She Explores – Details, episodes & analysis

This is the last episode of She Explores. In it, we say farewell, reflect on endings, and invite past guests of the show to share the lessons they’ve learned in the outdoors over the last few years. Through these women’s stories, we’re reminded how important it is to have the space we need to show up as ourselves when we’re spending time outside. 

Thank you to everyone who has touched the show over the years: the listeners, our guests, our collaborators, and our advertisers. It’s been an honor to hold your stories. 

READ THIS BLOG POST if you want to learn more about our decision, and what the team is up to next.

Featured in this episode: Jaymie Shearer, Shon’t, Hiranya de Alwis Jayasinghe, Sydney Williams, Gabaccia, Gretchen Powers, Noël Russell, Hailey Hirst, Tori Duhaime.

She Explores is Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Hiranya de Alwis Jayasinghe’s new album, Frangipani & Daisy Chains
• Gale’s website: GaleStraub.com
• Full Quote from Helen Bright, aka “Bright Wanderer” on endings
• Our new book, Women and Water
• Women and Water, the Audiobook
• Rate this podcast
• Ravel Media

Music is licensed via podcastmusic.com.

Mugdha Flores is proof of where your passion for science and the natural world can take you. From playing in tide pools as a child in Southern India, to mapping the undiscovered corners of the ocean, to surveying salmon as they make their long journey to the Pacific. For Mugdha, all her exploration has resulted in a deeper connection with the environment, and herself.

Mugdha is a marine biologist turned science communicator championing community engagement and finding joy in the outdoors.

This a series of interviews with some incredible humans who are featured in Women and Water - a new book from the team behind She Explores. We’re taking the conversation off the page and into their relationship with water today. You’ll hear from swimmers, surfers, paddlers, fishers, and more. 

Enjoy listening? Rate & Review She Explores

Featured in this episode: Mugdha Flores

She Explores is Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Mugdha Flores
  • Instagram: @mugsie_b
• Organizations and some subject matter mentioned on the episode:
  • The Ocean Exploration Trust & Nautilus Live
  • Mugdha’s Essay on She-Explores.com about her time aboard the E/V Nautilus
  • More About the Study of Fish or Ichthyology 
  • Learn about Kochi, India
• Our new book, Women and Water
• Rate this podcast
• Ravel Media

Music is licensed via podcastmusic.com.

Victoria Amico would say that hiking 100% ruined her life, but in the best way possible. Seven years ago, she thought she knew what she wanted in her career and devoted her whole self to achieving her goals. But then hiking came along and forced her to examine what she really wanted. In the process, Victoria ended up learning how to choose herself and take up space with her body on the trail.

Victoria shares how she got started hiking (and the transformation it inspired), why 100 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail was the right number this year, why she started her social platform Plus Sized Outdoors, and her hopes for everyone out there listening. 

Enjoy listening? Rate & Review She Explores

Featured in this episode: Victoria Amico

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Danner

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Featured in this episode: 
  • Victoria Amico: 
    • @plus_sized_outdoors on Instagram
    • Plus Sized Outdoors YouTube
• Mentioned in this episode:
  • @chilltash
  • @samortizphoto  
  • @unlikelyhikers
  • @fatgirlshiking
  • @kweenwerk
  • @ashleysadventure
• Hiking My Feelings
• Episodes of She Explores featuring Hiking My Feelings Founder Sydney Williams:
  • Lightening Trauma’s Invisible Weight on the Trail
  • A Big Exhale
• If you enjoyed this episode, we think you’ll like “Owning Her Body on the Trail” featuring Beth Bradley.
• Rate this podcast
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Danner: Learn more about the Inquire Collection at Danner.com/inquire

Music is licensed via podcastmusic.com.

Judith Sadora, a licensed marriage & family therapist (LMFT) who practices wilderness therapy, shares how she applies some of her backcountry work into her everyday life, and how we might be able to use those tools in the front country, too.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s difficult to get out the way we’d like to. Here in the US, states have been under varying levels of lockdown for the last two months. And it’s been wearing on us all in different ways - whether it’s coping with loss, the stress of isolation, grappling with the unknown, or trying to make sense of the inequities and injustices that continue to harm our fellow Americans.

Judith joins us on the podcast to talk through some tips for tapping into nature to manage stress during this time and into the future. We also get to learn what wilderness therapy is and why Judith is so connected to and moved by the practice.

Featured in this episode: Judith Sadora, LMFT & Wilderness Therapist

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Salomon

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Judith Sadora: Instagram
• Judith's Recent Writing
  • On Adventure Mamas: "Prepped in the Woods for Everyday Life"
• Judith on Finding You, Evoke Therapy's Podcast
• READ: The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
• Mental Health Resources
  • Betterhelp is a remote therapy option and a spring/summer sponsor of She Explores - you can get 10% off your first month by heading to Betterhelp.com/explore 
  • Grizel Williams does a great series on her Instagram called "Mental Health Mondays." Follow along here!
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Salomon: Learn more at Salomon.com
  • Featured in midroll: Chelsea Murphy of @she_colorsnature

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Chris Fagan isn't a professional adventurer, but she’s spent a good deal of the leisure time in the last 30 years of her adult life seeing what she’s made of. Chris has skied unguided to the South Pole, run 100-mile ultras, sailed and paddled thought the Inside Passage, and cycled in Tanzania. Adventure is a big part of her alone time, but it’s also formed the foundation of her marriage and family life. Today, it's helping her lean into the unknown of her husband Marty's cancer diagnosis. 

Chris is also a really thoughtful mom. And though Mother’s Day is a holiday that many of us have our reasons for choosing to celebrate or choosing not to celebrate, what Chris says about caring for family really resonates, especially living during this global pandemic. We recommend listening to this conversation through a COVID-19 filter: what Chris says about small moments, resilience, and appreciating the people in your life feels especially poignant today.

Featured in this episode: Chris Fagan

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Salomon and Deuter

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Chris Fagan: Website & Instagram
• Chris's Book: The Expedition
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Salomon: Learn more at Salomon.com
• Deuter: Learn more at Deuter.com
  • Featured in midroll: Nicole Brown, founder of @womenwhohike

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Lindsey Falkenburg is feeling the loss of a 2020 thru-hike... and remembering what she's made of. Like a lot of 2020 thru-hikers, Lindsey canceled her plan to hike the Continental Divide Trail in June. In its absence, she's allowing herself to feel the loss - and also filling her cup with urban hiking, art, and re-discovering her resilience.

Featured in this episode: Lindsey Falkenburg & outdoor memory voice memo by Sarina Clark

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Salomon, Deuter, and Travel South Dakota.

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

In this episode, you'll hear:

• What thru-hiking has added to LIndsey's life
• A bit about Lindsey's previous hikes of the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail
• Why she's intentional about building a career and balanced life between thru-hikes
• The decision that went into canceling her 2020 southbound thru-hike of the CDT
• Why Lindsey feels a sense of community with fellow thru-hikers
• Why Lindsey thinks it's important for outdoor-lovers to grieve the loss of what they were hoping for this season
• Advice for thru-hikers who had to cancel their hikes
• Advice for all  people who are experiencing the outdoors differently today

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Lindsey Falkenburg: Website & Instagram
• Sarina Clark: Website & Instagram
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Salomon: Learn more at Salomon.com
• Deuter: Learn more at Deuter.com
  • Featured in midroll: Nicole Brown, founder of @womenwhohike
• Travel South Dakota: Download the vacation guide for your future trips at TravelSouthDakota.com

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Win Kelly Charles says it best: "People with cerebral palsy are strong and people with cerebral palsy are determined." In this episode, we hear about all the different ways she finds joy outdoors (snowboarding, climbing, and e-cycling to name a few activities), as well as why she's so motivated to share her life with CP with more people.

Plus, we'll listen to Cherie Schaller's outdoor memory of comfortable silence on an alpine hike in Colorado.

Featured in this episode: Win Kelly Charles & Cherie Schaller

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by  Appalachian Gear Company, Cusa Tea, and Travel South Dakota.

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Win Kelly Charles: Website & Instagram
• Win's Podcasts
• Win's Books
• Challenge Aspen
• Watch Win Snowboardin
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Cusa Tea: Try a FREE sample pack at CusaTea.com or get 30% OFF your first order using code EXPLORE at checkout!
• Travel South Dakota: Learn more about your future trips by heading to TravelSouthDakota.com.
• Appalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie. Get 10% off at checkout using code SHEEXPLORES.

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, Meydan, Swelling, and Lee Rosevere using a Creative Commons Attribution License

The memories of outdoor adventures are precious and nourishing. They connect us to our friends and certain versions of ourselves. They're our happy places. And they give us the fortitude to push through hard times. This is a compilation of listener outdoor memories that feel especially salient today.

There’s a palpable sense of longing in the air, so we created an  episode that provides space for that longing — and the potential for celebration for the moments we've lived outside, too. 

Featured in this episode:  Becky Marcelliano, Fran Turauskis, Genevieve, Madi Salvati, Mary Straub, Gretchen Powers, Amber, Iz La Motte, Nikki Smith, Andrea Di Maio, Jasmine Jones, Erin Espinosa, Lindsay, Paola Lopez, Annelise Del Rio, Julie Hotz, Sharlene, and Somang Lee.

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Deuter, Appalachian Gear Company & Travel South Dakota

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Becky Marcelliano: Instagram
• Andrea DiMaio: Ample Movement Instagram  & Adventure Instagram
• Annelise Del Rio: Instagram
• Fran Turauskis: Instagram & Seize Your Adventure website
• Gretchen Powers: Instagram
• Mary Straub: Instagram
• Iz La Motte: Instagram & Website
• Jasmine Jones: Instagram
• Julie Hotz: Instagram
• Madi Salvati: Instagram
• Paola Lopez: Instagram
• Sharlene: Instagram
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Deuter
• Appalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie.
• Travel South Dakota

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, and Lee Rosevere using a Creative Commons Attribution License

For Anna Brones, the point of creating is rarely the end result - it's all about the satisfying act of doing. While a lot of us are missing the time we normally spend outside, Anna reassures us that there's inspiration to be found with the materials we have on hand. 

In this episode, we talk with Anna about the Creative Fuel Challenge she started for anyone who wants to join in and Women's Wisdom Project. The latter is the culmination of two years of work and celebrates the wisdom of inspirational women through beautiful, deceptively simple papercut portraits. These women are environmentalists, artists, writers, advocates, and more.

Featured in this episode: Anna Brones

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Danner & Appalachian Gear Company

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why creativity is so important in the age of COVID-19
• About Anna's Creative Fuel challenge - creative prompts sent to your inbox that anyone can do to step outside of their daily routine
• How Anna is experiencing the outdoors, very close to home
• Anna's Women's Wisdom Project: 100 paper cuts of inspiring women
• Why quotes need context
• What Anna learned from taking on such a big creative challenge

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Anna Brones: Website & Instagram
• Creative Fuel Challenge
• Anna's books
• Women's Wisdom Project:  Vashon Center for the Arts
• Cheryl Strayed on She Explores
• Learn a bit About Word Choice: Spaz and others
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Danner: Learn more about the Trail 2650 hiking shoe at Danner.com.
• Appalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie. Get 10% off at checkout using code SHEEXPLORES.

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, and Lee Rosevere using a Creative Commons Attribution License

Beth Bradley can confidently say that hiking changed her life. Call it her hobby, her love, her self-care. Doing the 52 Hike Challenge has changed the voice in her head from one that says "I'm too fat" to one that believes, without a doubt, that we need to change who we think of when we think of a hiker. 

We interviewed Beth live at No Man's Land Film Festival on March 8th PLUS Gale checked in with Beth this past Monday over the phone because a lot has changed in the world since they met up in Denver.

Featured in this episode: Beth Bradley

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Deuter, Appalachian Gear Company, and  South Dakota Tourism

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Beth Bradley: Instagram
• Beth's First Moth Grandslam Story
• No Man's Land Film Festival: Website & Instagram
• 52 Hike Challenge
• Unlikely HIkers: Instagram
• Fat Girls Hiking: Instagram
• Down With Adventure: Instagram & Film
• Curvy Kili Crew: Instagram & She Explores Episode
• A Moment of Growth: She Explores Podcast Episode
• Jenny Bruso on She Explores
• Leave No Trace Guidelines: Outdoors & COVID-19
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Deuter: Learn more about Deuter's outdoor and travel bags at Deuter.com.
• Appalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie.
• South Dakota Tourism - Get your FREE South Dakota vacation guide at travelsouthdakota.com

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, and Lee Rosevere using a Creative Commons Attribution License