Earth Day with Arizona State Parks Rangers!

Announcing (drum roll, please 🥁)... the 2023-2024 Opt Outside Photo Contest at Arizona State Parks! Join us in this episode to hear all about the photo contest, its categories, and sweet prize packages. See the full contest details, rules, deadlines, and submission form at AZStateParks.com/photo-contest.

Professional photographer for Arizona State Parks, Carlos Ramirez, joins Neil and Elisabeth on the show to give tips and tricks of the trade to take stunning photos. We also hear from one of the contest judges Tim Elinski. Not only is Tim a judge, his company, Pin Drop Travel Trailers, is part of the grand prize package for the contest winner! You can find out more about Pin Drop Travel Trailers at PinDropTravelTrailers.com. Also check out the contest's other two judges, Lauren and Owen Steinwall of The AZ Hikeaholics and their popular Arizona adventure travel account at TheAZHikeaholics.com or on Instagram!

About our guest: Elijio Carlos Ramirez
Arizona native Elijio Carlos Ramirez started his career in public policy before transitioning to photo and video. He's worked with private clients, Hollywood movie studios, and even saw his work screened in Times Square. In his spare time, he enjoys other creative pursuits and credits his family for the support that has allowed him to do so.

About our guest: Tim Elinski, Pin Drop Travel Trailers
Pin Drop Travel Trailers are solar-powered, fully self-contained micro-campers manufactured in rural Arizona. The company was launched in 2018 by avid campers and entrepreneurs, Tim and Ruth Ellen Elinski. 

Pin Drop Travel Trailers are intentionally designed and crafted in small batches using premium materials. Combining unmatched, superior quality with user-friendly functionality, the trailers provide travelers the ultimate camping and adventure experience. Sturdy enough for remote, off-road destinations, they are constructed with built-in conveniences for established campgrounds and equipped with comforts appreciated by weekend adventurers who prefer a glamping experience.

Tim leads design and manufacturing operations, bringing over 20 years’ experience as a licensed general and HVAC contractor to the company. Raised in a family of tradesmen, Tim honed his skills restoring historic homes and building energy efficient additions and new homes. Now licensed by the State of Arizona as both a trailer manufacturer and dealer, Tim brings his talent, creativity and eye for design to lead the manufacturing team. Together, they create custom, teardrop trailers that are rolling works of art.

Find your next Arizona adventure and sign up for our newsletter at AZStateParks.com/Amazing, and follow @AZStateParks on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter for even more inspiration.

Humans seem to be hardwired for nature, but did you know there is an actual term for this feeling? It's the concept of biophilia, and research is helping medicine incorporate time in the outdoors and a connection to nature with our health! 

Dr. Brent Bauer, a general internal medicine physician at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota joins us on the show to explain how our physical and mental state can be positively impacted by simply going outside. He addresses questions like the types of outdoor recreation activities that are beneficial, how much time outdoors is needed, and, from a medical standpoint, how this connection to nature is important in different stages of life.

It's time to put the backbone behind what you always knew was connected: getting outdoors and your health!

Links referenced in this episode:

• Prescription for nature online resources: Park RX America and ParkRX
• Prescribing nature for mental, physical health on the Mayo Clinic News Network

About our guest
Dr. Brent Bauer is a general internal medicine physician at Mayo Clinic and director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program. Dr. Bauer's personal goal is to ensure that research conducted under the auspices of the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program is always held to the same high standards as all other research at Mayo Clinic. By ensuring this level of quality, the results that are achieved will positively contribute to knowledge that can inform clinical practice.

The research of Dr. Bauer and the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program has had many tangible impacts on patient care. For example, massage therapy is now routinely offered to postoperative patients, meditation training is being provided to more than 20,000 patients each year, and acupuncture is helping patients with migraine headaches. These are just a few examples of how Dr. Bauer and his colleagues have been able to translate research into direct changes in patient care. Research informing practice remains a key focus for the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program.

You can find Dr. Bauer's clinical profile and research faculty profile at MayoClinic.org.

Find your next Arizona adventure and sign up for our newsletter at AZStateParks.com/Amazing, and follow @AZStateParks on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter for even more inspiration.

For Chelsea Ballard, the world underneath the ground we stand on has always had a draw. She earned a Karst Hydrogeology degree and went on to work in several different caves before moving to Arizona to lead our Cave Unit team at Kartchner Caverns State Park.

In this episode, Chelsea shares what excites her about working in the unique ecosystem of caves and karsts, and gives us insight into the wonders Kartchner Caverns holds. Listen as Chelsea explains the work her team does, the distinctive features of Kartchner Caverns that set it apart from other show caves, and the importance of conserving this treasured natural resource.

Tour Kartchner Caverns yourself by booking a tour reservation at https://azstateparks.com/kartchner/cave-tours/tours. You can learn more about the Arizona grottos of the National Speleological Society that Chelsea references at https://caves.org/state/arizona/.

More about our guest, Chelsea Ballard:
Chelsea is the Cave Resource Manager / Research and Project Specialist at Kartchner Caverns State Park. She is from Horse Cave, Kentucky and grew up only a few miles from Mammoth Cave National Park and Hidden River Cave. She has been fascinated with caves and sinkholes since she was a young girl after being exposed to the resource from a very early age growing up on a farm. This led her to Western Kentucky University (WKU) to study Karst Hydrogeology. During her time at WKU, she has completed two undergraduate karst thesis research projects with grant funding, taught a Cave Conservation and Karst Management class in Texas, completed a Physical Science Technician internship with the National Park Service, inter-agency trainings with the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and an internship with the U.S. Geological Survey. She has also worked as a cave guide with Diamond Caverns, Hidden River Cave and Mammoth Cave National Park. She has completed various karst related trainings, karst research projects and classes through her career. She is deeply involved with the American Cave Conservation Association, the National Speleological Society, WKU Karst Field Studies, Karst Waters Institute, and the United States Biosphere Network. She is currently writing a children’s book centered around the subject of karst. When Chelsea is not at work helping to protect one of the coolest caves in the world you may find her in other caves helping with geology/hydrology research, mapping and surveying projects. She also enjoys volunteering for cave organizations, hiking, backpacking, kayaking, traveling and visiting her friends and family in Kentucky.

Find your next Arizona adventure and sign up for our newsletter at AZStateParks.com/Amazing, and follow @AZStateParks on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter for even more inspiration.

If there's anyone who knows Arizona's birds, it's our guest Richard "Rick" C. Taylor, who literally wrote the book Birds of Arizona! On this episode we fly into the amazing world of the elegant trogon, ruffs, Scott's oriole, sparrows, hummingbirds and so much more.

Whether you're a beginning birder or a seasoned ornithologist, you'll be delighted by Rick's knowledge and passion for birding and his perspective on how we nature lovers can relate to our feathered friends.

Resources we discussed on this episode that can help you as you get into birding include Rick's book Birds of Arizona and The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's eBird app.

About our guest
A lifelong resident of Southeastern Arizona, Taylor has been involved in birding since he was a teen making observations and recording them. It was his hobby, and all his biology is self-taught. He conducted an eight-year-long study of the Elegant Trogon that led to the publication of Trogons of the Arizona Borderlands in 1994 and continues to compile census results. During his research, Taylor reported the first Eared Quetzal seen in the U.S. In 1980 he founded Borderland Tours, a birding travel company dedicated to responsible ecotourism. In 1995 the American Birding Association published his A Birder's Guide to Southeastern Arizona, revised in 2005.  In 2010, R.W. Morse Company published Birds of Southeastern Arizona, now in its 7th printing and in 2023 Birds of Arizona, which has become the most comprehensive field guide of the state’s birds, profiling over 500 species and over 900 color photographs showing key field marks of each species. Arizona has more hummingbirds than any other state and Taylor creates for the first time a hummingbird chart showing the elevation ranges for all seventeen species. Taylor also authors the location bird checklists for both the Huachuca and the Chiricahua Mountains.

Find your next Arizona adventure and sign up for our newsletter at AZStateParks.com/Amazing, and follow @AZStateParks on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter for even more inspiration.

The Sonoran Insiders program promotes and amplifies good stewardship and responsible outdoor recreation in the Sonoran Desert and landscapes across Arizona. The group hosts fun and informative Insider Experiences for program ambassadors. Apply to become an ambassador HERE or learn more about becoming a partner for the Sonoran Insiders HERE.

Want to try an Insider Experience for yourself? Register HERE for their event on August 5 to learn about responsible recreation and tourism on tribal lands with the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

About our guests:

Brooke Wheelock is the Partnership Coordinator with the US Forest Service on Tonto National Forest. She engages various partners including businesses, non-profit organizations, state and federal agencies, and local communities to accomplish vital on-the-ground work throughout the roughly 2 million-acre landscape on the Tonto NF. Work through partnerships and collaborations includes watershed improvements, restoration, recreation management, wilderness and trail maintenance, hazardous fuels reduction, invasives management, and more. Prior to the Forest Service, Brooke worked with the National Park Service at various parks, and with the US Army Corps of Engineers as a Park Ranger. Outside work, she enjoys hiking, connecting with friends at local breweries, streaming video games, and exploring or traveling with her 2 dogs. Find information on the two prehistoric sites on the Tonto National Forest that Brooke mentioned: the Sears-Kay Ruin near Carefree, and the Shoofly Village site (wheelchair-accessible).

Isaiah Ortiz is a park ranger at Catalina State Park and a Sonoran Insiders Ambassador. Born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, Isaiah has always had a special connection with the desert. For nearly 10 years photography has been his passion and he specializes in capturing the beauty of the night sky. With the Sonoran Insiders and at Catalina State Park, Isaiah shares messages of respect for the land, conservation, and responsible exploration. Find Isaiah's book, Starry Sky Adventures Arizona, HERE.

Jeny Davis is the Southern Rockies Program Associate at the National Forest Foundation (NFF), supporting program and project operations in the Southwest and Rocky Mountain Regions through coordinating, strategic planning, organizational development, and collaborative conservation efforts. Prior to the NFF, she worked at Desert Botanical Garden with the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance (CAZCA) and EcoFlora programs, immersed in collaborative conservation, community science and communications. She enjoys coordinating projects, connecting people, and working with others to support and accomplish goals and facilitate inclusive collaboration outcomes. Outside work, she enjoys numerous outdoor activities like hiking and riding her bike, reading, researching, making cyanotypes, enjoying music, eating tacos, or generally nerding out about plants and ecology wherever she may be.

Find your next Arizona adventure and sign up for our newsletter at AZStateParks.com/Amazing, and follow @AZStateParks on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter for even more inspiration.

Lew Theokas, the grandfather of Granite Mountain Hotshots crewmember Garret Zuppiger, joins Arizona State Parks team member Ken "Gecko" Sliwa for a conversation to remember the hotshots who lost their lives fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30, 2013. 

Lew is a former wildland firefighter and currently serves as the Public Relations Officer for the town of Peeple's Valley.

Find your next Arizona adventure and sign up for our newsletter at AZStateParks.com/Amazing, and follow @AZStateParks on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter for even more inspiration.

Ben Palm, former fire chief for the town of Yarnell, joins Arizona State Parks team member Ken "Gecko" Sliwa for a conversation to remember the hotshots who lost their lives fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30, 2013.

Ben served as the Yarnell Fire Chief after the fire up through 2019, and currently works as the department's Assistant Chief and a Liaison Officer on Incident Management Teams for wildland fires.

Learn more about the Firewise program and creating defensible space around property to protect it from wildfire at dffm.az.gov/fire/prevention/firewise.

Find your next Arizona adventure and sign up for our newsletter at AZStateParks.com/Amazing, and follow @AZStateParks on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter for even more inspiration.

Karen Norris, the mother of Granite Mountain Hotshots crewmember Scott Norris, joins Arizona State Parks team member Ken "Gecko" Sliwa for a conversation to remember the hotshots who lost their lives fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30, 2013.

Karen is a founding member and sits on the board of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew Learning and Tribute Center in Prescott. You can find information and plan your visit to the center at gmihc19.org.

Find your next Arizona adventure and sign up for our newsletter at AZStateParks.com/Amazing, and follow @AZStateParks on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter for even more inspiration.

This episode is dedicated in tribute to the Granite Mountain Hotshots who lost their lives in the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30, 2013: Andrew Ashcraft, Robert Caldwell,  Travis Carter, Dustin DeFord, Christopher MacKenzie, Eric Marsh, Grant McKee,  Sean Misner, Scott Norris, Wade Parker, John Percin Jr., Anthony Rose, Jesse Steed, Joe Thurston, Travis Turbyfill, William Warneke, Clayton Whitted, Kevin Woyjeck, and Garret Zuppiger. Our thoughts are with their families on this ten-year anniversary, as well as the lone surviving member of the hotshots crew, Brendan McDonough.

Our deepest gratitude to Lew Theokas, grandfather of hotshot Garret Zuppiger; Ben Palm; Karen Norris, mother of hotshot Scott Norris; and Jared Welsh for sharing with us for this episode.

Links mentioned in this episode include:
About the Granite Mountain Hotshots
July 30 Commemoration Event in Prescott
July 30 Remembrance Event in Yarnell
Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew Learning and Tribute Center
Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park

Find your next Arizona adventure and sign up for our newsletter at AZStateParks.com/Amazing, and follow @AZStateParks on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter for even more inspiration.

Sometimes all it takes is a little knowledge to change fear into fascination. That's why Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary joined us on this episode: to reintroduce to the world of snakes. Katelyn Garcia, the sanctuary's Education & Outreach Director as well as Cale Morris, Venom Manager for the sanctuary, help us understand the importance of these reptiles and might help you regard snakes in a different light.

Check out the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary to schedule a tour, learn about their camp, or virtually adopt an animal at PhoenixHerp.com and on social media under @PhoenixHerp. You can also check out the online snake identification resource linked on their website, which Katelyn and Cale mention in this episode, ReptilesOfAZ.org.

Bonus! Read more about Clem the alligator relocated from the Grand Canyon to Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary as told by the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument.

Find your next Arizona adventure and sign up for our newsletter at AZStateParks.com/Amazing, and follow @AZStateParks on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter for even more inspiration.