What if one of the most widely used pesticides in the world is something most people have never even heard of, despite likely encountering it daily?

In episode 206 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast we are discussing neonicotinoids, often called “neonics.”

They’re the most commonly used insecticides in the United States, applied to crops, lawns, gardens, golf courses, and even found in flea and tick treatments for pets. They’re designed to make plants themselves toxic to insects—but that efficiency comes at a cost to people and the planet.

So how are chemicals with these kinds of impacts still allowed in our food, water, and everyday products? And why has federal regulation lagged so far behind the science?

To help answer those questions and more, I’m joined by Daniel Raichel, an expert on pollinators and pesticides at the Natural Resources Defense Council. The NRDC is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than three million members and online activists. Since 1970, NRDC has used science, policy, law, and people power to protect public health and confront the climate crisis.

Dan is an attorney by training and directs NRDC’s work focused on protecting bees and other wildlife from toxic pesticides. Before joining NRDC’s Nature Program, he co-directed the Community Fracking Defense Project and worked on industrial pollution cleanup in the New York region.

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More Information

Dan Raichel: https://www.nrdc.org/bio/daniel-raichel

Neonics 101: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/neonicotinoids-101-effects-humans-and-bees

The Toxic Truth: https://www.nrdc.org/resources/neonics-toxic-truth

NRDC sues EPA: https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/nrdc-sues-epa-unreasonable-delay-addressing-toxic-pesticides-food

For over three years, the Outdoor Minimalist platform has been a big part of my existence and growth as a creative and journalist.

I've put a lot into the show, especially this year when we added a Friday episode about public lands.

But I need a break.

With the recent passing of my dog, Ash, I need time to process and grieve the loss of my best friend and biggest inspiration. Ash is the reason I was able to write my book, create two podcasts, and chase my dreams. He walked beside me, quite literally, every single day for the last eight years.

That said, we aren't ending the show, but for now, we're on pause.

Ash's strength and propensity for motion until the very end will continue to inspire me. He loved our public lands and wild spaces more than anyone else I know.

So, in the meantime, I'm going outside to grieve and recharge so I can live to fight another day to protect the spaces we so cherished in our life together.

If you've enjoyed the show up until this point and want to show us some love, consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts.

Stay tuned for more to come. 🌈

The Outdoor Media Summit is an annual conference for media, marketers, PR, and brands to come together to collaborate and network.

Although I've only attended the last two years, it has quickly become among my favorite industry events because of the intimate settings and ever evolving format.

In this episode, Tarin O'Donnell, from the Tarin it Up Podcast, and I recap our experience at the 2025 Outdoor Media Summit. It is raw. It is real. And it is out of my usual format.

So, if you've ever considered going to OMS or just want to learn more about the behind the scenes of outdoor media, this is a fun conversation to tune into.

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Outdoor Media Summit: https://outdoormediasummit.com/

Tarin It Up: https://www.tarinitup.com/

In the Outdoor Minimalist public lands news briefing for the week of November 3 - 7, we cover:

- Public Lands Rule comment period ending on November 10th

Comment Here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/BLM-2025-0001-0001

- The Fight for the Roadless Rule Continues with Josh Hicks from the Wilderness Society

- Chaco Canyon in New Mexico is facing rollbacks to protections around the park with Sally Paez from the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance

- Steve Pearce nominated to be the new director of the Bureau of Land Management

Subscribe to our newsletter for in-depth coverage and extra stories we don’t have time for on the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theoutdoorminimalist.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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For decades, the outdoor industry has celebrated innovation through synthetics—lighter, stronger, and more technical fabrics made from petroleum-based materials.

But as we grapple with the environmental costs of producing many synthetic products, is a shift underway?

Wool, waxed cotton, hemp, and other natural materials might be making a comeback —not as a nostalgic throwback, but as brands and individuals innovate with them, proving they can be high-performing, sustainable alternatives to synthetic fibers.

One of the people leading that charge is Patrick Clark, founder of Lucky Sheep and author of the book A Rewilder’s Guide to Outdoor Adventure.

Patrick has developed a full backpacking kit made almost entirely from natural fibers—with a base weight of just 20 pounds. From lightweight wool sleeping bags to waxed canvas backpacks, his designs challenge the idea that performance has to come at the cost of sustainability.

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Lucky Sheep

Website: https://www.woolsleepingbag.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luckysheepgear/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LuckySheepOutdoorGear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LuckySheepSleepingBags

Here's what happened during the week of October 27 - 31 with our Public Lands:

- Mike Lee's three new proposals that threaten public lands with Neal Clark from the Southwest Utah Wilderness Alliance

- National Parks remain understaffed, but open during the ongoing shutdown

- Over 500 new oil and gas permits were approved during the shutdown period

- Trump administration will open the entire 1.56 million acres of the Coastal Plain within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas leasing

The Center for Western Priorities Oil & Gas Tracker: ⁠https://westernpriorities.org/2025/10/oil-gas-government-shutdown-tracker/⁠

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Depending on where you live, if you’ve ever driven a snowy mountain road or parked your car after a winter storm, you’ve probably seen that familiar crust of salt left behind. It’s easy to think of road salt as just another part of winter, and a simple fix for icy conditions.

But that same salt, once it washes off our roads, has a far-reaching impact on the water we drink and the lakes or streams that we love.

Across the Northeast and beyond, road salt has become a threat to freshwater ecosystems. It seeps into wells and disrupts aquatic life. In New York State, scientists are warning that the overuse of salt could be creating “thousands of mini-Flints,” a public health crisis unfolding one winter at a time.

Today, we’re joined by Dr. Brendan Wiltse, Executive Director of the Lake George Association, the nation’s first lake conservation organization, founded in 1885. The LGA has been leading efforts to protect Lake George, known as the “Queen of American Lakes,” through science and community collaboration.

Dr. Wiltse’s decades of research in aquatic ecology and his leadership at the LGA shed light on how salt pollution, climate change, and infrastructure are interconnected, and what we can all do to protect our clean water.

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Lake George Association

Website: https://lakegeorgeassociation.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakegeorgeassociation/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LakeGeorgeAssociation

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LakeGeorgeAssoc