Nature Connection Radio

Celebrate American Adventures Month with this shared episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Jo Goes Everywhere!” travel podcast featuring writer Jo Clark who takes us into the wild and wonderful world of Audubon’s Francis Beidler Forest Center and Sanctuary in Harleyville, South Carolina—an extraordinary old-growth forest and swamp ecosystem filled with ancient trees, wildlife, birds, waterways, and fascinating history.

Jo shares her experience exploring this remarkable sanctuary, which is home to 1,000-year-old bald cypress trees, more than 150 bird species, hundreds of vertebrate and plant species, alligators, and other unique wildlife. The conversation also explores the history behind the forest, including the Santee River Cypress Lumber Company and how land once threatened by logging was ultimately preserved. The sanctuary and nearby Congaree National Park trace part of their history to the same former timberland holdings.

The episode also highlights the many ways visitors can experience the forest, from its elevated boardwalk and guided bird walks to seasonal paddling, nighttime excursions, UV flashlight adventures, and spectacular synchronized firefly viewing. Jo explains why timing your visit matters, including how spring's higher water levels can make kayaking possible and how different seasons offer different wildlife experiences.

Accessibility and trip planning are also part of the conversation, including available wheelchairs and binoculars, nearby lodging at Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Santee, dining at the long-established Clark's Restaurant, and the importance of checking current hours and booking special programs in advance.

Whether you're interested in nature travel, birding, wildlife, South Carolina road trips, old-growth forests, conservation, or unique outdoor adventures, this episode offers plenty of inspiration—and another destination to add to Jo's ever-growing travel list.

📖 Read Jo's companion article:
https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/audubon-francis-beidler-forest-center-sanctuary 

📖 Check out Jo's New "JO GOES EVERYWHERE!" Digital Magazine:
https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/kkbr/ 

📲 Follow Jo:
https://haveglasswilltravel.com/ | https://recipestravelculture.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JoGoesEverywhere 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HaveGlassWillTravel/ 

🎧 New episodes air every 2nd Sunday. Listen:
https://jogoeseverywhere.podbean.com/

Welcome to this shared inaugural episode of Big Blend Radio's "Table & Compass" Podcast with hosts Lisa D. Smith, Joelle Machia, and Ryan Slough.

Pull up a chair for global conversations that shape a better world as we explore how travel, community, culture, and collaboration connect to the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In this debut episode, the hosts are joined by Carlisle Richardson, an international relations expert whose career has included serving as Ambassador of St. Kitts and Nevis to the United Nations and as a United Nations Economic Affairs Officer. Carlisle played a key role in negotiations that helped establish the landmark Sustainable Development Goals and contributed to preparations for the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Together they discuss:
- Why the Sustainable Development Goals matter to everyone
- - How travel builds understanding across cultures
- The importance of protecting heritage sites and cultural identity
- Sustainable tourism and water conservation
- Community-led solutions that create global impact
- Inspiring children and future generations to become changemakers
- The role of storytelling in preserving culture and encouraging sustainability
- Why every individual can help build a more resilient future

Whether you're passionate about travel, conservation, education, culture, or simply making your community stronger, this conversation offers practical inspiration and a hopeful perspective on creating positive change—one story and one connection at a time.

Carlisle's Books
📚 The Soft Underbelly — 
https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Underbelly-Carlisle-Richardson-ebook/dp/B0H2FLMPN8/ 
📚 Rose Grows Veggies — 
https://www.amazon.com/Rose-Grows-Veggies-Carlisle-Richardson/dp/1068739991 
📚 Island Journeys: The Impact of the Island Way of Life at Home and Abroad — https://www.amazon.com/Island-Journeys-Impact-Life-Abroad/dp/1599326124 

Resources & Links
➡️ Wanderers Compass: https://www.wandererscompass.com/ 
➡️ Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/ 
➡️ The Steppes of Henry Foundation: https://theglobalhenry.org/ 
➡️ UN Sustainable Development Goals: https://sdgs.un.org/goals 

New episodes of Table & Compass air every first Monday on Big Blend Radio: https://table-and-compass.podbean.com/

In recognition of World Rainforest Day, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast features co-directors Rob Grobman and Chelsea Greene who discuss their acclaimed documentary film, "We Are Guardians," produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker, actor, and environmental activist Fisher Stevens.

Available worldwide on digital platforms including Amazon, Apple TV, and Tubi, "We Are Guardians" takes viewers deep into the Brazilian Amazon, where Indigenous Guardians risk their lives to protect one of Earth's most vital ecosystems from illegal logging, mining, land grabbing, and deforestation.

The conversation explores the complex intersections of politics, economics, history, science, and environmental stewardship while highlighting the critical role Indigenous communities play in safeguarding the rainforest. Rob and Chelsea share how the film came together, the dangers they faced while filming, and the hope they found through the resilience, courage, and leadership of the people working to protect the Amazon.

They also discuss how deforestation impacts global climate stability, biodiversity, freshwater resources, and local communities, and share practical ways individuals can support conservation efforts through advocacy, consumer choices, and direct action.

Watch the film, host a screening, support Indigenous Guardians, and learn more at https://www.weareguardiansfilm.com/

Celebrate Great Outdoors Month with this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's Quiltripping Travel" Podcast. Travel expert, photographer and host Rose Palmer joins producer Lisa D. Smith from France — where she's in between trips — to share her unforgettable experience aboard Windstar's brand-new Star Seeker on its inaugural Alaska cruise. 

Unlike the big-ship experience, the Star Seeker's small size unlocked a side of Southeast Alaska most travelers never see.

Rose takes us deep into Misty Fjords National Monument by zodiac, up close to the Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm, and through the authentic streets of Wrangell — one of Alaska's last truly uncrowded towns. She shares wildlife encounters including humpback whales, sea otters, sea lions, bald eagles, and even a mother black bear and her cubs in Ketchikan.

Along the way, Rose explores the Tongass National Forest — one of Earth's last great coastal temperate rainforests — and reflects on why slow travel is the only way to truly experience Alaska's wild, pristine beauty.

📰 READ ROSE'S ARTCILES:
🔗 Sailing Off the Beaten Path on a Windstar Cruise to Alaska: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/windstar-cruise-to-alaska 
🔗 Windstar Star Seeker Review: https://quiltripping.com/windstar-star-seeker-review/ 
🔗 Rose's Full Alaska Cruise Article: https://quiltripping.com/windstar-cruise-to-alaska/ 

🎙️ Rose Palmer shares her travel adventures every second Thursday on Big Blend Radio. Find her at:
https://quiltripping.com 
https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/rose-palmer-travel-writer-photographer

What happens when you travel — not for sightseeing, but for the soul?

In this shared and heartfelt episode of Big Blend Radio's "Soul Diving Sunday" Show, Live & Die Happy Coach Shelley Whizin shares her extraordinary pilgrimage to South Africa, where she spent time on the sacred land of the White Lion Global Protection Trust alongside lionhearted leadership author Linda Tucker and spiritual activist Andrew Harvey.

Shelley traveled in real physical pain — dealing with a bulging disc and sciatica — yet refused to stay home. What unfolded was a profound journey of healing, stillness, grief, and transformation. From a shattering 40-minute ceremony invoking Mother Earth and the white lions, to sitting in silence with wild lions on the African savanna, to confronting the brutal reality of canned hunting farms, this conversation goes deep into what it means to truly be present.

Big Blend Radio host Lisa Smith — who has lived in both South Africa and Kenya — joins Shelley for a richly layered conversation about the cycle of life, the web of nature, trophy hunting, and the healing power of stepping outside your comfort zone.

LINKS & RESOURCES
- Shelley's Article: https://shelleywhizin.substack.com/p/the-lionesses-the-mothers-and-me 
- Shelley's Substack: https://shelleywhizin.substack.com 
- Shelley's Website: https://www.liveanddiehappy.com/ 
- Shelley's Podcast: https://www.liveanddiehappy.com/podcast 
- More from Big Blend Radio: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/