Floor Seats hosted by Gerry Seavo James
By Gerry Seavo James
Floor Seats hosted by Gerry Seavo JamesNov 02, 2020
Floor Seats Episode 5: A Pre-Election Day Special with the Kentucky Sierra Club
Floor Seats Episode 5: A Pre-Election Day Special with the Kentucky Sierra Club
Episode 4: Gone Tomorrow - The story of Kentucky Ice Climbing
#FloorSeats is back for the new year and this episode features two of the most colorful guests thus far! Heath Rowland, owner of Ground Up - is a former coal miner, electrician, and construction worker who was wilder than a coon (his own words) that channeled this energy into becoming an Appalachianer (trad, ice, and rock climber who explores the remote areas of the Appalachian region) in his late 20s. Mike Wilkinson of Wilkinson Visual is a prince among peasants - a cinematographer, climber, photographer, and a gentleman of few words, but who packs a punch with the awe-inspiring images he produces. Like a Megazord ( Power Rangers reference) they linked up to push ice climbing in Kentucky (a state not synonymous with the sport) to the forefront with the documentary, Gone Tomorrow - The story of Kentucky Ice Climbing.
From the Bluegrass to the Sierras: Olivia Kaiser x the Pacific Crest Trail
Sorry for the hiatus!! #FloorSeats host Gerry Seavo James was on sick leave. However, the show is back with a special guest, Olivia Kaiser. She's a millennial outdoor educator from Kentucky who was itching to do a thru-hike, felt the Appalachian Trail was too tame for her liking, and decided to spend the past several months slaying the 2653.1 mile Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The PCT is the longest continuously developed hiking and equestrian experience in the United States. It is renowned as the most remote of our National Scenic Trails (NST), passes through more miles of designated Wilderness than any other NST. Also, it boasts the greatest elevation changes of any of NST and passes through nine of North America’s ecoregions, including high and low desert, old-growth forest, and alpine country. From 5 hours daily of watching the Office and Grey’s Anatomy on the treadmill with a pack on to saving up money for several months and driving the same car since high school - Olivia aka DropBear (more about that later) drops gems on how to tackle this wonderful experience. Sit back, listen, and learn from the best seat in the house! - #FloorSeats.
Music picks: Olivia: ODESZA, " Meridian " | Gerry: Jack Harlow, " Rotten"
- Today's episode cover photo is from Olivia's climb through the Mather Pass. The pass is named for Stephen Mather, who was appointed as the first director of the National Park Service in 1917.
- Interested in hiking the PCT navigate here.
- Prepping for a thru-hike of your own and want to learn more about Olivia's trip? Follow/slide into her DMs @Oh.liv.ee.ugh
- Learn more about the show and Gerry's work by visiting here.
Bernheim Under Threat
#FloorSeats is back with a rock star of a guest, Dr. Mark Wourms, Executive Director of the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. The Bernheim, located in Clermont, KY(fun fact for the bourbon lovers, it’s across the street Jim Beam’s main distillery), is the largest privately-held forest east of the Mississippi. It was founded in 1929 by Isaac Wolfe Bernheim, a German immigrant whose whiskey distillery business established the I.W. Harper brand of bourbon. As a gift to the state of Kentucky, his goal was to have a natural space, open to the public, regardless of race or creed. Fast forward to today and the forest hosts hundreds of thousands of people each year: some take in its beauty on the forest's 40+ miles of trails, others at major events like CONNECT & ColorFest. Bernheim’s pristine forest is also used by hundreds of scientists for research. Recently it has come under threat from two developments that will bisect the forest 1) a proposed interstate addition, which would connect I-65 and I-71 and 2) a natural gas pipeline. Sit back, listen, and learn from the best seat in the house! - #FloorSeats. Music picks: Mark: The Rolling Stones, " Wild Horses " | Gerry: Lion Babe, " Cosmic Wind ".
- Fun fact today's episode cover photo is from the first time show host, Gerry visited the Bernheim with his friend's Cody and Blake Ferguson circa 2012.
- To learn how to get involved with protecting the Bernheim visit here.
- Want to learn more about the show and Gerry's work visit here.
First Day Out
Growing as a African-American military brat all across the world raised by amazing parents that told him to never limit himself; Gerry was exposed to various cultures, activities, and lands. Until he became of age, he never understood stereotypes until people started calling him “white boy” for his love of Tony Hawk, electronic music, and the outdoors. Those critics got the last laugh as he used his passions and experience to create to help further the field of adventure tourism and community & cultural exploration across the southeast through his illustrious career. Gerry has gone one to found the Explore Kentucky Initiative and Kentucky Waterman Series, served a steering committee member of the Kentucky Rural Urban Exchange, and has been a diverse spectrum of projects from outdoor recreational, branding initiatives, photojournalism, conservation projects, and more. To help flesh out his story, Gerry is joined by his dear friend, Ashley Smith of Black Soil in the studio. Tune in! #FloorSeats