Are you crushing hard on a neighborhood park? Maybe one with rolling hills and super tall trees that sway gently in the summer breeze? Or maybe you’ve got a second crush, too—another park with waterfalls and vistas that just won’t quit? Well, you're not alone! On this month’s episode, Ronda takes to the Denver parks to discover the secret (and not-so-secret) “park crushes” local residents have on their favorite outdoor spaces. And then, Bianca Clarke—Associate Vice President of TPL’s 10-Minute W...
May 29, 2025•47 min
On April's People. Nature. Big Ideas. , you'll learn what makes folks Happiest Outside when a mother/son duo, a delirious birder, and a wellbeing advocate share their stories of joy and connection in the outdoors. Trust for Public Land Connecting everyone to the outdoors™ tpl.org | Instagram | Facebook ......
Apr 25, 2025•36 min
In this episode, host Ronda Lee Chapman is at SXSW! Discover how outdoor programs transform the lives of young people of color through experiences in nature, understand historical exclusion from outdoor spaces and ongoing self-exclusion in communities of color, and learn how these programs cultivate strong, resilient, mentally healthy leaders. Trust for Public Land Connecting everyone to the outdoors™ tpl.org | Instagram | Facebook ......
Mar 19, 2025•46 min
Ronda celebrates Black History Month by opening her box of family photos, reflecting on family members and others—past and present—who have uplifted their communities and who, amidst the threat of erasure, persist with rigor, joy, and love. Trust for Public Land Connecting everyone to the outdoors™ tpl.org | Instagram | Facebook ......
Feb 19, 2025•25 min
This month, we’ve got five audio essays from some of our TPL team members’ favorite outdoor places. Join us in Mexico, California, Texas, and New York City, for this heart-felt audio journey. And check out the video version as well on our YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/8HgUecr-nMo Trust for Public Land Connecting everyone to the outdoors™ tpl.org | Instagram | Facebook ......
Jan 15, 2025•20 min
It’s year-end, and we’re highlighting three remarkable TPL projects in this month’s podcast. In our “People,” segment, we talk with a Philadelphia principal who chased her dream and brought a schoolyard to her community. In our “Nature” segment, we learn about a new wildlife management area—twice the size of Central Park—located just outside downtown Minneapolis. And in our third segment, our “Big Idea,” an old golf course is “rewilded” in fire-prone Marin, California, to create a place of resil...
Dec 19, 2024•53 min
This month, People. Nature. Big Ideas. host Ronda Lee Chapman chats with Queta Gonzalez—the outgoing director of Center for Diversity and the Environment—about Queta’s fifteen years working at the intersection of equity and the outdoors. This expansive conversation covers democracy, internalizing DEI at your organization, career tips for those working in the non-profit space, and a revolutionary (or a Big Idea, at least!) new advancement in the role of pay equity. Trust for Public Land Connectin...
Nov 19, 2024•49 min
Mentored Hunting and Angling—it’s an exciting new program that goes to the heart of one of TPL’s core mission commitments—supporting and fostering equitable outdoor spaces. This month on People. Nature. Big Ideas. , we learn about BIPOC hunters and their mentees who come together in Minnesota’s North Woods to build new skills, traditions, and community—all on public land. And discover the special guest who’s participating in the next mentored hunt on this month’s episode! Trust for Public Land C...
Oct 30, 2024•31 min
In this celebration/retrospective episode, Ronda and Tom look back and pull out some highlights from the season. Topics include: disabilities and the outdoors, indigenous knowledge and stewardship, what “representation” in the outdoors looks like for people of color, and more. For folks unfamiliar with the podcast, this is a great opportunity to jump in, hear some snippets from our amazing guests, and take in the joy, complexity, and spirit, at the intersection of people, nature, and big ideas. ...
Aug 14, 2024•44 min
In a special episode of PNBI, Ronda Lee Chapman chats with Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, TPL’s incoming President and CEO, who will take the reins on October 1. Carrie is wrapping up her 11-year tenure as President and CEO of Colorado Mountain College, where she championed efforts to close the education equity gap and significantly expanded the college's reach and impact. Under her leadership, the college earned the prestigious Hispanic-Serving Institution designation. Listen in to learn a little ...
Jul 16, 2024•39 min
Pack your six-inch heels, because it’s Pride month on People. Nature. Big Ideas ! Ronda is joined by Pattie Gonia, a critically acclaimed drag queen, environmentalist, and advocate for inclusivity and diversity in the outdoors. The two discuss making music videos with Yo Yo Ma, climbing mountains with six-inch heels, what it was like to grow up gay in Nebraska, and the confluence of nature, art, and advocacy. Pattie Gonia: https://www.pattiegonia.net/ Won’t Give Up Video: https://www.youtube.com...
Jun 13, 2024•59 min
It’s ParkScore day! Ronda discusses her impressions of this year's ParkScore release, and then is joined by Scott Kratz, Building Bridges Across the River Senior Vice President & 11th Street Bridge Park Director, to discuss the 11th Street Bridge Park—DC’s first elevated park—a repurposed freeway that is quickly becoming a bridge between two very different communities. About the 11th Street Bridge Project: 11th Street Bridge Park's webpage . Their Equitable Development Plan that includes new...
May 22, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Introducing PNBI’s Three-Part Series on the “Outdoors for All Act” In the first two episodes, Ronda talked with community partners who share what outdoors means to them, their community, and their culture. They explored how investing in the outdoors is ultimately an investment in people and collective wellbeing, physically, emotionally, socially, intellectually. In this final episode of the Outdoors for All three-part podcast series, Ronda joins TPL’s annual Day on the Hill event in Washington, ...
Apr 18, 2024•39 min
In the first two episodes, host Ronda Chapman talks with community leaders and TPL partners who share what outdoors means to them, their community, and their culture. They’ll explore how investing in the outdoors is ultimately an investment in people and collective wellbeing, physically, emotionally, socially, intellectually. And in April, for the third episode, Ronda will join TPL’s annual Day on the Hill event in Washington, DC, where they’ll talk with lawmakers, advocates, TPL staff, and jour...
Mar 27, 2024•1 hr 7 min
In the first two episodes, Ronda talks with community partners who share what outdoors means to them, their community, and their culture. They’ll explore how investing in the outdoors is ultimately an investment in people and collective wellbeing, physically, emotionally, socially, intellectually. And in April, for the third episode, Ronda will join TPL’s annual Day on the Hill event in Washington, DC, where they’ll talk with lawmakers, advocates, TPL staff, and journalists, about how these kind...
Mar 18, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Episode Six - A Walk in the Woods with Ronda In late January, PNBI host Ronda Lee Chapman was feeling a little stuck on how the podcast should cover Black History Month. Stuck in her feelings. Stuck in her thinking. So what better way for Ronda to think, reflect, and get unstuck, than to get out into nature and take a walk in the woods. In this reflection episode, Ronda unpacks her thoughts around Black History Month, Black futures, the importance of rest and reflection, sitting with discomfort,...
Feb 12, 2024•38 min
“The land loss that Black Chicago has experienced in the last decade—it stops here,” says Naomi Davis, founder of Blacks in Green. Today on PNBI, we’re talking about Self-Determination and the challenges around how communities and individuals are able to shape their economic, cultural, and social futures. To dig into this important topic, we’re joined by Naomi Davis, founder of the Blacks in Green (BIG™), and TPL’s newest National Board member Anton Seals Jr., founder of Grow Greater Englewood. ...
Jan 16, 2024•53 min
In this deeply moving episode of 'People, Nature, Big Ideas,' we're joined by Alysa Morley. While advocacy might not be her job title, her journey and the synergy with TPL's mission have profound implications for those seeking access and representation in the great outdoors. As part of the marketing team at Trust for Public Land (TPL), Alysa has witnessed firsthand the synergy between her personal experiences and TPL's mission. As a person living with a disability, she knows the weight of exclus...
Nov 02, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 4
More and more, people of color are being recognized for the variety of ways they step forward to engage with their communities. Whether it’s to help design and build community parks as we’ll discuss in this episode—or, as in our first episode with Tykee James, to apply outdoor activities such as birding as ways to build connections between civil rights history and the Black experience. There are all sorts of unique and exciting ways folks of color are bringing their unique perspectives and backg...
May 27, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In this second installment of the new TPL podcast, host Ronda Lee Chapman talks with parks, recreation, and conservation professional Mickey Fearn about the interplay of nature and community, being the “weird” kids who sought the sanctuary of the woods and wetlands, the role of Black neighborhoods and their proximity to nature, and how racism and poverty require new approaches to build lasting and meaningful relationships with the outdoors. Trust for Public Land Connecting everyone to the outdoo...
May 26, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In this, our first episode, host Ronda Lee Chapman talks with Tykee James, government affairs coordinator at the National Audubon Society. The two discuss the joys of birding and how Tykee came to cofound Black Birders Week. They also explore the topics of activism and coalition-building in the “Freedom Birders” movement, the sticky roots of conservation, how many birds Ronda really knows (more than she thinks), and their experiences navigating the outdoors as people of color. Trust for Public L...
May 25, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1
This podcast is designed to be a rich forum for conversation on how we move forward—towards a more inclusive and representative outdoor community—together. How are we going to rethink conservation? How do we encourage investments and engagement in nature for our communities? My hope is that this podcast can also be a vehicle to raise community voices—to offer a platform to talk about the valuable work that these individuals and communities are doing. I want to talk about the triumphs. I want to ...
May 24, 2023•6 min0
