Behind the Scenery

What is something you’ve dedicated your life to or hope to one day? Listen to North Rim visitors and park employees as they share some of their lifelong commitments—what getting married in a national park is like, hard-earned wisdom, and visions for a better future. And learn where the North Rim Wedding Site is!

“The intangible version of an undeveloped area where you don't have buildings, you don't have roads. You look at that and you say this is complete. This is intact. And the same way for a soundscape. You don't hear a bus going by or a helicopter or an aircraft or a jet overhead. That's what, an intact soundscape would be.” As Grand Canyon’s Wilderness Coordinator, Mike Kearsley spent years understanding what makes a healthy soundscape. This and more in this episode of Behind the Scenery!

Canyon explorer/hiker extraordinaire. Noted Grand Canyon book author. Family guy. And medical doctor to Grand Canyon National Park. Join us for an in-depth, fun, and at times personal interview with a fascinating human being: Dr. Tom Myers. Also, learn who is really to blame for many of Grand Canyon’s medical incidents, injuries, and mishaps!

Cobbler, sanitation worker, language interpreter, Sheriff of the Junior Rangers – which of these are real duties performed by Grand Canyon Law Enforcement Rangers? To find out, join in the conversation with three backcountry rangers at Phantom Ranch while they talk about the many hats they wear, and the work they’re most proud to do.

If you’ve gotten a backpacking permit on the North Rim in the last decade, chances are you’ve talked to Steve Bridgehouse. Steve has worked at Grand Canyon in many capacities for the last 25 years. In this episode, Steve reflects on his Grand Canyon mentors, how he connects to landscape, and how he went from sitting in traffic in Washington DC to watching his roommate fall through the floor of their park housing at Big Bend.

Listen in as we take a few moments to learn more about Joëlle Baird, a working mother in a high profile position in the park. Learn about her challenges and what it is like to raise children at the Grand Canyon.

Ed Kabotie is an artist, musician, and educator from the Hopi village of Shungopavi and the Tewa village of Santa Clara. Join us on this episode of Behind the Scenery and hear Ed discuss his work, his connection to the Grand Canyon, and the messaging in his music. You can find his work on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

Lisa Handforth serves as the Fire Ecologist at Grand Canyon National Park. In this episode, we explore her role in the park’s fire program and discuss topics like climate, mycorrhizal fungi, and the interconnectedness of ecosystems. Tune in to discover the vital role of fire in Grand Canyon’s forests and the fascinating world of symbiosis!

Would you go down the Colorado river in a couple of homemade rowboats with a guide that had never been down the river? That is exactly what two women botanists from the University of Michigan did in 1938 to become the first women known to have travel 600 miles/965 kilometers down the Colorado river through the Grand Canyon. Want to know more? Stay tuned…. Brave the Wild River podcast is now available on the Behind the Scenery Podcast series.

What are Kaibab squirrels? How rare are they? How can I see one? Join this conversation with Houston Thompson, a wildlife biologist at Grand Canyon, to learn what we know about this special species, what’s still to be discovered, and what makes them so darn cute!