We Are Rivers

We’re joined this week by author and urban planner Hannah Palmer on a journey to find the Flint river in Atlanta, Georgia. Like so many urban rivers, the Flint is hardly recognizable as a river, at least at it’s headwaters beneath the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Through an effort called “Finding the Flint”, Hannah is working to bring the river back to the surface, both in terms of how it flows, and its role in people’s lives. This story of the Flint River isn’t unique, and as is so often the case, the way we treat our rivers is the way we treat our communities, and the long-term health and viability of the two are inextricably linked. We hope you’ll tune in.

NOTES:

http://hannahspalmer.com/flightpath

Tune in to learn more about the magical monsoon phenomenon that has so many of us awed. We talk to Dr.Connie Woodhouse, a professor in the school of geography, development and environment at the University of Arizona, and to John Fleck, director of The University of New Mexico's Water Resources Program. We cover some of what we know about the monsoon, what we don't, how it can't save us from a warmer and drier future, and how in some ways, maybe it can. Join us!

John Fleck's book (which he co-authored with Eric Kuhn) "Science be Dammed": https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780816540051?aff=jfleck

In a previous episode of "We Are Rivers", climate scientist Brad Udall said "You can't depress people into action". In this episode, our guest Amy McCoy is working to inspire us into action through a report she authored along with her partner, Season Martin, Culp & Kelly, and a whole host of other collaborators and contributors. The report outlines 10 bold strategies to increase climate resilience in the Colorado Basin, and Amy walks us through how the strategies were identified, and what they mean for our future.

NOTES:

Ten Strategies for Climate Resilience in the CO Basin: https://www.tenstrategies.net/

In this, our latest episode of We Are Rivers, we talk beavers and killer whales, poop sniffing dogs, and the inextricable link between wildlife, biodiversity, and healthy rivers. And, we imagine how we might translate this level of integrated understanding to policies and practices that govern rivers. This is the first of a two-part series. Join us!

NOTES:

Denielle Perry, Free Flowing Rivers Lab

Free-flowing Rivers Lab

https://denielleperry.com/research/

https://riverfieldstudies.com/

www.naustudentwatersymposium.com

Deborah Giles, University of Washington and

https://www.washington.edu/news/people/deborah-giles/

https://www.wildorca.org/team/

Mark Beardsley

Ecometrics (Mark’s company): https://www.ecometricscolorado.net/

The Beaver Believers: https://www.thebeaverbelievers.com/filmmakers

Eager: The Suprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter https://www.bengoldfarb.com/eager

Enos Mills, In Beaver World

Emily Fairfax, research, “Smokey the Beaver: beaver-dammed riparian corridors stay green during wildfire throughout western United States”

Jocelyn Gibbon is a river guide, and she’s also a water law and policy expert. When she isn’t guiding trips through the Grand Canyon, Jocelyn is a consultant for non-profits and other groups navigating the complex water world in Arizona and the Colorado River Basin. We embrace Jocelyn’s multiple talents to cover Arizona’s lesser-known rivers, the beauty of the grand canyon and the joys of guiding, and we get into the nitty gritty of water management, and lack thereof, for groundwater in Arizona. Tune in to learn more about the precipice Arizona is perched on, and what you can do about it.

Learn more:

Water for Arizona Coalition: https://www.waterforarizona.com/

Jocelyn Gibbon, Freshwater Policy Consulting: https://freshwaterpolicy.com/about/

In mid-April, American Rivers released the 2021 list of the country’s Most Endangered Rivers. The event was the culmination of a year’s worth of work inviting nominations and vetting rivers. It is, above all, an important opportunity to call attention to struggling rivers that are in need of our help, and highlighting rivers where there’s an action we can take to make a difference in their fate. Tune in to learn about this year's #1 Most Endangered River, and what you can do about it.

In our latest episode of the “We are Rivers” podcast, Pastores Juan and Rocio Almanza talk to us about the connection between faith and rivers. In this bilingual podcast, we learn about how Pastor Juan Almanza and Pastora Mary Rocio Cañas see stewardship as integral to their faith, and what that means for how they lead and serve. As Pastores at Centro De Adoración Familiar in Las Vegas, we learn about their work with the Hispanic Access Foundation to host events as part of Latino Conservation Week, and to connect their congregation and community with oceans and rivers through “Heartwired” activities. This podcast was developed in partnership with the Hispanic Access Foundation.

Photo Credit: Juan and Rocio Almanza

In this, our latest episode of the We Are Rivers Podcast, we learn about American River’s top priorities for the Biden-Harris administration. From investing in clean water to removing dams and providing renewed support for the Wild and Scenic River Act, we turn to our resident experts to learn about short and long term actions the new administration can take to improve the health and long-term resilience of the rivers we love, and the communities that rely on them. Listen in today!

Photo Credit: Brandon Parsons, South Platte River, Denver CO

Water Justice: what is it? In this episode, we talk with two experts in the field of environmental justice, Alicia Smith, Associate Director for Policy and Community Engagement Director at Freshwater Future and Kelsea Macilroy, instructor and PhD Candidate in the Sociology Department at Colorado State University. We discuss the different facets of environmental justice, examine injustices surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlight the importance of clean, accessible water for public health. Alicia and Kelsea share salient examples of the challenges communities are facing when it comes to water justice, and the ways that they're engaging in solutions-oriented, participatory democracy to map a path forward. This episode was created with our partners at Water Education Colorado. Join us on We Are Rivers for this critical conversation about the confluence of environmental justice and water equity.

Photo Credit: Shoelace Park on the Bronx River, NY; Charles R Berenguer Jr

In 2020, we learned about Stream Management Planning efforts in the Colorado Basin, conservation happening in Latino communities, the relationship between the Waccamaw Indian People and the river, and Colorado's in-stream flow program. Tune in to this episode for a sneak preview of the 2021 podcast series, learn about our new publishing schedule, and to get acquainted with your co-hosts, Fay Hartman and Page Buono.

Photo Credit: Colorado River in Fruita, Colorado, Sinjin Eberle