Summary Childhoods spent exploring creeks, streams, and ponds inspired a lifelong dedication to protect aquatic biodiversity for JR Shute and Pat Rakes. Together they founded Conservation Fisheries a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of aquatic biodiversity in streams and rivers, particularly in the Southeast. In today’s episode of River Talks, JR and Pat […]
One of the most important (and exciting!) parts of designing and building your rain garden is choosing your plants. The best plants to grow in your rain garden depend on the location of your garden and how much sun your plants will get. Not all plants love full sunlight so it’s important to know what […]
Subscribe to River Talks on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google. Summary Climate change is one of the most pressing problems faced by today’s global community. Across the United States, we see constant reminders that climate change is here: record heat in the Pacific Northwest, wildlife smoke that hazes the air in Tennessee, or 100-year […]
Subscribe to River Talks on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google. Summary The cool shade of a tree is a welcome relief on a hot day. But in cities across the United States, tree cover is not equally distributed between neighborhoods. All cities experience the urban heat island effect, where cities are warmer than the […]
Spending your summers outside in Middle Tennessee means you have a high likelihood of running into three things that can make your hair stand up. Ticks, poison ivy, and snakes. I won’t attempt to change your mind on the first two, but snakes play an important role in our area and pose a far less […]
The days are getting longer, the weather is warming up, and the green spaces around us are beginning to bloom. Many schools are out this week for spring break, so we thought we’d put together a week full of activities that will be fun for the whole family. Each day has a theme complete with […]
Summary We all eat, yet people are often disconnected from where their food comes from and how it gets produced. We may not realize the harmful impacts of what we eat on the environment and our climate. In fact, agriculture contributes 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, agriculture can also be a powerful […]
Summary: Across Appalachia, thousands of acres of formerly mined land sits barren or has been converted to gravelly grassland. These sites were once home to thriving forest ecosystems and some of our region’s most astounding biodiversity. Through a specific reforestation process known as the Forestry Reclamation Approach, these sites can be improved by removing […]
Rain Gardens are like a sponge –they soak up water, clean pollutants, and slowly release it back into the ground. What is a Rain Garden and What Does it Do? After rainfall hits the ground, it becomes “runoff” and begins its journey back to a waterway, picking up any harmful chemicals or pollutants on its […]
Summer rainfall in the Cumberland River basin can be unpredictable from year to year. Unless you are able to irrigate or provide water to all the plants in your yard (a more expensive and less water-friendly option) you’re going to want some plants that can withstand a Tennessee summer. When choosing plants for your yard […]
