Listen in as Vilma Gregoropoulos, landscape expert and historian with the North Stonington Historical Society, guides us through the story of water power, industry, and mill town life. Together, we explore how the Shunock River and its tributaries powered the mills that built North Stonington. Throughout the episode, Vilma weaves in local lore, bringing the past to life through rich detail and expert insight.

This podcast is brought to you by the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council, and is hosted by Casey Merkle and Hugh Markey.

Follow us on:

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Twitter (X): @WpWildRivers

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https://www.youtube.com/@wpwildrivers3437

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Podcast Cover art photo by Thomas Tetzner.

In this episode, Hugh Markey and Casey Merkle wade into the world of waterfowl  monitoring with experts from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM). Jenny Kilburn, Principal Wildlife Biologist, explains how annual waterfowl counts help track species trends, inform conservation efforts, and guide regulations.

Whether you’re a birdwatcher, hunter, or conservationist, this episode provides valuable insights into how RI DEM works to protect waterfowl and their critical habitats across our Wild and Scenic Rivers watershed (and beyond).

Looking to volunteer with RI DEM as a wildlife monitor? Visit https://dem.ri.gov/node/19801 or contact Wildlife Outreach Coordinator Jennifer Brooks at [email protected].

This podcast is brought to you by the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council, and is hosted by Casey Merkle and Hugh Markey.

Follow us on:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/WPWildScenic/

Twitter (X): @WpWildRivers

Instagram: @wpwild_scenic_rivers

You Tube: WP Wild Rivers

https://www.youtube.com/@wpwildrivers3437

Please support the show by leaving us a rating and review!

Podcast Cover art photo by Thomas Tetzner.

Join us in a late summer mini BioBlitz with the Westerly Land Trust! How many organisms can be found in just four hours of exploring?

Hugh Markey joined Marc Doherty, Land Stewardship Manager at the Westerly Land Trust, for a Mini BioBlitz at Avondale Preserve in Westerly, RI! From chatting with participants to going behind-the-scenes, Hugh got a firsthand look at the excitement and passion for biodiversity and exploration.

Curious about what they discovered? Check out the finds on WLT's page on iNaturalist, Avondale Mini BioBlitz 2024.

This podcast is brought to you by the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council, and is hosted by Casey Merkle and Hugh Markey.

Follow us on:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/WPWildScenic/

Twitter (X): @WpWildRivers

Instagram: @wpwild_scenic_rivers

You Tube: WP Wild Rivers

https://www.youtube.com/@wpwildrivers3437

Please support the show by leaving us a rating and review!

Podcast Cover art photo by Thomas Tetzner.

Come along on a virtual bat visit at Carolina Trout Hatchery in Richmond, Rhode Island. RI DEM bat biologist Jennifer Brooks and I talk about fascinating topics like where bats go in the winter, what they eat, and how Jen and her crew trap and tag bats so scientists can learn more about these mysterious little critters. 

Photo: Little Brown Bat by Bat Conservation International. 

This podcast is brought to you by the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council, and is hosted by Casey Merkle and Hugh Markey.

Follow us on:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/WPWildScenic/

Twitter (X): @WpWildRivers

Instagram: @wpwild_scenic_rivers

You Tube: WP Wild Rivers

https://www.youtube.com/@wpwildrivers3437

Please support the show by leaving us a rating and review!

Podcast Cover art photo by Thomas Tetzner.

Join Casey Merkle and Hugh Markey as they follow odonate experts Ginger Brown and Nina Briggs on a dragonfly safari in the Great Swamp Management Area! 

This podcast is brought to you by the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council, and is hosted by Casey Merkle and Hugh Markey.

Follow us on:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/WPWildScenic/

Twitter (X): @WpWildRivers

Instagram: @wpwild_scenic_rivers

You Tube: WP Wild Rivers

https://www.youtube.com/@wpwildrivers3437

Please support the show by leaving us a rating and review!

Podcast Cover art photo by Thomas Tetzner.

"Good fences make good neighbors." So wrote Robert Frost in his poem, "The Mending Wall."

But what happens to those good fences when the neighbors have departed, either literally or metaphorically?

In this episode, Elliot Vosburg talks about his Master's project from the University of Rhode Island. Vosburg used LiDAR, combined with other technology and old-fashioned research, to map hundreds of miles of stone walls. Hear about what he learned and what he sees as the historical information that can be gleaned by locating them. 

See his Power Point Slides:  https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__docs.google.com_presentation_d_10nHsk5Z2WaVLe3syBPERsa9PC-5FGMNTJWK7mxKFODXgg_edit-3Fusp-3Dsharing&d=DwMFaQ&c=dWz0sRZOjEnYSN4E4J0dug&r=YXD7B-Qg1yZnmtSiYlLedPVKj-QF-2IEI2OX8x96gg0&m=QJTwZ659paPBRI-IOwRx7sLJaPIHqOIApe76fyUehWQ7Q0UhPJOCGPj-8xPsc1Zn&s=aFQisFN_I_dp1OW4M0OEFVY8M_sNaLUNdAD2X07HZSI&e=

Episode Artwork: Stone wall at Winnapaug Farm Preserve. Courtesy of Westerly Land Trust.

This podcast is brought to you by the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council, and is hosted by Casey Merkle and Hugh Markey.

Follow us on:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/WPWildScenic/

Twitter (X): @WpWildRivers

Instagram: @wpwild_scenic_rivers

You Tube: WP Wild Rivers

https://www.youtube.com/@wpwildrivers3437

Please support the show by leaving us a rating and review!

Podcast Cover art photo by Thomas Tetzner.

Join co-hosts Casey Merkle and Hugh Markey, along with Roger Williams Park Zoo's Hannah Petrarca as they discuss FrogWatch, a community science project focusing on frogs and toads. Let the peepers begin!

Become a Frogwatcher: https://www.rwpzoo.org/programs/frogwatch/

This podcast is brought to you by the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council, and is hosted by Casey Merkle and Hugh Markey.

Follow us on:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/WPWildScenic/

Twitter (X): @WpWildRivers

Instagram: @wpwild_scenic_rivers

You Tube: WP Wild Rivers

https://www.youtube.com/@wpwildrivers3437

Please support the show by leaving us a rating and review!

Podcast Cover art photo by Thomas Tetzner.

So many fish, so little time...

Our guest, Corey Pelletier, discusses the health of the Wood Pawcatuck Watershed and the steps the Department of Environmental Management is taking to monitor and conserve this vital resource. 

Photo: Wikipedia

This podcast is brought to you by the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council, and is hosted by Casey Merkle and Hugh Markey.

Follow us on:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/WPWildScenic/

Twitter (X): @WpWildRivers

Instagram: @wpwild_scenic_rivers

You Tube: WP Wild Rivers

https://www.youtube.com/@wpwildrivers3437

Please support the show by leaving us a rating and review!

Podcast Cover art photo by Thomas Tetzner.

 Explore the Wood-Pawcatuck's Wild and Scenic Rivers through Seven Rivers Unbound! Learn how scientists, artists, hikers, and birders enjoy and conserve  the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed and its federally designated Wild and Scenic Rivers. 

This podcast is brought to you by the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council, and is hosted by Casey Merkle and Hugh Markey.

Follow us on:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/WPWildScenic/

Twitter (X): @WpWildRivers

Instagram: @wpwild_scenic_rivers

You Tube: WP Wild Rivers

https://www.youtube.com/@wpwildrivers3437

Please support the show by leaving us a rating and review!

Podcast Cover art photo by Thomas Tetzner.