As we mark America’s 250th birthday, we celebrate parts of America’s enduring ecology, including our national parks. At the heart of one of Washington State’s most expansive wild ecosystems is North Cascades National Park, just a three-hour drive from Seattle yet one of the lesser-known parks. Saul Weisberg, founder and executive director of the North Cascades Institute and super docent of the North Cascades, joins Host Steve Curwood to talk about his years exploring the park.

Around 30% of the land in the United States is federal public land, and the biggest chunk or 245 million acres falls under the purview of the Bureau of Land Management. BLM lands are sometimes called “leftover” or “forgotten” lands, but they offer free or very cheap camping and feature a stark beauty that captivated writer and photographer Josh Jackson, author of the 2025 book, The Enduring Wild: A Journey into California’s Public Lands. He speaks with Host Jenni Doering about some stunning BLM lands to start exploring.

When European colonists landed in North America, some of the most dramatic changes they made were to our forests. Clearcutting ran rampant, but now, on the 250th birthday of the United States, much of our forests have recovered, particularly in the Northeast. Bill Moomaw, Distinguished Visiting Scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, tells that story of recovery to Host Steve Curwood and explains why maintaining our forests is vital for mitigating the effects of climate change.