(#2) Leon McCarron – Modern Exploration, Saving Rivers, Water Crises in the Middle East, and the Zagros Mountain Trail

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In the second episode of Last Wild Places, our guest is Leon McCarron, an adventurer, author, journalist and trail designer from Northern Ireland. A practitioner of “slow travel” and long expeditions, among his adventures he has cycled from New York to Hong Kong, traveled through Patagonia on horseback, and walked across China and Mongolia. He has written three books about his journeys, as well as made films for the BBC and National Geographic. His most recent book “'Wounded Tigris: A River Journey through the Cradle of Civilisation,” spotlights the threats to and richness of the historic Tigris River of Iraq. He is also co-founder of the Zagros Mountain Trail in the Kurdistan Region, where he has been based since 2017.
 
Our conversation crosses continents, as we dig into Leon’s incredible career so far; threats to rivers from Patagonia to Iraq; the future of the Middle East in a water crisis; and how his adventures have personally impacted his perspective on wild places and society. 
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Our English-language podcast, Last Wild Places explores wild places around the world from a variety of perspectives: conservation, science, expeditions, adventure, indigenous peoples, outdoor sports, and more. 

The podcast is available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.