Conservationist of the Year on Rivers, Forests & a Life That Mattered with Julie Norman | Go Wildly

Conservationist of the Year on Rivers, Forests & a Life That Mattered with Julie Norman | Go Wildly

Conservationist of the Year on Rivers, Forests & a Life That Mattered with Julie Norman Episode 40 | Go Wildly Podcast Julie Norman left a career in tech for whitewater, then left whitewater for a 15-year fight to save old growth forests across Southwest Oregon. Julie grew up in Texas, earned a Master's in Computer Science and Educational Psychology from the University of Texas, and at 24 walked away from a systems programmer job at IBM to guide whitewater across California, Oregon, and Idaho. At 35 she became President of Headwaters, a Rogue Valley nonprofit fighting old growth overcutting. In 1993 she spoke at President Clinton's Forest Conference, work that contributed to court victories cutting logging on westside public forests by 80 percent. Oregon Wild named her Conservationist of the Year. The Wilderness Society called her an Environmental Hero. Today she's retired, which mostly means nonprofit work, ukulele, and defending democracy. We talk about how long Julie and Emily have known each other, getting polio at 4 and relearning how to walk, meeting boating at 11, Girl Scouts and camping, leaving corporate tech for river guiding after a Grand Canyon trip, ARTA river trips and Vallecito, the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and American Rivers, meeting the Rogue River for the first time, Earth First! and living riverside, the history of Galice and the Almeda Mine, early guiding as a woman across Oregon, California, and Idaho, the impacts of living outside, Siskiyou National Forest clear cuts and activism, the value of mentors, the Northwest Forest Plan, Martha Stewart and the Siskiyou Wild Rivers special, her meditation journey and meeting Vipassana, the effects of aging, and her belief that "I don't remember the sad and difficult times hardly at all." Linksjuliekaynorman.comagnesbakerpilgrim.org/preserving-her-legacy/new-projects Active Listener Offers - Kula Cloth — Shop through our link to support the show: kulacloth.com/?avad=436689_e4cf2ef3d - SOMA — 2-Week Free Trial + 6-month membership: southernoregonmartialarts.com - ROW Adventures — Code GOWILDLY, $100 off any multi-day trip 2026-2027: rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips - Lean In Breathwork — Code GOWILDLY, 20% off sauna sessions: calvinlivingston.com Follow Go WildlyYouTube: youtube.com/@gowildlypodcastSpotify: tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcastInstagram: @gowildlypodcastWebsite: gowildlypodcast.com Hosted & Produced by Emily Berlant & Heather White / Go Wildly Podcast Theme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permission KeywordsGo Wildly Podcast, Go Wildly, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Emily Berlant, Heather White, Julie Norman, Headwaters Rogue Valley, old growth forest, forest conservation, Northwest Forest Plan, Clinton Forest Conference, Conservationist of the Year, Oregon Wild, Wilderness Society, Siskiyou National Forest, Siskiyou Wild Rivers, whitewater guide, ARTA river trips, Stanislaus River, Tuolumne River, American River, Rogue River, Galice Oregon, Almeda Mine, Earth First, women river guides, polio survivor, forest activism, public lands Oregon, environmental hero, Martha Stewart Siskiyou, Vipassana meditation, aging and reflection, Sundance neighborhood, place-based podcast, conservation podcast, Kula Cloth

The Stupid Hike That Changed Everything with Andy Neal | Go Wildly Podcast

The Stupid Hike That Changed Everything with Andy NealEpisode 39 | Go Wildly Podcast Andy Neal went from pastor to filmmaker to half a million followers — all thanks to the trails. Known online as @andyfilmsandhikes, Andy is an Oregon-based storyteller, filmmaker, and outdoor creator whose "stupid hike for my stupid mental health" videos struck a nerve with people who needed permission to just go be real outside. Before full-time content creation he spent 15 years as a pastor. Today he talks openly about faith, relationship with land, identity, foster and adoptive parenting, mental health, and what it takes to start over. In This Episode From bible school to film school to hiking, podcasting, and plus-size modeling Being a voice for mental health and child advocacy Foster and adoptive parenting His weight loss journey and GLP-1 The Rogue River at Ti'lomikh Falls Spirituality and common ground His first time backpacking — feeling dependent on the land Land stewardship and public lands Getting over yourself to get to know yourself Going viral and navigating brand deals Destigmatizing men's mental health Advice for his younger self Favorite outdoor gear Recommendations for Southern Oregon How he wants to be remembered Links Instagram & YouTube: @andyfilmsandhikes Website: https://www.andyfilmsandhikes.com/ Active Listener Offers Kula Cloth — Shop through our link to support the show: kulacloth.com/?avad=436689_e4cf2ef3d Southern Oregon Martial Arts Academy — 2-Week Free Trial + 6-month membership: southernoregonmartialarts.com ROW Adventures — Code GOWILDLY, $100 off any multi-day trip 2026-2027: rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips Lean In Breathwork — Code GOWILDLY, 20% off sauna sessions: calvinlivingston.com Follow Go WildlyYouTube: youtube.com/@gowildlypodcast Spotify: tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast Instagram: @gowildlypodcast Website: gowildlypodcast.com Hosted & Produced by Emily Berlant & Heather White / Go Wildly Podcast Theme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permission Keywords Go Wildly Podcast, Go Wildly, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Emily Berlant, Heather White, Andy Neal, andyfilmsandhikes, hiking mental health, stupid hike for my stupid mental health, men's mental health, destigmatizing mental health, mental health outdoors, hiking Oregon, Oregon filmmaker, outdoor content creator, foster parenting, adoptive parenting, child advocacy, faith and outdoors, spirituality outdoors, GLP-1 weight loss, plus size hiking, plus size outdoors, going viral hiking, outdoor storytelling, Ti'lomikh Falls, Rogue River, public lands, land stewardship, backpacking Oregon, first time backpacking, getting over yourself, grief and healing outdoors, pastor turned filmmaker, place-based podcast, outdoor healing, whimsy, Kula Cloth

Fly Fishing, Female Fun & Getting Women Outdoors with Meg Graham | Go Wildly Podcast

Fly Fishing, Female Fun & Getting Women Outdoors with Meg GrahamEpisode 38 | Go Wildly Podcast She came to Southern Oregon for the rivers. The rivers gave her a lot more than she expected. Meg Graham moved to Southern Oregon in 2016, found whitewater, then picked up fly fishing — and fell completely in love with it. She's also the President and Co-Founder of Southern Oregon Women Outdoors, built to help women get outside with confidence and find their people while they're at it. ⚠ This episode contains a discussion of a river fatality. Please listen with care. We talk about: how her family found Oregon and the outdoors, whitewater to fly fishing, nymphing and dry flies and swinging for steelhead, losing her kayaking mentor to the river, that one time Meg and her Instagram friend stole her new boyfriend's boat, where the confidence to start a nonprofit came from, female fun vs. male fun, work-life balance in corrections and courts, being a participant in your own life, being a woman of the water, and her favorite gear (Kula Cloth). Links Southern Oregon Women Outdoors: southernoregonwomenoutdoors.square.site | @southernoregonwomenoutdoors BLT Shuttles: bltshuttles.weebly.com Active Listener Offers - Kula Cloth — Meg's most-used piece of outdoor gear. Shop to support the show: kulacloth.com/?avad=436689_e4cf2ef3d [kulacloth.com/?avad=436689_e4cf2ef3d] - SOMA — 2-Week Free Trial + 6-month membership: southernoregonmartialarts.com [southernoregonmartialarts.com] - ROW Adventures — Code GOWILDLY, $100 off any multi-day trip 2026-2027: rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips [rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips] - Lean In Breathwork — Code GOWILDLY, 20% off sauna sessions: calvinlivingston.com [calvinlivingston.com] Follow Go Wildly - YouTube: youtube.com/@gowildlypodcast - Spotify: tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast - Instagram: @gowildlypodcast - Website: gowildlypodcast.com Hosted & Produced by Emily Berlant & Heather White Theme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters Keywords Go Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, adventure podcast, Emily Berlant, Heather White, Meg Graham, Southern Oregon Women Outdoors, SOWO, women outdoors, fly fishing Oregon, fly fishing Rogue River, steelhead fishing Oregon, dry fly fishing, nymphing, whitewater kayaking, women fly fishing, women who fish, nonprofit outdoors, outdoor community women, female outdoor community, women empowerment outdoors, BLT Shuttles, Kula Cloth, outdoor gear women, outdoor confidence, place-based podcast, whimsy, Rogue River

Mountains, Music & Meeting the Moment with Keith Townsend | Go Wildly Podcast

Mountains, Music & Meeting the Moment with Keith Townsend Episode 37 | Go Wildly Podcast Keith Townsend has been on mountains since he was four and making music for over twenty years — and for him, they've always been the same practice. Snowboard coach, climber, surfer, violist, guitarist, and improvising musician based in Southern Oregon. We talk about finding individuality in music, how snowboarding, climbing, surfing, and music relate, building community around co-interests, type 2 fun, why he chooses Southern Oregon, favorite gear, the Utah road trip where Keith and Emily ran into each other, and a vertical adventure where Keith first learned to climb outdoors. LinksBlog: ktownsendit-moupq.wordpress.comInstagram & Facebook: @rabbitdubRed Hawk Ridge Bike Park: redhawkridgebikepark.comBands: @indubious | @theillies | @mysticrootsband Active Listener OffersSOMA — 2-Week Free Trial + 6-month membership: southernoregonmartialarts.com [southernoregonmartialarts.com]ROW Adventures — Code GOWILDLY, $100 off any multi-day trip 2026-2027: rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips [rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips]Lean In Breathwork — Code GOWILDLY, 20% off sauna sessions: calvinlivingston.com [calvinlivingston.com]Kula Cloth — Shop to support the show: kulacloth.com/?avad=436689_e4cf2ef3d [kulacloth.com/?avad=436689_e4cf2ef3d] Follow Go WildlyYouTube: youtube.com/@gowildlypodcastSpotify: tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcastInstagram: @gowildlypodcastWebsite: gowildlypodcast.com Hosted & Produced by Emily Berlant & Heather WhiteTheme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters KeywordsGo Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Emily Berlant, Heather White, Keith Townsend, snowboard coach, Mt. Ashland, High Cascade Mt. Hood, rock climbing, surfing, snowboarding Oregon, alpine sports, viola, guitarist, improvising musician, music and the outdoors, Ashland Oregon, Red Hawk Ridge Bike Park, Indubious, Mystic Roots, The Illies, type 2 fun, outdoor community, poison oak, road trip Oregon, presence and creativity, place-based podcast, Kula Cloth, outdoor gear, whimsy

Disability, the Outdoors & the Healing Power of Oregon with Alice Diehl | Go Wildly Podcast

Disability, the Outdoors & the Healing Power of Oregon with Alice Diehl Episode 36 | Go Wildly Podcast Identity is not limitation. Alice Diehl is proof. Actress, puppeteer, advocate, and Ms. Wheelchair Oregon 2025 — Alice Diehl lives in Grants Pass and has spent her life redefining what's possible. We talk about disability accessibility, the overlap between disability and homelessness, disability history in the USA, theater arts and family legacy, her parents meeting in New Guinea, the healing power of Oregon rivers, nature as a spiritual awakening, claiming her femininity, puppetry, and how she wants to be remembered. Links Instagram: instagram.com/gamerbabe86 IMDB: imdb.com/name/nm4086586 Facebook: facebook.com/alice.diehl.2025 Ms. Wheelchair Oregon: mswheelchairamerica.org/ms-wheelchair-oregon Active Listener Offers - SOMA — 2-Week Free Trial + 6-month membership: southernoregonmartialarts.com - ROW Adventures — Code GOWILDLY, $100 off any multi-day trip 2026-2027: rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips - Lean In Breathwork — Code GOWILDLY, 20% off sauna sessions: calvinlivingston.com Follow Go Wildly YouTube: youtube.com/@gowildlypodcast Spotify: tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast Instagram: @gowildlypodcast Website: gowildlypodcast.com Hosted & Produced by Emily Berlant & Heather White Theme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters Keywords Go Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Emily Berlant, Heather White, Alice Diehl, Ms. Wheelchair Oregon 2025, cerebral palsy, disability advocacy, disability accessibility, inclusive outdoors, adaptive outdoor recreation, disability and homelessness, disability history USA, wheelchair user outdoors, theater arts, puppetry, John Ritter scholarship, healing power of nature, nature and creativity, spiritual awakening outdoors, whimsy, Oregon rivers, Grants Pass Oregon, resilience, representation, place-based podcast, outdoor healing, nature therapy, creative outdoors