Hi, everybody. This is Joe Lampel, the Joe Behind Joe Gardner, and welcome to the Joe Gardner Show.

Today, I am very happy to bring you a conversation I recently had with one of my favorite authors.

You may know that I'm an avid reader. You may also know that the vast majority of books that I read are directly related to gardening.

But my list is long of non-garding books that I chip away at book by book.

Yet even then, those books still have a strong connection to nature.

I just can't help myself, and perhaps you can relate.

And I tell you this because our guest today, Jeffrey Ryan,

clearly shares this same passion and has

dedicated his life to spending much of it outside. Fortunately, his books have that nature

theme also, and I have enjoyed everyone. Now, while none so far would be considered gardening

books as gardeners, our love for what we do doesn't stop at the fence.

We tend to love the outdoors and have a deep respect and wonder about nature too, and we want to

protect it. Well, that's partly why I think you are really going to enjoy this conversation with Jeff

today. Imagine tending a garden with each plant telling a story of resilience, adaptation,

and the passage of time. In many ways, Jeffrey Ryan does the same with natural landscapes,

weaving together the deep histories of America's wild places and the people who fought to protect

them. An avid hiker, historian, and gifted storyteller,

Jeff has chronicled the rich tapestry of the public lands and books like,

This Land was Saved for You and Me, the one we'll talk about today, Appalachian Odyssey,

a 28-year project for Jeff, and blazing ahead. His work, much like a well-tended garden, preserves the past

while inspiring future generations to cultivate their own connection with the land. Today, we dig

into his journey and explore how the spirit of conservation and storytelling intersect with our love

...