What’s the ROI of a prairie? A bat you’ll never see? A fence line removed to stitch habitat back together?

In this episode, Chris and Jeremy dig into a pressure most parks and conservation leaders feel right now: the growing expectation to put a dollar value on everything—habitat work, land protection, restoration, even species existence. There’s usefulness in ecosystem services and economic arguments… but there are also real limitations (and risks) when money becomes the only language we speak.

Discussion points:

• Why “ecosystem services” keeps showing up in conservation conversations—and hiring interviews
• The core tension: Does nature need to serve humans to be worth protecting?
• A real-world example: wind energy vs. endangered bats—and how messy “value” gets in practice
• The bald eagle recovery story (and the Rachel Carson backlash) as a reminder that this debate isn’t new
• What we lose when a species disappears: the hidden ecological relationships we don’t even understand yet (passenger pigeon + oak savannas)
• A better approach than arguing abstract philosophy: local knowledge + relentless storytelling
• Why good stewardship starts with intimate knowledge of place—and using your community’s “amateur experts” (birders, herpers, photographers, banders)
• The Hitchcock/Loess Hills example: removing fence lines to reconnect prairies isn’t just a “project”—it’s landscape-scale restoration people can see
• Bringing it full circle: you may still need to write grants and justify budgets, but the deeper case is about connection, continuity, and responsibility

Join the Next Level Leadership Community at ParksandRestoration.com for invites to upcoming live virtual meetups including:

• Dr. Kathleen Allen, author of Leading from the Roots
• Dr. Nick Askew, UK-based host of the Conservation Careers podcast that explores wildlife conservation internationally.

About Parks and Restoration

Parks and Restoration is the podcast for parks and conservation professionals who want to lead better—building strong teams, healthier cultures, and thriving public lands. Hosted by Chris Lee (Des Moines County Conservation) and Jeremy Yost (Pottawattamie County Conservation).

What if the key to better leadership isn’t “managing harder”…but managing like an ecologist?

From a difficult conversation where Chris was told he could be "intimidating" to his questioning whether he was cut out for a leadership role, this episode unpacks Chris' leadership journey and the origins of his Organizational Ecology framework — a leadership approach rooted in the idea that you don’t force results, you create the conditions for people to thrive and let performance follow.

Key takeaways:

• Conservation work is ultimately people work — nothing sustains without humans who care.

• Leadership isn’t a title or a system; it’s how you show up, especially under pressure.

• You don’t command ecosystems into productivity — you build habitat. The same is true for teams.

• The 5 Ps of a thriving organization: People, Perspective, Purpose, Proactive, and Process.

• Fulfillment and connection are the real “energy sources” that drive performance.

• Perspective matters: behavior at work is often a symptom of unseen burdens.

• Proactive leaders slow down reactions and invest in real one-on-one relationships.

Want to go deeper? Head over to ParksandRestoration.com

• Join the Next Level Leadership Community

• Bring these concepts to your organization through trainings, workshops, or keynotes

About Parks and Restoration

Parks and Restoration is the show for parks and conservation professionals who want to lead better for their teams, their communities, and future generations. Hosted by Chris Lee and Jeremy Yost, the podcast blends real-world stories, practical leadership tools, and lessons from nature to help organizations - and the people that lead them - thrive.

What if “performance evaluations” weren’t a dreaded, once-a-year formality… but one of the best tools you have to build culture?

In this episode, Chris and Jeremy talk about a different way to look at performance evaluations—less as a grading system, and more as a structured, intentional check-in that helps you understand your people, clarify expectations, and keep the workplace ecosystem healthy.

They dig into why annual evals can create recency bias, and why real performance issues should be addressed in real time (not stored up for a “gotcha” conversation months later). They also talk about what makes a performance system work even when it’s informal: clarity on your “why,” a shared way to prioritize work, and regular check-ins that keep your finger on the pulse.

Chris shares the review questions he uses (and why), including:

• What energized you most this year—and what are you most looking forward to next?

• What could have been better, and how do we improve it?

• How would you describe our workplace culture? Has it changed?

• What exemplary work have you seen from coworkers that should be recognized?

• How did our work deliver on our mission?

• What do you want to do better going forward—and what resources do you need?

• How can I (as a leader) be a better resource to help you succeed?

• What challenges do you expect, and how can you preempt them?

A big theme here: culture isn’t built by policies and manuals. It’s built by creating the conditions where people can thrive—and then actually acting on the feedback you invite. Because if you ask for input and nothing changes, you don’t just waste time… you lose trust.

Chris also shares a simple leadership “ninja move” that works everywhere: secondhand compliments. When you pass along praise someone heard from someone else, it lands differently—and it reinforces the behavior you want to see repeated.

If you’re trying to build a high-performing team without building a fear-based workplace, this episode is for you.

Episodes referenced:

• Finding energy in the work you're wired for (discussion of Working Genius)
• The power of partnerships (eating elephants reference)
• Culture eats strategy (and elephants)
• SPF2 framework for effective recognition

About Parks and Restoration

Parks and Restoration is a podcast for park professionals, land stewards, and the people doing the often unseen work of caring for public lands and natural resources. We share stories, lessons, and practical ideas to help you lead well, build healthy workplace cultures, and create thriving systems—outdoors and at work.