In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sit down with Belvin Olasov, Director of the Charleston Climate Coalition, a grassroots organization of passionate Lowcountry citizens working to accelerate local climate solutions through creativity, compassion, and community action.

We dive deep into the Coalition’s incredible work — from developing Climate Action Plans for the Town of James Island and Charleston County, to building rain gardens, planting native species, and advocating for better transportation infrastructure like safer bike lanes downtown.

But the heart of this conversation focuses on a critical environmental fight: stopping Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper’s proposed methane gas plant on the Edisto River, and the dangerous pipeline route planned through the ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge — one of the largest undeveloped wetland ecosystems left on the Atlantic coast.

Belvin explains how this outdated, $2 billion fossil fuel project threatens wildlife like the red-cockaded woodpecker, bald eagle, wood stork, loggerhead turtle, and shortnose sturgeon, while locking South Carolina into decades of greenhouse gas emissions — all paid for by you, the ratepayer.

This is a must-listen episode for anyone who loves South Carolina’s wild places, believes in clean energy, and wants to make a difference.

Take action: Visit www.charlestonclimatecoalition.org/dominion-energy
to sign the petition and help protect the ACE Basin from this destructive project.

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For more resources, or to learn how Emerger Strategies can help your brand turn sustainability into a competitive advantage by making it simple, strategic, and profitable, visit www.emergerstrategies.com.

Follow us on Instagram @emergerstrategies and @thesustainableangler and stay tuned for more insights from leaders at the intersection of conservation, business, and the outdoors.

In this inspiring episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sit down with Charlotte Ward, Communications and Media Manager at Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) — the “best lobbyists money can’t buy.”

Charlotte shares how CCL empowers everyday citizens to meet with members of Congress, build bipartisan support for climate solutions, and advance policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions — including clean energy permitting reform and the Fix Our Forests Act.

We dive into the power of storytelling in driving climate action, why “action is the antidote to despair,” and how spending time in nature can help us recharge and stay hopeful in the fight against climate change. Charlotte also shares how switching to an electric vehicle (EV) and installing solar panels has helped her family save money and lower their carbon footprint, plus practical tips for writing a powerful letter to the editor that can influence local and national conversations.

Charlotte also highlights an exciting opportunity to get involved: CCL’s Fall Virtual Conference taking place November 14–15, 2025, followed by Virtual Lobby Week (Nov. 17–21) — a chance for anyone to take meaningful climate action from anywhere in the country.

If you care about climate solutions, sustainability, and protecting the places you love, this episode will remind you that your story — and your voice — matter.

🎧 Tune in and learn how ordinary people are creating extraordinary impact at www.emergerstrategies.com/podcast

Special thanks to Charlotte for all she does and to CCL for providing the resources to train citizens to take climate action! Thanks for listening!

🎣 Like what you heard?

Subscribe to The Sustainable Angler wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review to help us grow the conversation around sustainable business in the fishing and outdoor industries.

For more resources, or to learn how Emerger Strategies can help your brand turn sustainability into a competitive advantage by making it simple, strategic, and profitable, visit www.emergerstrategies.com.

Follow us on Instagram @emergerstrategies and @thesustainableangler and stay tuned for more insights from leaders at the intersection of conservation, business, and the outdoors.

In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sit down with legendary angler, author, conservation advocate, and 1% for the Planet co-founder Craig Mathews. Craig recently co-authored a new book with Mauro Mazzo and Yvon Chouinard called Pheasant Tail Simplicity — a reflection on the lessons learned from a lifetime of fly fishing, fly tying, and protecting the wild places we love.

Craig shares the inspiring story behind how he and Yvon started 1% for the Planet, and how giving back isn’t just good for the planet — it’s good for business. We also discuss how climate change is impacting Montana, what hunters and anglers can do to advocate for public lands and climate action, and hear some of Craig’s favorite conservation success stories from the field.

If you care about fly fishing, conservation, and building a purpose-driven business, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Special thanks to Craig for leading by example and for all he continues to do to protect what he loves, and thanks for listening!

🎣 Like what you heard?

Subscribe to The Sustainable Angler wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review to help us grow the conversation around sustainable business in the fishing and outdoor industries.

For more resources, or to learn how Emerger Strategies can help your brand turn sustainability into a competitive advantage by making it simple, strategic, and profitable, visit www.emergerstrategies.com.

Follow us on Instagram @emergerstrategies and @thesustainableangler and stay tuned for more insights from leaders at the intersection of conservation, business, and the outdoors.

In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sit down with Scotty Davis from the American Saltwater Guides Association to discuss critical changes looming over our redfish fishery. South Carolina and Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources is considering lowering the Spawning Potential Ratio (SPR) for redfish from 40% to 30%—a move that would forever compromise the health and recovery of this iconic species.

Scotty explains what’s at stake, why keeping the 40% SPR is essential, and how outdated regulations—unchanged for more than 30 years—must finally be addressed to protect redfish for future generations. We also break down what anglers, guides, and conservationists can do to make their voices heard through public comments and direct outreach to legislators.

🚨 Action Alert: Learn more at: The American Saltwater Guides Association website. Make your public comment before 11:59 PM EST on October 1st at Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Get Involved. Don’t let redfish management go backward.

This is more than policy—it’s about protecting the future of our fishery.

🎣 Like what you heard?

Subscribe to The Sustainable Angler wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review to help us grow the conversation around sustainable business in the fishing and outdoor industries.

For more resources, or to learn how Emerger Strategies can help your brand turn sustainability into a competitive advantage by making it simple, strategic, and profitable, visit www.emergerstrategies.com.

Follow us on Instagram @emergerstrategies and @thesustainableangler and stay tuned for more insights from leaders at the intersection of conservation, business, and the outdoors.

In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sit down with National Geographic photographer, and TED speaker, and Executive Director of Naturaland Trust, Mac Stone to talk about the power of imagery in protecting wild places. Mac and I go back to 2008, when we first met working at the A Bar A Ranch in Wyoming, and we trace his journey from field biologist in the Everglades and Francis Beidler National to globally recognized storyteller.

We dive into:

• How photography shaped public opinion of the Everglades through his book Everglades: America’s Wetland
• Surprising discoveries while working with National Geographic—from unmarked Revolutionary War graves to the ancient secrets of cypress “ghost forests”
• The mystery of the ghost orchid’s pollinator and the film Chasing Ghosts
• Why protecting ecosystems like the Everglades and Francis Beidler Forest is essential to biodiversity, freshwater health, and our collective history

You’ll also hear how grassroots conservation efforts helped stop a major threat to the largest intact old-growth cypress and tupelo forest on earth. Mac’s stories reveal not only the fragility of these ecosystems, but also the hope and lessons they hold for restoration and protection around the world.

This episode is brought to you by: Emerger Strategies and A New Earth Project -- The Sustainability Initiative of Atlantic Packaging.

🎣 Like what you heard?

Subscribe to The Sustainable Angler wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review to help us grow the conversation around sustainable business in the fishing and outdoor industries.

For more resources, or to learn how Emerger Strategies can help your brand turn sustainability into a competitive advantage by making it simple, strategic, and profitable, visit www.emergerstrategies.com.

Follow us on Instagram @emergerstrategies and @thesustainableangler and stay tuned for more insights from leaders at the intersection of conservation, business, and the outdoors.

In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, host Rick Crawford welcomes Susan Johnson, founder of Nature at Work, a statewide initiative in South Carolina dedicated to connecting healthier people with healthier places through nature. Rick and Susan explore the healing power of the outdoors—from kayaking the Lowcountry’s salt marshes to research showing how hospital patient outcomes improve when they have views of nature.

Together, they discuss how spending just minutes outside can lower stress, improve heart health, boost focus, and even make us happier and more creative at work. Susan shares how Nature at Work is helping businesses and organizations bring nature into everyday work life through biophilic design, outdoor wellness strategies, and conservation volunteering. This episode highlights why time in nature not only makes us healthier, happier, and smarter—but also inspires us to become better stewards of the environment.

🎣 Like what you heard?

Subscribe to The Sustainable Angler wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review to help us grow the conversation around sustainable business in the fishing and outdoor industries.

For more resources, or to learn how Emerger Strategies can help your brand turn sustainability into a competitive advantage by making it simple, strategic, and profitable, visit www.emergerstrategies.com.

Follow us on Instagram @emergerstrategies and @thesustainableangler and stay tuned for more insights from leaders at the intersection of conservation, business, and the outdoors.

In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sit down with Dylan Coates and Stephen Vaughan from Hobie Eyewear to talk about one of the most innovative sustainability stories in the fishing industry.

Hobie Eyewear is transforming waste into value by upcycling leftover plastic from Hobie kayak manufacturing into their best-selling Hobie Hull sunglasses. The process is simple but brilliant: grind down kayak manufacturing scraps into pellets, then mold them into durable, floatable sunglass frames. The result? A product anglers love that also keeps plastic out of landfills.

Beyond innovation, Hobie Eyewear is proving that sustainability and business success go hand-in-hand. Their Hull sunglasses are the #1 seller on their site, showing that anglers are demanding more sustainable products. Plus, Hobie gives back by donating a portion of proceeds to the Fish America Foundation and organizing lake cleanups. Even the packaging is designed with more sustainable paper-based materials.

If you’re curious about how brands can turn "squandered corporate assets" into sustainable innovations that resonate with customers, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

🎣 Like what you heard?

Subscribe to The Sustainable Angler wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review to help us grow the conversation around sustainable business in the fishing and outdoor industries.

For more resources, or to learn how Emerger Strategies can help your brand turn sustainability into a competitive advantage by making it simple, strategic, and profitable, visit www.emergerstrategies.com.

Follow us on Instagram @emergerstrategies and @thesustainableangler and stay tuned for more insights from leaders at the intersection of conservation, business, and the outdoors.

In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sit down with New York Times Best-Selling writer Monte Burke, author of Lords of the Fly and his latest book, Rivers Always Reach the Sea. Monte shares unforgettable stories of fishing with icons like Captain Steve Huff, Lefty Kreh, Andy Mill, and Yvon Chouinard, while reflecting on the deep connection between storytelling, fly fishing, and conservation.

We talk Atlantic Salmon, wild adventures in Patagonia, and how the written word can inspire action to protect the fish and the places we love. If you're passionate about fly fishing, legendary anglers, and using your voice for the planet — you don’t want to miss this one.

Topics Covered:

• Behind the scenes of Rivers Always Reach the Sea
• Fishing with Captain Steve Huff, Lefty Kreh, Andy Mill and Yvon Chouinard
• The plight of Atlantic Salmon
• Why storytelling is vital for conservation
• Fishing in Patagonia
• And more...

This episode is brought to you by: Emerger Strategies and A New Earth Project, the sustainability initiative of Atlantic Packaging.

🎣 Like what you heard?

Subscribe to The Sustainable Angler wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review to help us grow the conversation around sustainable business in the fishing and outdoor industries.

For more resources, or to learn how Emerger Strategies can help your brand turn sustainability into a competitive advantage by making it simple, strategic, and profitable, visit www.emergerstrategies.com.

Follow us on Instagram @emergerstrategies and @thesustainableangler and stay tuned for more insights from leaders at the intersection of conservation, business, and the outdoors.