An illustration of a bear and the text 'Headwaters'.

Headwaters Podcast

Glacier National Park’s Official Podcast

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Seasons and episodes

Headwaters is a public radio-style podcast by Glacier National Park, produced with support from the Glacier National Park Conservancy.

Headwaters podcast cover

Climate Conversations

Released as Season 5, we sit down to interview park rangers, glaciologists, public health specialists, and more to discuss what we can learn from climate change. The episodes feature in-depth conversations exploring the role of science, communication, and community in meeting challenges from our warming world.

Episodes:

Climate Interpretation with Diane Sine | Climate and Community with Mike Durglo, Jr. | Climate and the Cryosphere with Dr. Caitlyn Florentine | Climate and the Future of Forests with Dr. Tyler Hoecker | Climate and History with Elizabeth Villano | Climate and Health with Dr. Danielle Buttke | Climate and Living with Fire with Jennifer Gibson | Climate and Electrical Solutions with Katie Pfennigs

More Episodes

Not every episode of Headwaters is part of a season-long theme. Below, you’ll find episodes on the history of bear spray, a life-and-death survival story, and helpful bonus episodes about trip planning. 

Episodes:

A Growly Bear and the Invention of Bear Spray | Can Ranger Traditions Survive into the Future? | Living Seasonally: Advice from a Lifelong Ranger | Surviving a Near-Death Fall in a National Park | Art, Science, and Alpine Potatoes | Chasing Waterfalls: The Search for Glacier’s Hidden Wildlife | Does Hiking Impact Wildlife? Check the Camera | Glacier’s Bats: A Story of Grief and Hope | (Bonus) How to Level Up Your Trip Planning | (Bonus) Answering Your Questions
An illustration of a bear and the text 'Headwaters'.
Headwaters season 3 art.

Season Three: Becoming

Season three, Becoming, is a history of Glacier National Park. From whiskey running and the war on wolves, to drilling for oil and dreaming of riches, this is a collection of stories about history refusing to stay in the past. 

Episodes:

Prologue | Stained by History | Unfrozen | Portraits of the West | A Market Place | Empire Builders | Forgotten Soldiers | Landowners | A Destination | Re(colonized)

Season Two: Whitebark Pine

Over the course of five chapters, this season documents the generational effort to restore a species. It’s also a story about the purpose of national parks and our relationships with the places we love. Whitebark ask us, can people have a positive impact on nature?

Episodes:

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Headwaters podcast cover artwork of a whitebark pine tree with mountains in the background.
Artwork for Glacier National Park's podcast "Headwaters" featuring a glacial valley and mountains

Season One: The Confluence

While visiting familiar places, this season tells unfamiliar stories about the park. We travel to every major region of Glacier in search of confluences: where nature and culture come together in unexpected ways.

Episodes:

Two Medicine | St. Mary | North Fork | Many Glacier | Logan Pass | Lake McDonald | Goat Haunt

Meet The Podcast Team

The Glacier Conservancy recently had the opportunity to catch up with some members of the Headwaters podcast team, where we learned about production stories and behind-the-scenes moments from the new season of the podcast. Before we dive in, let’s get to know Glacier’s podcast team.

Rangers standing in a forest and laughing.

The Headwaters team: Michael, Peri, Gaby, and Daniel (left to right)

Michael

Michael started at Glacier in 2014, answering the phones at the front desk of park headquarters in what he later learned was the lowest-paid position in the park. After that foot in the door, he worked as an Interpretive Ranger giving public programs, a winter Education Technician leading snowshoe field trips, and finally as a media team member for the park. When not working on the podcast, you’ll find him exploring Glacier to find good skipping rocks.

Gaby

Gaby came to Glacier this winter, working as a fellow with the Conservancy and the Park. She previously worked in communications at Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks, after graduating with a degree in journalism from the University of Florida. Gaby enjoys cooking food that reminds her of home and family — and loves sharing those meals with friends.

Peri

Peri started working for NPS in 2013, after finishing her Masters in Geology. She has held a variety of interpretive and scientific roles in Glacier, Joshua Tree, Grand Teton, Grand Canyon, and Yosemite. She specializes in science media and outreach, especially video and writing projects. Peri is an avid birder, hiker, and old time fiddler.  

Daniel

Daniel started working with the National Park Service in the mid-2000s as a GS-01 and has been wearing the green and grey across the country ever since. From Alaska to Texas he has done just about every type of work a person can do in the park service. Eventually he landed in Glacier and began collaborating with the Conservancy on interpretive media projects, including the Headwaters podcast.