In this episode of It’s in Our Nature, host Adam McLane kicks off Season 2 with a deep dive into the complex role of dams in Missouri’s waterways.

Joined by Rob Hunt (Director of Resilient Waters for The Nature Conservancy), Ange Corson (Streams Program Coordinator with the Missouri Department of Conservation) and Eric Rahm (Stream Biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation) the conversation explores when dams help ecosystems and when they harm them.

Topics include innovative beaver dam analogs that restore stream health, the science behind fish passage and dam removal, and how these projects benefit both nature and local communities.

From research in the Grand River Grasslands to success stories of ecological recovery in the Ozarks, this episode reveals how collaboration and creativity are shaping the future of Missouri’s rivers.