PODCAST · education
Parks & Restoration
by Chris Lee
Great parks and healthy landscapes are the products of strong leadership. This show is dedicated to helping you become that leader.
Episodes
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How to grow without losing what made you great with Pheasants Forever's Jared Wiklund | Ep. 103
How do you grow an organization without losing the culture, relationships, and local ownership that made it successful in the first place? Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have undergone extraordinary growth. What was once an organization of roughly 150 employees has grown to more than 600,...
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A bad outcome doesn't mean it was a bad decision | Steve Fredlund | Episode 102
What if the outcome went badly—but you still made the right decision? Leadership rarely gives us complete information or guaranteed results. We make the best call we can, something unexpected happens, and hindsight makes it tempting to judge the decision entirely by how things turned out. In this...
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Conservation can't stop at the park boundary with Doug Tallamy | Episode 101
What if protecting the parks and natural areas we still have simply isn't enough? Dr. Doug Tallamy has spent decades studying the relationships between plants, insects, birds, and the ecosystems that sustain them. His conclusion is both sobering and empowering: our remaining parks and preserves…
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Leadership Lessons from 100 Episodes
What can 100 conversations teach us about leadership, conservation, and the people who make meaningful work possible? For the 100th episode of Parks and Restoration, Chris Lee is joined by past co-host Jeremy Yost, with Teli Van Rycke turning the tables and facilitating the conversation. They…
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How leaders build culture through better meetings with Jordan DeGree | Episode 99
What if one of the best ways to prevent burnout is not reducing the work—but changing how people experience it together? Nonprofit leaders and volunteers often enter the work because they want to make a difference. But when every solved problem is replaced by another, even deeply committed people...
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Leadership is a privilege, not a rank with Matt Doty | Episode 98
What changes when you treat leadership as a privilege instead of a position? Matt Doty has spent decades studying leadership in places where trust, accountability, and performance matter. After a 20-year career in the Iowa National Guard—including service as a first sergeant and command sergeant...
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Why Better Parks Begin with Better Relationships with Rachel Franchina | Episode 97
How do we protect the places we love without forgetting the people who make that protection possible? Most people enter parks and conservation because they care deeply about the land. But as Rachel Franchina explains in this episode, the longer you stay in this profession, the more you realize…
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What happens when an outsider tells Iowa's story? | Filmmaker Charlie Morris | Episode 96
Why would an award-winning filmmaker move to Iowa planning to retire... only to end up making one of the state's most ambitious conservation documentaries? That's exactly what happened to Charlie Morris. After years producing conservation films around the world—from South Africa's disappearing...
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The Born Leader and other leadership myths with Teli Van Rycke | Episode 95
Are great leaders born...or are they built through experience, relationships, and deliberate practice? After spending ten years as a junior high English teacher, Teli Van Rycke made the kind of career change most people only talk about. Today, as Regional Director of Workforce Innovation at the...
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Three leadership lessons from hosting a giant concert festival this weekend | Episode 94
What do a lightning storm, a white suit jacket, and a barbecue competition that ran out of food have in common? They all showed up at Burlington River Days 2026 — and they all left Chris with something worth talking about. This week's episode is a little different. Fresh off three days on the...
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What we don't know about bird migration that Motus reveals with Anna Buckardt Thomas | Episode 93
What if a robin-sized bird just flew 1,700 miles in 48 hours — and Iowa was a critical stop along the way? That's not a hypothetical. It happened. And we only know because of the Motus Wildlife Tracking Network. In this episode, Chris sits down with Anna Buckardt Thomas, avian ecologist with the...
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Don't tell me what I can't do: How a conservation nonprofit built Burlington River Days | Episode 92
What if your local conservation foundation didn't just sell raffle tickets at a banquet — what if it headlined a three-day riverfront festival that drew 12,000 people and netted over $20,000 for conservation? That's exactly what happened in Burlington, Iowa. And it started with a half-baked idea...
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Mindset Shifts That Grow Nonprofits into Fundraising Powerhouses with Hannah Inman | Episode 91
What if the nonprofit that supports your park or agency did more than peddle firewood? What if its fundraising revenue had a few extra zeroes? That's exactly what's possible with a few small mindset shifts. The Great Outdoors Foundation is proof. In this episode, Chris sits down with Hannah…
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How to build a Better Culture (even without formal metrics) with Brett Hoogeveen | Episode 90
In this episode, Chris sits down with Brett Hoogeveen, co-founder of Better Culture and Mindset LLC, keynote speaker, TEDx speaker, and host of the Better Culture podcast. Brett’s work is built on a simple but powerful premise: culture is undervalued, underappreciated, and when done right, the…
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Why Conservation Needs More Than Conservationists with Dr. Nick Askew | Episode 89
Chris sits down with Dr. Nick Askew, founder and director of Conservation Careers, for a wide-ranging conversation that spans barn owl behavior, international wildlife management, and the future of the conservation workforce. Nick shares how a career arc that began with childhood fishing trips…
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Inverted org charts and regenerative leadership with Dr. Kathleen Allen | Episode 88
What if the way we’ve been thinking about leadership is fundamentally wrong? This episode is the meetup Chris hosted with Dr. Kathleen Allen, author of Leading from the Roots, and it explores a completely different way of thinking about leadership—one grounded not in control, hierarchy, or...
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How to build a workplace people don't want to leave with Marcus Nack | Episode 87
What makes people want to stay on your team for the long haul? In this episode, Chris is joined by Des Moines County Conservation’s Environmental Education Manager, Marcus Nack, for a conversation about workplace culture, leadership, and the kind of organizational ecosystem that makes people want...
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How to lead like a burn boss | Episode 86
What do prescribed burns have to do with leading a team? More than you’d think. In this episode, Chris and Jeremy break down leadership lessons pulled straight from burn season — burn plans, clear objectives, contingency planning, and the kind of flexibility you need when conditions change. They...
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Does everything really need a price tag? Exploring the real value of our parks | Episode 85
What’s the ROI of a prairie? A bat you’ll never see? A fence line removed to stitch habitat back together? In this episode, Chris and Jeremy dig into a pressure most parks and conservation leaders feel right now: the growing expectation to put a dollar value on everything—habitat work, land...
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The origins of "Organizational Ecology" | Episode 84
What if the key to better leadership isn’t “managing harder”…but managing like an ecologist? From a difficult conversation where Chris was told he could be "intimidating" to his questioning whether he was cut out for a leadership role, this episode unpacks Chris' leadership journey and the…
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How to build culture with performance evaluations | Episode 83
What if “performance evaluations” weren’t a dreaded, once-a-year formality… but one of the best tools you have to build culture? In this episode, Chris and Jeremy talk about a different way to look at performance evaluations—less as a grading system, and more as a structured, intentional check-in...
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Why your brain on nature is your boldest business move with Jessica DeAngelo | Episode 82
Back in November, we invited the Parks and Restoration Next Level Leader Community to an exclusive meetup with Jessica DeAngelo, author of the new book The Wild Advantage: Why Your Brain on Nature is Your Boldest Business Move. With help from the community, the book hit bestseller status in...
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Next Level Leaders Lead with Vision. What’s yours? | Episode 81
Are you trying to sell a plan… when what people really need is a vision? In this episode, Chris and Jeremy dig into why vision—not strategy documents, timelines, or step-by-step plans—is what actually gets people to care, to say yes, and to get involved. Using examples from JFK’s moonshot and…
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A philosopher's guide to land stewardship with Chad Graeve (Repost) | Episode 80
Why do we cut cedars out of prairies? Why do we thin trees in forests and oak savannas? Why do we burn? For many of us, the answers to those questions are fairly straightforward. But some people think about land management on a deeper level. They see thinning operations as managing the flow of...
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Why people resist change (and how to lead them through it) | Episode 79
Change isn’t just hard—it’s biologically, psychologically, and culturally designed to be hard. In this episode, Chris and Jeremy break down why teams resist change, especially in legacy organizations like parks, conservation agencies, and natural resource departments. Whether you’re rolling out...
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10 mindset shifts that make you a better leader - Next Level Leadership | Episode 78
Are you still leading with the habits that got you promoted—or the ones that will actually move your team forward? This week Chris and Jeremy unpack “What got you here won’t get you there” through an ecological lens. Just like trees drop their leaves to grow stronger roots, next-level leaders let...
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Squirrels don't build dams - Finding energy in the work you're wired for | Episode 77
In this episode, Chris and Jeremy take a lesson from nature — and from beavers, specifically — to explore what happens when we try to do work we weren’t built for. Using Patrick Lencioni’s Six Types of Working Genius framework, they show how leaders and teams can align their work with their…
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How to get more done by doing less | Episode 76
Sometimes, productivity doesn’t come from adding more—it comes from taking things away. In this episode, Chris and Jeremy explore the law of subtraction through lessons from oak trees, prairies, and leadership. A fascinating Tennessee study showed that fertilizing oak trees had no effect on acorn...
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Culture eats strategy (and elephants) for breakfast | Episode 75
What’s stronger than strategy? Culture. In this episode of the Parks and Restoration Podcast, Chris and Jeremy dig into why culture has to be every leader’s top priority—and why even the best plans fall apart without it. Through stories ranging from a construction crew with 20-year employee…
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Why taking care of yourself isn't selfish - it's essential leadership: The CARE Framework | Episode 74
What happens when the people protecting our natural resources are running on empty? In this episode of Parks and Restoration, Chris Lee and Jeremy Yost tackle an uncomfortable truth: the very passion that drives us to protect parks and natural resources might be slowly destroying us. They…
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The power of partnerships in parks and natural resources AKA "Barbecuing the elephant" | Episode 73
How do you eat an elephant? Most people say, “one bite at a time.” But what if you invited 45 of your friends and turned it into a barbecue? That’s exactly what happened in Iowa’s Loess Hills when multiple agencies came together for a cooperative cedar-cutting workday—and it’s the perfect picture...
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How to make recognition a leadership superpower - The SPF2 Framework: A Non-Greasy Formula for Effective Recognition | Episode 72
What if the way you recognize your team could make or break their motivation to stay? Or screen them from burnout? In this episode, Chris Lee and Jeremy Yost share the SPF² Framework—Specific, Personalized, Fast, and Frequent recognition—and show how it can protect your team from burnout while...
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How leaders learn in real time - Before you move on, look back | Episode 71
What can parks and natural resource leaders learn from military operations, professional athletes, top performers, and Pixar? How to build effective feedback systems. In this episode, Chris and Jeremy dig into the power of After-Action Reviews and exit interviews—two tools that can help you…
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How to recruit and retain the interns you want (even from across the country) | Episode 70
Struggling to get qualified interns to apply for your conservation or parks program—let alone relocate from across the country? Recruiting great interns in parks and natural resources is harder than ever, especially when you're working in a rural or lesser-known area. In this episode, Chris and...
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69. WHY are you even here? Using Purpose as motivation in Parks and Natural Resources
What keeps you showing up to work when the politics are messy, the budget is tight, and the trail never really ends? In this episode of Parks and Restoration, Chris and Jeremy explore the power of purpose—your WHY—and why it’s a powerful force for staying motivated, engaged, and resilient in…
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68. Welcome to the Jungle - the Ecology of Onboarding
In this episode, I explore how onboarding isn’t just about filling out forms and handing over keys—it’s about shaping culture, boosting retention, and setting your team up for long-term success. Whether you're bringing on seasonal staff or full-time hires, this episode breaks down the three...
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67. Leadership meets ecology - Chris is interviewed on Outliers Edge Podcast
Back around the first of the year, I was a (co)guest on the Outliers Edge Podcast hosted by Niiamah Ashong. We discussed some of my "leadership through the lens of ecology" ideas, how it's not good to go it alone, and much more. Outliers Edge is "a podcast for high-performing unconventional…
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66. History & Status of IWiLL - Iowa's Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund
There's an effort in the Iowa Senate to repeal what would be the most impactful funding mechanism for parks and conservation that has ever existed in the state of Iowa. Iowa's Water and Land Legacy fund, also known as IWiLL is technically the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund.…
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65. Whitewater rescues, lightning, bee venom and more with John Fullbright
In this episode, I chat with John Fullbright who has one of the craziest life stories of anyone I know. A lifelong adventure guide currently residing in New Mexico, he recently led a nighttime whitewater rescue the likes of which belongs on one of those crazy "I shouldn't have survived" TV shows....
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64. The challenge of a great mentor
Some of us are lucky enough to have great mentors in our professional lives. This is the story of one of mine. When I first became Director, I saw one of my board members, Jim Garnjobst, as difficult. Argumentative. Contrarian. "This guy's gonna be the death of me..." I remember lamenting to my...
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63. The cleanest energy is that which you don't use with Kenny Oleson
I'm joined by sustainability consultant Kenny Oleson for an insightful discussion on clean energy, energy efficiency, and sustainability. This episode covers, among other things, the Clean Energy Districts of Iowa program, practical energy-saving measures for homes and businesses, and the…
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62. Changing the way the world sees Iowa with Lora Friest
Lora Friest is no stranger to big goals. Early in her career, she played a key role in the state's largest watershed project - an effort to clean up the Upper Iowa River. Now as a tourism liaison with Travel Iowa, she's helping to change the nation's perception of Iowa. One way she's doing that…
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61. Observation to inspiration - exploring the innate draw of people to natural areas with Zach Hall
Warren County Conservation Director Zach Hall isn't afraid to explore the more esoteric side of our industry. After chatting with him at a conference this summer, I knew I wanted to get him on the show to do just that. In this episode we explore the hard-to-explain and possibly…
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60. Goats as a natural resource management tool with Jeremy Yost
The fight against invasive species seems to never end. Natural resource managers need to deploy every tool possible to stay ahead of the game (or catch back up, as the case may be). One tool in the toolbox is not man or machine, but goats. In this episode, I talk again with Jeremy Yost, Natural...
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59. Adam Shirley - Updates from the CEO of Iowa's County Conservation System
After a couple month hiatus, Parks and Restoration is back! In this episode, I chat with Adam Shirley, CEO of Iowa's County Conservation System. We talk about upgrades to the MyCountyParks.com website and the role we as park and conservation leaders play in community development and tourism. We...
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58. Re-wilding the city yard with Samuel Hollingsworth
I've heard that turfgrass is the most widely cultivated "crop" in the world. But at what value, and more importantly, at what cost? In my community is a self-taught ecologist that is on a mission to re-wild the urban yard, starting with his own. Samuel Hollingsworth has become a fixture among our...
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57. Balancing natural resources and park development
Where is the balance between conserving natural resources and developing park amenities? This is a question I have struggled with several times throughout my career, and most recently with a campground expansion we recently completed at our main park, Big Hollow Recreation Area, an 800-acre slice...
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56. Iowa's largest river cleanup event - Project AWARE
This year, Project AWARE will pull its 1,000,000th pound of trash from Iowa's rivers...with volunteers in canoes! In this episode, I talk with the organizers behind Iowa's Project AWARE - A Watershed Awareness River Expedition - the state's largest annual river cleanup event. We discuss the...
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55. Leadership through the lens of...fishing? A chat with Michael Leytem from Catching Leadership
In this episode, I chat with Michael Leytem, leadership consultant, speaker, and author of the book, "Catching Leadership" which draws parallels between fishing and leadership. What's not to love about that? We discuss the often-overlooked importance of mindfulness and self-reflection for…
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54. Leadership through the lens of history with Sean Stewart
Today the podcast goes international. Sean Stewart, currently based in Berlin, leverages the power of history and applies it to leadership development. He helps uncover the invaluable insights that have accompanied our shared human journey of triumphs and trials over the millennia. The insights…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Great parks and healthy landscapes are the products of strong leadership. This show is dedicated to helping you become that leader.
HOSTED BY
Chris Lee
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Parks & Restoration have?
Parks & Restoration currently has 75 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Parks & Restoration about?
Great parks and healthy landscapes are the products of strong leadership. This show is dedicated to helping you become that leader.
How often does Parks & Restoration release new episodes?
Parks & Restoration has 75 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Parks & Restoration?
You can listen to Parks & Restoration on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Parks & Restoration?
Parks & Restoration is created and hosted by Chris Lee.
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