Seven Rivers Unbound

Explore Mastuxet Brook, a tributary of a Wild and Scenic River, with podcast host Hugh Markey and Lauren Bonatakis, the Wood Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers National Park Service Representative, as they search for dragonfly nymphs. Lauren shares her expertise in stream ecology and explains why monitoring our streams for water quantity and quality is so important. In this episode, we discover the...

Join Hugh Markey and Marc Doherty for a walking tour through the Champlin Farm Preserve with Dr. Thomas Boving, a hydrogeologist and professor at the University of Rhode Island. As we explore the landscape, Dr. Boving uncovers how glaciers, fault lines, and flowing water have shaped the land over millennia. From bedrock to boulders, we learn how geology and hydrology reveal the power of our rivers...

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 exp...

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 e...

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 bi...

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.  Follow us on: Fac...

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/ Instagram:  @wpwild_scenic_rivers You...

"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 mi...

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...

So many fish, so little time... Our guest, Corey Pelletier, discusses the health of the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed and its designated Wild and Scenic Rivers and the steps the Department of Environmental Management is taking to monitor and conserve this vital resource. Photo: Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department This podcast is brought to you by the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship C...

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: Face...