Outside Voices Podcast

Host and Producer Sarah Shimazaki travels with Take Me Fishing to tropical Orlando, Florida for her very first time fishing on an all-women’s fishing and glamping trip. Amidst the camaraderie, laughter, and support, she learns the easy way that fishing is about so much more than catching a fish— it’s about the connections you make with others, with your food, and with the land. Listen in on her adventures seeking out gators (even though she’s terrified of them), making BIG catches (we promise, it’s a big one...), getting hooked on fishing (pun intended), and chatting with three long-time anglers: Ashley, Sid, and Jenn.

This episode is made in partnership with Take Me Fishing, a trademark of the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation.

Featured in this episode:

Ashley Nichole Lewis Cindy "Sid" Nguyen

Jenny Anderson

Stephanie Vatalaro, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications of the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation

Hosted by Sarah Shimazaki Edited by Sarah Shimazaki Music licensed through Sound of Picture Library by Podington Bear A production of Resource Media

Noami (she/her) grew up in the jungles of Trinidad, amidst howler monkeys and mud volcanoes. Since immigrating to the states at 17 years old, she's been steadily reclaiming her connection to nature and finding a sense of belonging. She also finds community through Diversify Vanlife, a digital platform Noami founded in response to the lack of representation of Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the road travel community. In this episode, Noami shares childhood memories in Trinidad, early experiences with American "outdoorsy" culture, and how embracing nature helped Noami heal intergenerational trauma and reclaim her self-worth.

"Belonging” features four individuals who identify as immigrants or first-generation, and shares stories about their personal and cultural connections to the outdoors. Launched between Canada Day (July 1st) and American Independence Day (July 4th), "Belonging" challenges and redefines notions of what it means to be “outdoorsy,” or “American,” or “Canadian," and celebrates everybody’s right to find belonging outside.

This miniseries is made in partnership with Merrell. Featured in this episode: Noami Grevemberg Hosted by Sarah Shimazaki Edited by Sarah Shimazaki & Jeff Alvarez A production of Resource Media

Album artwork by Ezra Manjarrez

A self-described #AsianOutsider, Francis Mendoza (he/they/sila) seeks a sense of belonging in the outdoors for all through his work as a naturalist, environmental educator, and Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (JEDAI) consultant. Part of that is recognizing all the ways his family, who immigrated from the Philippines when Francis was five, is "outdoorsy": cooking adobo on road trips, rolling lumpia at family parties, and gathering all the cousins for a day at the local park. In this episode, Francis shares early memories, his intention to learn about his indigeneity and ancestry as he "redefines outdoorsy", and his commitment to sharing his love for nature with his two daughters.

"Belonging” features four individuals who identify as immigrants or first-generation, and shares stories about their personal and cultural connections to the outdoors. Launched between Canada Day (July 1st) and American Independence Day (July 4th), "Belonging" challenges and redefines notions of what it means to be “outdoorsy,” or “American,” or “Canadian," and celebrates everybody’s right to find belonging outside.

This miniseries is made in partnership with Merrell. Featured in this episode: Francis Mendoza Hosted by Sarah Shimazaki Edited by Sarah Shimazaki & Jeff Alvarez A production of Resource Media

Album artwork by Ezra Manjarrez

As the co-founder of Queer Nature, an organism that co-creates queer and trans community through multi-species kinship practices, Pınar Sinopoulos-Lloyd (they/them/o/pay) has thought deeply about their sense of belonging-- or rather, "belonging as resistance," which is Queer Nature's motto. As a trans, autistic, first-generation immigrant and Indigenous migrant, Pınar finds home through sharing and honoring cultural practices with their spouse, So. In this episode, they share reflections from their childhood in Turkey, lessons from the more-than-human world, and the importance of trans, queer, intersex Black and/or Indigenous people of color finding refuge with each other.

"Belonging” features four individuals who identify as immigrants or first-generation, and shares stories about their personal and cultural connections to the outdoors. Launched between Canada Day (July 1st) and American Independence Day (July 4th), "Belonging" challenges and redefines notions of what it means to be “outdoorsy,” or “American,” or “Canadian," and celebrates everybody’s right to find belonging outside.

This miniseries is made in partnership with Merrell. Featured in this episode: Pınar Sinopoulos-Lloyd Hosted by Sarah Shimazaki Edited by Sarah Shimazaki & Jeff Alvarez A production of Resource Media

Album artwork by Ezra Manjarrez

Full episode transcript available in our attempt to make this an accessible experience for all.

In this episode hosted and co-produced by Neecole Bostick, we spoke with Cristina Eisenberg — the Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence and the Director of College Tribal Initiatives at the Oregon State University School of Forestry. As a professor of ecology and traditional ecological knowledge, Cristina brings a TEK lens to western science to enhance conservation efforts and create more sustainable ecosystems. Cristina tells her serendipitous journey to this way of knowing and understanding the natural world, introducing us to the beauty of having wolves in your backyard, sharing about intentional burning, and unearthing animals that went extinct during the last ice age.

You can find Cristina on twitter @Eisenbec.

Her books include:

The Carnivore Way: Coexisting with and Conserving North America's Predators

The Wolf’s Tooth: Keystone Predators, Trophic Cascades, and Biodiversity

Click here to learn more about her and her work.

Mentioned in this episode: Soot sprites from Spirited Away, Cristina’s research with EarthWatch, and the 2022 TV show Outer Range.This episode was edited and mixed by our Sound editor, Jeff Alvarez.