Podcast: I’ll Go If You Go

Welcome to I’ll Go If You Go, a Save the Redwoods League podcast.

Through conversations with emergent outdoor leaders and our partners each month, we’re building community and illuminating how Californians from all walks of life think about and experience nature and conservation—in the redwoods and beyond.

I’ll go if you go. Because when we explore together, in community, the experience is all the more powerful.

Hosted by Leslie Parra. Theme song by Nhu Nguyen.

Episode 6

Come as you are (smells like team spirit)

In the final episode of season 1, the podcast team tells stories from the redwood forest and about what the phrase “I’ll go if you go” really means—from psychedelic banana slugs to a ladybug bonanza to heartfelt tales about immigration and queerness. Featuring Dana Poblete, Marcos Castineiras, and Caleb Castle in conversation with Leslie Parra, the episode closes with a big reveal in time for Pride Month, followed by a riveting lightning round filled with karaoke songs and fun facts that speak to the many layers and intersecting identities of nature lovers and conservationists. Enjoy! Follow Save the Redwoods League on Instagram @savetheredwoods

Episode 5

How to stand up (like a redwood)

In the face of violence against Asian and Pacific Islander people over the last year, Rebecca Au was galvanized to work with her colleagues at the National Park Service to develop upstander training. Also known as bystander intervention, it teaches people how to practice allyship and intervene when others are being harassed, whether in parks and public lands or in everyday life. In this episode, Rebecca was courageous to share her own lived experience, as well as tips for how to be an upstander. She also geeks out on friendship bracelets and the mythical forests of Endor. Follow Rebecca on Instagram @rebecca.ow

Episode 4

A hike a week keeps your well-being at peak

While going through a divorce, Karla Amador discovered a new passion: hiking for mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. She was inspired to start a movement called the 52-Hike Challenge to encourage others to reclaim their sense of self through connecting with nature. Join Karla and her community on a journey for love and healing, from the giant sequoia groves of the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada to the coast redwoods of Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Southern California—and maybe one day, a road trip with Oprah to the Bay Area. Follow Karla on Instagram @lovekarlaamador and @52hikechallenge.

Episode 3

If I could walk with the animals, talk with the animals

Toni Maggi-Brown (he/him) is a wildlife biology student at Humboldt State University and a photographer who combines creativity with conservation. Step into Toni’s world in the ancient redwood forests of the north coast, where he worked last summer as a wildlife apprentice for Redwoods Rising. He discusses what it’s like to experience full immersion in nature, connecting and communicating with wildlife, and how Tik Tok can be an expansive tool for outdoor education. He also imitates a barn owl and shouts out Childish Gambino. Follow Toni on Instagram and TikTok @sounds_wild.

Episode 2

Rooting yourself in community and place

Farrahn Hawkins (she/her) is a self-described “community and economic development enthusiast” who loves helping people achieve their life goals through education and the lens of nature. A former park ranger at Yosemite National Park and now based in Baltimore, Maryland, she volunteers to help youth and young adults root themselves in community and place. Leslie Parra caught up with Farrahn to discuss what it means to develop a sense of place, and what it feels like to come face to face with giant sequoia for the first time. Follow Farrahn on Instagram @never_typical_37.

Episode 1

Raised by the Oakland redwoods

For our first episode, Save the Redwoods League Outreach Program Manager Leslie Parra (she/her) rings in the new year with Miguel Marquez (he/him)—Oakland born, and raised by the local redwoods. He talks about the role that his Mexican-American heritage and family time in redwood parks played in developing his love for nature and ultimately his career path as a ranger who has worked for the National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. He shares why representation matters, and what aspiring nature protectors of color can do to represent. Enjoy! Follow Miguel on Instagram @mggy1.

About the host

Leslie Parra (she/her) connects diverse communities to redwood and sequoia forests. She has garnered significant recognition for her leadership in community civic action, STEM and environmental education, and diversity, equity, and inclusion work over the past 15 years. Her professional calling is to cultivate enrichment programs with multicultural and international perspectives, driven by and in collaboration with communities. During her free time, she loves to go hiking with her partner Eric and their dog Mishqui (which means “sweet” in Quichua, the native language of Ecuador—a place she calls home).

What is a podcast?

A podcast is an internet audio show that you can listen to at any time and any place, either on your computer, tablet, or phone.

How do I listen to a podcast?

You can listen to it directly from this web page or through any podcast apps available, like Spotify, Anchor, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, and more. Open your favorite app, search “I’ll Go If You Go” and press play on each episode you’d like to listen to.

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