Host: Joey Stuckey
Producer: Lisa D. Smith
Every fourth Sunday, Joey Stuckey joins Lisa D. Smith on Big Blend Radio's Music Talks Show — and this National Park Week (August 22–30, 2026), the conversation marks the National Park Service's 110th birthday and the 250th anniversary of American independence, with this year's theme, Stories of America, running through everything Joey and Lisa cover.
Listen While You Read: Hit play on the podcast episode below to hear Joey and Lisa's full conversation on Big Blend Radio's Music Talks series!
[PODBEAN PLAYER EMBED — add once episode is live]
Seven Songs, Seven Stories
Joey and Lisa built this episode around seven songs inspired by America's national parks and public lands — pairing music from artists connected to the National Parks Arts Foundation with Joey's own picks, all tied together by memory, history, and a shared love of the outdoors.
"What a Wonderful World" — Louis Armstrong, chosen for the way its descriptive lyrics shaped how Joey, who is blind, first pictured the natural world as a child.
"Colors of the USA" — Doreen Taylor, recorded with the National Parks Conservation Association ahead of the Park Service's Centennial.
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" — John Denver, the soundtrack to Joey and his band's cross-country tours.
"Loving the Land" — Wally Lawder, a longtime Big Blend guest based between Silver City, New Mexico and Tucson, Arizona.
"Oceanside" — Joey Stuckey, an instrumental inspired by Joey's time on Oahu, Hawaii.
"Chaco" — Ed Tree, capturing the ancient, sacred atmosphere of Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
"Where Do the Children Play?" — Yusuf / Cat Stevens, picked by Big Blend co-owner Nancy J. Reid to close the show.
🎵 Listen to the full "Music for our Parks" playlist on Spotify — 30 songs celebrating our national parks and public lands, including all seven songs from this episode: open.spotify.com/playlist/6td2w1P7IEUuyVSYsjEvyz
Protecting the Places We Love
Beyond the music, Joey and Lisa dig into what's currently threatening the parks they're celebrating. They talk studio gear, accessibility in the parks, bald eagles and the Endangered Species Act, the history of the Gila Cliff Dwellings, and Hawaii memories — but the conversation keeps circling back to real, active threats: renewed oil, gas, and mineral leasing pressure around Chaco Canyon that could roll back protections on roughly 338,000 acres of surrounding public land, a mining threat facing one of the largest bald eagle gatherings in the world near Haines, Alaska, and the border wall construction fight at Big Bend National Park.
For more on the Tatshenshini River threat near Haines, travel writer Linda Ballou joined Big Blend Radio to share her own journey down this remote Alaskan river — and the fight to protect it from mining. Listen to that episode here.
"Once its health is gone, once its biodiversity is gone, once its infrastructure of wildlife is gone, it's really hard to bring that back," Stuckey shared during the show. "It would be better to do everything you can now instead of waiting until it gets too late."
Update on Big Bend National Park: As of late August 2026, CBP paused construction in Big Bend following bulldozer footage and public backlash — but the pause is not a resolution, and legal fights are ongoing. Status could change quickly. For the latest, check the links below.
Learn More & Take Action
Connect & Subscribe
From gear talk in Joey's Macon studio to the fight to protect Chaco Canyon and Big Bend, this episode is a reminder of why Big Blend Radio has spent over a decade covering America's public lands.
Explore More: Check out Joey's music and studio projects at JoeyStuckey.com.
Tune In: Catch Joey every 4th Sunday on Big Blend Radio's Music Talks series!
A frequent co-host on Big Blend Radio, Joey proudly hosts the Music Talks Podcast every fourth Sunday on Big Daily Blend, A Toast to The Arts, and Rants, Raves & Rock 'n Roll.
Have a Question for Joey? Ask us on our Contact Page.