This week I am excited to have our first IN PERSON interview of the show. I sat down with Tara Laidlaw of the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy to talk about her story and work, climate change, educating children and adult about the outdoors and how hikers can help conserve the land they are hiking on... Tara has worked in place-based education for 15 years as a frontline facilitator, instructional designer, teacher trainer, and program manager, helping students develop scientific, environmental, and social-emotional literacy in outdoor spaces. She grew up exploring in the high Sierra, and now calls southern Oregon home. Tara currently serves as the Education Program Manager with Southern Oregon Land Conservancy (www.landconserve.org) and offers consulting services through her company Out to Learn (www.out2learn.com). She also volunteers on the board of the Environmental Education Association of Oregon (www.eeao.org).  This weeks episode was recorded and edited in its entirety at the podcast studios at Catalyst Ashland. Catalyst Ashland is a family-run, BIPOC, and veteran-owned business in the heart of Downtown Ashland, Oregon. A collective creative co-working space serving the community and its visitors, especially BIPOC, LGBTQ, and Southern Oregon friends to support and encourage diverse entrepreneurship and collaboration. For more information about Catalyst Ashland go catalystashland.com   Our host Andy is now an Ambassador for Gregory Packs. To get 15% off your order, and help Andy out use promo code ‘Andy15’ when you check out at https://www.gregorypacks.com/ ... We'd like to thank our sponsors:  CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv  CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use the link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal .  Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com  Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker  The Music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Kindred Spirits” by Analog Heart which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64  Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast/support