Ilana Nevins loved backpacking with her father. But after she was diagnosed with an eating disorder, their relationship became strained. She worried that hiking together would put her recovery at risk, because so many of her behaviors were modeled after him.
In this episode, Ilana shares the story of the difficult challenge she faced: how to prioritize her own wellbeing without wrecking her relationship with a loved one.
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Humans are noisy. The National Park Service estimates that all of our whirring, grinding, and revving machines are doubling or even tripling global noise pollution every 30 years.
A lot of that noise is negatively affecting wildlife and human health.
In this guest episode, the team from Outside/In takes us on an exploration of three sonic landscapes: noise, silence, and something in between.
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Many of us have experienced imposter syndrome at some point in our lives. Often it’s at work, where we doubt our own skills and accomplishments. But what happens when you feel like a fraud simply for being yourself? In this episode, we travel from New York State to a national park in Korea and explore how one transracial adoptee made peace with her own identity.
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Demetria Lynn always wanted to be a scientist. But growing up, no one believed in her. The negative feedback was so overpowering that she stopped believing in herself.
In this episode, we follow Demetria from her elementary school classroom to a geology field trip in the desert, and explore what it took to rekindle faith in herself.
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Alison Világ pays attention for a living. She counts migrating ducks at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory in Michigan. It's key to getting a pulse on different bird populations. But for Alison, counting ducks is more than just science – it's an escape from the expectations of others.
This is a guest story from Points North, a podcast about the land, water, and inhabitants of the Great Lakes region.
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Many of us go outside because the quiet is calming. But what if silence isn't calming for you? What if it’s the opposite? Could you still find a way to love it?
In this episode, Florida-based producer Amber Von Schassen explores why silence in the outdoors is so unsettling for her, and shares what happened when she tried to get over her fear by spending 1,000 hours outdoors.
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For many of us, getting outside is more than just fun; it’s how we find inner stillness.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we decided to turn the mic over to you, our community. We asked how silence in nature has been significant to your mental health.
On this episode, we’re sharing some of our favorite responses.
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For Paul Barach, hiking is an antidote to depression. Is it that way for everyone?
This episode takes us from Washington State to Joshua Tree National Park and explores what happens when we try to impose our own life solutions on a loved one.
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Maya Kroth’s goal for the New Year was to build self-confidence, and she decided to start by taking herself snowboarding. But things did not go well.
In this episode, Maya shares her story and explores how we can get our mojo back when life throws us curveballs.
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Women are often told we can do anything we want in life: ride bikes, scale cliffs, surf waves. But in some areas of outdoor recreation, the gender gap remains shockingly large.
In this episode, we visit a women’s mountain bike camp in Wyoming and explore what’s really needed to get people of all genders on equal footing.
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This is a story about fear.
It makes sense to be scared when we're facing danger. But what happens when disasters occur in unexpected places?
In this episode, we travel from a desert in Utah to a suburb in Missouri and explore how a flood changed one woman's relationship with fear and risk.
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In Finland, it’s commonplace to go swimming in the winter — outdoors.
The practice offers surprising mental-health benefits, and it isn’t just for die-hard adventurers. On this episode, we share the story of one woman who started “ice swimming” in an effort to soothe the brain by shocking the body.
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As a nonbinary person, Newt Schottelkotte never felt at home in Appalachia. But then, they went on a road trip with their dad. Driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains, something started to shift. This is a story about figuring out how to be yourself without abandoning where you’re from.
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Carolyn McDonald's depression had gotten so bad that she couldn’t see a way forward.
Then, one particularly miserable day, she went to the beach — and something happened that she never could have imagined. Something that opened the door to healing and sparked a deep and genuine joy.
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We’ve all had moments when we feel lost. Sometimes it’s literal; sometimes it's emotional. Either way, it’s unnerving. And lonely.
This episode takes us from the deserts of California to the jungles of the Philippines, and explores how one young woman got back on track, when she lost her way, both literally and figuratively.
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Most parents would never consider leaving their kids in the dark woods at night, and letting them find their way back. But the Dutch do just that. They call it Dropping.
This is a guest episode from Nocturne, a podcast that explores the night and how thoughts, feelings and behaviors transform in the dark.
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NEW KIDS' PODCAST: Once Upon a Meadow is set to launch in February 2023
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“Fallen Sky,” a work of installation art at New York’s Storm King Art Center, is like a moon map etched into a hillside.
On this episode, Tamar Avishai explores how Sarah Sze’s striking sculpture helps visitors pay attention to the world around us — and the world inside our heads.
This is a guest episode from The Lonely Palette, a podcast that returns art history to the masses, one object at a time.
NEW KIDS' PODCAST: Once Upon a Meadow is set to launch in February 2023
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Dewey Gallegos and Jessica Flock bonded over their passion for the outdoors. But the thing they had in common was also one of their biggest differences. Their story explores how hard it can be to share the thing you love most, with the person you love most.
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When Sam Anderson’s father invited him to go hunting for the first time, Sam was worried. What if he couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger? And conversely, what if he could? What would that say about him?
On this episode, Sam takes us into the woods of New Jersey and explores the emotional complexity of taking the life of an animal.
This story first aired in 2017, and it won a gold medal for Best Independent Podcast from Public Radio News Directors, Inc.
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Why are some people overly generous? On this episode, we visit with a “trail angel" (someone who offers free food, drinks, and encouragement to thru-hikers on long trails), and we explore what makes a person commit acts of altruism for total strangers. (Hint: it’s probably not what you’d expect).
This story first aired in 2018, and it won a gold medal for best independent podcast from Public Radio News Directors Incorporated, or PRNDI.
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Click here to see the full show notes for this episode.
Tiffany Duong had achieved the pinnacle of success: she’d finished law school, worked for a big firm in LA, and traveled as much as she could. But she was miserable.
Then she went scuba diving in the Galapagos, and everything changed. Her story is about letting go of your safety net, embracing the unknown, and finding bliss.
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In 2015, Out There host Willow Belden signed up for a 70-mile mountain bike race. She had always liked big athletic challenges, but this time, pushing her limits turned out to be a mistake. On this episode, she shares her story. It's about trying to prove yourself — and learning when to say no.
Click here to see the full show notes for this episode.
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How do you decide whether to leave someone for dead?
This is the story of a trip up Mt. Everest, in which climber Myles Osborne comes face to face with one of the hardest decisions mountaineers ever have to make.
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Click here to see the full show notes for this episode.
SUPPORT OUT THERE: Become a patron
Click here to see the full show notes for this episode.