The Sustainable Angler

The Sustainable Angler podcast is your go-to source for insightful conversations about sustainability, conservation, and the future of fishing. Hosted by sustainability expert Rick Crawford , who is also the founder of the sustainability consultancy, Emerger Strategies, this podcast features interviews with fishing guides, artists, storytellers, scientists, conservationists, and sustainable business pioneers making a positive impact on our planet. Whether you're a passionate angler, outdoor enthusiast, or business looking to improve your sustainability performance, The Sustainable Angler delivers actionable insights and inspiring stories. Listen now to explore the intersection of fishing, conservation, and sustainable business —because protecting what we love starts with knowledge and action. A huge thank you to A New Earth Project , the sustainability initiative of Atlantic Packaging , for sponsoring the podcast! Want to connect your brand with a passionate, sustainability-minded audience? Sponsorship opportunities are available! Partnering with The Sustainable Angler is a powerful way to showcase your commitment to the environment while reaching engaged anglers, outdoor enthusiasts, and industry leaders. Email rcrawford@emergerstrategies.com to learn more!

The Sustainable Angler is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 99 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Sustainable Angler, a business show with 99 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #99

  EP 99. The Best Fly Fishing Is Everywhere: Storytelling & Conservation with Jesse Lance Robbins

  Aug 14, 20261h 5m

  What if fly fishing wasn't a sport, but a practice — a way of relating to place, community, and conservation? In this episode, host Rick Crawford — founder of Emerger Strategies , a sustainability consulting firm serving fishing and outdoor brands sits down with angler, writer, and conservationist Jesse Lance Robbins, author of The Best Fly Fishing Is Everywhere: Stories in Celebration of Why We Fish , to unpack how storytelling shapes fly fishing education and river advocacy. Jesse takes us through his winding path in the fly fishing industry — working in a fly shop, guiding, fundraising for Trout Unlimited, and published book author — and how each vantage point reshaped his relationship to the water. We talk about his academic roots in environmental economics and mathematics, including his undergraduate thesis valuing a recreational fishery before and after a dam removal, and how that research foreshadowed a full-circle moment: dam removals on Washington's rivers and on the Kennebec in his home state of Maine. We also get into a few misadventures from his new book — trout bumming in New Zealand, steelheading in the Pacific Northwest, and chasing tarpon in Florida — and how those stories, mentors, and near-failures fueled his transition from industry pro to nonprofit fisheries conservation work. In this episode: Storytelling as a tool for conservation advocacy How place-based relationships deepen motivation to protect rivers Jesse's path from guide and retailer to writer and nonprofit conservation leader Dam removal in Washington and the Kennebec River in Maine — a full-circle story Why fly fishing works better as a practice than a sport Environmental economics, thesis research, and valuing rivers before and after dam removal Misadventures from New Zealand, the Pacific Northwest, and Florida Sponsors: This episode is brought you by: A New Earth Project, the sustainability initiative of Atlantic Packaging, Emerger Strategies, and Ecolytics ( don't forget to mention The Sustainable Angler for a discount off your first year's subscription! ) 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.

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  Episode #98

  EP 98. REI's Product Impact Standards: What Brands Need to Know — Brent Kawamura of REI

  Jul 24, 202650 min

  Brent Kawamura's path to sustainability wasn't a straight line — it started with an Environmental Science degree, wound through LEED-certified building projects, and landed him in Product Sustainability at REI. Along the way, fishing has remained the thread that keeps it all grounded. In this episode, host Rick Crawford — founder of Emerger Strategies , a sustainability consulting firm serving fishing and outdoor brands — sits down with Brent to pull back the curtain on REI's Product Impact Standards and explore why the retail giant is pushing its brand partners to cut their carbon footprint. They dig into how customer demand is reshaping the shelf — with shoppers increasingly seeking out products carrying The Climate Label , Fair Trade certification, and other preferred attributes — and what that shift means for brands trying to keep pace. They also step away from sustainable business and onto the water, talking about the responsibility anglers carry to understand the history of the places we fish, and how the choices we make ripple out to affect those fisheries for the long haul. If your brand is aiming to land a spot on REI's shelves, this episode is a must-listen — packed with insight into what REI is actually looking for from its partners. In this episode: Brent Kawamura's journey from Environmental Science to LEED buildings to REI Product Sustainability REI Impact Report findings What REI's Product Impact Standards require from brand partners Why REI is pushing suppliers to reduce carbon footprint How consumer demand for The Climate Label, Fair Trade, and other preferred attributes is reshaping retail What brands need to know to get their products on REI's shelves An angler's responsibility to understand fishery history and protect the places we fish Sponsors: This episode is brought you by: A New Earth Project, the sustainability initiative of Atlantic Packaging, Emerger Strategies, and Ecolytics ( don't forget to mention The Sustainable Angler for a discount off your first year's subscription! ) 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.

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  Episode #97

  EP 97. Riverhorse Nakadate — Water Lines, Wilderness & a Life Connected by Water

  Jul 10, 20261h 11m

  In this episode, host and Emerger Strategies founder Rick Crawford sits down with Riverhorse Nakadate — angler, surfer, writer, musician, adventurer, and a friend. In this conversation, Riverhorse states that "books are magic portals that can take us to far-away places" — and after reading his new book, Water Lines: A Life on Marshes, Rivers, Seas, and in the Rain , you'll understand why. He shares rowdy, hilarious stories from a life spent wandering the salt marshes and coastlines of Texas, Colorado's alpine lakes, the Oregon and California shores, Minnesota's Boundary Waters, the Yucatán mangroves, the Arctic Circle, Africa, and Montana's spring creeks. You'll hear about the five-year journey to getting Water Lines published with Patagonia Books , the Boundary Waters debacle, and how Mexican drug cartels forced local fishermen into illegal long-lining in Texas waters. You'll also discover how music, surfing, fly fishing, and writing help Riverhorse make sense of the world — all of it interconnected by water — and dig into the miracle of wilderness and life, and much more. Hit play and get ready for a story that'll make you want to grab your rod, your journal, or both. Hope you enjoy! Sponsors: This episode is brought you by: A New Earth Project, the sustainability initiative of Atlantic Packaging, Emerger Strategies, and Ecolytics ( don't forget to mention The Sustainable Angler for a discount off your first year's subscription! ) 🎣 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.

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  Episode #96

  EP 96. Tier 2 Suppliers, Supply Chain Transparency, and 40 Years of Outdoor Industry Sustainability — with Kevin Myette of Bluesign

  Jun 26, 20261h 19m

  Kevin Myette has one of the most storied careers in outdoor industry sustainability — and he's not done yet. In this episode, host and Emerger Strategies founder Rick Crawford sits down with Kevin, who is a 40-year outdoor industry veteran to trace the arc of sustainability from a grassroots conversation at Outdoor Retailer in 2006 all the way to the global frameworks shaping how brands operate today through his work at Bluesign . Kevin was part of the early effort at REI to get competing brands to collaborate on sustainability — a movement that grew into the Sustainability Working Group at the Outdoor Industry Association , then the ECO Index, then the Higg Index, and ultimately the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (now known as Cascale ). He walks us through how that history unfolded and what it means for brands navigating sustainability today. The conversation goes deep on supply chain transparency — specifically why Tier 2 suppliers (the mills and dye houses most brands have never visited) represent the single most impactful stage in a product's lifecycle. Kevin makes the case that if you don't know your supply chain, you don't know your impact. He also drops a truth bomb that might surprise you: apparel made from recycled plastic bottles may actually be worse for the environment than it appears — and how "packaging is the gateway drug for sustainability. At Bluesign, Kevin works to verify chemical and material integrity across value chains — ensuring that what goes into a product is safe, responsibly sourced, and certified Bluesign Approved. And throughout all of it, he makes a compelling argument that the outdoor industry has been using the wrong word all along: this isn't "sustainability." It's business excellence. If you care about what's actually inside the products you make, sell, or buy — this episode is essential listening. Topics covered: Supply chain transparency · Bluesign certification · Tier 2 suppliers and dyeing processes · History of sustainability in the outdoor industry · Outdoor Retailer 2006 · Sustainable Apparel Coalition / Cascale · Higg Index · ECO Index · Recycled polyester greenwashing · Packaging as a sustainability entry point · Business excellence vs. sustainability branding Sponsors: This episode is brought you by: A New Earth Project, the sustainability initiative of Atlantic Packaging, Emerger Strategies, and Ecolytics ( don't forget to mention The Sustainable Angler for a discount off your first year's subscription! ) 🎣 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.

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  Episode #95

  EP 95. Fly Fishing, Climate Change & Conservation Storytelling, How AI is Warming Our Waters, & Why the Next Generation Gives Us Hope | Ross Purnell of Fly Fisherman Magazine

  May 29, 20261h 1m

  In this episode of The Sustainable Angler , Emerger Strategies founder and host Rick Crawford sits down with Ross Purnell, Editor in Chief of Fly Fisherman Magazine , for a wide-ranging conversation that covers the past, present, and future of one of fly fishing's most storied publications — and how conservation storytelling protects the wild places we love. We cover how AI and data centers are contributing to rising water temperatures, exacerbating climate change, and threatening fisheries across the country. Ross breaks down the Boundary Waters controversy, explains why more fly fishing brands are doing more for the resource, and discusses a powerful cultural shift: younger anglers who vote with their wallets by supporting brands that align with their values. Ross also shares the story behind his new film The Shoals — a fishing journey to protect St. Brandon's Atoll — and makes the case for storytelling as a frontline conservation strategy. Plus: why the next generation gives him genuine hope, the story of almost making a film with President Jimmy Carter, and a direct call to get involved in advocacy before it's too late. In this episode: A brief history of Fly Fisherman Magazine How AI is warming our rivers and threatening fisheries The Boundary Waters controversy, explained Fly fishing brands stepping up for conservation Gen Z and millennial anglers voting with their wallets The Shoals — protecting St. Brandon's Atoll through film Storytelling as a conservation tool Almost making a film with President Jimmy Carter Why advocacy and getting involved has never mattered more Sponsors: This episode is brought you by: A New Earth Project, the sustainability initiative of Atlantic Packaging, Emerger Strategies, and Ecolytics ( don't forget to mention The Sustainable Angler for a discount off your first year's subscription! ) 🎣 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.

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