Vermejo, Ted Turner & Nature’s Second Chances

Welcome to Open Container, where we unpack the most urgent issues facing the outdoor community - culture, conservation, and the power of nature to heal.

Today, Doug Schnitzspahn sits down with director and photographer Ben Clark to explore a rare story of restoration and resilience on America’s wild lands.

Drawing on his background as an adventurer and filmmaker, Ben shares behind-the-scenes insights from his new documentary, Preserved, which chronicles the ambitious revitalization of Vermejo Park Ranch - a 560,000-acre landscape in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.

Doug and Ben discuss environmental destruction and rebirth, reflecting on how even scarred places, whether clear-cut forests in Idaho or polluted beaches of the Jersey Shore, can find new life with hope, hard work, and innovative conservation.

Timestamped summary

00:00 America's Expanding Environmental Scars

03:28 "Nature's Resilience and Regrowth"

09:21 Collaborative Conservation Efforts

11:37 Science Communication Challenges

13:58 Landscape Filmmaker Focuses on Characters

16:57 Backpacking and Filming in the Rockies

23:01 Indigenous Stewardship and Land Models

26:34 Conservation Success in North America

29:37 "Dividing Vast Wilderness: A Journey"

32:09 Reduce Excessive Spending Habits

35:31 "Open Container: Follow & Engage"

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