Bozeman’s WARD (Water Adequacy for Residential Development) Initiative makes real estate developers’ water rights access dependent on the achievement of extremely ambitious benchmarks when it comes to affordable housing. Quite the mouthful.

To help you understand and vote smart on WARD, Outlaw Beat is joined by Executive Director at Headwaters Community Housing Trust Nathan Stein and Mayoral Candidate Douglas Fischer.

Jack Creek Preserve is a 4500 acre conservation easement in Ennis that connects two massive sections of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. We’re hosting its 20th birthday party on this episode and you’re invited. If you didn’t bring a gift, it’s okay, but still… rude.

The world recently lost a tiny woman named Dr. Jane Goodall who was a giant in the field of animal studies. Jane made a name for herself humanizing chimpanzees, and today legendary wildlife photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen joins us to humanize Jane and give us rare insight into who she was as a person.

Summer is gone. October is here. And in Montana, that means it’s winter sports time. On this episode, we’re talking about youth ice hockey with two coaches and administrators.

Joseph McFadden is the program director and coach for the MT-64 Hockey Association in Big Sky and Pete Kamman is the executive director of the Montana Amateur Hockey Association and assistant coach for the Montana State Hockey Club.

An episode all about menopause might seem like it’s for the ladies - and it certainly involves a lot of talk about estrogen - but this content is highly recommended for anyone with a woman in their life. You got a mom? A wife? A female parole officer? Then listen up.

We’re bringing the smoke this week with Bozeman’s Yellow House Barbecue owner Austin Brown. His ridiculous custom smoker cranks out top-notch Texas-style barbecue behind a little yellow historic home at 609 West Mendenhall.

This episode is a scorcher as we learn all about wildfire tendencies and preparation from fire behavior analyst Jon Trapp, Division Chief of Wildland Fire at Big Sky Fire Department.

Meet the Property and Environment Research Center (or PERC), Bozeman’s nonprofit think tank making national headlines with its unique free market approach to environmental advocacy.

We’re taking a mental health day on this episode as we learn more about Big Sky’s Wellness in Action (or WiA). Community Health Workers Hope and Melissa join us to “buck the stigma” and spread the word that hot people ask for help.

The inaugural Lone Peak Film Festival is coming to Big Sky’s Waypoint Theater September 19-21. Festival Director Daniel Glick and Program Director Lucía Ortega Toledo join us to preview the weekend’s festivities and talk about how this long overdue festival finally came together.

Representative Ryan Zinke has just introduced the GYREAT Act designating 100 river miles in Montana as “wild & scenic.” Conservation lobbyist Charles Wolf Drimal (Greater Yellowstone Coalition) educates us about the process and explains the importance of this landmark piece of legislation. He also has advice for making your voice heard in a noisy political moment.

Carry this episode across the threshold because we’re talking about the new affordable homes available in our resort town thanks to Big Sky Community Housing Trust. Executive Director Dave O’Connor joins us to talk about the conditions that have made it so difficult for regular folks to own homes these days and the steps that his organization is taking to offer relief in Big Sky.

We’re talking about the beautiful buildings of Bozeman on this episode with local architecture firm 45 Architecture & Interiors. Founder Jeff Lusin hosted us at the new Belgrade Community Library to talk about that project and others in the area, plus some inside baseball about the art of building.

Crank the AC and the dehumidifier because we’re talking chocolate on this episode. Texas chocolatier Peyton Freeman stops by to tell us about her artisan chocolate company Treatday. Peyton answers all our burning questions about how to make fancy bon-bons, what it means to “temper” chocolate, and why chocolate gets that white build-up on it.

Chancey Williams is the rare country singer with a legit rodeo background after wisely trading in his bronc riding helmet and neck brace for an old Gibson guitar. The Wyoming-born singer joins us to talk about bringing his hits like "Rodeo Cold Beer," "The Saint," and the brand new "Pearl Snap Preacher" to the final night of Big Sky PBR Sat July 19.

These days 4-H is about much more than animal husbandry. It’s a national youth development program with vast areas of emphasis, from communication and civic responsibility to robotics and entrepreneurship.

We’re long overdue for an episode about waffles, so let’s talk about Bozeman’s own Unwaffle, the healthy, hearty, protein-packed brainchild of professional chef Erik Walnum. Erik and his business partner Joe Sheehan join us to share the origin story and vision of what is sure to be your new favorite toaster waffle, featuring locally grown ingredients.

On this episode we’re talking about Land id, a Bozeman-based app that lets you access multi-layered data telling you all about the land around you, as well as the ability to make custom maps. An insanely useful tool for anyone, but particularly for those in real estate.

Big Sky PBR is right around the corner and this year is set to start with a bang thanks to Montana’s Premier Horse Sale July 10-12. Colby and Codi Gines of MM Auction Services join us to preview the event that will bring in top-shelf horses and horse buyers from all over the country.

Big Sky PBR has added a new event to Big Sky’s Biggest Week — a series of trail races taking you through local wilderness on dirt and single track. Race organizer Liz Blue and race co-designer Dr. Kaley Burns join us to preview the 21K, 11K, and 5K relay races heading this way July 13th.