Vermejo, Ted Turner & Nature’s Second Chances

Welcome to Open Container, where we unpack the most urgent issues facing the outdoor community - culture, conservation, and the power of nature to heal. Today, Doug Schnitzspahn sits down with director and photographer Ben Clark to explore a rare story of restoration and resilience on America’s wild lands. Drawing on his background as an adventurer and filmmaker, Ben shares behind-the-scenes insights from his new documentary, Preserved, which chronicles the ambitious revitalization of Vermejo Park Ranch - a 560,000-acre landscape in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.Doug and Ben discuss environmental destruction and rebirth, reflecting on how even scarred places, whether clear-cut forests in Idaho or polluted beaches of the Jersey Shore, can find new life with hope, hard work, and innovative conservation. Timestamped summary00:00 America's Expanding Environmental Scars03:28 "Nature's Resilience and Regrowth"09:21 Collaborative Conservation Efforts11:37 Science Communication Challenges13:58 Landscape Filmmaker Focuses on Characters16:57 Backpacking and Filming in the Rockies23:01 Indigenous Stewardship and Land Models26:34 Conservation Success in North America29:37 "Dividing Vast Wilderness: A Journey"32:09 Reduce Excessive Spending Habits35:31 "Open Container: Follow & Engage"Thanks for listening! Open Container is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. Let's Get Some!Sign up for NEWS FROM THE FRONT, Rock Fight's semi-weekly newsletter by heading to www.rockfight.co and clicking Join The Mailing List.Please follow and subscribe to Open Container and give us a 5 star rating and a written review wherever you get your podcasts.Send your feedback, questions, and comments to [email protected].