Podcast Ep. 80 - A Philosopher's Guide to Land Stewardship (Repost) with Chad Graeve

Why do we cut cedars out of prairies? Why do we thin trees in forests and oak savannas? Why do we burn?

For many of us, the answers to those questions are fairly straightforward. But some people think about land management on a deeper level. They see thinning operations as managing the flow of energy in a system. Or they seek to understand the microclimate impacts from prescribed fire.

Some people focus on the "why" before the "what" and the "how" when it comes to working in conservation. My guest for this episode, Chad Graeve, is definitely one of those people.

Note: This episode was recorded and originally posted back in 2023 and has been downloaded more than any other episode to date.

Chad has spent three decades honing his "why" and in this conversation, we dive deep into the evolution of his philosophies regarding land stewardship, hiring practices, team building, balancing outdoor recreation with natural area management, and much more.

I left this conversation with a new way of looking at the lands I manage and it's reignited my passion for understanding the "why" behind our decisions as an organization, a theme you hear often in our newer episodes.

Get this and all episodes of Parks and Restoration at ParksandRestoration.com.