The Parkies Podcast
By Alison Leonhart
We talk about life living and working in national parks, experiences we’ve had, what these places mean to us, and life in general!
The Parkies PodcastOct 11, 2022
00:00
54:47
Ep. 22 Enjoying the Moment w/ Jordan Ungiechajer
In today’s episode Alison talks with Jordan Ungiechajer about her experiences in New England and beyond. Jordan has been involved in a conservation core in Petrified Forest National Park, sea kayak guiding in Acadia National Park, a desk job in New Hampshire, and the Disney College Program. How do those all relate? Tune in to find out!
Oct 11, 202254:47
Ep. 21 - Getting back into the parks w/ Maggie Clune
In this episode we talk with Maggie about her experiences as a parkie. We discuss working in an entrance town vs the park itself, re-discovering a love for snow, and how to show up in nature. You won’t want to miss it!
May 01, 202258:35
Ep. 20 - Exploring New Places and Avoiding the Cold w/ Danielle and Wilson
Another new episode, another great conversation! This month Alison chats with Danielle Ebaugh and Wilson Moore. They discuss seasonal work in the states and abroad, as well as their experience in Puerto Rico. Other topics include: how each of them got into seasonal work, why the name Lake Superior is misleading, going to Coachella as a first date, and how they have successfully sought after warm winters. Enjoy!
Jan 28, 202201:13:35
Ep. 19 - Wild Open Spaces w/ Morgan DeMuth
It’s been a minute, but we are back! Join Alison as she chats with her friend Morgan about her various seasonal experiences out west. They also touch on balancing family time with seasonal work, the perks of working seasonally in the same spot, and the different types of snow. You don’t want to miss out!
Dec 29, 202150:10
Ep. 18 - Making an Escape Plan w/ Renee & Tim Mullen
New episode! In this episode Alison interviews her co-workers Renee & Tim (hint: they’re married). They discuss how Renee & Tim got from working corporate jobs to living full-time in an RV and their adventures ever since! The topics discussed range from how to make seasonal jobs financially feasible to why Dollywood is the best place to get a corn dog. Enjoy listening! (Also, as I mention in the outro, here is a link to a great resource for beginners about investing by Tori Dunlap: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/financial-feminist/id1566054936?i=1000525402118)
Sep 26, 202101:07:34
Ep. 17 - Collecting all 50 States w/ RJ Burke
Join Alison as she chats with co-worker RJ about his endeavors with seasonal life. Endeavors include: enjoying Alaskan winters, learning to ski as a ski instructor, living out of his car, and trying to visit all 50 states. Be sure to check out this new episode!
Aug 30, 202101:02:04
Ep. 16 Celebrating the National Forest Service with Lillie Oravetz
Happy National Forest Week y’all! Join Alison as she interviews Lillie Oravetz on her time working for the Forest Service. We also talk about fire ecology, logging, and types of land management. Be sure to check out the episode!
Jul 15, 202159:58
Ep. 15 - Surviving Covid Chaos w/ Cody Rickwalt
Cody Rickwalt is the interviewee for this month’s episode. Listen in as he and Alison talk about his experiences living and working in nationals parks. Highlights include: how Cody got into the parks, the perks of housekeeping, and the unique nature in each park and how each park handled Covid.
Jun 15, 202153:31
Ep. 14 - Mothers, daughters, and mama Earth w/ Eliza Amstutz
A special two-part series for Mother’s Day! This part two interviews daughter Eliza Amstutz and her experiences growing up around Yosemite and how that has continued to influence her today.
May 09, 202146:44
Ep. 14 - Mothers, daughters, and mama Earth w/ Karen Amstutz
A special two-part series for Mother’s Day! This first part interviews mom Karen Amstutz and her work as a parent and a naturalist in national parks.
May 09, 202152:02
Ep. 13 - Down to Earth w/ Chandler Shepherd
Join Alison as she chats with her park ranger friend, Chandler. They discuss how Chandler had dreams of being an astronaut to career goals working with NPS and everything in between. Enjoy!
Apr 15, 202101:21:49
Ep. 12 A Walk in the Park w/ Jon Garcia
Listen in with Alison as she chats with her friend Jon about how he got into the parkie lifestyle and all the crazy stories that have happened since.
Mar 17, 202101:05:21
Ep. 11 - Spunky Stories w/ Kayla Liggett
Enjoy this month’s episode as Alison catches up with an old friend Kayla and they reminisce about the stories that make park life unique.
Feb 20, 202101:02:08
Ep. 10 - Dreams of a Mountain Woman w/ Kaila Long
Dalton chats with Kaila Long, who worked multiple seasons as a security guard in Glacier National Park and is the true definition of a mountain woman who has tons of completed mountain summits under her belt!
Jan 27, 202101:02:10
Ep. 9 - Acorns of Humility with John McCoy
Join us as Alison chats with John McCoy about his experiences in the parks mixed in with some poetry!
Dec 15, 202001:27:32
Ep. 8 The Art of the Parks w/ Ariel Rodriguez
Join Dalton as he chats with former coworker and art master Ariel about creating art in the parks, her style of art, and how her time in the parks have influenced her creativity!
Nov 23, 202001:05:55
Ep. 7 Adventures at Home and Abroad w/ Katrina Pierce
Join Ali as she chats with her good friend Katrina about her travels and adventures both here in the U.S. and beyond!
Oct 19, 202001:11:55
Ep. 6 - Call it a Comeback! w/ Alison Leonhart
The Parkies Podcast is BACK! We are coming back in a whole new way, but this time with some help from my friend Ali! Ali and I will be tag teaming the podcast from here on out, so I figured it be best for this comeback episode to interview her so you can get to know more about her. We had a great chat and we are both looking forward to what is to come for the podcast!
Sep 25, 202001:19:50
Ep. 5: Musical Memories (part 2) w/ David Cooper
In the final part of my two part series on discussing music in the national parks, I chat with my friend Cooper on his music background as well as his background working in the parks, and we reflect on our passion for music that has played a huge role in our lives and in our time working in beautiful places.
Jun 01, 202001:19:31
Ep. 4: Musical Memories (Part 1) w/ Eli McFarland
On part one of two of discussing musical experiences in the parks, I chat with my friend Eli on our shared musical experiences in the parks, our background in music, and how our passion for music and the parks influence us today.
May 18, 202001:24:29
Ep. 3: Among the Peaks with Paul Fotter
Today I chat with Paul Fotter on his background going into the parks, different roles/jobs he has held in the parks and how that moved him into pursuing a role with park service, and also some of his climbing and slope experiences.
May 11, 202001:18:02
The Parkies Podcast - Ep. 2: Manager Life with Alyssa Platte
On this episode I catch up and chat with my dear friend Alyssa about life working in the parks from a manager’s perspective and the different roles she has played throughout her years working in many different parks and resorts!
May 04, 202001:14:51
The Parkies Podcast - Ep. 1: Good Times With Joe Koning
Welcome to the first episode! In this episode I chat with my good friend Joe about some of his experiences in the parks, his perspective on common aspects of park lifestyle, and we reflect on some good memories we’ve shared!
Apr 24, 202001:20:10