90 Miles from Needles: June episodes!
Hello friends!
We have a couple new episodes to tell you about, plus a news update and a plea.
We all make mistakes!
We spend a lot of time correcting misapprehensions about the desert. But don't get the impression we think we're flawless! We've made our share of mistakes about the desert as well. In our ninth episode of our second season, we share some of the things we once thought about the desert that are just plain wrong, on topics ranging from rainfall to rattlesnakes. And of course we do this on a hike in the Mojave Desert. Listen here.
Who was here first?
There's a lot more to working with our Native neighbors than just reciting land acknowledgements. Chris and Alicia talk to Elizabeth Paige of Native American Land Conservancy and Save Our Springs about Native land stewardship, as well as what it’s like to be a Native person in the largely white world of conservation. Listen here.
Hard cold financial realities
We at 90 Miles from Needles have always been extremely grateful for the support our listeners have given us. Y’all make it possible for the podcast to exist at all.
That said? We’ve plateaued at just over 100 supporters for the last six months. This level of support allows us to keep going indefinitely if we keep producing 90 Miles from Needles on a shoestring in our off-hours. Sadly, it’s increasingly clear that producing 90MFN entirely in our off hours on a shoestring isn’t sustainable for very much longer.
We are working to establish ourselves as an IRS-recognized nonprofit, which will allow us to seek grants and larger donations. But granting organizations will look at the number of supporters we have as part of their decision whether or not to fund us.
Short version: If you go to 90milesfromneedles.com/donate and drop even $5 a month on us, you will help keep us from having to make a tough decision later this year. If you don’t feel like firing up your web browser or remembering your credit card number, you can just text “needles” to 53-555 to get a link where you can pay with your phone through Apple Pay, or Google Pay, or whatever.
Already did that? You can help in other ways. Mentioning our podcast on social media, or in email lists, or while standing in line at the grocery store all help as well.
Remember: 90 Miles from Needles is the ONLY podcast out of about 5 million that is entirely devoted to protecting the desert. There have to be more than 100 people in the world who think that’s worth $5 or $10 a month. Please help.
Speaking of that non-profit thing
We’re hoping to have some good news from the IRS before September. Until then, we definitely want to thank those people who’ve agreed to join our fledgling (or maybe un-hatched) nonprofit’s board of directors. They are:
Caroline Partamian
Luke Basulto
Stacey Villalobos
Brooke Binkowski
Eileen Lynch
We have room for a few more board members, so if you are (or know of) someone who likes our podcast and wants to help it prosper and get the word out to more people, let us know! We’re especially looking for people with some or all of the following attributes:
Experience in journalism or non-profit governance
Based in a part of the desert outside of California
Experienced in working with/among communities of color
Fun
Sound like you? Let us know. And thanks for reading!
— C&A
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