The Trail Less Traveled

Mollie Beattie made history as the first woman to serve as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1993 to 1996. Known simply as Mollie to friends and foes alike, she was a fierce defender of the Endangered Species Act and a tireless advocate for protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Mollie championed ecosystem-based conservation and played a key role in the reintroduction of gray wolves to the American West—an effort that helped restore balance to fragile ecosystems. Her dedication was so powerful that, after her passing, even some of her Congressional critics honored her legacy by naming an eight-million-acre wilderness area in the Arctic Refuge after her.

Mollie lived by a simple truth: “What a country chooses to save is what a country chooses to say about itself.” Her words—and her work—continue to inspire conservation efforts across America.



Image courtesy of USFWS Museum and Archives.

Episode 698 premieres tonight from 6-7 MST. Join us on the edge of the Selway River for an interview with Doug Proctor, co-owner of Selway River Adventures, a wilderness rafting outfitter based in Stanley, Idaho.

With his partners he operates under one of the extremely limited commercial permits on the Selway River, a nationally designated Wild and Scenic river flowing through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Trips are typically five to six days long, weaving technical whitewater with solitude and natural beauty few river runners ever get to experience.

In 1977 Proctor began his professional guiding career, leading whitewater rafting trips commercially on the New Riverand the Gauley River, two of the eastern United States’ premier whitewater destinations. Over the next 35+ years he built extensive experience as an outfitter in West Virginia, guiding trips through challenging Class III and Class IV waters and cultivating deep skills in river stewardship, guest experience, and wilderness logistics.

His love of rivers and adventure didn’t stop in Appalachia. His guiding has taken him to Grand Canyon, Alaska, Chile, Costa Rica, Idaho, and numerous rivers in both the eastern and western United States.

Listen to “The Trail Less Traveled” every Sunday evening from 6-7 MST

Tune in locally on the Trail 1033 FM and STREAMING LIVE at www.Trail1033.com
Podcast available everywhere and at www.TrailLessTraveled.net

Please help us keep the podcast version of the show advertisement free while also supporting our educational outreach efforts by donating $3/month on Patreon. To donate, visit Patreon.com/TrailLessTraveled

Episode 694 premieres tonight from 6-7 MST. Join us in Missoula for an interview with three people who help define this town in very different and deeply rooted ways.

Aimee McQuilkin is the owner of Betty’s Divine and the Clark Fork Yacht Club, two small businesses that shape Missoula’s style, spirit, and sense of community.

Shane Clouse is a Missoula singer songwriter and the frontman of the band Stomping Ground, and he is also the owner and manager of the Pink Grizzly greenhouse and nursery, a longtime local garden center and family business.

Dave Stromeyer serves Missoula as a county commissioner and is currently working on a passenger rail project that imagines a more connected, accessible future for western Montana.

Each guest gets time to tell their story and share a song that matters to them.

Listen to “The Trail Less Traveled” every Sunday evening from 6-7 MST

Tune in locally on the Trail 103.3 FM and STREAMING LIVE at www.Trail1033.com

Podcast available everywhere and at www.TrailLessTraveled.net

Click here to listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zQfrbQRzXgdu7GfKwF42X?si=W9MHFzGkSBS76cEGov0Oxg

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-trail-less-traveled/id1180249343?i=1000742122338

Please help us keep the podcast version of the show advertisement free while also supporting our educational outreach efforts by donating $3/month on Patreon. To donate, visit Patreon.com/TrailLessTraveled