Nick Mott

Hey, Ayesha. Thanks so much for having me.

Hey, Ayesha. Thanks so much for having me.

Hey, Ayesha. Thanks so much for having me.

You know, growing up like you, I was a bit of a city slicker. I grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City, and this stuff wasn't directly relevant to my life. But after college, I moved out west. I was doing conservation work for the government, meaning things like trail building and cutting down trees and planting native plants.

You know, growing up like you, I was a bit of a city slicker. I grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City, and this stuff wasn't directly relevant to my life. But after college, I moved out west. I was doing conservation work for the government, meaning things like trail building and cutting down trees and planting native plants.

You know, growing up like you, I was a bit of a city slicker. I grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City, and this stuff wasn't directly relevant to my life. But after college, I moved out west. I was doing conservation work for the government, meaning things like trail building and cutting down trees and planting native plants.

And in that time, it seemed like endangered species issues were everywhere I looked. So I was trained on what to do if I came across a desert tortoise. And in diners, ranchers would sort of accost me about if I was on a tortoise crew because I was wearing a government shirt. I was –

And in that time, it seemed like endangered species issues were everywhere I looked. So I was trained on what to do if I came across a desert tortoise. And in diners, ranchers would sort of accost me about if I was on a tortoise crew because I was wearing a government shirt. I was –

And in that time, it seemed like endangered species issues were everywhere I looked. So I was trained on what to do if I came across a desert tortoise. And in diners, ranchers would sort of accost me about if I was on a tortoise crew because I was wearing a government shirt. I was –

cutting down trees to restore habitat for animals like the sage-grouse, which weren't listed yet, but there was this big debate about if they would be. And I spent weeks in Death Valley, too, where I saw this tiny population of fish that exists only in this one little tiny pool that inspired one of the biggest water rights debates this country's ever seen.

cutting down trees to restore habitat for animals like the sage-grouse, which weren't listed yet, but there was this big debate about if they would be. And I spent weeks in Death Valley, too, where I saw this tiny population of fish that exists only in this one little tiny pool that inspired one of the biggest water rights debates this country's ever seen.

cutting down trees to restore habitat for animals like the sage-grouse, which weren't listed yet, but there was this big debate about if they would be. And I spent weeks in Death Valley, too, where I saw this tiny population of fish that exists only in this one little tiny pool that inspired one of the biggest water rights debates this country's ever seen.

It just seemed like everywhere I looked, these Endangered Species Act debates were looming.

It just seemed like everywhere I looked, these Endangered Species Act debates were looming.

It just seemed like everywhere I looked, these Endangered Species Act debates were looming.

So Grizzlies exist really close to my house and they they're the ones that they say in certain situations you should play dead. OK, but it's a lot more complicated than that.

So Grizzlies exist really close to my house and they they're the ones that they say in certain situations you should play dead. OK, but it's a lot more complicated than that.

So Grizzlies exist really close to my house and they they're the ones that they say in certain situations you should play dead. OK, but it's a lot more complicated than that.

So I've had a handful of encounters, a couple that are really, really scary. So just about like two days after the first episode of the podcast came out. Which was about grizzly bears. I was out on a trail like less than an hour from my house with a friend. We were on sort of a trail run hike type thing going up a mountain. And we both had bear spray on our running vest. So on our chest.

So I've had a handful of encounters, a couple that are really, really scary. So just about like two days after the first episode of the podcast came out. Which was about grizzly bears. I was out on a trail like less than an hour from my house with a friend. We were on sort of a trail run hike type thing going up a mountain. And we both had bear spray on our running vest. So on our chest.