Episode Guest
Kim Paymaster – Grant Program Director
Katie Johnson – Campaigns and Engagement Manager
The Conservation Alliance
The Conservation Alliance Stats
- The Conservation Alliance is made up of more than 200 companies
- In 2024, The Conservation Alliance granted $1,651,000 to 47 projects across North America.
- Since 1989, TCA has awarded $34.5 million in grants and helped protect over 125 million acres and 4,964 river miles, remove or halt 43 dams, purchase 22 climbing areas, and designate five marine reserves and one national marine sanctuary.
Speed Round
What is your earliest park memory?
Katie: I did a lot of camping as a kid, but the earliest memory I can think of is going to the Grand Canyon back in 2016. So not really that long ago, but that’s my first official park memory that I can think of right now.
Kim: I grew up on Long Island, so going out to the County Park beaches was where I spent a lot of my time.
What made you love the parks?
Katie: I think that the vastness of a lot of the landscapes for some of these larger parks is incredible, but also the serenity of the local or smaller parks is equally great and both unmatched for different reasons.
Kim: I used to go when I had a hard day, and so I feel like just the solitude, but also the way it can bring community together.
What is your favorite thing about the parks?
Katie: I think the community aspect and the ability to come together. I live in Southwest Colorado now, and so I have a lot of opportunity to enjoy our public spaces in that way.
Kim: I think there’s something really spiritual and there’s that connection to nature is just bigger than I think we all understand.
What is your favorite thing to do in a park?
Katie: I like finding the places that aren’t super popular. What’s the trail that’s a little bit more hidden or off the beaten path, or what does that look like? And I also really like birding.
Kim: I love being on the water, so finding different ways to do that.
What park have you yet to visit but is on your bucket list and why?
Katie: Probably Yosemite and the Redwoods for me.
Kim: So I first went to National Parks and then realized like probably right now I would say Pine Creek Gorge in Pennsylvania. It’s supposedly the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. We’ll see about that, but it’s actually two state parks and I’m just, I’m really eager to go check it out.
What are three must-haves you pack for a park visit?
Katie: Snacks. Snacks. Snacks.
Kim: Outside of water, I would say if I’m going camping, a really good sleeping pad. I think older age has brought that to be more important. Some really good hiking shoes and then more water.
What is your favorite campfire activity?
Katie: Good conversation.
Kim: Yeah, I would say s’mores. It’s always been great and now my daughter’s on board, so it’s perfect.
Tent, camper, or cabin?
Katie: I sleep in my Toyota Tacoma, so a little bit of both.
Kim: I’m in a tent.
Hiking with or without trekking poles?
Katie: Newly with.
Kim: I will say I’m without and constantly thinking about how I should change that.
And what is your favorite trail snack?
Katie: I’m hooked on walking tamales
Kim: Nuts & chocolate
What is the favorite animal sighting that you’ve had?
Katie: There’s too many. I lived in Florida for eight years, so I’ve seen an amazing slew of birds over the years, so I can’t pick one. But I’ve had some great bird sightings.
Kim: So we just went to a wildlife refuge a couple weeks ago and saw a red fox out there, and my daughter just lost her mind. So right now that’s at the top of my list.
What is your favorite sound in the parks?
Katie: Probably some sort of moving water, whether a babbling brook or a waterfall of some kind.
Kim: And I would say like just whatever sound there is, once everyone is quiet at night, like the wildlife that comes out, just what that is so different in each place.
What is the greatest gift the parks give to us?
Katie: Access to these spaces and views that are unmatched and can’t find anywhere else.
Kim: And a reminder that there is something bigger than us and it’s amazing.
Episode Transcript
Missy Rentz:
In this episode, you will hear reference of the Roadless Rule and its public comment period. Please note that this was recorded during that public comment period, and it is now closed. You can learn more about the Roadless rule on the two previous episodes of the Parks podcast. Now, enjoy the episode.
Understanding the advocacy and conservation efforts happening around the states can be daunting. Today, we learn about what businesses and organizations are doing to join forces to advocate for our public lands. Join me as we learn about our business champions. I’m your host, Missy Renz, and this is the Parks podcast.
Missy Rentz:
In this episode of the Parks podcast, I’m thrilled to welcome Kim Paymaster, Who is the grant and program director for the Conservation Alliance, and Katie Johnson, who is the campaigns and engagement manager for the Conservation Alliance. Welcome to the Parks podcast.
Kim Paymaster:
Thanks so much, Missy. So excited to be here.
Katie Johnson:
Thanks for having us.
Missy Rentz:
So I start each episode with Stats on Parks, but with you, I wanted to share some of the stats on the Conservation Alliance. The Conservation Alliance is made up of more than 200 companies, and 2024 you granted$1,651,000 to 47 projects across North America. In 1989, you awarded more than 34.5 million grants to help protect over 125 million acres. 4,964 river miles. You removed or halted 43 dams and you purchased 22 climbing areas and designated five marine reservations and one national Marine sanctuary. The Conservation Alliance is doing amazing work in our public land spaces.
Kim Paymaster:
Thanks so much, Missy, and we’re gonna say we’re doing it alongside. A lot of great partners.
Missy Rentz:
Yes, and we are definitely gonna get to that.’cause I think in the outdoor space, it really does take a village. But to start out, what is the conservation Alliance?
Kim Paymaster:
Excellent. Great place to start. Missy first I wanna say thank you so much for having Katie and I on today. We’re super excited to talk more about the work that we’re doing and how it impacts so many of the places that your listeners are going to all the time and a lot of the parks that you’ve talked about on your podcast. So back in 1989 a few of our current members, Kelty, Patagonia, REI, in the North Face they came together realizing that. Their business bottom line. And honestly like the interests and expectations of their customer base really relied on protecting the outdoor spaces that we all love. And so at that time, they came together, put some money in, and we awarded our first grant, a$40,000 grant at that time to protect public spaces. And now after 30 plus years, we’ve got over 200 business members. That have come together to protect public spaces, and they range across a wide array of industries. But they’re all coming together because they believe in protecting wild spaces and outdoor places that you, I, and so many others care about, and that are really critical to our economy, the environment, and our communities. So each year, these business members, they provide dues and we use those to support critical conservation efforts on the ground across North America. So at the same time, these businesses are working closely with our team, Katie and others on our team to engage in advocacy efforts where they’re making the economic and business case for protecting land and water.
Missy Rentz:
You just mentioned a few of the brands and members that are involved, but I wanna dig a little bit deeper because I think for me, when I think about conservation efforts, I think about, the people that are, have signup tables at the mall or something like that, and I was really blown away with who is involved in the work that you are doing. So who do you work with?
Katie Johnson:
It’s a great question, Missy, and we’re really fortunate to work with a few different groups of folks in our day to day, as Kim mentioned, we work with a variety of businesses. This includes, but is certainly not limited to outdoor industry band brands that you might think of. Some that Kim already mentioned, Patagonia, REI, et cetera. But we also work with energy focused companies, beverage businesses, and a lot of other industries as well. So we’re really fortunate to be across the table in terms of what businesses we work with and how they’re engaged with our work. And then through our grants program, we work with a lot of different community led organizations, which includes tribes and other folks that are committed to protecting clean air, clean water, wild places, and watersheds across North America. In addition to our businesses and our grantees that we work with, we also look to engage with political and local leaders across the aisle, and we work with partners in the outdoor recreation and conservation space. So just a few folks that we’re chatting with on the day to day.
Missy Rentz:
I am relatively new to this outdoor space and learning, who the movers and shakers are. But one of the things that’s interesting to me and hearing you talk about the partners is that when I think about the outdoor space, I think of a park. A gear manufacturer and maybe if I think really hard, I would get to the tour group that’s taking me out there, but you’re bringing up other people and organizations, energy companies, that’s not super intuitive to me. And I would never have gotten to the point of thinking about a beverage company unless it was about water for hydration. So. Why do people join and why is it so important to have all of these different groups connected to outdoor space?
Kim Paymaster:
I think I can start and Katie, feel free to jump in, but I think so. Missy. That’s a great question. I think there’s so many ways that. These businesses and their kind of, their brands like really rely on the outdoors when we’re talking about beverage companies. Water is at the source of so many of these products and they understand that their consumers are gonna rely on those clean water sources. And so understanding how we protect those places is gonna be critical, again, to their business model. But then we’ve also got. Media companies that are trying to lift up public spaces. And so we work with a number of big and small media brands, so Flickr and others. In that space that have really started to do some critical work on, relating these projects and campaigns to communities all across the country and further, and they’re making it accessible, making all of this information accessible to others and making sure that we understand, while I live in Philadelphia, I can see what’s going on in Alaska. And in California and in Wyoming. And so we have a better sense of how these changes are impacting different communities. But there’s such a interplay of how public spaces and the environment affect so many different industries. Katie, feel free to jump in.
Katie Johnson:
I think you covered it. I think it just shows that what we’re working on is really common ground for so many folks and it really brings folks together in a way that other issues may not, and we’re lucky.
Missy Rentz:
We’re really lucky that all of it is coming together. I read recently that the outdoor industry is a trillion dollar industry. When you really start to connect the dots and, and add up all that are involved, so it’s a powerful group of businesses and individuals that are in this space. And there are a lot of groups that talk about helping the environment and it can get really confusing to someone who’s not ingrained to better understand who is who and what everyone does. How does the Conservation Alliance differ from all of these other park associations, conservation and clubs that we see? How do you differ from them and how does someone navigate where they belong?
Kim Paymaster:
Yeah, absolutely. And we work closely with a number of conservation focused organizations and groups, and honestly, we couldn’t do the work without them, so we really value those partnerships. I would say TCA plays a real. Unique role with our ability to specifically bring in the business community and from a wide range of sectors as we just talked about. All of our businesses are really committed to protecting those spaces, and because of that, it means we’re really able to widen that tent and talk about the impacts of protection across so many industries. So we’ve, as we mentioned, outdoor recreation, food and beverage, renewable energy, and so many more. And then at the same time, we’re able to deepen our impact by partnering with our grantees. So we’ve got local and national groups that have on the ground expertise and relationships that they can bring to these projects and campaigns. They can talk about what protection means for their communities and for individuals. So we do this through both public and private land protection. And so that means we may be working on designating a new national monument, which we had a few of in the past few years, which was exciting. Or we may be helping a land trust to acquire, some new land that can become a park, a wildlife refuge, or other public spaces. And I would say like. How we differ. There’s times where we have projects that are supported just through our grant program and others where the advocacy team really steps in with our business members. And each of those are great, but there are those times where we’re able to really bring our grantees together with our business members, talk to elected officials and others. And that, I would say is a bit of the special sauce for TCA. It’s really where we highlight what we do.
Missy Rentz:
Yeah, I have been lucky enough to witness in a presentation where the Conservation Alliance and some other organizations Joined up for a presentation and it’s really powerful when everybody comes together, which brings me to the outdoor economy, and we’ve maybe answered some of this already, but can you explain what is the outdoor economy and why does it matter that it’s being positioned in a collective way?
Kim Paymaster:
Yeah. I would say, just building off of, you know what I was just saying in terms of the number of players in this space. The outdoor industry is made up of a large number of players. So you’ve got these private. Sector businesses working alongside nonprofits. And then you’ve got government agencies and entities at the local, state and federal levels, that are all focused on recreation gear provision services, as well as the management of land and water. So all of these different pieces coming together. And then when we’re talking about the. Outdoor economy specifically, it’s those financial pieces that layer back up to each of those service areas. And when we’re talking about recreation conservation of key landscapes we’re talking about a lot of the activities you, I, and others participate in. So running, camping, fishing, hunting any of those that come to mind. And so obviously. It costs us some money to get into a park, from certain parks, but there’s also all the gear that goes along with that. And then there’s also like the access groups that help, fund trail maintenance, making sure that we can go hiking. there’s the Outfitters and Guides. The adventure tourism pieces, the media pieces there’s so many different layers to this, and as you mentioned, Missy, it’s a huge part of the economy. So right now it’s a$1.2 trillion industry, which means that it generates a ton of jobs. It increases outdoor access for so many people. It allows us to advocate for conservation priorities, which we’re at, we at TCA are doing all the time. And then it supports the health of all of these businesses and communities across the country and more.
Missy Rentz:
As you’re talking and naming the different examples, it seems to me that there’s probably not very many businesses or industries that aren’t impacted by the work that you’re doing. so. You’ve talked a little bit about the businesses, and I feel like I have a clear picture of the business side of things, but then there’s the grantee and the work that’s being done. Tell me a little bit about what the Conservation Alliance has done, is working on and is going to be working on in the future.
Kim Paymaster:
Awesome. I will jump in at a very local level, but Katie’s got the deep knowledge on a lot of our national priorities right now that we’re honing in on. So I would say we do a lot of great work with local organizations on a number of different, in a number of different ways. Some of our. Land trusts, for instance, are looking at private land and how we can make that more accessible to local communities for park space and other opportunities. One of the ones that I’m super excited about right now is just outside of Asheville in North Carolina. So we’re working with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. Who is working directly with the local county to purchase 342 acres there. As you and probably a lot of your listeners know, last year that region got really hit hard by Hurricane Helene and the damage there was just so awful. And so this organization and its partners are working to create the county’s largest park. And it’ll be just five miles outside of the city center making it really. Accessible to local communities out there. It already has a network of trails, so they’ll continue to build off of that. And so it’ll add a ton of access for local communities. But as we’ve been talking about, it’s also gonna have such a huge impact on the economy there. As we talk about impacts for these local communities, access to green space and for park space is gonna be huge. And that’s just at the local level. So I’m gonna, Katie, feel free to jump in on our more national priorities.
Katie Johnson:
Yeah like Kim mentioned, we have some kind of priority campaign focuses that we identify each year and each of those priority campaigns or those landscapes that we’re looking to either defend or protect. We will partner with grantees that are on the ground and they’re the subject matter experts in that landscape and in that space, and offering us ways that we can help support the business community in those conservation efforts. So the Boundary Waters, canoe Area Wilderness is one of our big priority campaigns this year and protecting that critical landscape and that critical watershed, and we work. With the Save the Boundary Waters team on the ground there to help partner with businesses and identify how that business voice can lend itself to protecting and preserving that space. Another priority campaign of ours is the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni ancestral footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. And we work really closely with Grand Canyon Trust on that landscape as well. And they’re really familiar with the day-to-day of how that landscape is so critical to all of the neighboring communities in that space. They have great relationships with the local businesses there that allow for that business voice to really uplift those protection efforts.
Missy Rentz:
I love the variety of needs that you address. Sometimes it’s about a fish species that you’re protecting and sometimes it’s a land issue, and it’s just really diverse how you are able to identify what is important in different parts of North America.
Katie Johnson:
We’re super lucky. So we have grantees and on the ground folks working across the country on all scale projects, but we also have businesses that are looking to engage in different ways. So of the 200 plus businesses that we have. Advocacy and conservation is gonna look different for every single one of them. And so that really allows us to expand our reach of what we’re protecting or what we’re defending and how we’re doing that because everybody has a different interest or a different priority that maybe is slightly different from the next person, but all comes back together to those conservation efforts. So we’re lucky in that we have the partnerships that we have, both with those nonprofit groups and those grantees on the ground, but also for these businesses that are really showcasing why this is so important to them.
Missy Rentz:
My impression, and you all will correct me if I’m wrong, is that the Conservation Alliance provides the grant, but you are very involved throughout the process, ensuring that progress is made on projects
Katie Johnson:
I’d say we’re involved in that. We’re offering our support across the way. So we’re fully trusting of the folks that are receiving this funding and this support from us to do what they do best, but we wanna be there to support them and again, connect that business voice to what they’re doing. So what are the efforts that you’re pursuing, and how does this local business or this national business voice lend itself to your cause? And how can we be the connector there? For our priority campaigns, I’m extremely lucky. I get to meet with all of our priority campaign grantees once a month, so I get to understand what they’re doing and how they’re working on these projects and how we can support and we’re really just staying in such close touch on what’s going on. And so the minute we have a decision that impacts that landscape, we can react and support the business voice in responding how they need to respond.
Missy Rentz:
Wow, that seems like a huge benefit.’cause I imagine some of these projects that you are working on do not have the power and the voice that you can bring to the table in supporting them. So. The next thing I wanna talk about is how. How do the rest of us help? How do we get involved? What can we do? And particularly with what’s going on with our public lands, I feel it’s a constant battle every time we turn around. So in May and June, there was a huge push that successfully stopped a bill from selling the public lands. And I think we only got to celebrate the victory for a minute and. Now there’s other things that are being introduced, and oftentimes what will hurt our public lands is hidden in other things. What is at risk now, and I’m gonna say now because it’s September, 2025, and by October, 2025, we may have to talk about something completely different. So what’s at risk now that we all need to be aware of?
Katie Johnson:
It is a great question and I’ll start by just saying it’s worth it to acknowledge. the wins, even if it’s minimal, right? Like we have to take that one second and just say okay, we have this win, but, and then look forward to what’s next. Yeah. So right now we are monitoring a couple of different things that could occupy that same space. We’re grateful that the public land sales didn’t go through earlier this year, but that’s certainly. Likely to be back on the table at some point. And so we want to not be caught on our heels, one of the areas that we’re really focusing on right now is the Roadless rule rescission efforts by the USDA. There was act there were actually right in the middle of a comment period right now. So there’s a comment period where the USDA is gathering information from the public to understand how roadless areas, if the they’re not protected, what that would mean for our public lands access, whether that’s recreation or gateway communities, et cetera. The roadless rule was enacted in 2001 and it protects undeveloped forest service areas from additional roads being built and then also from being utilized for extractive purposes or additional industrial developments, et cetera. So the USDA is looking to rescind that rule and would, that would open up and allow more roads to be built in those areas. And so right now people can comment on regulations.gov to say, this is what. I wanna inform the USDA as they’re making these decisions and looking at what the rescission could look like or will look like moving forward. This is a multi-step process, so we’re in the first comment period of what will be likely more than one comment period and more than one phase throughout this. And so just people staying up to date, staying in tune with what’s going on. It’s really easy to say, okay, I put my comment in and now I did the work that I need to do, but the work isn’t over. And that’s what we learned from. Earlier this year in the public land sale efforts is that the work is never gonna be over. So we’re lucky that we have so many folks that care about our public lands, and it is really a. A catchall in terms of who’s invested and why they’re invested into our spaces. And regardless of your reason or your activity or your purpose outside, there’s room for everybody. And so understanding what that looks like and sharing those comments and sharing that feedback is the first thing that we can do. That’s more of like an individual call to action. We also are, we work a lot with businesses and so folks are interested in joining TCA as a member or a brand member that they’re not already involved with. We’d love to have those conversations. We also have. A coalition of businesses called Brands for Public Lands that was started up earlier this year, and that is a coalition of folks that are really working together collectively to defend our public lands, whatever that may look like. So earlier this year, it was the public land sales defense. Now we’re working with folks in that coalition on roadless, rule defense, et cetera. There’s a lot that’s going on and there’s a lot that people can do either in their personal lives or from a business side of things. And I think the last thing I would say on this is that if you are an individual that is looking to support businesses in their work in this space, find the brands that have those community initiatives that are outlined on their websites or their social media, or, identify that as part of their brand. DNA, if you know that your favorite gear company is. Supporting these efforts, that’s a way that you can support this initiative. One degree separated is supporting that business and supporting that brand, and that still matters in the long run. So it’s a mixed web of all of those things.
Missy Rentz:
Yeah, I think sometimes people forget two things. I think they forget that. If they’re a small brand, they assume they don’t have power, but they do. They have a lot of power. And then I think as individuals, you always hear your vote matters, but sometimes more than that. In many respects, our dollar matters and if we’re paying attention to who we’re spending our dollars with and making sure it aligns with our values, it makes a big difference.
Katie Johnson:
It really does.
Missy Rentz:
Are you all aware of a place where people can go to learn about brands that they’re buying from and that they are supporting and learning? If a brand does in fact support their values,
Katie Johnson:
it’s a great question. So on the Conservation Alliance website you can see all of our members. And so that will give people, I think, like a first clue into how they’re interacting with the work that we’re doing. I know in my experience a lot of brands will share that on their website, whether it’s under their community page or their philanthropy page, or even sometimes their sustainability page. All of that ties together to how they’re interacting. And then I think social media is super powerful. I think a lot of folks are willing to uplift and share these conservation efforts on their social channels, and I think that’s an easy way for people to identify where these brands are standing and how they’re aligning with your own personal values.
Missy Rentz:
That is really important. the Conservation Alliance has teamed up with a lot of other organizations on awareness to advocate for our public lands. I know we mentioned the Roadless rule. What are you guys doing now? Anything that we need to be aware of?
Katie Johnson:
Yeah. I think for our crew, the priority campaigns that I mentioned, so we have six total that we’re focusing on will be a huge focus for us both this year and next year. Some of those are landscape specific, some of them have a national reach. We kind of work in both sectors. In addition to that, all of our grantees and all of our partners that we work with will continue to work with, there’s a few groups that we work with, outdoor Alliance and Outdoor Industry Association. That work really closely with us on some of these efforts. And so pulling our powers together and making as big of an impact as we possibly can is something that we’ll continue to focus on. As well as all of the partners that we’ve mentioned so far. I think we’ve plugged quite a few in terms of the reach that we have, but like Kim said, we can’t do this, the work that we do without all of the people at play. And so we’ll continue to build those partnerships and those relationships.
Kim Paymaster:
And I would also say like at the local level just like there’s land trust. Across the entire country and being able to connect with your local land trust. We’re obviously seeing a lot of threats to public land spaces. We’re unfortunately also seeing some possible impacts on our private land work and, and those land trusts. So being able to connect to them as they look to create more green space and public spaces, for local communities and seeing where their needs are and where you might be able to volunteer or, help them in their other efforts.
Missy Rentz:
And how can a business get involved if they feel that they’re connected to your mission in any way?
Katie Johnson:
Yeah, so for us, I think, the conversation starts with. Understanding what does membership or brands for public lands involvement look like? And then from there, identifying where does advocacy fit into your brand DNA, and how does that, how can we incorporate that into the work that we do with you? So whether that’s writing an op-ed or a letter to the editor from one of your, executive leadership or hosting an event that highlights the importance of a landscape and gets the community involved or. Writing a blog about users in the space. I think the options are endless in terms of how folks can get involved, and it’s really up to us and the brand to identify what is most important and what their priorities are in the advocacy space, and then we can help support those and turn them into action items and turn them into results.
Missy Rentz:
So Katie, is it a process where there is a conversation? It’s not just go and sign up. Like if you are an organization and you listen to this episode and you realize that you care about the environment and your business aligns with the values and mission of the work that you’re doing, can they pick up the phone and talk to someone and better understand the role?
Katie Johnson:
Absolutely. That is, I would say step one in the conversation is just understanding if the alignment is there and how that alignment looks for both sides. I will say I wanted to add this earlier. We work with several brands that have five or less employees, and they’re incredible and so active and so vocal in these spaces. So business size, like you mentioned earlier, is not always the only factor to take into consideration. And some of these really small businesses or. Medium sized businesses can make an incredibly huge impact. And they’re awesome to work with. So yes, encourage of all businesses, of all sizes to get involved no matter what that looks like. And yes, we have that conversation of what are your goals? How can we help support that? What would this partnership look like? And just really have that conversation of how that looks in both lenses and deciding what works best moving forward. A lot of that can be found initially on our website. Conservation Alliance. But also we can have those conversations and yes, pick up the phone or jump on an email and figure out what makes sense.
Kim Paymaster:
I would also say that, for those small businesses, and I think Katie has seen this firsthand with her priority campaigns, a lot of those small businesses, the voices really matter. In a deep way because they are so embedded in their communities in a way that sometimes, like national brands aren’t. And so I think those voices can often matter to leaders, to community members in a way that is really unique and different. And so I would urge, if you’re a small business and you’re interested, this is a way to amplify your voice. And then our team, like Katie and others on our team, do such a great job of working with you and your employees to really think about how you can amplify that voice. So you don’t have to have the expertise in advocacy already. There. You don’t even have to understand all the policy implications. We will do the education, the training. We’ll help you get there. All you need to do is want to participate. So yeah, I would definitely encourage, pick up the phone, call us reach out and we’re happy to talk.
Missy Rentz:
What about an individual? Is there a space for an individual within the Conservation Alliance?
Katie Johnson:
Yeah, absolutely. People can stay up to date with what. We’re doing with our newsletters, which you can sign up on the website. Also following along on social media. We post a lot of updates around our priority campaigns and things that are top of mind for both us, but also the business community. And then we also highlight all of our grantee work and success stories. And those little wins that we were talking about are earlier still, celebrating those. And I think back to the point of understanding how businesses are involved in conservation. Our channels are a great way to do that. You’ll see quotes from our member companies that are highlighting current issues or their stance on an issue, and it allows you to see firsthand what these businesses are doing and how you can support both from the ground level, but also like we said earlier, from the business and consumer level as well, because that really matters.
Kim Paymaster:
I think that obviously we are a business network, but I think again, as Katie mentioned, there’s ways to stay informed. There’s also ways to learn about the different organizations that might be working in your communities and then connecting to those organizations. We also have ways that you can support the work that we’re doing. So if you look on our website, we’ve got, ways for individuals to support our work through, lead a leading edge sponsorship as we call it. And so I think there’s different ways whether you’re interested in connecting with local groups in supporting this national kind of business led approach or otherwise. So happy to talk to individuals as well.
Missy Rentz:
You have brought up a lot of good ways that people can get involved as individuals, and one of the things I will say as an individual is that what you all are doing, teaching us all how to advocate is really important. And my heart says I need to be doing a lot, but thankfully we’ve lived in a period of time where we haven’t really had to advocate for things.
Katie Johnson:
And you’ll find on our channels too, a little bit more about what some of these are, some of the vocabulary words that might not be inherently known to, the common public. There are a lot of things that I’ve learned just in my seven months here that I didn’t know these acronyms and abbreviations and things. So just that first level of education and again, yeah, how folks can get involved, but also how the businesses that you support are getting involved too. What your role is in that and it looks different for everybody.
Missy Rentz:
So what’s at stake? What’s the future look like? What do we all need to be concerned about? What do we need to celebrate? What’s next? I.
Katie Johnson:
How much time do we have? Just kidding. I mean there’s a lot at stake, right? We saw that earlier this year. There are, our public lands are. Everywhere, and we’re very lucky and very grateful for that. But there is a lot at risk and there’s a lot at stake and conservation and especially from the business lens is critical right now. The business voice carries a really significant weight, especially in DC especially right now. And so businesses taking a stance and showcasing what’s important to them and what. Is a priority for them in terms of advocacy or conservation or community engagement or whatever that looks like can make a huge difference. And it has and it will continue to. And we’re very lucky that we get to be. Really smack in the middle of that, in, in between these incredible businesses and these incredible, folks on the ground that are this accomplishing the incredible things and doing incredible work to protect these landscapes. But there’s a lot at stake and there’s a lot that people can do. And I would just say. I’ve said it a couple of times, let’s celebrate the little wins and let’s celebrate the pieces where we can celebrate with each other and keep the community focused and moving forward. And don’t lose hope because our voice matters. Everyone’s voices matter. And now more than ever, it’s critical to understand where you lie in these topics and how you can get involved and advocate for what’s most important to you.
Kim Paymaster:
And I think. Right now we’re seeing, over the last few years, and it’s continuing, we’re seeing record turnout in our public parks. There are just so many people out there. And so we know that these places matter to so many people, and I think the scary part of what’s happening right now is that if we lose access and if we lose protection of these places, like we don’t get that back, once. Once we have oil drilling happening, once we have extraction, it really changes the landscape. And so how do we think about the future of these places and what it means to so many communities and so many people and how that brings everyone together. And I know so much is being thrown at everyone right now, and thinking about your favorite places and how you advocate for, protection of those places, is a great place to start. And then celebrate. Yeah, celebrate each win. And keep that going.
Missy Rentz:
I am really grateful to both of you for sharing all of this information with us. There’s a lot of amazing work that’s being done, and we have shared a lot of information on this episode, so I’m going to put links to all of the different things we’ve talked about. On the Parks podcast webpage for this episode. So if you wanna learn more about the work that the Conservation Alliance is doing, how to get involved, then that way you can go there and have direct links to things that both Katie and Kim have said today. As we wrap up each episode, I do a speed round of questions and just answer with what first comes to mind. I’m gonna ask you both the questions, so we’ll ping pong back and forth. Let’s start with Katie. What is your earliest park memory? I.
Katie Johnson:
I’m struggling with this. I know it’s supposed to be a speed round. I did a lot of camping as a kid, but the earliest memory I can think of is going to the Grand Canyon back in 2016. So not really that long ago, but that’s my first official park memory that I can think of right now.
Missy Rentz:
Kim, what is your earliest park memory? I.
Kim Paymaster:
Not as glorious as that. I grew up on Long Island, so you know, going out to the County Park beaches was where I spent a lot of my time.
Missy Rentz:
What made you love the parks?
Katie Johnson:
I think that the vastness of a lot of the landscapes for some of these larger parks is incredible, but also the serenity of the local or smaller parks is equally great and both unmatched for different reasons.
Kim Paymaster:
I used to go when I had a hard day, and so I feel like just the solitude, but also the way it can bring community together.
Missy Rentz:
What is your favorite thing about the parks?
Katie Johnson:
I’d probably say something similar to what Kim just said. I think the community aspect and the ability to come together. I live in Southwest Colorado now, and so I have a lot of opportunity to enjoy our public spaces in that way.
Kim Paymaster:
Would say that, I think there’s something really spiritual and there’s that connection to nature is just bigger than I think we all understand.
Missy Rentz:
And what is your favorite thing to do in a park? I.
Katie Johnson:
I like finding the places that aren’t super popular. What’s the trail that’s a little bit more hidden or off the beaten path, or what does that look like? And I also really like birding.
Kim Paymaster:
And I love being on the water, so finding different ways to do that.
Missy Rentz:
What park or public land have you yet to visit, but it’s on your bucket list and why? Okay.
Katie Johnson:
Oh my gosh, so many. Probably Yosemite and the Redwoods for me.
Kim Paymaster:
So I first went to National Parks and then realized like probably right now I would say Pine Creek Gorge in Pennsylvania. It’s supposedly the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. We’ll see about that, but it’s actually two state parks and I’m just, I’m really eager to go check it out.
Missy Rentz:
What are three must-haves you pack for a park visit?
Katie Johnson:
Snacks, snacks and snacks.
Kim Paymaster:
Outside of water, I would say if I’m going camping, a really good sleeping pad. I think older age has brought that to be more important. Some really good hiking shoes and then more water.
Missy Rentz:
What is your favorite campfire activity?
Katie Johnson:
Good conversation.
Kim Paymaster:
Yeah, I would say s’mores. It’s always been great and now my daughter’s on board, so it’s perfect.
Missy Rentz:
And when you go to a park, are you staying in a tent, camper, or cabin?
Katie Johnson:
I sleep in my Toyota Tacoma, so a little bit of both.
Kim Paymaster:
I’m in a tent.
Missy Rentz:
Are you hiking with or without trekking poles?
Katie Johnson:
Newly width.
Kim Paymaster:
I will say I’m without and constantly thinking about how I should change that.
Missy Rentz:
What is your favorite trail snack?
Katie Johnson:
I am hooked on walking tamales.
Kim Paymaster:
I’m gonna go boring and just say nuts and chocolate.
Missy Rentz:
What is your favorite animal sighting?
Katie Johnson:
There’s too many, oh, I lived in Florida for eight years, so I’ve seen an amazing slew of birds over the years, so I can’t pick one. But I’ve had some great bird sightings.
Kim Paymaster:
So we just went to a wildlife refuge a couple weeks ago and saw a red fox out there, and my daughter just lost her mind. So right now that’s at the top of my list.
Missy Rentz:
What is your favorite sound in the park?
Katie Johnson:
Probably some sort of moving water, whether a babbling brook or a waterfall of some kind.
Kim Paymaster:
And I would say like just whatever sound there is, once everyone is quiet at night, like the wildlife that comes out, just what that is so different in each place.
Missy Rentz:
What is the greatest gift that the parks give to us?
Katie Johnson:
Access to these spaces and views that are unmatched and can’t find anywhere else.
Kim Paymaster:
And a reminder that there is something bigger than us and it’s amazing.
Missy Rentz:
Thank you both Katie and Kim. Thanks to the Conservation Alliance for all the work that you’re doing, and I am really grateful to the both of you for spending time talking to us and educating us today. Okay.
Kim Paymaster:
Thanks so much, Missy. Really appreciate it.
Katie Johnson:
Thanks for having us.
Missy Rentz:
Thanks for listening. Until next time, we’ll see you in the parks. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please be sure to like and share on your favorite podcast platform. Music for the parks podcast is performed and produced by Porter Hardy. For more information, please follow us on Instagram at the parks podcast. Or visit our website@theparkspodcast.com.