You Asked, We Answered | Wildly UsEpisode 41 | Go Wildly PodcastIn this episode, Emily & Heather sit down by the river to answer questions submitted by listeners. From embarrassing nature stories, to bucket list activities, to their delusional dreams for the podcast, they answer what you've asked. Active Listener Offers- Kula Cloth — Shop through our link to support the show: kulacloth.com/?avad=436689_e4cf2ef3d- SOMA — 2-Week Free Trial + 6-month membership: southernoregonmartialarts.com- ROW Adventures — Code GOWILDLY, $100 off any multi-day trip 2026-2027: rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips- Lean In Breathwork — Code GOWILDLY, 20% off sauna sessions: calvinlivingston.comFollow Go WildlyYouTube: youtube.com/@gowildlypodcastSpotify: tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcastInstagram: @gowildlypodcastWebsite: gowildlypodcast.comHosted & Produced by Emily Berlant & Heather White / Go Wildly PodcastTheme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permissionKeywordsGo Wildly Podcast, Go Wildly, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Emily Berlant, Heather White, place-based podcast, conservation podcast, Kula Cloth, outdoor adventure podcast, wildlife podcasts, adventure podcast, womens sports podcast, hiking podcast, adventure podcasts, adventure podcast series, outdoor healing, outdoor freedom activism, northwest rivers, river podcast, ask us anything, outdoor dreams, delulu, embarassing outdoor stories, mountain biking, rafting, bucket list

Conservationist of the Year on Rivers, Forests & a Life That Mattered with Julie Norman Episode 40 | Go Wildly Podcast

Julie Norman left a career in tech for whitewater, then left whitewater for a 15-year fight to save old growth forests across Southwest Oregon.

Julie grew up in Texas, earned a Master's in Computer Science and Educational Psychology from the University of Texas, and at 24 walked away from a systems programmer job at IBM to guide whitewater across California, Oregon, and Idaho. At 35 she became President of Headwaters, a Rogue Valley nonprofit fighting old growth overcutting. In 1993 she spoke at President Clinton's Forest Conference, work that contributed to court victories cutting logging on westside public forests by 80 percent. Oregon Wild named her Conservationist of the Year. The Wilderness Society called her an Environmental Hero. Today she's retired, which mostly means nonprofit work, ukulele, and defending democracy.

We talk about how long Julie and Emily have known each other, getting polio at 4 and relearning how to walk, meeting boating at 11, Girl Scouts and camping, leaving corporate tech for river guiding after a Grand Canyon trip, ARTA river trips and Vallecito, the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and American Rivers, meeting the Rogue River for the first time, Earth First! and living riverside, the history of Galice and the Almeda Mine, early guiding as a woman across Oregon, California, and Idaho, the impacts of living outside, Siskiyou National Forest clear cuts and activism, the value of mentors, the Northwest Forest Plan, Martha Stewart and the Siskiyou Wild Rivers special, her meditation journey and meeting Vipassana, the effects of aging, and her belief that "I don't remember the sad and difficult times hardly at all."

Linksjuliekaynorman.comagnesbakerpilgrim.org/preserving-her-legacy/new-projects

Active Listener Offers
- Kula Cloth — Shop through our link to support the show: kulacloth.com/?avad=436689_e4cf2ef3d
- SOMA — 2-Week Free Trial + 6-month membership: southernoregonmartialarts.com
- ROW Adventures — Code GOWILDLY, $100 off any multi-day trip 2026-2027: rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips
- Lean In Breathwork — Code GOWILDLY, 20% off sauna sessions: calvinlivingston.com

Follow Go WildlyYouTube: youtube.com/@gowildlypodcastSpotify: tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcastInstagram: @gowildlypodcastWebsite: gowildlypodcast.com

Hosted & Produced by Emily Berlant & Heather White / Go Wildly Podcast
Theme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permission

KeywordsGo Wildly Podcast, Go Wildly, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Emily Berlant, Heather White, Julie Norman, Headwaters Rogue Valley, old growth forest, forest conservation, Northwest Forest Plan, Clinton Forest Conference, Conservationist of the Year, Oregon Wild, Wilderness Society, Siskiyou National Forest, Siskiyou Wild Rivers, whitewater guide, ARTA river trips, Stanislaus River, Tuolumne River, American River, Rogue River, Galice Oregon, Almeda Mine, Earth First, women river guides, polio survivor, forest activism, public lands Oregon, environmental hero, Martha Stewart Siskiyou, Vipassana meditation, aging and reflection, Sundance neighborhood, place-based podcast, conservation podcast, Kula Cloth

The Stupid Hike That Changed Everything with Andy NealEpisode 39 | Go Wildly Podcast

Andy Neal went from pastor to filmmaker to half a million followers — all thanks to the trails.

Known online as @andyfilmsandhikes, Andy is an Oregon-based storyteller, filmmaker, and outdoor creator whose "stupid hike for my stupid mental health" videos struck a nerve with people who needed permission to just go be real outside. Before full-time content creation he spent 15 years as a pastor. Today he talks openly about faith, relationship with land, identity, foster and adoptive parenting, mental health, and what it takes to start over.

In This Episode

From bible school to film school to hiking, podcasting, and plus-size modeling

Being a voice for mental health and child advocacy

Foster and adoptive parenting

His weight loss journey and GLP-1

The Rogue River at Ti'lomikh Falls

Spirituality and common ground

His first time backpacking — feeling dependent on the land

Land stewardship and public lands

Getting over yourself to get to know yourself

Going viral and navigating brand deals

Destigmatizing men's mental health

Advice for his younger self

Favorite outdoor gear

Recommendations for Southern Oregon

How he wants to be remembered

Links

Instagram & YouTube: @andyfilmsandhikes

Website: https://www.andyfilmsandhikes.com/

Active Listener Offers

Kula Cloth — Shop through our link to support the show: kulacloth.com/?avad=436689_e4cf2ef3d

Southern Oregon Martial Arts Academy — 2-Week Free Trial + 6-month membership: southernoregonmartialarts.com

ROW Adventures — Code GOWILDLY, $100 off any multi-day trip 2026-2027: rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips

Lean In Breathwork — Code GOWILDLY, 20% off sauna sessions: calvinlivingston.com

Follow Go WildlyYouTube: youtube.com/@gowildlypodcast

Spotify: tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast

Instagram: @gowildlypodcast

Website: gowildlypodcast.com

Hosted & Produced by Emily Berlant & Heather White / Go Wildly Podcast

Theme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permission

Keywords

Go Wildly Podcast, Go Wildly, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Emily Berlant, Heather White, Andy Neal, andyfilmsandhikes, hiking mental health, stupid hike for my stupid mental health, men's mental health, destigmatizing mental health, mental health outdoors, hiking Oregon, Oregon filmmaker, outdoor content creator, foster parenting, adoptive parenting, child advocacy, faith and outdoors, spirituality outdoors, GLP-1 weight loss, plus size hiking, plus size outdoors, going viral hiking, outdoor storytelling, Ti'lomikh Falls, Rogue River, public lands, land stewardship, backpacking Oregon, first time backpacking, getting over yourself, grief and healing outdoors, pastor turned filmmaker, place-based podcast, outdoor healing, whimsy, Kula Cloth