TreeSpirit’s Jack Gescheidt speaks out for trees, nature, non-human animals and our living planet.
CLICK the RED BOX above @ 9am PT (12pm ET) EVERY Tuesday to WATCH LIVE
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Join us: environmental activist Jack Gescheidt & activist filmmaker Skyler Thomas — as we rip into a hot new environmental or wildlife or animal rights topic 9am (PT) every Tuesday (11am Central, 12 noon ET) dealing with the Big 4 Cs: climate crisis, cows, capitalism and corporate corruption.
OUR MOST RECENT SHOW:
Sky-Jack Podcast #54: Tues., Dec. 2nd, 2025
Thanksgiving potluck
We dive into a hodgepodge of topics, including the problem we humans create placing ourselves above all other species.
Our appreciating life is one (good) thing, but when humanity’s collective behavior leads to the death of all other creatures, entire ecosystems (and ourselves), we gotta realize that being at the top of the food chain comes with responsibility — and we’d better clean up our act.
We dig a variety of meaty vegan topics. Join us at the table, won’t you?
CLICK TO WATCH Tues., Nov. 25th Sky-Jack Podcast
Sky-Jack Podcast #53: Tues., Nov. 25th, 2025
A Disrespectful Thanksgiving
Now that the message has come down from the top that calling someone “piggy” is acceptable — after all, pigs are highly intelligent and sensitive people — Skyler is gonna do our Thanksgiving show with utmost disrespect while I (Jack) struggle to play good cop to his naughty.
What are the worst things former U.S. presidents have said on Thanksgiving? And what are the dumbest things your meat-eating family members have said ’round the communal table, or will say, this Thanksgiving?
We dig into it all. Join us at the table, won’t you?
CLICK TO WATCH Tues., Nov. 25th Sky-Jack Podcast
Sky-Jack Podcast #52: Tues., Nov. 18th, 2025
You Can’t Hide Your Lyin’ Lies
We’d hoped by now they’d realize, there ain’t no way the cattlemen’s B.S. is gonna fly.
But they just won’t quit. Not ever. They got too much at, uh, steak. Which is living off the fat of the public land.
No matter how much taxpayer money they take, no matter how many tons of manure they dump on public land and into public waterways, their mouths keep spewing the ‘poor, hard-working cow “farmer’ propaganda.
Their latest turd just dropped by yet another Point Reyes cattle rancher, an opinion column in a local pro-rancher paper. (Cuz they get ad money from the cow boys.) It’s a tangle of distortions, omissions, half-truths and outright lies so thick, it’s ripe for a good de-bunking.
And we’re all over it, on OUR next Sky-Jack-ing: 9am (PT) Tuesday, Nov. 18th.
CLICK TO WATCH Tues., Nov. 18th Sky-Jack Podcast
Sky-Jack Podcast #51: Tues., Nov. 11th, 2025
How Do You Know When A Cattleman Lawyer Is Lying?
You already know the answer. And in this case it’s a tangle of lies, by omission and just lying outright, all in service of the ecologically destructive cattle ranching business this attorney defends by hook, and by crookery.
We finally finish dissecting a cattle industry propaganda film created to make you feel sorry for crooks & killers; cattlemen who fleece the public for millions, abuse thousands of poor cows, and hide their dirty work to make a buck. (Hey, didya know that every beef cow is killed at about 1/10th of its natural lifespan? Fun fact!)
Come enjoy the sweet smell of BS on our Nov. 11th Sky-Jack Podcast.
CLICK TO WATCH Tues., Nov. 11th Sky-Jack Podcast
Sky-Jack Podcast #50: Tues., Nov. 4th, 2025
Chickens, owls, and the humans who wanna save ‘em, kill ‘em, or eat ‘em.
A 23-year-old woman is convicted of felony conspiracy for rescuing — or is that stealing? — 4 chickens from a slaughterhouse. A Republican Senator from Louisiana breaks ranks from the Trump Administration to make an impassioned case for NOT shooting 450,000 wild owls. But those 1/2-million owls WILL be hunted and shot dead, in 3 western states over the next 30 years, by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Go figure.
We’ve got the brains of birds — and the sentience of birds — on our minds. And the many humans with “bird brains.” We dig into it all.
Watch our Nov. 4th Sky-Jack Podcast, also our 50th show.
CLICK TO WATCH Tues., Nov. 4th Sky-Jack Podcast
Sky-Jack Podcast #49: Tues., Oct. 28th, 2025
Defending the Indefensible
We pull on the cattleman’s coveralls and wade once again into a cesspool of misinformation, lies, and lies by omission — all packed into a short, 19 min. documentary, “Leaving the Point,” about dairy & beef ranchers finally, after over 150 years, reducing their rein of eco-terror at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Come meet the beefy ranch family lawyer who still won’t speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Instead, he repeats the same old lies that keep fooling the public, to defend the violence that his family’s cow-centric business does to land, water, air, planet (and of course defenseless animals).
Join us at our usual time: 9am PT (12 noon ET) on Tuesday, 10/28.
CLICK TO WATCH Tues., Oct. 28th Sky-Jack Podcast
Sky-Jack Podcast #48: Tues., Oct. 21st, 2025
Shoveling More Cowsh*t: the climate-heating cattle industry’s propaganda war, Part 2
Two weeks ago, we tried to debunk a short, 19 min. documentary, “Leaving the Point,” about dairy and beef ranchers finally leaving Point Reyes National Seashore. But we failed…
…because it’s a well-crafted film packed with so much rancher propaganda and so many layers of lies, we only got through 5 minutes of it!
So we’re swinging back around for a 2nd round of “small, local ranching” de-bunking. Join us as we detail more of this fantasy film’s many falsehoods — aka, lies and lies by intentional omission.
When we’re done, you won’t fall for the “poor struggling, hard-working ranchers” B.S. cover story. (For one, they ain’t poor.) Instead, you’ll be informed enough to know that you’ve been duped. And that they’re still trying to dupe you, and America.
This isn’t just about little Point Reyes park — it’s about millions more acres, and the whole damned-by-ranchers planet. Especially the lie that millions of people are consuming, which merits constant debunking: so-called “regenerative” cattle ranching.
TreeSpirit has devoted a page to exposing it, HERE.
CLICK TO WATCH Tues., Oct. 21st Sky-Jack Podcast
Sky-Jack Podcast #47: Tues., Oct. 14th, 2025
The Nature Exterminancy : The “conservation” org that “restores” land damaged by cows… with more cows… ??
The Nature Conservancy, which owns 500,000 acres of U.S. grazing lands, has this to say for itself on its own website:
“For over 300 years, cattle & sheep have been grazed in CA, from the Rancho era continuing to the present day. The Nature Conservancy has a long history in CA and across the western U.S. in using cattle grazing for conservation purposes. In CA alone, [TNC] works across 400,000 acres of grazed lands, incl. both fee & conservation easement lands.
Well, we have a LOT to say about this, since the TNC is a big nonprofit org that gives a huge push on the lie of so-called “regenerative” cattle ranching — which TreeSpirit has devoted its own page to exposing, HERE.
We dig into some of the TNC’s considerable bull. Join us at our usual 9am PT (12 noon ET) Tuesday morning.
CLICK TO WATCH Tues, Oct. 7th Sky-Jack Podcast
Sky-Jack Podcast #46: Tues., Oct. 7th, 2025
WHO-DUNG-IT ? : The Mystery of the Manure at Chicken Ranch Beach
Local papers report there’s poop fouling the water at the small, locally popular public “Chicken Ranch Beach” in Inverness, CA, 20 miles north of SF.
Families escape here to frolic in the warm, shallow, sheltered waters of Tomales Bay in west Marin County, just south of Point Reyes National Park.
Chicken Ranch Beach’s name came from its history of being a chicken farm decades ago — but the consensus is the chicken poop is long gone, and isn’t the source of the current crap.
The papers writing about the mystery manure haven’t done any investigative reporting to get the scoop on the pooper responsible.
But, fun fact, Chicken Ranch Beach is also downslope of thousands of dairy and beef cows who’ve been grazing the Point Reyes public park and the peninsula for over 150 years — and still do today.
Yet not a single news outlet dares speculates, let alone investigates, where the fecal pollution is coming from… but we will. Join us as we dig into all this sh*t.
CLICK TO WATCH Tues, Oct. 7th Sky-Jack Podcast
Sky-Jack Podcast #45: Tues., Sept. 30, 2025
Problem As Solution
We activists have noticed that more corporations —and government agencies and (alarmingly) environmental non-profits corrupted by corporate money — are, like never before, going, uh, whole hog on disinformation and even outright lies.
Not just with global warming denialism, but stranger still, with proposals to fix environmental problems by applying more of the same “treatments” that caused the problem in the first place. Yikes.
For example fixing the climate-heating greenhouse gas problem caused by grazing cattle by promoting the use of even more cattle. (So-called “regenerative ranching” which is debunked HERE.)
Join us as we dig into this crazy-making, planet-killing trend — so you can be part of the solution.
CLICK TO WATCH Tues, Sept. 30th Sky-Jack Podcast
Sky-Jack Podcast #44: Tues., Sept. 23, 2025
Man-Age That Beast!
Whether it’s cattle farmland or forests, Mother Nature is a wild beast who needs to tamed, controlled, managed — Man-Aged — so she’s not so dangerous.
Left alone, “weeds” will overwhelm cow pastures and could burn “uncontrollably.” Same goes for forests, which need to be managed with chainsaws, masticators, and chemical herbicides, lest they too burn “catastrophically,” destroy themselves, and us too.
We get into these weeds, and dig into all the cow manure piled up on this popular notion that nature needs our “help,” to save her, and us too.
Never mind about what — or who — is making nature so dangerous in the first place. Skyler & Jack mind, and get into it. Join us.
CLICK TO WATCH Tues, Sept. 23rd Sky-Jack Podcast
Sky-Jack Podcast #43: Tues., Sept. 16, 2025
“Healing land damaged by cows – – with more cows!”
Yes, that’s right, grazing cows are actually one of the prescriptions of The (oddly named) Nature Conservancy, aka the TNC. To help Point Reyes National Seashore recover from the massive ecological damage done BY ‘multi-generations’ of beef and dairy cow ranch operations. Ranchers are finally leaving, flush with millions more dollars of pay-offs — and leaving behind a mess of land degradation and water pollution.
We surveyed some of this busted-up land on Sept. 9th, 2025, and oh, the photos, videos, and stories we have to show & tell…
TNC calls it “conservation grazing” or “regenerative grazing” — it’s still hammering the land with cows, whatever its new, public relations name.
Join us two activists as we discuss the future of Point Reyes activism, including educating the public about TNC using the problem — grazing cows — as a solution.
CLICK TO WATCH Sept. 16 Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #42: Tues., Sept. 9th, 2025
“Don’t Worry, It’s Historic”
From “historic” ranches to “historic” military bases, Skyler presents his arguments for why dedication to a memory of “how things were” is extremely destructive and resource intensive.
For instance, Skyler & Jack are always dealing with the claims of “historic” beef and dairymen at Point Reyes National Seashore justifying their polluting the land, waterways and the atmosphere.
Skyler leads this show into a deeper dive on the many more examples of, “But we’ve always done it this way!” — and how ridiculous and also how commonplace this argument is.
CLICK TO WATCH Tuesday, Sept. 2nd Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #41: Tues., Sept. 2nd, 2025
Think owls — owls, fer Chrissakes! — are too beloved by humans to be targeted for “non-native” slaughter?
Think again.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife, along with the National Park Service, Point Blue Conservation Science — and other agencies you might think protect wild animals — all support killing hundreds of thousands of barred owls, in the wild, using shotguns.
Never mind that barred owls are a protected species for over 100 years under the (1918 federal) Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Why? Allegedly to protect another species, the northern spotted owl (NSO) from the barred owl, which is labeled “invasive” — even though the two species even mate, producing what these human bozos label “sparred” owls. READ MORE ABOUT THE ISSUE: https://treespiritproject.com/invasion-biology/owls-shoot/
But the pureblood owls (NSOs) must be protected from the nasty, aggressive, “invading” owls! – – this is Invasion Biology ideology. READ ALL ABOUT IT.
Learn all about these highly intelligent birds, and the idiotic humans in wildlife “management” who think they know better than owls (and every wild animal) who should be where. And will slaughter animals — even owls — en masse, to enforce their notions. Join us as we slaughter this lunacy.
CLICK TO WATCH Tuesday, Sept. 2nd Sky-Jack
OUR Gary Yourofsky SHOW:
*Special Guest* Gary Yourofsky
Vegan Animal Rights Activist
Even if you’re not vegan (yet), you’ll see why Gary Yourofsky is one of the most effective advocates for animal rights & veganism of all time.
In this long, rambling, but dynamic thought-filled conversation, you’ll see, hear and feel why Gary has convinced tens of thousands of people to reconsider our society’s treatment — and our personal awful treatment — of the most vulnerable of people on Earth – – the non-human animals hidden all around us — especially (but not only) on our plates.
See and hear Gary’s words, powers of persuasion, sincerity and conviction, in his most famous speech, on YouTube:
“The Most Important Speech You Will Ever Hear” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5hGQDLprA8&t=4s
Gary, Skyler & Jack’s far-ranging talk about the complex, bizarre relationship humans have with non-human animals.
Sky-Jack Podcast #39 – August 19th, 2025
Don’t call it “deforestation” – – call it “Vegetation Management!“
Forest “management” school is in session – – and common sense and ecology are out the window! 🙂
You won’t believe what you’ll see & hear from today’s forest “managers” who attack and cut down wild forests… while explaining — on camera — how beneficial their mechanized killing “treatments” are.
Learn, once and for all, what an industrial forest “masticator” is — and why George Orwell’s dystopian future is alive and well, killing our precious few remaining forests, today.
Listen in 9am (PT) Tuesday, Aug 19th and learn to see the truth through a forest of lies.
CLICK TO WATCH Tues., Aug. 19th Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #38 – August 12th, 2025
Sky-Jacking the News: Roundup of Media B.S.
We (Sklyer & Jack) dig into some recent headlines, both local and national, and air out all the built-in biases; human-centric, anti-animal, anti-truth – – sh*t like that.
If you love animals, you’ll enjoy our die-section of mainstream, pop cultural blinders which value humans uber alles, and animals way down the list of worth.
CLICK TO WATCH Tuesday, Aug. 12th Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #37 – August 5th, 2025
Multigenerational Planet-Killing Slumlords! 🙂
Gee, does that title sound all judgmental & stuff? Is it casting aspersions on the honest, hard-working cattle ranchers out at Point Reyes National Seashore park? It’s sure what THEY want you to believe…
But when you catch wind of all the malarkey that these beef and dairymen are shoveling about their filthy, polluting — and do we mention animal-abusing? — operations, it’s really hard not to be just a wee bit judgy…
Listen in and decide for yourself. Especially if you believe their cover story about being “hard-working” “historic,” “multi-generational” “honest” “farmers” who are pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps with calloused hands…
Because this is all soooo far from the truth – – join Skyler & me as we get into it all.
CLICK TO WATCH Tuesday, Aug. 5th Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #36 – July 29th, 2025
Pity poor, poor Albert Straus, multi-millionaire owner of Straus Dairy. About 15% of his world-renowned organic milk comes from 2 dairy farms inside Point Reyes National Seashore, but now those dairies (along with about 10 more cow operations are leaving the park). Each is getting multi-million dollar payments (for the 2nd time) to leave — which means these dairies & beef farms will finally stop being the #1 polluters of this National Park’s land, water and air. (We won’t mention their countless lease violators. Or will we?)
So public welfare dairy rancher Albert may have to get the rest of his stolen mother’s milk from other dairies. And he’s really upset! This is an outrage!
He’s pullin’ out all the stops, and whippin’ out all the old, creamy “stewards of the land” bull, so you’ll feel sorry for poor, poor rich man Albert.
Follow us as we follow him on this latest stop on his “Oh Poor Me!” dairyman’s Public Pity Summer Publishitty Tour. It’s rich.
CLICK TO WATCH Tuesday, July 29th Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #35 – July 22nd, 2025
Skyler & Jack dive into the overarching topic of…
Good People Intentionally Doing Bad Things…Perpetually
As usual even we don’t know exactly where this topic will take us. But likely we will wander into the arenas of consumerism, addiction, conformity, our habit of eating animals while professing to “love” them and one rocket fuel for it all, capitalism.
CLICK TO WATCH Tuesday, July 22nd Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #34 – July 15th, 2025
Skyler & Jack dive into a few topics, including:
1) the targeting of even so-called “native” trees for so-called “restoration” projects — which of course, per usual, always involves killing, cutting, uprooting, and/or poisoning lots of plants and trees in the wild.
Because no tree or forest is safe today from self-described “restoration”-crazed would-be forest “management” killer-gardeners. Killing the ‘Bad’ or ‘wrong’ and so-called “invasives” is what most current forest management and “restoration” is all about, all to save the ‘Good’ trees and plants by killing everything else.
READ MORE about this topic of Invasion Biology
And 2) giving water pollution waivers, which is to say an almost free pass to the dairy and beef cow ranchers who continue to be the #1 source of water pollution of the national park at Point Reyes National Seashore park.
CLICK TO WATCH Tuesday, July 15th Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #33 – July 8th, 2025
A different format this week: Skyler & I will dip into a hodgepodge of miscellaneous, bizarre and jaw-dropping items we’ve been collecting, none a full show by itself. But each is entertaining and we’re eager to share ’em with y’all.
CLICK TO WATCH Tuesday, July 8th Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #32 – July 1st, 2025
John Muir supposedly wrote, “Into the woods I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”
But when Skyler & Jack dive into the topic of so-called forest “management,” you may lose your mind too. “Thinning,” for example, is done in the name of wildfire “fuels reduction” and also — upping the Orwellian name game — wild forest “restoration” you may wonder, “WTF?”
And rightly so. “Mechanical” and “chemical” tree felling and wild plant killing with chainsaws, chippers, herbicides and masticators is all called “treating” the forest. Tricky, eh?
Come watch/hear this Sky-Jack if only to learn (and see) what a “masticator” is – – you’ll be glad you did! Horrified too. But once you know, you’ll be better equipped to speak up to save thousands of trees NEAR YOU from being destroyed in the name of forest “management.”
READ MORE about “forest management” from one specific “project” set to begin this November in Marin County, CA, where you’d think people would know better. They don’t. https://www.TreeSpiritProject.com/CalFire
CLICK TO WATCH Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #31 – June 24th, 2025
Jack & Skyler take a break from debunking deceptive, pro-ranching propaganda to be more philosophical, drawing inspiration from two sources: a TV show character and an animated short… about human purpose.
One of Skyler’s favorite TV characters, Rust Cohle from HBO’s True Detective, delivers bone-chilling monologues about the human race. Every sentence is an opening to discussion and debate.
And one of Jack’s favorite animated shorts by master animator Steve Cutts, Mobile World, holds up a chilling, piercing mirror to our modern, urban, smartphone-addicted civilization.
We’ll be critical, but also aspirational to become wiser, healthier, happier, and freer.
CLICK TO WATCH Tuesday, June 24 Sky-Jack Podcast
Sky-Jack Podcast #30 – June 17th, 2025
More nonsense from “Bay De-Natured Magazine.” We discuss various tidbits of non-science from the environmentalists-in-name-only nitwits who advocate “healing the land” by grazing for-profit beef and dairy cows — because, y’know, domesticated cattle slaughtered and shipped off to turn a profit function ecologically identically to herds of wild bison! (Not!)
If ever there was a pro-cattle industry-biased article in a nature magazine, this one shits the bed!
CLICK TO WATCH Tuesday, June 17 Sky-Jack Podcast
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Sky-Jack Podcast #29 – June 10th, 2025
“Bay De-Natured’ – Bay Nature Magazine reveals their true views of nature — and their bias for human intervention.
Skyler Thomas & I dig into a recent ‘Bay De-Natured’ Magazine article about Point Reyes National Seashore, the tule elk there, but even more revealing, their lust for the cattle industry. An eye-opening, jaw-dropping view of humanity’s role with respect to the wild… in a magazine purportedly concerned about nature…
We won’t pull punches. (Do we ever?)
CLICK TO WATCH Tuesday, June 10 Sky-Jack Podcast
Sky-Jack Podcast #28 – June 3rd, 2025
The Home Ranch Horrorshow – uncovering ugly truths of “small, historic, family” cow farms.
Skyler Thomas really did his investigative homework for this show. He takes co-host Jack GeScheidt — and you online viewers — on a tour of Home Ranch in beautiful, degraded-by-cattle Point Reyes National Seashore. It’s leased by the Lucchesi and McDonals families, although, to be fair, it was the Lucchesis who illegally bulldozed a delicate riparian area (streambed) to give his cattle illegal access to a creek where endangered species struggle to survive. #stewardsoftheland
Until then, READ THE POOP on so-called “regenerative” ranching.
CLICK TO WATCH 9am PT (12 noon ET), Tues., June 3rd Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #27 – May 27th, 2025
“Kiss The Ground” Again – Exposing even more “regenerative” cattle ranching lies
We had so much fun digging into cattle industry film clips and calling out the mountain of manure (aka, lies) within, we’re coming back for another heaping helping. Featuring the public relations non-science of the pro-cow sequences in the film “Kiss the Ground,” and maybe more.
WANT MORE? – READ THE POOP on so-called “regenerative” ranching.
Watch Part 1 in last week’s show, Sky-Jack #26, below.
CLICK TO WATCH 9am PT (12 noon ET), Tues., May 27th Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #26 – May 20th, 2025
“Kiss The Ground” — and then bury it under mountains of cow manure
The Cattle Empire is striking back against all the recent science revealing their industry’s massive amounts of dairy & beef cow manure and methane pollution of our land, waterways, ocean and the atmosphere.
One prominent example of the cow business monkey business blitz is within the otherwise worthwhile documentary film, “Kiss The Ground” (and its companion film, “Common Ground”). Narrated by activist Woody Harrelson, its deception include bundling cows in with plants and calling it all “agriculture.” And focusing on carbon emissions while entirely ignoring the massive methane (CH4) output of millions of cows.
We dig into lots more of the cowboy’s public relations dirt, explaining how they’re doing what the fossil fuel industry did for years (and does still), muddying the discourse to keep their polluting business up and running.
READ THE POOP on so-called “regenerative” cattle ranching.
CLICK TO WATCH May 20th Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #25 – May 13th, 2025
A Point Reyes rancher-lawyer spreads lots more of the same
A prominent ranch family attorney recently sat for a long, completely one-sided friendly interview on a notoriously right-wing, conspiracy-spreading media platform. His steady stream of misdirections, misinformation, dodges, omissions and of course outright lies flowed like the liquid manure from a Point Reyes liqefied manure-spreading “farm” truck. (Yeah, that’s really a thing, pictured above.)
You likely don’t know these disgusting animal “farm” trucks exist. Or that they’ve been fouling this national park unit’s land, streams and air with manure and methane for decades. Because this disgusting standard cow farm practice is never, not-ever, discussed publicly by their “hard-working,” “family-owned” dairy and beef farmers who operate them.
None of this, just one of numerous rancher environmental and health violations are mentioned in this lawyer’s talk. His interviewer isn’t a journalist, just a megaphone for farm-friendly myths… and lies.
Skyler Thomas & I will show curated clips, break out the shovels, and dig into the many steaming piles of dairy & beef “farmer” propaganda therein. Bring a clothespin for your nose and join us!
READ MORE about so-called “regenerative” cattle ranching.
CLICK TO WATCH May 13th Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #24 – May 6th, 2025
“Regenerative” Ranchers Pile it Higher & Deeper: Heal the degradation of cattle ranching, with more cattle ranching!
Yes, that’s right, more ranching is the cure for the destruction wreaked by ranching! It just has to be the right kind of ranching! Spread the magic words “regenerative” and “holistic” and “stewardship” and “restoration” and of course “carbon sequestration” — and, Voila! — now the massive ecological damage done by millions of methane-and-manure-producing cows on land, waterways, oceans and the atmosphere are magically solved! Cow-a-bunga, baby!
This is like curing the ills of deforestation with more deforestation — by selling it to the public by calling it, “forest management” and “forest treatments,” and of course “forest restoration” – – and then Chainsaw Bob’s your uncle, and forests are fixed! (They’re fixed all right, but good.) Oy.
READ why forest “management” is just more deforestation.
Skyler Thomas & I dig into the steaming pile of dairy & beef “farmer” public relations doublethink: 9am Tuesday, May 6th. Bring a cuppa joe (with yummy, brutality-free oat milk creamer) and join us for the pile-diving.
READ MORE about so-called “regenerative” cattle ranching.
CLICK TO WATCH May 6th Sky-Jack
Sky-Jack Podcast #23 – April 29th, 2025
Ranchers Tell Republicans: Don’t F*ck With Our Federal Welfare Checks!
This is getting pretty confusing! Last week, some cattle ranchers wrote a letter to House Republicans (running the House Natural Resources Committee) to beg them to “investigate” a perfectly functional, hard-won legal settlement deal for the Point Reyes National Seashore cows-vs-environment imbroglio. (These so-called “small” and “organic” and “family-owned” beef and dairy operations at Point Reyes, a public park, are its greatest source of land degradation, water pollution, and GHG emissions — and have been for a century.)
But now the Point Reyes ranchers who signed the deal wrote their own letters to the same House Republicans… asking them to not screw up the deal. Please, they beg, honor it, so they can get their multi-million dollar payments for finally, finally, leaving the park, and ending their ongoing pollution of it. (Note, these same ranch families were already paid millions of taxpayer dollars in the 1960s and 70s to leave Point Reyes. They took the public loot but then didn’t scoot.)
Skyler & Jack sift through this tangle of politics, money, corruption — and lies. Lots of lies. Learn the latest news on the Point Reyes rancher settlement deal — and have fun getting it!
READ MORE about the cattle ranching scam at Point Reyes.
CLICK to WATCH April 29th Sky-Jack
April 22nd, 2025 Sky-Jack Podcast #22
Don’t DOJE that (Point Reyes cows-elk) Deal
A couple of powerful Marin County cattle ranchers, desperate to keep their huge, hidden, multi-million dollar public subsidies — aka, corporate welfare for millionaire dairy and beef ranchers — have run to House Republicans for help. It’s a logical place to turn since they all share the philosophy and the practice of fleecing the working class taxpayer to give millions more dollars to the wealthy.
At Point Reyes, the wealthy are the millionaire ranchers, including renowned dairyman Albert Straus, and organic “free-range” beef rancher Bill Niman, who want to keep their sweetheart lease deals — because they are heavily subsidized by the American taxpayer — but unbeknownst to the taxpayer.
And all the while these self-described “small” “family-owned” cow businesses are the #1 source of pollution of land, water and air in this national park unit just 20 miles north of San Francisco.
READ MORE about the cattle ranching scam at Point Reyes.
WATCH the Sky-Jack Podcast — with special guest Jim Coda, a former National Park Service and U.S. Interior Dept. attorney, who knows more than a thing or two about the cattle ranching scam at Point Reyes National Seashore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI0RjdVm2xE
April 1st, 2025 Sky-Jack Podcast #20
Homicidal Sapiens
Doing What We Do Best: Killing Every Other Species on Earth
On our 20th Sky-Jack Podcast, Skyler & I offer proof of what humans are great at: killing all other life forms on the planet!
Join us for this fun Homicidal sapiens romp!
Of course, the way to slow down our chainsaw, masticator, pesticides and slaughterhouses collective human steamroller of death requires first understanding that we’re doing it in the first place. And that’s easy to miss since so many profit-driven industries are constantly misleading you and, oh, let’s just call it what is, lying to you about “management” of wild lands and animals and plants and forests and…
CLICK TO WATCH the Sky-Jack Podcast above, or here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryJtq4N4lx0
March 25th, 2025 Sky-Jack Podcast #19
Cheapest Rental National Park land in America – COME ON DOWN!
The Point Reyes National Seashore Giveaway
Point Reyes ranchers constantly complain about how hard they have it. But they never tell you that you, the public taxpayer are paying for their for-profit cattle operations in the park. The public has carrying these polluting businesses for decades.
Call it corporate welfare, call it whatever you’d like. But listen in and learn just how they are screwing the public, both environmentally and fiscally. These self-described small, organic beef and dairy ranches have fenced you off thousands of acres of land YOU own, not them. And then pollute it, and park waterways with millions of pounds of cow manure every year — and YOU foot their bill.
WATCH our MARCH 25th, 2025 SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vaJ7PTaPWI
March 18th, 2025 Sky-Jack Podcast #18
How Can You Mend A Broken Park? – PART 2
GUEST: biologist Laura Cunningham
Once again, Biologist Laura Cunningham, California director of the Western Watersheds Project joins Skyler Thomas and me to continue our discussion of the past, present and future of Point Reyes peninsula.
Rewilding Point Reyes National Seashore
Laura envisions promising possibilities to rewild the Seashore once thousands of ecologically devastating dairy and beef cows are removed over the next year by the much ballyhooed negotiated settlement deal. This is the first, big necessary step: to stop cattle industry destruction. Laura will illuminate us what might happen next.
CLICK TO WATCH 9am PT, Tuesday, MARCH 18th, 2025 SHOW:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbnSVP3MfKg&t=23s
March 11, 2025 Sky-Jack Podcast #17
The Pubullshitty Tour of Straus Organic Dairy
Dairy farming will save the world — and pigs can fly!
You have to see this crapola for your self to believe this company is spewing this non-science.
But not to worry, we’ll tell you all about. And if you can watch, we’ll show a bunch of well-earned scathing satires of the calvacade of cow crap coming from a famous little organic dairy that just won’t accept the truth of how environmentally catastrophic all dairy (and beef) products are — including organic products from self-described “small” farms.
CLICK TO WATCH 9am PT, Tuesday, MARCH 11th, 2025 SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6quSSRypWY
Please Like & Comment on any show you enjoy, so YouTube’s almighty “algorithm” tells more newbies about our weekly Sky-Jack. Thanks!
March 4th, 2025 Sky-Jack PODCAST #16
No Particular Topic To Go
Join filmmaker Skyler Thomas & me, Jack Gescheidt, for our usual rollicking mix of facts, fatalism, fun and feisty.
9am (PT) Tuesday, March 4th, 2025 SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/live/6S4T-uX5Tvs?si=zXmSlqEI_S8h6srF
Feb. 25th, 2025 Sky-Jack PODCAST #15
How to Heat the Climate, Torment Cows, and Sell Organic Dairy Products
If you’re an environmentalist who knows not to eat much meat, but doesn’t see the problem with dairy products, then this show is for you!
Clover organic dairy products are made on “small” and “local” and “family” farms, so they’re okay, right? I mean look at their wonderful billboards, they must be telling the truth.
Well, the “clean coal” of the fossil fuel industry is, by comparison, a tofu dog, with a side of kale, in an electric car. Come learn the truth about how our global warming climate crisis, dairy products and even wonderful Clover dairy products are all the same topic.
Join filmmaker Skyler Thomas & me, Jack Gescheidt, for our usual rollicking mix of facts, fatalism, fun and feisty.
9am (PT) Tuesday, Feb. 25th, 2025 SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-L_p8M9cDM
Feb. 25th, 2025 Sky-Jack PODCAST #15
How to Heat the Climate, Torment Cows, and Sell Organic Dairy Products
If you’re an environmentalist who knows not to eat much meat, but doesn’t see the problem with dairy products, then this show is for you!
Clover organic dairy products are made on “small” and “local” and “family” farms, so they’re okay, right? I mean look at their wonderful billboards, they must be telling the truth.
Well, the “clean coal” of the fossil fuel industry is, by comparison, a tofu dog, with a side of kale, in an electric car. Come learn the truth about how our global warming climate crisis, dairy products and even wonderful Clover dairy products are all the same topic.
Join filmmaker Skyler Thomas & me, Jack Gescheidt, for our usual rollicking mix of facts, fatalism, fun and feisty.
9am (PT) Tuesday, Feb. 25th, 2025 SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-L_p8M9cDM
Feb. 25th, 2025 Sky-Jack PODCAST #15
No Particular Place to Go Talk About
Join us for our usual rollicking mix of facts, fatalism, fun and feisty.
9am (PT) Tuesday, Feb. 18th, 2025 SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/live/7O51_s9PNwE
Feb. 11th, 2025 Sky-Jack PODCAST #13
How Can You Mend A Broken Park?
(How do you stop the reign of all the cows?)
Rewilding Point Reyes National Seashore
Biologist Laura Cunningham, California director of the Western Watersheds Project joins Skyler Thomas and me to talk about what the Point Reyes peninsula was for thousands of years. Before European settlers dramatically altered the land, including wiping out the majority of its indigenous people and wild animals.
And on a more positive note, Laura talks about the promising possibilities to rewild the Seashore once thousands of ecologically devastating dairy and beef cows are removed in the next year.
FEB. 11th, 2025 SHOW:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wBsrx2XK4o
Feb. 4th, 2025 Sky-Jack PODCAST #12
The historic Point Reyes rancher’s “journey”
Point Reyes ranchers in the SF Bay Area have it hard.. don’t they?
Animal rights activist Lia Wilbourn joins Skyler and I to discuss just how hard the poor, multi-generational, hard-working, “historic” organic dairyman and beefy boys have it… And we compare/contrast this with how the cows have it down on the farm. Join us to learn a few gallons of hidden truths…
FEB. 4th, 2025 SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/live/qshIIYXHpKw
Jan. 28th, 2025 Sky-Jack PODCAST #11
Pro-cattle ranching media bias — the fix is in.
Point Reyes ranchers in the SF Bay Area — like beef and dairy ranchers everywhere — routinely make outrageous claims to deny the ecological destructiveness and sheer brutality of their cow-killing businesses.
For example, ranchers will call themselves “stewards of the land” and say they “love” their animals. But when environmental and animal rights acctivists dare challenge this nonsense, and point out that raising cows for human consumption is a climate-killer, news outlets usually ask US for proof of our counter-claims.
Are we just whiners, or is the fix in? And if so, why? Hear all about it…
JAN. 28th, 2025 SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/live/A4unly4fMqo
Jan. 21st, 2025 Sky-Jack PODCAST #10
Hey, What’s The Big Deal at Pt. Reyes Nat’l Seashore? – PART 2
JAN. 21st, 2025: Special guest Erik Molvar, Executive Director of the Western Watersheds Project, joins environmental filmmaker Skyler Thomas and I to dig into MORE of the big deal deal that just went down at Point Reyes National Seashore (announced January 8th).
All the park’s Tule elk are freed and will remain so, forevermore.
Thousands of the private, for-profit beef and dairy cows will be moooved out over the next 15 months.
Long overdue for its ecological devastation, the dairy industry will finally end at Point Reyes if this deal goes through as planned by mid-2026,
But some “beef” cows will remain — so cattle ranching will continue, but greatly reduced. Sadly, one of the deal’s compromises was allowing “conservation grazing” which is the cattle industry’s “clean coal” (along with “regenerative ranching”) that proposes to alleviate some of the vegetation damage cows-for-profit do, by using more cows-for-profit. (A good bullshit story if you work hard to get the public to buy it.)
Jan. 21st, 2025 SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/live/5ZIWI3hqres?si=QEDYnCBan96cygan
Jan. 14th, 2025: Sky-Jack PODCAST #9:
Hey, What’s The Big Deal at Point Reyes Nat’l Seashore? – PART 1
JAN. 14, 2025: Join me, environmental filmmaker Skyler Thomas—and 2 Tule elk expert Special Guests, as we discuss the big deal deal that just went down at Point Reyes National Seashore on January 8th. This means the beginning of the removal of all this national park’s polluting dairy farms and most of its beef ranches too.
And for you Tule elk fans, all the park’s 3 herds will now be free to roam, mix, mingle, make out and make more elk, and healthier ones too, without thousands of defecating cows polluting the land, waterways and air.
Jan. 14th, 2025 Podcast #9:
https://www.youtube.com/live/DH-gcZQqTrQ
Sky-Jack PODCAST #8: How To Lose Friends & Irritate People! – My Vegan Journey
JAN. 7, 2025: Join me, environmental filmmaker Skyler Thomas—and our Special Guest, vegan and animal rights advocate & activist Lia Wilbourn—as we delve into the bizarre: choosing not to eat animals (and animal products like cheese) any more, which makes us freak Americans and humans on Earth.
With our frail, protein-starved bodies and undernourished vitamin-deprived brains, we’ll summon the strength to discuss what it’s like to break from the herd, to not eat herds of cows, pens of pigs, and fields of chickens, not even the “good” free-range ones — come find out why.
If you’ve ever wondered what’s up with those vegans, or even toyed with veganism yourself because you love animals, this is the show for you!
MORE VEGAN INFO & RESOURCES here: https://www.TreeSpiritProject.com/vegan
Sky-Jack Podcast #7 – “2024 R.I.P.” – Year-end wrap-up
DEC. 31, 2024 – Skyler & Jack Skyler do their 2024 Year-end Wrap-up, covering every single newsworthy environmental issue of 2024 before we put the year out of our misery.
Well, actually, we do our Good Cop-Bad Cop, Half-Empty-Half-Full banter on New Year’s Eve morning, about a few enviro & animal issues we were immersed in last year — including a big win for the Tule Elk at Point Reyes Nat’l Park (20 miles north of San Francisco, CA).
Dec. 31st, 2024 SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/live/W3go_pkLpnQ
Sky-Jack Podcast #6 – “Tule Elk All Over” w. special guest physician-scientist Rick Lanman
DEC. 17, 2024 – Physician-scientist Rick Lanman joins Skyler & Jack talking elk, elk, elk: in California and all over. Including: do wild elk have a different impact on the land than domesticated cows-for-profit do? (Spoiler: YES, they do.) But why?
WATCH Dec. 17, 2024 SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/live/w6nqi2uITz0
Sky-Jack Podcast #5 – “Elk Fence Partially Down, Elk Taste Freedom” (at Pt. Reyes Park)
DEC. 10, 2024 – The National Park Service (NPS) announced (12.2.24) its “Final Decision” in the long, bureaucratic NEPA process to dismantle the 8-foot-tall, 2-to-3-mile-long fence that keeps the largest of 3 herds of Tule elk trapped inside the Tule Elk Reserve. Elk have died there by the hundreds, unable to reach enough food & water during seasonal droughts.
The next day (Tues. 12/3/24), the NPS began dismantling the fence.
But the day after that (Wed. 12/4/24), the California Cattleman’s Association stuck their big boot into the issue, by filing a lawsuit against the Park Service for finally freeing the wild Tule elk in this national park.
We share and explain all this & much more!
Special Guest, elk biologist Julie Phillips, joins the 2nd half of our show.
Sky-Jack Podcast #4
“Regenerative Ranching”
DEC. 3rd, 2024: Jack Gescheidt and activist filmmaker Skyler Thomas talk about the this hot trend in cattle ranching, variously called “rotational grazing” or “holistic management.” Is it a more environmentally friendly way to raise cows for meat & dairy — or is it just more cattle industry bullshit?
• CLICK IMAGE BELOW to WATCH Dec. 3rd, 2024 Sky-Jack Podcast:
• GO TO TreeSpirit’s “Regenerative Ranching” PAGE
Sky-Jack Podcast #3
U.S. Fish & Wildlife 1/2-million owls slaughter
Streamed NOV. 26, 2024: Jack Gescheidt and activist filmmaker Skyler Thomas talk about the U.S. Fish & Wildfire Service’s plan to kill 450,000 western Barred owls in California, Oregon and Washington state, for decades, in order to “save” the Threatened (ESA listed) Northern Spotted Owl (NSO).
Both owl species are competing for less habitat as humans continue to deforest the U.S., for multiple reasons including logging, “thinning” (which is logging) for supposed wildfire reduction and also so-called “biofuel” of wood pellets, is clearcutting forests to burn trees for energy, which is a dirtier industry dirtier than coal.
• CLICK IMAGE BELOW to WATCH Nov. 26, 2024 Sky-Jack Podcast VIDEO:
• READ TreeSpirit BLOG about the USFWS 1/2-Million Owls Slaughter: http://CLICK IMAGE BELOW to play Nov. 26, 2024 Sky-Jack Podcast VIDEO:
Sky-Jack Podcast #2
Tule elk, cows & ranchers at Point Reyes Nat’l Seashore
Streamed NOV. 19, 2024: Jack Gescheidt and activist filmmaker Skyler Thomas talk about the hundreds of fenced-in Tule elk, and the thousands of abused (also fenced-in) cows, at Point Reyes National Seashore.
CLICK IMAGE BELOW to play Nov. 12, 2024 VIDEO Podcast:
Sky-Jack tackles the latest cattle rancher B.S. shenanigans which keeps delaying the freeing of the elk fenced inside the Point Reyes National Seashore’s Tule Elk Reserve — and the ousting of the park’s private, polluting cattle ranches.
Sparks fly, like flies to cowshit. Because there are millions of pounds of the latter still actively being dropped onto this public park’s land, contaminating land and water here, just 20 miles north of San Francisco.
PARTICIPATE! We welcome your comments & call-ins, LIVE!
Sky-Jack Podcast #1
Exploiting Wildfire Fear, To Cut Down Forests
Streamed NOV. 12, 2024: Jack Gescheidt and activist filmmaker Skyler Thomas indulged in a fiery post-election, rambling rant about wildfire, California State Parks “vegetation management” project for Tomales Bay State Park, forest “thinning” and lots more, in their first-ever collaborative “Sky-Jack” podcast.
CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW to play the Nov. 12, 2024 VIDEO Podcast:
Animal Agriculture “Friday Night Talk”
OCT. 4, 2024: TreeSpirit’s Jack Gescheidt and animal activist Samantha Faye have a rambling talk with KMUD Community Radio guest-host Pamela about eating animals, cattle farming, Oregon’s 2025 “Initiative Petition” IP-28, Sonoma County’s Measure J ballot initiative, George Monbiot — and much more!
CLICK HERE TO PLAY
NOTE: There is nothing wrong with your television set, but there are some gaps in this recording. 🙂
“Saving the Tule Elk”
JUNE 2023: All About Animals Radio podcast with Staci-Lee Sherwood
Jack tells talks with host Staci-Lee Sherwood of All About Animals Radio about the current (June 2023) state of the wild Tule elk confined to small areas within Point Reyes National Seashore, north of San Francisco, CA.
LEARN MORE about why The National Park Service (NPS) is confining Point Reyes’ wild Tule elk with fences — in a national park unit where all wildlife is supposed to be free. This is ongoing violation of the NPS mission to protect wildlife and wild lands. Learn more, including how to help, HERE.
CLICK HERE TO PLAY
“Through the Fog”
Nocturne podcast by Vanessa Lowe
Jack Gescheidt tells the tale of a group of activists bringing water, under cover of darkness, to Tule elk dying of thirst at Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, CA — and why it was necessary during California’s ongoing drought.
LEARN MORE about why The National Park Service is killing Point Reyes’ wild Tule elk, and other wildlife, in this national park unit, violating its mission to protect wildlife and wild lands. And how you can help.
CLICK HERE TO PLAY
https://nocturnepodcast.org/through-the-fog
“Food Is Energy” KPCA Petaluma, CA Community Radio Show
Guest Jack Gescheidt has a wide-ranging talk on the Petaluma, CA-based “Food Is Energy” program hosted by Ray Cooper, also creator of World Peace (vegan) Chocolate.
The featured topic is the controversy at Point Reyes National Seashore where shooting wild elk is proposed to protect the commercial interests of ranches and dairies — and the many related environmental, ethical, and national issues at the intersection of the conflict in this only SF Bay Area National Park. (You can read more about this issue on this website.) 60 min. DECEMBER 2, 2019
CLICK PLAYHEAD BELOW:
Jack Gescheidt on “Food Is Energy” KPCA radio show. Host: Ray Cooper
A lively talk on the “Food Is Energy” show with Ray Cooper, on the intersecting environmental topics of food, global warming, deforestation, land & water use, pollution, and how the average person can most effectively make a difference for the better. 60 min. JULY 1, 2019
CLICK PLAYHEAD BELOW:
INTERVIEW with Jack Gescheidt, on “Food Is Energy” KPCA radio show with Ray Cooper.
A lively talk about the critical role of trees in our lives, both personally and globally; the most pressing crisis of our times; how trees are directly involved, and what YOU can do to make a big difference. 60 min. FEBRUARY 4, 2019
CLICK PLAYHEAD BELOW:
KPCA INTERVIEW with Jack Gescheidt, on “Food Is Energy” radio show with Ray Cooper. A wide-ranging one-hour talk about trees, TreeSpirit, Jack’s roots in big, bad New York City, the crucial role trees and forests play in our lives, a plant-based diet, the treatment of animals and more. October 22, 2018
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KPCA INTERVIEW with Jack Gescheidt, on “Food Is Energy” radio show with Ray Cooper. With special guest Dr. Will Tuttle, author of “The World Peace Diet.” A full hour, far-ranging talk about trees, TreeSpirit, Jack’s roots, food, a plant-based diet, the treatment of animals and more. July 23, 2018
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Main Street Vegan RADIO INTERVIEW with Jack Gescheidt, by Victoria Moran: A lighthearted talk about TreeSpirit, trees, New York City, Central Park, vegans, veganism, the doc. film “Cowspiracy,” Dr. Will Tuttle, and not so much about the planet Vega. Sept. 23, 2015
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KCBS RADIO INTERVIEW with Jack Gescheidt, by Megan Goldsby, at TreeSpirit’s “STAND UP for 450,000 trees” event in the eucalyptus grove on The UC Berkeley Campus, Berkeley, CA. July 18, 2015.
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Interview with Jack by “RAW Artist” producer & host Jesse Daniels, May 2014:
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5:48 • Jack speaks with Margie Shafer after making a photograph in The Memorial Oak Grove in Berkeley, CA. Jack was warned by police he would be subject to arrest if he proceeded with his plan to photograph demonstrators in a threatened oak grove. March 17, 2007.
1:24 • KQED’s Erica Kelly speaks briefly with Jack before his photograph in The Memorial Oak Grove in Berkeley, CA, March 2007.
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BEFORE the TreeSpirit photograph in Richardson Grove State Park in Humboldt County, CA, where 1,000-year-old redwoods would be damaged by a highway widening project, Jack talks with Paul Encimer. August, 2010.
6:16 • AFTER the photograph in Richardson Grove State Park, Aliana Knapp-Prasek hosts Jack’s download of the experience (Humboldt County, CA) where 1,000-year-old redwoods would be damaged by a highway widening project. September 14, 2010.
A longer interview with Jack by SF Bay Area relationship therapist Dr. Claudia Six, M.A., Ph D, Board Certified.
CLICK IMAGE TO PLAY
Podcaster Meredith Medland of Personal Life Media‘s “Living Green Show” talks with Jack about how TreeSpirit began, and more. CLICK ON IMAGE TO PLAY.
Jack talks with Jerry Hart of Smart Green Travel in a longer interview. October 10, 2010.