Episodes

Mike Bezemek takes us beneath Mammoth Cave and into the mysteries, hidden histories, and strange stories tucked inside America’s national parks. We talk geology, unexplained phenomena, forgotten history, and why the stories beneath a landscape can change the way we see it.

Kai Tran returns for a Bonus Stamp on national park hot takes, crowds, Gateway Arch, collecting patches, and the surprisingly difficult question of whether those patches belong on a jacket or a blanket.

Kai Tran is a conservationist and outdoor enthusiast who has spent much of his life exploring and enjoying national parks and public lands. His essay about losing his National Parks Passport, and miraculously finding his way back to it, captures exactly why these small books can hold so much more than stamps. In one of the most fun conversations I have recorded, Kai and I talk about his lifelong love of national parks, the memories held inside his passport, collecting patches, and the very serious question of what to do with them all: blanket or jacket? This episode also became an unexpected companion to my conversation with Chuck Sams, as Kai and Chuck each refer to the other. Listen to both for the full crossover. Kai’s essay- https://www.npca.org/articles/11367-my-most-prized-possession  Views are own. Captions are AI-generated and may contain errors.

For the very first episode of National Park Stamp Quest, I talk with Chuck Sams, the 19th Director of the National Park Service. We chat about his life in conservation and public service, funny ranger moments, his favorite national parks, and what it means to care for these extraordinary places. It was such a fun conversation and the perfect way to begin this journey. Also, like an idiot, I kept saying “National Park Services” instead of “National Park Service,” so please forgive me! Note: Views are our own. AI-generated captions may contain errors, and audio quality may vary in places.

An introduction to National Park Stamp Quest, a podcast about the people, memories, and stories that give America’s national parks their meaning.