Exploring the Spirit of Wildness with Laura W...

After spending six months backpacking on the Appalachian Trail (AT), reaching the end felt like a joyous celebration. But there was a sadness lurking just around the corner. Reaching the end meant saying goodbye to the truly unique community of people on the trail, and it also me ...  Show more

In 2022, I set out to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. In addition to all of my necessary backpacking gear, I also carried small audio recorders and a suite of microphones that I could use to capture the sounds of the trail and document my journey.I spend six months hiking the en ...  Show more

On assignment in the canyons of the Gila Wilderness, Nat Geo photographer Katie Orlinsky has a fireside chat with Overheard host Peter Gwin about telling stories through pictures. She chronicles how she found her way—from growing up in New York City to covering workers' rights in ...  Show more

During their twelve seasons as winter rangers in Yosemite National Park, Rob and Laura Pilewski have learned a thing or two about what it means to love a place – and a person. This episode comes to us from the wonderful folks at The Dirtbag Diaries, another podcast that features ...  Show more

When Jocelyn Smith was growing up, she told her friends and family she didn’t want to go to college. Instead, her goal was to hike all 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail, a rugged journey spanning from northern Georgia to central Maine. Last year, she finally realized that drea ...  Show more

In May 2022, Marci Kornegay set off from the Southern Terminus to hike the Pacific Crest Trail but as the journey progressed into Northern California, Oregon and Washington State, wildfires interrupted her goal of reaching the Northen Terminus in Canada by the fall. Undaunted and ...  Show more