RiverSpeak: stories that ripple

In this episode--the 1st in a mini-series titled "New Life for America's Big City Rivers"--we discover The Charles River of Boston & Cambridge through conversation with Laura Jasinski, executive director of The Charles River Conservancy. Water quality and the health of The Charles River was on a long downward spiral for hundreds of years beginning with Boston's founding in the 1600's. In 1995, the Environmental Protection Agency launched the Clean Charles River Initiative sett...

In this episode--the 3rd in a mini-series titled "New Life for America's Big City Rivers"--we discover The Hudson River with Rob Pirani, program director of The New York - New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program.The Hudson River is one of America's most storied and imperiled rivers. As the New York City Metropolitan Area grew over time, unabated dumping of waste water and industrial pollutants into the river took a heavy toll on the health of the ecosystem. In 1966, alarmed at the pollu...

In this episode--the 2nd in a mini-series titled "New Life for America's Big City Rivers"--we discover The Chicago River with Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River. In 1673, indigenous people showed French explorers where they could portage their canoes from Lake Michigan into the Mississippi watershed with just a one-and-a-half mile carry. The spot became known as the Chicago Portage and the trade and travel route ultimately gave rise to the Chicago Metro...

Hi, this is Dave Koehler, your host of RiverSpeak Podcast. Over 32 million people--roughly 10% of all Americans--live in metropolitan areas along three of America’s rivers--The Charles River of Boston, the Chicago River of the city that shares its name, and the Hudson River of New York. "New Life for America's Big City Rivers" is a mini-series of three podcast episodes taking a deep dive into these rivers where a confluence of community activism, public-private collaboration, and t...

Have you ever asked yourself, “How did I get here?”Hi. I’m Dave Koehler and this is a special Christmas edition of RiverSpeak Podcast. There are a couple of things that make this a special episode beyond it being a Christmas edition. It’s the story of what inspired the creation of the podcast; and, that story begins with my grandmother, Marie Walter, who was born in 1887 and grew up on the Medveditsa River in Frank, a small German colony in southern Russia. Like all good riv...

In this episode, we hear from Lori Faeth, Government Relations Director of the Land Trust Alliance. Lori’s story takes us to Capitol Hill and the halls of Congress where she is a voice for those working in land and water conservation. We’ll learn about a decades long effort that led to the permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the American Great Outdoors Act. And we’ll hear from Lori about key policy priorities for land trusts and get her thoughts on what the hori...

In this episode of RiverSpeak Podcast, we hear from Sinjin Eberle, Communications Director of American Rivers. Sinjin grew up running rivers in Colorado and the Southwest. We’ll learn about the San Juan River and the important role it’s played in shaping his passion for giving voice to rivers. We’ll follow Sinjin’s career path to American Rivers and have front row seats into making films that tell the compelling story of protecting our rivers. We’ll also get a vi...

Ed Roberson is Conservation Director with Palmer Land Trust and Creator and Host of Mountain & Prairie podcast. Through Ed's story we discover the Arkansas River in Colorado. As you’ll hear in his voice, Ed loves the American West. We’ll learn how a high school kid from North Carolina got connected to the Arkansas River and the evolution of his career into conservation work. Along the way, we’ll explore the Arkansas River and gain insight into the tangled web of land and water in Co...

Prepare to get wet.In this episode, we hear from Risa Shimoda, executive director of the River Management Society and Chair of USA Freestyle Kayaking and International Whitewater Hall of Fame. Risa's story begins with her passion for dance and choreography evolving into the world of whitewater, and then developing skills that have carried her into competing on nine championship USA Freestyle Kayaking teams. We’ll learn about her work at the River Management Society (RMS), leading the way...

“Querencia,” is a word used by the people of Taos and northern New Mexico to describe their sense of rootedness in place.In this episode, we hear from Kristina Ortez, executive director of the Taos Land Trust. While working in Indonesia about twenty years ago, thousands of miles away from her home, Kristina had an experience that developed her passion for protecting the environment and community engagement. Through her story, we’ll learn how she became connected to rivers and Taos. Along the ...