Molly Juillerat was backpacking these forests at six and summiting Mount McLoughlin at ten. The land got into her early. She never really left it.

That instinct eventually became a career — district botanist, district ranger, more than two decades in natural resources management — and in 2024, a calling: Forest Supervisor for the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Nearly 1.8 million acres across seven counties, 260 miles of Wild and Scenic rivers, and more than 340,000 acres of designated Wilderness. It’s a big job, and it went to someone who had been preparing for it her whole life.

We talk about the Oakridge mountain biking scene, managing visitor influxes on public land, preparing for wildfire season and applying hard-won lessons from past fires, what a day in the life of a forest supervisor actually looks like, the concept of leaving a place better than you found it, what these forests face right now, and what it means to steward a landscape you grew up in. Plus her most-used outdoor gear before our camera died.

LinksRogue River-Siskiyou National Forest: fs.usda.gov/rogue-siskiyou
USDA Forest Service: fs.usda.gov

Active Listener OffersLas Cascadas Lodge — Code GOWILDLY for a complimentary in-house experience on new bookings: lascascadaslodge.com
Arrowhead River Adventures — Code GOWILDLY for 10% off any half-day rafting trip in 2026 or 2027: arrowheadriveradventures.com
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/@gowildlypodcast
Spotify: tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast
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Website: 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, Molly Juillerat, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Forest Supervisor Oregon, USDA Forest Service, public lands Oregon, wild and scenic rivers Oregon, wilderness management Oregon, wildfire preparedness Oregon, forest ranger day in the life, district botanist, district ranger, Klamath Falls Oregon, Mount McLoughlin, Oakridge mountain biking, visitor management public land, Leave No Trace, natural resources management, Lewis and Clark College, Oregon State University, Southern Oregon University, public land stewardship, national forest Southern Oregon, whimsy

Dan Buck came to Grants Pass by way of California — and found what had always been missing. A river to anchor him. Trails to move on. A community that stuck.

After years as Creative Director at Dutch Bros, helping shape the voice and culture of one of the most beloved brands to come out of Southern Oregon, Dan now serves as Executive Director of Visit Grants Pass — the organization charged with telling this place’s story to the rest of the world. He’s been quoted saying “the story of Grants Pass has always been about discovery.” That tracks.

We talk about hiking the Rogue River Trail in February with zero experience or preparation, the love story that took him from Alaska to LA and finally here, choosing Southern Oregon and choosing to stay, what it means to remember what matters — and that answer being outside, his journey through Dutch Bros, raising kids in Grants Pass and watching them want to build a future here, the adventure scene that’s been quietly becoming something real, and what it looks like to bet on a place you love.

Find Dan at the Lonely Pine.

Links
Visit Grants Pass: visitgrantspass.com
The Lonely Pine: thelonelypinegp.com

Active Listener Offers
Las Cascadas Lodge — Code GOWILDLY for a complimentary in-house experience on new bookings: lascascadaslodge.com
Arrowhead River Adventures — Code GOWILDLY for 10% off any half-day rafting trip in 2026 or 2027: arrowheadriveradventures.com
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 Wildly
YouTube: 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, Dan Buck, Visit Grants Pass, Grants Pass Oregon, Grants Pass tourism, Dutch Bros creative director, Dutch Bros Southern Oregon, Rogue River Trail, Lonely Pine Grants Pass, Southern Oregon adventure, Grants Pass community, outdoor lifestyle Grants Pass, river town Oregon, moving to Oregon, choosing small town life, raising kids outdoors, uplifting community stories, place-based storytelling, discovery travel Oregon, Rogue Valley, whimsy

Tara Laidlaw spent her summers scrambling granite and swimming snowmelt lakes in the high Sierra. She didn't know it then, but those summers were building everything.

With a degree in Anthropological Sciences from Stanford and a Master's in Natural Science and Environmental Education from Hamline University, Tara is now Community Centered Conservation Director at the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy — turning wild places into living classrooms for learners of all ages. She's Board Chair of the Environmental Education Association of Oregon and serves on the board of the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts.

We talk about what a fen, bog, and creek actually are, building an environmental education program during COVID and landing on nature journaling, how often we let students choose, place-based and experiential teaching, why being outdoorsy isn't just hiking and rafting, humans as a keystone species, freaks for the creek, finding a home in Southern Oregon, and some lines worth sitting with: "you can rest in curiosity without having to always know the answer," "you're allowed to not know," and "love is sustained and compassionate attention." Plus her most-used outdoor gear, advice for her younger self, and how she wants to be remembered.

Links
Southern Oregon Land Conservancy: landconserve.org
Contact Tara: tara@landconserve.org
Hidden Villa: hiddenvilla.org

Active Listener Offers
Las Cascadas Lodge — Code GOWILDLY for a complimentary in-house experience on new bookings: lascascadaslodge.com
Arrowhead River Adventures — Code GOWILDLY for 10% off any half-day rafting trip in 2026 or 2027: arrowheadriveradventures.com
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 Wildly
YouTube: 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, Tara Laidlaw, Southern Oregon Land Conservancy, land conservancy Oregon, environmental education, nature journaling, place-based education, experiential learning outdoors, Stanford anthropology, Hamline University, Environmental Education Association Oregon, Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts, Hidden Villa, fen bog creek, keystone species humans, freaks for the creek, outdoor joy, curiosity in nature, outdoor education, COVID outdoor education, Southern Oregon land stewardship, conservation director, Southern Oregon outdoors, whimsy

No guest. Just us — and a summer worth talking about.

Emily and Heather sit back down together for a summer recap: what they've been up to, what they've learned, and what's been quietly shifting beneath the surface. Emily's been having fun on the river. Heather's been adventuring with her kids and bikes. Together they got invited to attend PitchFest with Title Nine — and that opened up some things worth sharing.

We talk about summer maxxing, personal growth over the last year, the value of systems for success, and a surprise listener offer you'll have to tune in to hear about. It's one of those episodes that feels like catching up with friends around a fire.

Links & Mentions
Talent Maker City: talentmakercity.com
First Descents: firstdescents.org
Gritty Habits: grittyhabits.com, code WILDLY10
San Francisco Crosstown Trail: crosstowntrail.org
Title Nine: titlenine.com

Active Listener Offers
🎁 Surprise offer inside — listen to find out.
Las Cascadas Lodge — Code GOWILDLY for a complimentary in-house experience on new bookings: lascascadaslodge.com
Arrowhead River Adventures — Code GOWILDLY for 10% off any half-day rafting trip in 2026 or 2027: arrowheadriveradventures.com
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 Wildly
YouTube: youtube.com/@gowildlypodcast
Spotify: tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast
Instagram: @gowildlypodcast
Website: gowildlypodcast.com

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

KeywordsGo Wildly Podcast, Go Wildly, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Emily Berlant, Heather White, summer recap, summer maxxing, personal growth podcast, systems for success, Title Nine PitchFest, Title Nine outdoor women, First Descents, Talent Maker City, Gritty Habits, Crosstown Trail, mountain biking with kids, river summer, women outdoor entrepreneurs, podcast behind the scenes, wildly us, outdoor lifestyle, place-based podcast, whimsy, Kula Cloth, Southern Oregon summer

Josh Ward has spent nearly his whole life on the Rogue River. Now part of his job is making sure others get home safely from it.

Born on Maui and raised in Grants Pass since age six, Josh is a Southern Oregon firefighter, Swiftwater Rescue Lead, and SRT instructor who came to firefighting by way of culinary school and restaurants.

We talk about getting swiftwater rescue recognized inside a structural fire agency, learning to raft and maximizing river time with family, all-weather and high-water rescue — why all seasons are swiftwater seasons, what to consider about satellite service on the river, why you should always wear your PFD and what most people underestimate about the Rogue, finding things you want to learn and then actually learning them, Emily's stalkers of 2026, and why alone time in nature connects you to something bigger than yourself. Plus his most-used outdoor gear, advice for his younger self, and how he wants to be remembered.

Active Listener Offers

Las Cascadas Lodge — Code GOWILDLY for a complimentary in-house experience on new bookings: lascascadaslodge.com

Arrowhead River Adventures — Code GOWILDLY for 10% off any half-day rafting trip in 2026 or 2027: arrowheadriveradventures.com

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 Wildly

YouTube: 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, Josh Ward, swiftwater rescue, swiftwater rescue technician, river safety, Rogue River safety, PFD river, firefighter Southern Oregon, Grants Pass fire department, river rescue Oregon, high water rescue, cold water rescue, shallow water crossing, satellite communication river, Garmin inReach river, river safety tips, Rogue River Grants Pass, family river life, rafting with kids, culinary school to firefighting, alone time nature healing, spirituality outdoors, place-based podcast, outdoor lifestyle, whimsy, Kula Cloth

She put a canoe on her vision board. The river called back.Liz Miheve is a BLM park ranger, environmental educator, and Rogue River devotee who followed a series of signs from Minnesota to Southern Oregon — and never really left. Today she introduces people to the landscape she couldn't stop coming back to.We talk about grief and the #deaddadclub, being a green boater and learning how to "girl" in the outdoors, following a vision and a call to Oregon, growing through challenges on the river, her first Grand Canyon trip, her love story, giving back as a river mentor, embracing your weird, and what it means to finally land somewhere that feels like home. Plus her most-used outdoor gear, advice for her younger self, and how she wants to be remembered.LinksContact Liz: lastlightloon@gmail.comTAG Ceramics: tagceramics.comETC Trips: etctrips.orgBird Collective: birdcollective.comActive Listener OffersLas Cascadas Lodge — Code GOWILDLY for a complimentary in-house experience on new bookings: www.lascascadaslodge.com/go-wildly-las-cascadasArrowhead River Adventures — Code GOWILDLY for 10% off any half-day rafting trip in 2026 or 2027: arrowheadriveradventures.comKula Cloth — Shop through our link to support the show: kulacloth.com/?avad=436689_e4cf2ef3dSOMA — Mention GOWILDLY for a 2-Week Free Trial + 6-month membership: southernoregonmartialarts.comROW Adventures — Code GOWILDLY, $100 off any multi-day trip 2026-2027: rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-tripsLean 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, Liz Miheve, Sundance Kayak School, BLM park ranger Oregon, environmental educator, Rogue River kayaking, Wild and Scenic Rogue River, green boater, Grand Canyon kayaking, Boundary Waters canoe, vision board, figure skating Minnesota, grief parent death, dead dad club, river mentor, outdoor community, embracing your weird, first aid outdoors, love story outdoors, TAG Ceramics, ETC Trips, Bird Collective, place-based podcast, outdoor lifestyle, whimsy, Kula Cloth