Whiskey and a Map: True Stories of Adventure. – Details, episodes & analysis

George McKenzie Jr. is a National Geographic Explorer, award-winning filmmaker, conservation photographer, and educator whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, science, and community. Born in Guyana and raised in Brooklyn, George did not grow up in wild places—however found his way to them and now dedicates his career to making conservation accessible to people who may not see themselves reflected in it.

George is the director and subject of The Book of George, a critically acclaimed short documentary that has screened at major international festivals, including Telluride Mountain film, Banff, and Jackson Wild, where it won Best Short Form Film in the People & Nature category. The film anchors an ongoing impact campaign focused on youth mentorship, conservation education, and representation in the outdoors.

His photography and film making document the unseen connections between wildlife, working lands, and the people who steward them. From camera-trapping Florida panthers and photographing endangered plants on the Lake Wales Ridge to telling stories across the Florida Wildlife Corridor and the Okefenokee Swamp, George’s work emphasizes private lands, cultural history, and the human role in conservation outcomes.

Beyond storytelling, George is deeply engaged in applied conservation. He collaborates with land trusts, state and federal agencies, scientists, and private landowners on projects related to habitat restoration, invasive species management, prescribed fire, and climate resilience. His work often translates complex land-management science into compelling visual narratives that build public understanding and support.

A committed mentor and educator, George works extensively with young people—particularly youth of color—through workshops, school programs, and outdoor experiences that use photography and storytelling as tools for confidence, curiosity, and connection to nature. His approach is grounded in the belief that conservation succeeds when people feel included, capable, and invested.

Through his lens, voice, and leadership, George McKenzie Jr. is reshaping how conservation stories are told—centering place, people, and possibility in the effort to protect wild and working landscapes for generations to come.

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Follow George at his Instagram https://www.instagram.com/georgemckenziejr/ and at his website https://www.georgemckenziejr.com.

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Whiskey and a Map: Stories of Adventure and Exploration. 

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Cited as one of "20 of the world's most influential photographers" by the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, Peter Guttman is an acclaimed travel journalist, adventurer, author, photographer, lecturer and television personality, winner of the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Exploration and Storytelling, three time recipient of the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year Award, author of nine books and creator of two honored series of hardcover books about magical travel experiences around the world. He created five apps for the iPad and iPhone including the number one bestselling iPad app, Beautiful Planet HD, a groundbreaking showcase of global beauty, named by NBC News one of "eight outstanding educational apps". 
 
 Peter has made numerous television appearances (Today Show, CNN Travel Guide, Travel Channel, A&E profiles) discussing his adventures and discoveries.  In addition, he's been a frequent contributor to Conde Nast Traveller, Dallas Morning News, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, BBC.com as well as a national spokesman for Kodak.  

He was chosen as a Fellow of The Explorers Club having “directly and substantially contributed to scientific understanding of the world” and cited for the “sheer diversity and thoroughness of his exploration experience”.

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Find Peter’s Books here on Amazon  

Follow Peter at his website PeterGuttman.com

His Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/peterguttman/

and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterguttman/

Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart
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Whiskey and a Map:  Stories of Adventure and Exploration. 

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Described by some as a never ending green hell and by others as the most beautiful bio diverse place on the planet, the jungles of Panama attract the best and the worst of mankind.  In this episode, conservation photographer Joshua Asel recounts his adventure into the jungles of Panama’s Darian gap to embed with the indigenous tribal rangers and support their efforts to counter large scale poaching of wildlife and timber on their lands.  

Joshua is an award-winning wildlife conservation photographer and certified Marine Ecology Naturalist, with a photographic emphasis on coastal and marine habitats, birds of prey, and threatened/endangered species and national parks. He is an Emerging Member of the International League of Conservation Photographers, a Board Member of the Bird Rescue Center of Sonoma County, the Global Editor and Manager of the Global Parks Network at Global Conservation, a member of the Ethics Committee for the North American Nature Photography Association, and is sponsored by Think Tank Photo.
 
 While in Panama, Joshua became an Honorary Tribe Member of the Naso Indigenous People for his work helping them document their culture and patrolling with their rangers. His current main project revolves around critically endangered California condor conservation, with focused efforts to establish a new home base in Sonoma County for the Condor Recovery Program. He's also appeared on multiple judging panels, advised on mountain lion safety for land trusts, and acted as a consultant and principal photographer to help establish a new redwood forest preserve in Healdsburg, California.
 
 Joshua’s stories and images have appeared in Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, Defenders of Wildlife, Whalebone Magazine, The New York Times, Hakai Magazine, Alaska Airlines Magazine, The Press Democrat, NANPA Expressions, and several scholarly articles, among others.

 Please support this podcast and Michael's work at Michaelreinhartphotography.com 

Host:  Adventure Journalist Michael J. Reinhart
https://michaeljreinhart.com

Follow Joshua at  https://www.joshasel.com/

Whiskey and a Map Podcast

Stories of Adventure and Exploration as told by those who lived them.

#counter-poaching #anti-poaching #rangers #conservationphotography #trueadventurestories #dariangap #panama #worldsmostdangerousjungle

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The most dangerous exploration is cave diving.  Dive deep into the earth’s underwater caves, see creatures no one has seen before, stories of Mayan sacrifices and explore the oracle that set Alexander the Great on his world conquests with our guest Jill Heinerth.

Jill Heinerth is a cave diver, photographer, writer and filmmaker. Jill has explored unmapped, underwater caves deep in the earth, as well as the submerged crevices of the world’s largest iceberg. She has seen hidden creatures and life forms that have never been before.  More people have been on the moon than to places where Jill has explored. 

Jill has made TV programs for the CBC, BBC, National Geographic, consulted on movies for directors including James Cameron and produced independent films. Over 2.5 million people have learned about climate change, water advocacy, and exploration by viewing Jill’s TED Talks. 

Jill was awarded Fellowships from numerous institutions including the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, Women Diver’s Hall of Fame, National Speleological Society, WINGS WorldQuest, and Explorers Club, which honored her with the William Beebe Award. The Wall Street Journal, Oprah, and New York Times lauded Jill’s best-selling books Into the Planet and The Aquanaut. In 2024, Running Cloud Productions of Australia is releasing a feature documentary, Diving Into The Darkness, about Jill's remarkable adventures. 

Jill serves as a tireless advocate for conservation, climate change, and water resource protection. She works toward creating awareness and inspiring action through her writing, photography, films, social media, podcasts, and speaking engagements.

 Please support this podcast and Michael's work at Michaelreinhartphotography.com 

Follow Jill at  IntoThePlanet.com

 Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart
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#cavediving #diving #underwaterexploration #womenexplorers #adventure #travel #stories

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Luke Smithwick shares stories of his travels and adventures in the Himalayan mountains.  The dangers of climbing remote and unclimbed peaks, witness to ancient mask dances and blood sacrifice, and an encounter with the rare snow leopard.

Luke Smithwick is an American professional skier, alpinist and mountain guide in the Himalaya with 98 Himalayan expeditions in the past 13 years. He is focused on the unclimbed and unskied in the Himalaya and hasn't repeated an expedition since he started climbing and skiing full time there in 2010. Formerly he worked as an environmental biologist and archaeologist in Alaska so his approach on expeditions isn't just about climbing summits and first ski descents, focusing on the cultures and natural history in each specific expedition. He lives at home in Teton valley, Idaho with his dog Wolfie when he isn't on expedition. Having done eight to nine Himalayan expeditions every year since 2010, that is not very often.

Please support this podcast and Michael's work at Michaelreinhartphotography.com 

Follow Luke at his website lukesmithwick.com and at his Facebook page.facebook.com/himalayaslukesmithwick

Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart
Adventure Journalist
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An adventure and exploration podcast

#travel #travelstories #outdooradventure #mountaineering #skimountaineering #adventuretravel

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 Walking the length of Africa's Zambezi river, explorer Chaz Powell entered a small village and saw something that he will never forget. Witchcraft, the exorcism of a demonic spirit and the heavy presence of evil. A strange but true story as told by one who lived it.

Chaz Powell is an Explorer, Expedition Leader and Survival Guide. Recognized as Explorer of the Year 2021 by the Scientific Exploration Society His ongoing project ‘The Wildest Journey’ is all about his explorations by foot along Africa's wildest rivers with an aim to raise awareness for wildlife conservation and anti poaching.

In his full episode on the podcast Whiskey and a Map, Chaz shares his experiences exploring wild Africa. Charged by elephants, imprisoned by villagers, suffering extreme dehydration and encounters with witchcraft, Chaz has ventured to places where few outsiders have ever been.
Follow Chaz on his website TheWildestJourney.com

The podcast Whiskey and a Map is hosted by Michael J. Reinhart
True stories of adventure and exploration as told by those who lived them. MichaelJReinhart.com

An adventure and Exploration Podcast 

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 George Kourounis is an explorer, storm chaser & TV presenter who has spent 25 years documenting extreme forces of nature and natural phenomena worldwide including tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes, floods, and the effects of climate change.

He holds the title of National Geographic Explorer, Explorer In Residence for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and served the maximum term as the Canadian Chapter Chair of the Explorers Club.

Best known for having hosted the TV series “Angry Planet” he also co-hosted “Storm Hunters” for The Weather Network and is a regular on-camera contributor for “Strange Evidence” & “What On Earth?” on Science Channel. He’s appeared in programs for National Geographic, Discovery, Smithsonian Channel, Netflix, most of the major TV networks, and is frequently invited to comment about global weather & natural disasters by CNN, BBC, CBC, and other news outlets.

George earned a Guinness World Record for being the first person to ever set foot at the bottom of the Darvaza “Doorway To Hell” flaming gas crater in remote Turkmenistan, the project was funded by a National Geographic science grant and was also filmed for Nat Geo television.

He has documented changes to melting permafrost in Siberia, sea level rise in Tuvalu, shifting tornado & hurricane patterns in North America, wildfires in Australia, and melting polar ice.

In 2014 he was awarded the Stefansson Medal from the Explorers Club Canadian Chapter "For outstanding contribution to science and to public education by documenting extreme environments through filmmaking.” In 2020 was awarded the Leif Erikson Exploration Award from the Exploration Museum in Iceland.

Please support this podcast and Michael's work at Michaelreinhartphotography.com 

Follow George at
www.furiousearth.com
george@stormchaser.ca

Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart
 MichaelJReinhart.com

An Adventure and Exploration Podcast 

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Brandon Wilson is  Award winning travel writer, long distance trekker and peace pilgrim. 

 “Travel is like a mirror held up against the world. It gives us a different perspective on life. And if we hold it just right, we might catch a glimmer of our own soul.” Brandon Wilson Brandon Wilson is an award-winning author, explorer and peace pilgrim.

Brandon was awarded the prestigious Lowell Thomas Gold Award for best travel book and is an International Fellow of the Explorers Club.

He has trekked more than 12,000 kilometers in his search for meaning and enlightenment.

Get Brandon's books here:  https://brandonwilsonauthor.com/pt-wp/all-my-books/.

Follow Brandon at brandonwilsonauthor.com

Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart
Adventure PhotoJournalist
michaeljreinhart.com

An Adventure and Exploration Podcast 

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Are you prepared?  How far would you go and what risks would you accept to accomplish your goal?

In this episode, we rejoin join Cyril Derreumaux and his quest to solo kayak from California to Hawaii.  

Cyril is French born, American world traveler and adventurer. His exploits include backpacking around the world, setting a Guinness record for crossing the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii as part of a four-man rowing team, and then repeating that crossing over open ocean solo in a kayak.

Cyril shares with us his experience and philosophy in what it takes to accomplish seemingly impossible goals.

Please like, comment and share this episode so that your friends can enjoy Cyril’s stories.

Please support this podcast and Michael's work at Michaelreinhartphotography.com 

Follow Cyril at his website cyrilderreumaux.com

Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart

MichaelJReinhart.com

An Adventure and Exploration Podcast

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Are you prepared?  How far would you go and what risks would you accept to accomplish your goal?

In this episode, we are joined by Cyril Derreumaux.  Cyril is French born, American world traveler and adventurer. His exploits include backpacking around the world, setting a Guinness record for crossing the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii as part of a four-man rowing team, and then repeating that crossing over open ocean solo in a kayak.

Cyril shares with us his experience and philosophy in what it takes to accomplish seemingly impossible goals.

Please like, comment and share this episode so that your friends can enjoy Cyril’s stories.

Follow Cyril at his website cyrilderreumaux.com

Hosted by Michael J. Reinhart

MichaelJReinhart.com

An Adventure and Exploration Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.