Kindred Roads Podcast18 Marras 2025

From Working for the National Park Service to Being Woken Up by a Bear

Julio Campis Díaz is a 24-year-old Puerto Rican ecologist and PhD student whose career took a dramatic turn the day he stepped into El Yunque National Rainforest. What began as a required research assignment led him from freshwater shrimp studies to working inside Great Smoky Mountains and Yosemite National Park.

In this episode Julio shares how that moment reshaped his path, the mentors who guided him, and the field experiences that shaped his love for conservation. He talks about tracking rare owls, teaching visitors in national parks, witnessing shrimp migrations, and navigating close encounters with wildlife. We also discuss the challenges national parks face today and the importance of including native knowledge and strong community partnerships.

In this episode

• The unexpected moment in El Yunque that sent Julio from pre med to wildlife science

• What it is really like to work as a ranger in Great Smoky Mountains and Yosemite

• The wild encounters waking up to a bear, tracking a rare owl for hours, and seeing shrimp migrations that look unreal

• How national parks are changing and why native knowledge is shaping better conservation

• The surprising role kids have played in his passion for education and outreach

• His current PhD work removing old dams to reopen migration routes for fish and shrimp

• The long term dream that keeps him motivated leading El Yunque National Forest

Connect with Julio:

Follow along on other platforms:

KEYWORDS

national parks, wildlife stories, bear encounter, park ranger intern, national park service, Yosemite internship, Smoky Mountains wildlife, conservation careers, ecology student, wildlife biologist, fieldwork stories, outdoor jobs, nature podcast, environmental science, wildlife encounters, El Yunque rainforest, shrimp migration, PhD ecology, national park education, conservation inspiration, travel podcast, adventure podcast, park ranger

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(40)

How He Started a Successful Surf Camp at 23 With No Money or Experience… (& How You Can Too)

What happens when a 23-year-old, unemployed and fresh out of university during Portugal's worst financial crisis, decides to start his own surf camp anyway? In this episode, David Moore shares the sto...

26 Huhti 1h 3min

They Invited a Homeless Man to Live With Them. Here's What Happened…

What happens when two friends invite a man they met outside a Little Caesars to come live with them, and all three of their lives change forever? This one is a little different from our usual episodes...

6 Huhti 1h 2min

What Happens When a Solo Woman Cycles Across the World...

What happens when a solo woman decides to cross continents by bicycle, trusting the kindness of strangers along the way? In this episode, Claire Wyatt shares the story of cycling across some of the mo...

15 Maalis 1h 26min

From Quitting Her 9 to 5 to Photographing Wimbledon’s Fashion Icon…

What happens when you leave a stable 9 to 5 and decide to build a career around your passions instead? In this episode, Olivia Chenery, a London based events, hotel, fashion, and brand photographer, s...

17 Helmi 51min

What Walking 1100 Miles Through the Middle East After 9/11 Was Actually Like…

What happens when two travelers leave everything familiar behind and cross the Middle East on foot and by camel, following a path few Westerners have ever taken? In this episode, Wells Jones shares th...

2 Helmi 1h 6min

The Sailor Who Caught On Fire in the Middle of the Atlantic...

Max Campbell is sailing around the world on a 50 year old Swan 37 named Elixir, a boat he rebuilt by hand and turned into a fully functioning home at sea. Over the past few years, he has sailed from t...

15 Tammi 51min

She Traveled the World Alone as a Female for 20 Months… (And How You Can Too)

Natalie Ng is a videographer and writer from Perth, Australia who spent 20 months traveling the world alone. She did not leave with everything figured out. She left with questions, curiosity, and a wi...

22 Joulu 20252h 23min

The Air Force Colonel Who Became a NASA Astronaut and Commanded the International Space Station…

Colonel Terry Virts is a retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, test pilot, NASA astronaut, and former Commander of the International Space Station. He has flown 45 combat missions, piloted the Space S...

5 Joulu 202551min