Beavers are often called nature's greatest ecosystem engineers. Their dams can reshape waterways, reconnect streams to their floodplains, support biodiversity, and help landscapes retain water. But what does it actually take to bring beavers back to a landscape, and are we approaching their restoration the right way?

In this episode of Safe Travels, we're in Central Oregon at the South Fork of the Crooked River, joined by Dr. Matt Orr, biology professor at Oregon State University–Cascades, and Reese Mercer, founder of Western Beavers Cooperative.

Together, we explore the fascinating relationship between beavers and the landscapes they inhabit, the emerging science of ecological restoration, and the challenges of helping degraded waterways recover.

We discuss the history of beaver removal throughout the American West, how the loss of beavers and changes in land use contributed to degraded stream systems, and why restoring these landscapes requires much more than simply building dams or relocating animals.

Reese explains why preparing habitat and establishing adequate food sources are essential for successful beaver recovery, while Matt shares what years of research and experimentation with beaver dam analogs have taught him about stream restoration.

We also explore how beaver activity can influence water retention, biodiversity, wildfire resilience, and the health of surrounding ecosystems.

Perhaps most importantly, this conversation challenges us to reconsider how we approach conservation. Beavers aren't restoration tools waiting to be deployed. They are wild animals with their own needs, behaviors, and agency. Our responsibility is to understand those needs and create landscapes where they can thrive.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why beavers are considered ecosystem engineers and keystone species
• The history of beaver trapping and the transformation of waterways throughout the American West
• How cattle grazing and stream incision have changed riparian ecosystems
• What beaver dam analogs (BDAs) are and how they influence stream systems
• Why planting adequate food and forage is essential for successful beaver restoration
• How beavers can help reconnect streams to their floodplains and retain water
• The relationship between beaver wetlands, biodiversity, and wildfire resilience
• Why relocating beavers isn't necessarily the solution to restoring populations
• The importance of long-term monitoring and adaptive management in ecological restoration
• Whether restoration should recreate historical ecosystems or prepare landscapes for future climate conditions
• The challenges of restoring ecosystems at watershed scale
• How individuals and local communities can get involved in restoration

About the guests:

Dr. Matt Orr is a biology professor at Oregon State University–Cascades whose research includes ecology, stream restoration, and the effects of beaver dam analogs on aquatic and riparian ecosystems.

Reese Mercer is the founder of Western Beavers Cooperative, an organization working with landowners and local communities to prepare landscapes for beaver recovery and support watershed-scale restoration throughout Eastern Oregon.

Learn more:

• Western Beavers Cooperative: https://westernbeavers.org/
• Oregon State University–Cascades: https://osucascades.edu/directory/matthew-orr

Thanks for listening to Safe Travels: A Nature Podcast. If you enjoy these conversations and want to support independent nature journalism, you can find us on Patreon: patreon.com/safetravelspod

Safe travels!

For the first time in recorded history, sea turtles have been discovered nesting along the West Coast of the United States. And the species responsible? The olive ridley sea turtle.

In September and November 2026, three olive ridley sea turtles came ashore in Southern California to lay their eggs, marking an extraordinary moment for marine biology and sea turtle conservation.

To better understand this historic discovery, I'm joined by Dr. Jeff Seminoff, one of the world's leading sea turtle researchers and the head of NOAA Fisheries' Marine Turtle Ecology and Assessment Program at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California.

Jeff has spent decades studying sea turtles throughout the Eastern Pacific, contributing to our understanding of their ecology, migration patterns, population dynamics, and conservation. In this conversation, we explore his remarkable journey into marine biology, including a series of expeditions across Mexico that helped shape his career and ultimately led him to become one of the leading voices in sea turtle research.

We also take a deep dive into the biology of sea turtles, exploring the different species found along the California coast, their remarkable navigational abilities, and the important role they play in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems.

Then, we turn our attention to the olive ridley sea turtles and their unprecedented nesting activity in California. Why are they showing up here? What role is the unusually warm ocean water playing? Could these nests eventually lead to an entirely new nesting population along the California coast? And what happens to the eggs once they're laid?

We also discuss one of the most extraordinary reproductive behaviors in the animal kingdom: arribada nesting, where hundreds of thousands of olive ridley sea turtles can emerge from the ocean to nest on the same beach within just a few days.

Finally, we explore the broader implications of a changing climate, including how rising temperatures are influencing sea turtle populations, the sex of developing hatchlings, and the distribution of marine species around the world.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Jeff's journey from a childhood fascination with wildlife to becoming a leading sea turtle researcher.
• His early expeditions across Mexico and the experiences that shaped his career.
• The different sea turtle species found along the Eastern Pacific and California coast.
• Why green sea turtles are considered ecosystem engineers and how they influence seagrass habitats.
• What makes olive ridley sea turtles unique, including their remarkable adaptability and reproductive strategies.
• The incredible phenomenon of arribada nesting, when hundreds of thousands of sea turtles gather to lay their eggs.
• Why three olive ridley sea turtles recently nested along the Southern California coast for the first time in recorded history.
• How El Niño and unusually warm ocean temperatures may have created the conditions for these turtles to reach California.
• The science behind relocating sea turtle eggs and the challenges of ensuring successful hatching.
• How rising global temperatures are changing the sex ratios of sea turtle populations.
• Whether California could eventually become a permanent nesting ground for olive ridley sea turtles.

About Dr. Jeff Seminoff:

Dr. Jeff Seminoff is a wildlife ecologist and marine biologist who leads NOAA Fisheries' Marine Turtle Ecology and Assessment Program at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California. His research focuses on understanding the ecology, population dynamics, and conservation of marine turtles throughout the Eastern Pacific.

Through decades of research, Jeff has helped advance our understanding of sea turtle populations and the challenges they face in an increasingly evolving ocean.

Support Safe Travels: patreon.com/safetravelspod

Website: https://safetravelspod.com

Thank you so much to Patreon supporters:
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After a few months away, Safe Travels is back and entering a new chapter!

In this special bonus episode, Joey shares a major update: he's officially stepped away from his career in sports broadcasting to pursue Safe Travels full-time.

What started as a journey to explore our national parks and learn from the park rangers, scientists, and conservationists who know them best is growing into something bigger. While national parks and ranger interviews will always remain at the heart of the podcast, Safe Travels is expanding to include conversations with leading researchers from around the world and original field documentaries exploring wildlife, geology, ecology, and conservation.

Joey also announces the launch of the Safe Travels Patreon, where listeners can get behind-the-scenes access, submit questions for upcoming guests, help shape future documentaries, and support independent nature journalism.

The mission remains the same: to help people develop a deeper understanding of the natural world, build meaningful connections with the places they visit, and inspire a greater commitment to protecting them.

Thank you to everyone who has listened, watched, and supported Safe Travels along the way. This is just the beginning!

🌲 Support Safe Travels on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SafeTravelsPod

New episodes are coming soon. Thanks for being part of the journey!

What does it take to recover a species that was once on the brink of collapse?

In this episode of Safe Travels, we travel to San Diego Bay with researchers from NOAA Fisheries' Southwest Fisheries Science Center for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at one of the world's most inspiring wildlife recovery stories, the remarkable comeback of the green sea turtle.

Join research biologist Dr. Cali Turner Tomaszewicz, biologist Garrett Lemons, lab technician Anna Cahill, and citizen scientist Tracy Tempest as they capture, examine, tag, and release one of San Diego Bay's resident green sea turtles. Along the way, we explore how decades of science, international conservation, and community involvement have helped reverse one of the greatest wildlife declines of the last century.

You'll discover how researchers monitor turtle populations, use genetics and satellite tracking to understand migration, estimate age through bone science, and investigate the mysterious "lost years" of juvenile sea turtles. The episode also examines the new conservation challenges facing recovering populations, including climate change, warming oceans, vessel strikes, marine debris, and shifting sex ratios caused by rising nesting temperatures.

Most importantly, this episode demonstrates that long-term, science-based conservation works, and that every person has a role to play in protecting our oceans.

In This Episode

• Field research with NOAA Fisheries in San Diego Bay
• Capturing and safely handling wild green sea turtles
• Tagging, blood sampling, genetics, and satellite tracking
• How scientists estimate turtle age using skeletal growth rings
• The mystery of the sea turtle "Lost Years"
• Why most Southern California green turtles originate from Mexico
• How citizen scientists contribute to sea turtle conservation
• The impact of climate change on sea turtle populations
• Boat strikes, marine debris, and other modern threats
• Why the recovery of the green sea turtle is one of conservation's greatest success stories
• Simple actions everyone can take to help protect sea turtles

Featured Guests

Dr. Cali Turner Tomaszewicz
Research Biologist
NOAA Fisheries – Southwest Fisheries Science Center

Garrett Lemmons
Biologist
NOAA Fisheries – Marine Turtle Ecology & Assessment Program

Anna Cahill
Lab Technician
Marine Turtle Ecology & Assessment Program

Tracy Tempest
Citizen Scientist & Sea Turtle Conservation Volunteer

Key Topics

• Green Sea Turtles
• Marine Conservation
• NOAA Fisheries
• Sea Turtle Research
• Wildlife Biology
• Ocean Conservation
• Climate Change
• Citizen Science
• Marine Ecology
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Wildlife Documentary
• Environmental Science

If You Enjoyed This Episode:

Please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing this episode with someone who loves wildlife, conservation, or the ocean. Every listen helps us continue telling the stories of the scientists, rangers, and conservationists working to protect our planet.

Recorded along the banks of the Green River inside Dinosaur National Monument, Joey sits down with Dusty Perkins to explore the science, beauty, and ecological complexity of the Green and Yampa Rivers.

Dusty serves as Program Manager for the National Park Service’s Northern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Network and is a lead scientist on the Big Rivers Monitoring Project. In this conversation, he explains how scientists monitor some of the American West’s most iconic river systems, what happens when rivers are dammed and regulated, and why long-term ecological monitoring is critical for the future of these landscapes.

From endangered fish and invasive species to river morphology, sediment flow, snowpack decline, and the emotional experience of rafting through canyon country, this episode offers a rare look at the science shaping our public lands.

In this episode, we explore:

• What the Big Rivers Monitoring Project actually does
• How the Green and Yampa Rivers differ ecologically
• The impact of Flaming Gorge Dam on river systems
• Why sediment and seasonal flooding are essential to river health
• The role of invasive species like tamarisk
• How endangered fish species depend on natural river cycles
• Why long-term monitoring matters in national parks
• The effects of declining snowpack and aridification across the West
• What it’s like conducting science on multi-day rafting expeditions
• The emotional connection scientists develop with these landscapes

Key Takeaways

• The Yampa River remains one of the last relatively free-flowing desert rivers in the American West.
• Dams dramatically alter water temperature, sediment transport, and seasonal flooding patterns.
• Native fish and plant species evolved over thousands of years around natural spring runoff cycles.
• River complexity — including back channels and floodplains — creates biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
• Long-term monitoring gives park managers the scientific data needed to make informed conservation decisions.

Featured Locations

• Dinosaur National Monument
• Echo Park
• Canyonlands National Park
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
• Green River
• Yampa River

Learn More

Explore the work of the Northern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Network through the National Park Service official website

Learn more about Dinosaur National Monument through the National Park Service Dinosaur page

In this episode, I sit down with paleontologist Rebecca Hunt-Foster at Dinosaur National Monument to explore one of the most fascinating fossil landscapes in North America. We discuss the geology that shaped the monument, the incredible dinosaurs that once roamed the region, and what life looked like in this ancient ecosystem roughly 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic period.

Rebecca also shares insights into her career path in paleontology, her work with the National Park Service, and what it’s like studying fossils and ancient environments in the American West.

The Geology of Dinosaur National Monument

• How the rock layers at Dinosaur National Monument were formed
• Why the Morrison Formation is one of the most important dinosaur-bearing formations in the world
• Ancient rivers, floodplains, and environmental conditions during the Jurassic
• How geologists and paleontologists interpret ancient landscapes from rock and fossil evidence

Dinosaurs of the Jurassic

• The major dinosaur species discovered in the region
• Giant sauropods and massive predators that lived in the ecosystem
• Fossil discoveries that made Dinosaur National Monument famous
• What these animals can tell us about evolution and prehistoric ecosystems

Reconstructing a 150-Million-Year-Old Ecosystem

• What the climate and vegetation looked like during the Late Jurassic
• Ancient waterways and seasonal environments
• Other animals that shared the ecosystem with dinosaurs
• How scientists piece together food webs and habitats from fossil evidence

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with fellow dinosaur and geology enthusiasts.
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Bob Krumenaker, a seasoned conservationist (over 41 years with the NPS) and former superintendent of Big Bend National Park, discusses the ecological, cultural, and political stakes involved with the proposed border wall construction in the remote, environmentally rich area of Big Bend National Park. Learn about why Big Bend is a sanctuary worth protecting and how local communities and conservation advocates are turning the tide against intrusive border infrastructure.

In this episode:

• Bob shares his extensive career in the National Park Service and his deep connection to desert ecosystems.
• The unique geological and biological highlights that make Big Bend nationally significant.
• How border security policies threaten biodiversity, night skies, water resources, and local communities.
• The current status of border wall proposals and the bipartisan opposition rallying to preserve Big Bend's wild character.
• The legal and political efforts underway, including wilderness designation, to secure long-term protection.
• Practical ways for the public to get involved and support conservation efforts in their areas.
• Lessons from Big Bend about community cooperation and environmental advocacy.

Resources & Links:

• Keep Big Bend Wild
• Big Bend National Park Official Site
• Wilderness Act of 1964
• Border Wall Map & Updates

Note: This interview sheds light on critical environmental and political issues facing public lands today. Your voice and involvement matter—learn more and take action through the links provided.

In this episode of the Safe Travels Podcast, I sit down with Jennifer Cavin, Fossil Preparator and Lab Manager at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, to explore one of the most overlooked roles in paleontology: fossil preparation.

When most people think about paleontology, they picture scientists excavating fossils in the field. But behind every museum-quality fossil specimen is a highly skilled fossil preparator, the meticulous expert who stabilizes, cleans, preserves, and reconstructs fossils for scientific research and public display.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• What a Fossil Preparator actually does in a paleontology lab
• The difference between field excavation and laboratory fossil preparation
• Mechanical prep vs. chemical prep techniques
• How air scribes, micro sandblasters, and adhesives are used to reveal fossils
• The delicate process of removing matrix without damaging bone
• The relationship between fossil preparators and paleontologists
• Why preparators are critical to peer-reviewed scientific research
• The physical health risks of fossil prep, including silica dust exposure and repetitive strain injuries
• Conservation ethics and preserving fossils for future generations

Jennifer explains why fossil preparators are the unsung heroes of paleontology. Without their precision and technical expertise, many fossil discoveries, including ancient mammals like early horses, camels, and saber-toothed predators from the John Day Basin, would never be studied, published, or displayed.
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