schmidt, with the ELEVATION SCIENCE Institute. The Elevation Science Institute is stationed and operates in the summers out at the Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association, which is set on the slopes of Mount Maurice just outside of Red Lodge, Montana at the base of the scenic Beartooth Mountains. The Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association (YBRA), was founded in 1936, and is a  field station that has a long history of facilitating science education and research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This non-profit organization, the YBRA, serves as a base camp for field course operations for colleges, universities and institutes. While not officially part of the YBRA, It is here at the Yellowstone Bighorn research association, that the Elevation Science Institute headquarters each summer and brings the mission of  inspiring  people of all ages to explore our planet through hands-on paleontology and natural history. The Elevation Science Institute offers an exciting opportunity to work alongside scientists and dig for dinosaurs in the fossil-rich & rugged landscapes of southern Montana and northern Wyoming.  In this episode, Dr. Rick Schmidt shares what it’s  like to lead field expeditions in the  landscapes of southern Montana and northern Wyoming—and how everyday people can join the crew experiencing the thrill of discovery, and hands-on digs that can be a life-changing adventure for learners of any age. Dr. Rick Schmidt is an educator, outdoorsman, and paleontologist, who grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, fell in love with the outdoors and has spent years working with the Elevation Science Institute. He is currently the director of Educational Programming and a Field Expedition Crew Chief. His teaching has been recognized by organizations ranging from the National Association of Geoscience Teachers to the Geological Society of America,  In  2012 he received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching—the highest honor the U.S. government gives to a science teacher. Dr. Rick Schmidt joins us for this special edition of Red Lodge - Downtown

Episode 15: "Red Lodge Roots, the Big Screen, and the Front Lines in the Battle Against Child Exploitation with Dawn Ann Ritter

Dawn Ann Ritter grew up at the base of the Beartooths, ranched outside of Red Lodge, Montana, built the beloved western fashion brand boutique store Moo Country,  and has worked for years as a movie actress. Her recent story has led her to Nashville, Tennessee and the front lines of protecting kids from online predators, exploitation , sextortion, human trafficking and abuse. Dawn Ann now serves as a board member with Operation Light Shine, which helps equip specialized INTERCEPT Task Forces with the tools, training, and support they need to fight child exploitation and trafficking across the country. In this episode, we hear the story of a girl who grew up skiing and ranching in  Red Lodge, took on the  stage and screen as a movie actress, and now works alongside investigators and technologists in the important work of fighting against the exploitation and abuse of children  in hopes to keep them safe.

Episode 14: "On the Rail and on the Air" - Behind the scenes at the Kentucky Derby with Jeannine Edwards

4:30 AM in the stables on the morning of the Kentucky Derby. In the paddock for the Preakness. Live at Belmont Stakes with history on the line. For years, if horse racing was on ESPN or ABC, Jeannine Edwards was often the one telling the story. In this episode of Red Lodge the Podcast, “On the Rail and On the Air”, Jeannine Edwards shares how a life on the racetrack led to an adventurous journey and career as an award winning reporter at ESPN, working as the network’s senior horse racing reporter covering the Triple Crown, Breeders’ Cup, and Dubai World Cup. In this conversation, we have a front row look at horse racing’s biggest stages and the long winding road where Jeannine often found herself right where the story breaks. Jeannine recounts her own personal and heartfelt emotion while closely covering 2006 Kentucky Derby Winner Barbaro, and his post race injury and eventual tragic death. This story takes us beyond horse racing to Jeannine’s work as a sideline reporter for college football, college basketball, and SportsCenter, a journey in which she earned three Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Live Telecasts, two Emmy nominations, and was named one of “The top 40 Women Who Raised the Bar in Sports Media.” Welcome to this episode of Red Lodge – the Podcast.

Episode 13: "Bounds of Magic, Myths of Tea" - Storied Life Chapters with Gary Robson

From authoring books sold across the country in national parks, to tea rooms, and the small town acting stage, Gary Robson packs in life adventures across the board. In this episode, we sit down with the Red Lodge author behind the national bestselling children’s series Who Pooped in the Park?—a series of adventure books centered on national parks across the country including Yellowstone and New York’s Central Park. Gary has written more than 30 books and sold over 750,000 copies, including his just released fantasy novel, The Bounds of Magic. In this conversation we talk about storytelling, the side roads that life often takes, and why Gary still jokes he’s still “trying to decide what he wants to do when he grows up.” It is an episode filled with laughs, stories, and the soulful spirit of a unique life set in this unique place, Red Lodge - Montana.

Episode 12: "Tables, Stories, and Belonging" - Kat Porco

In this episode, we sit down with Kat Porco, a health advocate, educator, writer, thought leader and entrepreneur, to talk about building a space where art, food, and conversation live side by side. Kat shares how she and her husband Mike imagined their restaurant, the One Legged Magpie, as a gathering place for locals and travelers alike, a home for boundary‑pushing food and drink that still holds tight to Red Lodge values of resilience, welcome, and belonging. We dig into what it takes to nurture community on purpose: how you design a room for real connection, how stories travel from table to table, and how a business can quietly become a hub for healing, culture, joy and an intentional gathering space in this beautiful mountain town. You’re listening to Red Lodge - the Podcast.