When we think about environmental impacts in the outdoors, we often focus on things we can see: litter left behind, eroded trails, overcrowded trailheads. But some of the most significant impacts are invisible, and they’re showing up in places many of us consider pristine.

In episode 208 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we’re talking about microplastics in remote wilderness areas and what new research is revealing about how they get there.

Joining me today is Dr. Tim Keyes.

Prior to joining Welch College of Business & Technology in 2019, Dr. Keyes was employed by General Electric as a Senior Risk Analytics Manager for 22 years, and for seven years prior to that he worked as a Senior Systems Engineer at Measurex/Honeywell. He now consults with banks and nonprofits through his company, Evergreen Business Analytics, LLC.

In addition to his professional work, Dr. Keyes leads adventure science expeditions with students to research air and water quality across the Northeast United States. He has summited all of the high peaks in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains in New York, the Green Mountains in Vermont, and half, to date, of the high peaks in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

Professionally, Dr. Keyes has published more than ten professional papers and holds seventeen patents related to risk analytics. His most recent refereed research was published in 2023 in the peer-reviewed Elsevier journal Heliyon. In 2025, an adventure science expedition he led received global attention for its potential impact on environmental health and backcountry recreation.

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Trail work is one of those things most of us benefit from, whether we realize it or not.

The smooth singletrack we ride, the well-marked hiking routes we follow, the trails that stay open season after season despite heavier use and harsher conditions. But behind every trail is a group of people showing up with tools, time, and care for the places they love.

In episode 207 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we’re talking about how everyday outdoor users can get involved in trail work and stewardship, even if you’ve never joined a workday before.

Joining me today is Chris Rizzo, who works in operations and partner coordination at Trailfunds.

Trailfunds is a new platform designed to strengthen the relationship between trail users and the nonprofit organizations that support them. Through a centralized app, Trailfunds helps streamline donations, increase transparency around trail projects, and create new ways for people to connect with the organizations caring for the places they recreate.

Their mission is to stabilize and diversify funding for trail stewardship projects while empowering local trail crews, rural communities, and land managers with consistent, sustainable financial support.

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Trailfunds

Website: https://www.trailfunds.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trailfunds/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailfunds

To kick off our public lands policy conversation this year, we wanted to take a look back at the year we had in 2025 and what we should expect moving into 2026.

Joining me to lead this conversation is Rebecca Gillis.

Rebecca is Vice President of Government Affairs & Advocacy at The Conservation Alliance, where she leads the organization’s advocacy and government affairs strategy and helps shape its broader strategic direction.

She works closely with member companies, grantee partners, and outdoor business executives to mobilize corporate advocacy for land and water conservation and to elevate conservation priorities in Washington, D.C.

Previously, Rebecca led state and local government affairs for the Outdoor Industry Association and served in economic development roles under Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.

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Conservation Alliance: https://conservationalliance.com

Wilderness Society: https://www.wilderness.org

Conservation Lands Foundation: https://www.conservationlands.org