Sound Has Speed - The Starling Birch Podcast

008. Burgess Bauder - Sitka's Iconic Veterinarian

this is a conversation I had with Burgess Bauder a local legend here in Sitka, Alaska. He's a recently retired veterinarian who operated a pro bono clinic on this island for 53 years. He’s a builder who created on iconic light house that you've probably seen in pictures, even if you haven't been to Sitka. he's also a very successful sea cucumber diver who ran an operation off of his boat "Death Barge 4". i first met Burgess on a project in which i was filming at his veterinary clinic. i quickly realized that he was an extremely colorful character with a big heart and an endless number of tales to tell. this conversation is filled with rabbit holes, tangents, wild stories and reflection of passion filled life.

007. Aaron Minks, Raising A Nomadic Family

this is an unedited conversation with Aaron Minks, a videographer, husband and father of 2 who has made life on the road work for his entire family. him and his wife have home schooled their kids and earned a living while spending multiple years on bike tours in Asia, living on a remote island in Alaska, and traveling the lower 48 in a camper van. Although Aaron and his family have lived an extremely minimalist life style for the last decade, 9 months ago they moved to Guatemala where they are now renting a 3 bedroom apartment, have bought an SUV and have put their kids in public school for the first time. Me and Aaron talk about this current pivot along with the strategies and philosophy him and his wife have employed over the years to make their nomadic life style work for the whole family

006. Andrew Holman, The Chugach 120

this is an unedited conversation with Andrew Holman, a mountaineer who lives in Anchorage, Alaska and is attempting to complete a project called the Chugach 120. there are 120 peaks in the Chugach State Park that have a prominence of 500ft or more and over the past 5 years Andrew has successfully reached the top of 100 of them. this has been no easy task and the final 20 will include some of the more difficult peaks on this list. we discuss the hardships of climbing in Alaska compared to other parts of the country and what has motivated Andrew to take on such a difficult challenge

005. JASON DE HEUS, A Story of Addiction and Recovery

this is an unedited conversation with Jason De Heus, a recovering alcoholic, endurance runner, videographer and editor. he’s had a long history of bouncing back and forth between strict sobriety and wild relapse. his style of drinking has resulted in jail time, numerous hospital visits, 9 rounds of rehab, and even time in a padded room. he’s currently a husband and father of 2, who had been sober for 5 years before going on a 7 day bender that displaced his family and sent him back to the hospital. it was 13 sober months later that i sat down with Jason to discuss his somewhat R rated life story of defeat and victory in his battle with addiction.

004. MARISSA COLLISON, FITNESS trainer

this is an unedited conversation with Marissa Collison a fitness coach and outdoor enthusiast who was born and raised in Petersburg Alaska. We discuss her experiences growing up in an island town of Southeast Alaska, her recreation in the rugged mountains of Petersburg, and her coaching of clients through mental and physical challenges to achieve their personal goals

003. Neil McDermott, A WHALE’s SONG EXPEDITIONS

this is an unedited conversation with Neil McDermott, the captain of the Cat Daddy Catamaran and owner of A Whale’s Song Expeditions a Southeast Alaska based company that specializes in whale watching & wildlife photography tours. in this conversation we discuss Southeast Alaska wildlife and Neils personal journey from a corporate career to creating his own dream job.

002. Jen Cedarleaf, Avian Director

this is an unedited conversation with Jen Cedarleaf the Avian Director of the Alaska Raptor Center and owner of a wonderful mutt named Goose (my hiking buddy). we discuss the unique challenges involved in running a bird rescue and rehabilitation center in the remote town of Sitka and hear about the origin, unique behaviors and genetic makeup of her pup

001. HARBOR MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.

this is an unedited conversation with Zach Anderson, the owner of the only brewery in Sitka, Harbor Mountain Brewing Co. Zach discusses the joys and challenges of running a brewery on an island in Southeast Alaska and how brewing in such a unique location has shaped his business and the flavors of his beer. watch Zach and I climb Harbor Mountain on YouTube