National parks are known for their untamed beauty. But the iconic arches and towering trees that mark their awe-inspiring landscapes can quickly turn treacherous. The podcast National Park After Dark documents extraordinary stories of survival (and sometimes grisly endings) that happen within the bounds of our public lands. Here co-hosts Danielle LaRock and Cassie Yahnian share the insights that have come from their award-winning storytelling.
Is there anything that you’ve gleaned from producing the show that’s become practical advice?
Nature is the ultimate humbler. You have to be prepared—for the weather, for wildlife, for the worst. Nine times out of ten, outdoor experiences are peaceful, transformative, awe-inspiring and positive, but trouble comes when that assumption leads people to ignore safety measures. While not everything is in our control, it’s important to set yourself up for success by sharing your itinerary, carrying the essentials, and being cognizant of who shares the outdoors with you.
Avery Rosenthal-Murray
You cover a lot of wild and outlandish tragedies in the parks, but you also have episodes that advocate for the protection of public lands. Why is it so important to talk about now?
Our audience has always been lovers of public lands, but recently they have really put their voices where their hearts are. They have shown up in so many ways—attending rallies, signing petitions, and sharing vital information about the dangers our public lands are currently facing. They’ve celebrated episodes directly dedicated to protecting parks. Public lands are for everyone, from all walks of life, backgrounds and beliefs, yet they are being caught up in a very polarizing political climate. If we didn’t use our platform to advocate for park and public protection, we’d feel like we have totally missed the mark.
What is your favorite story you’ve ever told on the podcast and why?
Danielle: “Night of the Grizzlies” has everything that makes for a perfect episode; it’s shocking, captivating, and memorable, and has important information weaved intentionally throughout. In this episode, that information happened to be the importance of bear safety, the dangers of feeding wildlife, and the evolving understanding of human-wildlife conflict. But by sharing a horrific story of two separate grizzly maulings within one of the most beautiful places on earth on the same night for the first time in documented history, it had a way of sticking with people in a way no pamphlet ever could.
Byrdyak/Getty Images
Cassie: Survival stories are my bread and butter, but my all-time favorite is about Julia Butterfly Hill and a tree named Luna in Humboldt County. She lived on a rickety platform built high on Luna’s branches for 738 days to raise awareness about the destruction of ancient forests and poor logging practices. Her peaceful protest brought global attention to environmental and social justice issues which she later wrote about in her book, The Legacy of Luna. Despite threats to her life and grueling conditions, she never relented, and only agreed to come down after logging companies agreed to not only spare Luna, but also a 3-acre buffer zone around her. She demonstrated how one person can spark massive change, and continues to inspire hope today.
Have you ever had a moment in the wild where you thought you might end up being a subject on your own show?
Knock on wood, since starting the show, no! However, we did make a series of successive mistakes on a hike about a year before we started the podcast. We planned a roughly 7-mile hike in the White Mountains, but thanks to our lack of knowledge of the trail and maps, we got lost and nearly tripled our mileage. We also ran into a bear and had no deterrent, ran out of water, and were aching with hunger because we didn’t pack enough snacks to account for our unintended extension. Life is all about learning, and we sure learned that day!
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