An interview recorded in sea kayaks in the Milford Sound on New Zealand's extremely remote west coast... Courtney Quintrell is an international adventure guide specializing in sky diving, sea kayaking, whitewater kayaking, motorcycle touring, sailing, orienteering & beer brewing. Courtney spent many years in Alaska but now calls New Zealand home. She is passionate about Maori culture & is in my opinion… the ultimate outdoor babe.

Interviewing Amir Izadi in a ricksha navigating the busy streets near Samudra Beach in Kerala, South India.

Interviewing Dr. Larry Stevens, an evolutionary ecologist, while he rows the "Science Boat" down the Colorado River in The Grand Canyon just below Lava Falls.

A stone's throw from the Arabian Sea, Mandela sits down with the famous Coconut Mama (Eshota). Eshota has been cutting coconuts on the beach for 30+ years.

Recording deep in the bush on the sacred ancestral meeting grounds of the Kabi Kabi People in Eastern Australia.

Interviewing cowboy, Clayton Alexander, while riding horses in the Bob Marshall Wilderness of Montana.

Mandela interviewing fisherman, Possum, on the "Southern Legend" a crawfishing boat on the Tasman Sea off New Zealand's South Island's West Coast. 

This episode was recorded on Sunrise Beach last week on the eastern coast of Australia and is part of a worldwide series I have been recording for a number of years regarding shark conservation. This episode features Dr. Leonardo Guida. In 2016 Dr. Guida completed his PhD at Monash University studying the effects of commercial fishing on shark and ray populations. He is the Australian Marine Conservation Society's Senior Shark Campaigner, leading their conservation campaign, "Shark Champions", in partnership with Humane Society International.

Mandela interviews her mentor, Gary Steele, after paddling out into the Sea of Cortez before sunrise. 

Everyone has a story. India is a land full of color, passion, spirituality, smells, sounds, tastes & especially stories. In the winter of 2015, Mandela spent two months recording on location in Kovalam, Kerala, South India.

After a 5 minute helicopter flight from the Tasman Sea, this interview was recorded on a hanging glacier in the Southern Alps. Featuring glaciology of the planet with a focus on Franz Josef Glacier. Recorded on moving ice while trekking the Franz Josef Glacier on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island.

Recording on the land of the Ngarigoo People of the Eora Nation in Australia. One of 5,000 indigenous Aboriginal Australian groups & the longest continuous living culture on earth. Indigenous Aboriginal Australians have occupied Australia for hundreds of thousands of years. They have evolved with the land, changing it & changing with it.

Mandela interviewing Callum Morrison as they peddle the "Sea-Cycle" around The Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park on New Zealand's South Island's West Coast. Callum is a kayaker who guides custom cultural & river tours in Nepal. 

The rocks were perfectly hot from being baked by the Indian sun while Jason Shrader was interviewed during sunset in Kovalam, South India.

After taking five different buses into the jungles within the mountains outside Panama City, walking a few miles down a red muddy road & following directions carved into a tree... Mandela records the sound effects of egg laying vertebrates & invertebrates. 

Interviewing a Kabi Kabi Indigenous Aboriginal Australian Elder in Eastern Australia.

For the past couple years Mandela has worked on a project to collect a database of interviews with Scientists, Naturalists, Boatmen, Native Americans, National Park Service & others who care deeply about The Grand Canyon. This database will soon be available as a source of Grand Canyon information & inspiration.

Frank Russell traveled to New Zealand 30 years ago on a surf trip & never came home. He teaches a surf coaching school in Gisborne, NZ.

Mandela recording on the edge of the Panama Canal. It can take up to two weeks for a ship to pass through the canal which gives us plenty of time to collect & share stories from open ocean voyages to what it's like for a ship/boat to pass through the Canal.

Recorded on the sailboat named "Tranquility" with Fabio & Kate. The two adventurers fell in love in the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama, married & have been sailing around the world ever since!

One the edge of the Arabian Sea, Mandela interview Amir Izadi. Amir is a child of the revolution who was born right after the Islamic Republic of Iran took over. Amir is a refugee living in Washington D.C. who immigrated with his family from Iran 16 years ago. This interview spotlights what it's like to be a refugee.

Interviewing Rosco Gaudin on Mount Prospect above Te Anau overlooking Fiordland National Park on New Zealand's South Island's West Coast. Rosco races his custom built 4x4 trucks in enduro races.

Recording during Missoula's "Tweed Ride". A series of interviews recorded with cyclists while cycling around Missoula.

Recorded in the "Science Boat" floating on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Featuring Cynthia Valle, the only hydrologist for GC Nat. Park who studies the springs inside the park.

An interview recorded in sea kayaks in the Milford Sound on New Zealand's extremely remote west coast... Courtney Quintrell is an international adventure guide specializing in sky diving, sea kayaking, whitewater kayaking, motorcycle touring, sailing, orienteering & beer brewing. Courtney spent many years in Alaska but now calls New Zealand home. She is passionate about Maori culture & is in my opinion… the ultimate outdoor babe.

Mandela interviews Dr. Naveeda a the Arya Ayurvedic Panchakarma Centre in Kovalam, South India.

Mandela interviewing the crew aboard the OCEARCH, a Great White Shark research vessel which tracks sharks all over the world.

Interviewing Karl Karlstrom, a geologist and professional rock climber who has been studying & working on the Grand Canyon for over three decades.

Mandela interviews Tofique Ahmed about the process of making pashmina in Kashmir.

After a 5 minute helicopter flight from the Tasman Sea, this interview was recorded on a hanging glacier in the Southern Alps. Featuring glaciology of the planet with a focus on Franz Josef Glacier. Recorded on moving ice while trekking the Franz Josef Glacier on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island. Featuring the glaciology of New Zealand.

Interviewing with Dr. Larry Stevens about Biodiversity in The Grand Canyon pre & post Glen Canyon Dam. History of the proposed & implemented Dam sites in The Grand Canyon...plus an inside look at the anatomy of Glen Canyon Dan including its faults.

Mandela interviews Dutch explorer, Martien Weber, in the gardens of the Maharaju Palace a stone's grow from the Arabian Sea. He shares with us the story of adopting a child in India 36 years ago & building a hotel & lavish gardens from the ground up on the southwestern coast of India. Martien spends half the year in the countryside outside Amsterdam & half the year exploring humanity in and around his hotel in India.

Mandela interviewing fellow whitewater guide & kayaker, Chris Ewart, in The Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park on New Zealand's South Island's West Coast. 

Recorded in the bottom of The Grand Canyon with Dr. Laurie Crossey. Laurie is a professor of geochemistry at the University of New Mexico. Her recent research in the Grand Canyon and Rio Grande rift has involved the geochemistry of the present hydrologic systems, and their paleohydrology as recorded by travertines.

Interviewing Doctor Tyler Nordgren below President Harding Rapid. Dr. Nordgren is an Astronomer at the University of Redlands in Southern California

Recording on location next to the Arabian Sea. Featuring Eshowta, a powerful Indian woman who has been cutting coconuts and making coconut fiber ropes in Kerala, Southern India for the past twenty years.

Recorded 28 feet below the surface in the Discovery Center's Underwater Observatory. Featuring an interview with nature guides: Daniel Crook & Andrea Ferris. The Discovery Center is a floating building which gives visitors the chance to view extremely rare species usually found between 50-5,000 feet deep in the ocean.
Overlaying the sea water in the fiord is a layer of fresh water, the result of high annual rainfall in Fiordland. This combined with the narrow shape of the fiord causes a phenomenon known as deep water emergence where light is not allowed to penetrate past the fresh water. This creates a similar environment to the deep ocean at a much shallower depth, allowing visitors the chance to see deep sea species close up.

Mandela interviewing Robyn Rauna, a indigenous Maori woman, on location at her tribe's ancestral meeting place on New Zealand's North Island.

After paddling out into the Sea of Cortez before sunrise, Mandela interviews her mentor, Gary Steele. 

Interviewing Karen, a dedicated Ashtangi, in Kerala, South India.

On the edge of the Arabian Sea, Mandela interviews Saleem Ahmed. Saleem is a third generation fisherman who specializes in hand carved coconut artwork. 

Interviewing Joseph Vattapili, a third generation farmer who grows cardamom, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, anise, cocoa & other spices in Southwestern India.

Frank Russell traveled to New Zealand 30 years ago on a surf trip & never came home. He teaches a surf coaching school in Gisborne, NZ.

Interviewing Lakshmi, a hard working Indian woman who works as a farmer in the summer & business women in her shop during the tourist season. Recorded in "Tina's Shop" in Kovalam, South India. 

Interviewing Geoff Carpenter, AKA "Carp". Carp is a second generation herpetologist and boatman who specializes in lizards. Liam O'Neil rows his dory down the Colorado creating an amazing atmosphere for the interview

During the winter of 2013, Mandela recorded interviews in Australia. Here she sits with Jemia, a Didjeridu artist and member of the Ngarigoo Nation.

On the eastern coast of Australia, Dr. Guida talks about baited drum lines which currently draw sharks to be killed in the name of protecting humans as well as shark finning and the effects of commercial fishing on shark and ray populations. The ancestry of great white sharks is thought to date back more than 400 million years & modern sharks over 34 million years. Modern humans date back 200,000 years. Humans kill roughly 100 million sharks per year. Sharks kill 4-8 humans per year. Car accidents kill ~50,000 humans per year.

Recorded in a dory floating down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon! Mandela's interviews Liam O'Neil. Liam grew up in the boathouse of his father's raft company & now works as a talented doryman, raft guide & kayak guide in the Grand Canyon, Lochsa & other rivers around America's northwest.

Interviewing a Kabi Kabi Indigenous Aboriginal Australian Elder at a sacred location where smoke signals were used to communicate with nearby tribes in order to ask & gain permission to cross into their land.

Recording on an isolated island 20 miles off the Pacific Coast of Panama.

Interviewing Martha Hahn, Chief of Science & Resource Management for Grand Canyon National Park. Recorded during Grand Canyon River Guides Guide Training Seminar two week river expedition. 

Recorded this weekend on horseback in the heart of the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana. Clayton is a cowboy and wrangler for the K bar L Ranch (established in 1927) located where the North and South Fork of the Sun River meet. Clayton holds the microphone in the same hand holding the reins of his horse as the other holds a pack mule carrying fly fishing gear & cold beer. Clayton talks about why he is an advocate for bear spray, why it's important to spend time outside, why mules are amazing creatures & why he lives everyday to its fullest potential. Clayton was born blind but after four surgeries and daily eye drops/medication he can see again. That said, doctors tell him that by the time he is in his 50s he will go blind. Clayton is a beautiful soul who encourages everyone to be kind to one another & never take vision or your health for granted. This is a great interview recorded on the back of a horse and in the tall grass on the edge of the river in the hear of the "Bob". Yeeehaw!

Sharing with story of the Indigenous Aboriginal Australian culture, ethnomusicology & didjeridu with pre-school students.

Interviewing Martha Hahn, Chief of Science & Resource Management for Grand Canyon National Park. Recorded during Grand Canyon River Guides Guide Training Seminar two week river expedition. 

Mandela interview with two members of the Hualapai Nation, Clayborn & Brave. Recorded on The Colorado River a few miles upstream of Lava Falls, these two talented musicians will play drums & sing traditional Bird Songs while they tell the story of how The Grand Canyon came to be according to the Native Americans in & around The Grand Canyon.

Mandela interviewing fellow sea kayak guide, Olive Butcher, on location in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.

During the winter of 2014, Mandela recorded the early morning & eventide sound effects of egg laying vertebrate & invertebrates on an isolated island 20 miles off the Pacific Coast of Panama. 

Recording during Missoula's "Tweed Ride". A series of interviews recorded with cyclists while cycling around Missoula.

Over a period of two months Mandela was able to present to over 10,000 children in Southwestern India in regards to the Didjeridu, fore, music is an international language.

Mandela interviewing Callum Morrison as they peddle the "Sea-Cycle" around The Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park on New Zealand's South Island's West Coast. Callum is a kayaker who guides custom cultural & river tours in Nepal. 

Mandela interviewing sea kayak guide, skipper & home brewer, Adam Collier. Adam is the forefather of The Milford Sound's Annual Wild Foods & Brews Festival.

Mandela interviewing Zandria Taare, a descendent of the Maori Battalion. Gisborne, New Zealand.

An interview recorded in sea kayaks in the Milford Sound on New Zealand's extremely remote west coast... Courtney Quintrell is an international adventure guide specializing in sky diving, sea kayaking, whitewater kayaking, motorcycle touring, sailing, orienteering & beer brewing. Courtney spent many years in Alaska but now calls New Zealand home. She is passionate about Maori culture & is in my opinion… the ultimate outdoor babe.

Recorded 28 feet below the surface in the Discovery Center's Underwater Observatory. Featuring an interview with nature guides: Daniel Crook & Andrea Ferris. The Discovery Center is a floating building which gives visitors the chance to view extremely rare species usually found between 50-5,000 feet deep in the ocean.
Overlaying the sea water in the fiord is a layer of fresh water, the result of high annual rainfall in Fiordland. This combined with the narrow shape of the fiord causes a phenomenon known as deep water emergence where light is not allowed to penetrate past the fresh water. This creates a similar environment to the deep ocean at a much shallower depth, allowing visitors the chance to see deep sea species close up.

Interviewing Rosco Gaudin in his heavily modified Land Cruiser traveling down a 4x4 track on Mount Prospect above Te Anau overlooking Fiordland National Park on New Zealand's South Island's West Coast. Rosco races his custom built 4x4 trucks in enduro races.

an interview with Maori bush doctor, Tipene. Tipene works as a security guard at the Te Papa Museum in Wellington, New Zealand. Tipene is a Maori Irish man from the north western region of New Zealand’s North Island called, Wai kari mona. His Maori tribe are called “The people of the mist”. Tipene body is covered by Ta Moko traditional maori tattooing which resembles his fauno or family.

Mandela interviews her mentor, Glenn Goodrich, while they guide their paddle rafts down the Colorado River in The Grand Canyon.

Sitting in the bush home of my friend, Tangi, a Māori elder & Kaitiaki Pounamu (Guardian of Greenstone). I first met Tangi in May & we spent the day looking for Greenstone at the mouth of the Arahura River. Tangi lives under tarps in an open clearing within the forest where the Arahura mets the Tasman Sea. Tangi has taught me so much about his culture & the Māori concept of guardianship, for the sky, the sea & the land. I drove up the West Coast to sit with him again & learn the history of Māori tribes on the South Island & what it means to be a Kaitiaki.

Recorded in the exact spot where almost 250 years ago Europeans made first contact with the Maori peoples of New Zealand. Mandela records this interview under a fig tree where the Turanganui River enters the Pacific Ocean featuring award winning journalist, writer and historian: Sheridan Gundry. Sheridan will talk in detail about the encounter on October 8th, 1769 & the three days of misunderstanding & tragedy. Sheridan has written five books & her most recent is A Splendid Isolation, which covers the history of the North Island of New Zealand's eastern coast. 

After two years of research & planning, I was finally able to join Smoke Elser for an interview inside Smoke's historic barn. I invite you to listen to stories from our local living cowboy legend, Smoke Elser. Smoke has spent the past 56 years living in the Bob Marshall wilderness packing mules and horses. This unique interview was recorded in Smoke’s 113+ year old historic barn in the Rattlesnake wearing cowboy boots next to a crackling fire drinking muddy black coffee surrounded by thick snow & retired mules. This is a unique opportunity to pass down knowledge from a historic figure who arrived in Montana in 1955. Learn about the history of the Bob Marshall wilderness and some of Smoke’s favorite places to camp after exploring over 55,000 miles of trail within the Bob. Learn about the first man who developed a map of the roadless land in the United States. Smoke is now 84 years old and he is currently teaching his 56th annual mule packing course in his barn right here in Missoula.

I made a long journey into the bush to meet & interview an Indigenous Aboriginal Australian Elder of the Kabi Kabi Nation who took me to two sacred sites for recording song lines & knowledge. We went deep into the valley to sit on the edge of a creek within a thick fragrant eucalyptus forest alive with the humming chatter of egg laying vertebrates & invertebrates. He showed me where his ancestors used to sit & to this day there are artifacts of tools pouring out from the soil in the root systems. I feel most at home sitting in the bush listening to stories of the dream time & I’m beyond honored to be given the opportunity to gather & share the knowledge of our Indigenous communities around the world.

Jandamarra Cadd is a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Warung descendent, is an inspirational man with many stories to tell. With his vibrant and expressive portraitures, Jandamarra’s artwork is emotive and insightful – and is a powerful medium to bridge the story telling divide between Aboriginal and mainstream Australia. Mandela was able to interview Jandamarra in the Botanical Gardens in Caloundra, Australia.

Liam O’Neil is a whitewater professional who works full time on the Grand Canyon.