Episode 63: INTERVIEW with Jenny McCarty – An Artist and Conservationist Who Found A Clever Way To Stick It To Trump And Defend Our National Parks With Art

"I come from a long line of frontiersman and outdoor types." And that’s a line from one of my favorite movies, which would be The Coen Brothers’ Raising Arizona. It is spoken by the protagonist, H.I. McDunnough. But it could just as easily be about my ancestors, or about me. So, when the National Park Service announced late in 2025 that the National Parks Pass for the new year would feature a picture of Donald Trump alongside George Washington – two presidents who have had nothing to do with America’s beloved national parks, and in the former’s case has gutted the NPS budget – those of us who find solace in America’s wild places were pretty vexed about it. Enter artist and conservationist Jenny McCarty, who quickly conjured an artistic way to speak truth to power – by making stickers that feature original art that can be placed over Trump’s glowering face on the likely-illegal new American The Beautiful Parks Pass design. I invited McCarty to join me for a wonderful conversation about our collective love for the natural world, our disdain for fascists, and how art can save us. You can buy Jenny McCarty’s National Parks Pass stickers – and lots of other wonderful art at: www.thesageleafstudio.com