Episodios

  • Big Bend, the Rio Grande & a Border Wall

    Big Bend, the Rio Grande & a Border Wall
    Apr 7 2026
    The waters of the Rio Grande form the entire 1,254-mile border between the state of Texas and Mexico. Some portions of that border are open, with no physical barrier and monitored primarily by surveillance. Other sections have a full wall, with others are slated for new construction. One long stretch through Big Bend is defined by deep, rugged canyons that seem to function as a natural barrier. And it is here that survey crews are working toward the possibility of building a wall. This region is known for the Rio Grande flowing through national and state parks, Wild and Scenic canyons, and vast wildlife areas all consistently remote, powerful river country. Supporting that riverscape is a long-standing river outfitting community. A wall could cut off access to the river for outfitters, for do-it-yourself boaters and potentially disrupt the local economy built around it. River runners, ranchers, residents, and five border-county sheriffs are speaking out about the wall, standing against a wall and for the wild canyon country they call home. In this episode, we talk with Tara Shackelford, an outfitter, and Judge Greg Henington, a former outfitter and current county judge, to understand their connection to the river. GUESTTara ShackelfordHidden Dagger Adventures@hiddendaggeradventuresFB Hidden Dagger Adventures Judge Greg Henington2020 Texas Highways article featuring Greg Henington SPONSORSAmerican Rivers@americanriversFB American Rivers Valley Nissan@valley_nissan RESOURCESRio GrandeBig Bend regionBig Bend National ParkBig Bend Ranch State ParkBlack Gap Wildlife Management AreaLower Canyons Wild & Scenic Rio GrandeCañón de Santa Elena Flora and Fauna Protection AreaOcampo Flora and Fauna Protection AreaMaderas del Carmen The film: "The Border & the Wall" from Fin & Fur FilmsUS Customs & Border Protection, Texas border wall map GROUPS WORKING ON TOPICNo Big Bend Border WallNational Parks Conservation Association REGIONAL MEDIABig Bend SentinelMarfa Public Radio PREVIOUS RIVER RADIUS EPISODESThe US Mexico Border, the Rio Grande, a Floating FencePart 1 Tijuana River, Binational FlowPart 2 Tijuana River, Source of the PollutionPart 3 Tijuana River, Solutions THE RIVER RADIUSWebsiteRunoff signup (episode newsletter)InstagramFacebookApple PodcastSpotifyLink Tree
    Más Menos
    59 m
  • Jess Lewis & The River Running Mindset

    Jess Lewis & The River Running Mindset
    Mar 17 2026

    Jess Lewis started her company, Wyld Heart Co., to support river runners in the early stages of learning to run rivers. Her work focuses on mindset and heuristics that support personal growth alongside the technical skills needed to get boats down the river, and the mental skills required to grow through the challenges and “stuck on rock” moments that are inevitable for all river runners.

    She teaches skills for all river crafts, and her favorite and most common teaching setting is in a raft, with her students rowing the boat. We talk through the details of the oar setup she provides, the types of boats she uses, and the various learning styles of her students.

    Jess believes—and teaches—that even if a river runner has had moments on the river that scared them, or scared their kids who were in the boat, those fears can be worked through and skills can be adapted to support river running that is more prepared and more adaptable to each situation.

    Jess grew up with river-guiding parents, and at 13 she hiked the full Continental Divide Trail with her family. She describes both of these early life experiences as foundational to the work she does today.

    GUEST
    Jess Lewis
    Wyld Heart Co.
    Wyld Heart Blog
    @wyldheartco

    SPONSORS

    Valley Nissan
    @valley_nissan

    Down River Equipment
    IG @downriverequipment
    FB @Down River Equipment
    Raftopia
    April 6-11, 2026
    In person sale April 11

    THE RIVER RADIUS

    Website

    Runoff signup (episode newsletter)

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Apple Podcast

    Spotify

    Link Tree
    Más Menos
    51 m
  • Live with The Returning Rapids Project, at the America Outdoors Conference

    Live with The Returning Rapids Project, at the America Outdoors Conference
    Mar 3 2026

    This episode was recorded live at the America Outdoors annual conference and is a conversation with three members from the Returning Rapids Project in Utah. The Returning Rapids Project is documenting the changes and restoration happening to the reservoir-affected areas of the Colorado River and the San Juan River as Lake Powell continues to recede out of the river canyons it inundated with reservoir waters for the past several decades. The deeper focus of this episode beyond this research project is the powerful observational ability of river guides who work on rivers day after day, year after year, and how they can notice the most minute changes. In the case of the Colorado River and the Returning Rapids Project, it was this guide observation that witnessed a subtle shift to the river. This observation has developed into a powerful project that is learning how rivers recover from life under a reservoir.

    THUMBNAIL PIC
    Stephen Martin
    @finding.stephen
    @explorewithmedia


    GUESTS
    The Returning Rapids Project
    Isabel Adler
    Davide Ipolito
    Mike DeHoff
    Media about Returning Rapids
    A Ledge in the River: New feature documented by the Returning Rapids Project

    Mike Fiebig, American Rivers


    CONFERENCE HOST

    America Outdoors
    2027 Conference

    Watch this episode on the America Outdoors Youtube Channel


    SPONSORS

    Giveaway: "Raft the Last Wild River Sweepstakes"
    live March 9, 2026

    OARS
    @oars_rafting
    Stillwater & Cataract Canyon Hiker
    Cataract Canyon Whitewater Rafting


    AMERICAN RIVERS
    @americanrivers

    THE RIVER RADIUS

    Website

    Runoff signup (episode newsletter)

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Apple Podcast

    Spotify

    Link Tree
    Más Menos
    1 h y 21 m
  • National Paddling Film Festival 2026

    National Paddling Film Festival 2026
    Feb 17 2026

    Rivers are always photogenic, even telegenic, and rivers often become the setting for many films. Each year since 1981, the National Paddling Film Festival (NPFF) has provided a collective presentation of river films. This year’s festival is happening on February 21, live and in person in Kentucky with a virtual streaming option available for the price of a cup of coffee. We have 3 guests bringing us details about the NPFF. Stephanie Hoelscher is the director; Devin Ashley Brown is the featured paddler in the film “Mother River” about her Mississippi River run; and Nishan Thapa is the creator of the film “The Jewel of Wild West Nepal” about paddling the rivers in his home country of Nepal.


    GUESTS

    Stephanie Hoelscher

    Devin Ashley Brown
    @afrodiskayak
    Harvest Film Company

    Nishan Thapa
    @riverratmountainkat
    @summit_to_sea2026

    SPONSORS
    Denver Area Nissan Dealers
    @nissanusa


    FILMS

    NATIONAL PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL
    @npff.paddling
    Tickets: live & streaming

    THE RIVER RADIUS

    Website

    Runoff signup (episode newsletter)

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Apple Podcast

    Spotify

    Link Tree
    Más Menos
    42 m
  • 3 Women 300 Miles, River Boarding the Grand Canyon

    3 Women 300 Miles, River Boarding the Grand Canyon
    Feb 10 2026

    Do you ever get those wild ideas about running a river in a unique way, but they just stay ideas, and you kinda always wish you had followed through? This episode is about an idea that became a reality. In November of 2001, 3 people zipped up their drysuits, pulled on their swim fins, strapped their dry bags to river boards, and slid into the Colorado River beginning a 300 mile trip where river boards were their only water craft. Kelley Kalafatich, Julie Munger and Rebecca Rusch floated, swam, kicked and paddled their way in and down the Colorado River, successfully and joyfully, and they have a film documenting this story. The film has just published and they joined The River Radius to have a reunion of sorts and tell their river boarding story 25 years later.

    THE FILM:
    "Three Women, Three Hundred Miles: Introduction by Meryl Streep"
    Producer: Carr Clifton


    GUESTS

    Kelley Kalafatich TEDX
    Kelley Kalafatich IRF

    Julie Munger

    Rebecca Rusch website
    Instagram
    Facebook
    Youtube

    SPONSOR

    Denver Area Nissan Dealers
    @nissanusa

    EPISODE THUMBNAIL IMAGE
    Carr Clifton

    ARTICLES

    "Grand Adventure: River Boarding the Colorado"

    "Three Women, 300 Miles"


    RIVER BOARD

    Carlson River Board at NRS

    Churchhill Swimfins


    THE RIVER RADIUS

    Website

    Runoff signup (episode newsletter)

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Apple Podcast

    Spotify

    Link Tree
    Más Menos
    1 h y 13 m
  • Ben Stookesberry, Exploratory Kayaking & Ecuador

    Ben Stookesberry, Exploratory Kayaking & Ecuador
    Feb 3 2026
    Ben Stookesberry paddles kayaks in his home state of Montana, and around the world. In his teen years he learned to make home movies showing off his rollerblading moves, and in college he learned to kayak. Today he blends the paddling and film making as he runs rivers in global settings. He has created deep and lasting friendships in his travels, and returns to rivers again and again, to paddle more stretches, to learn more, and sometimes to engage in protection work. In this episode, Ben talks through all of this with us, and goes into depth about his current paddling and film efforts on the Jatunyacu and Mulatos Rivers in Ecuador.GUESTSBen Stookesberry@benstookesberryBio @ KokatatBio @ Jackson KayakLatest Film: ¡Ay Chihuahua!Diego Robles: @ecuskayaker RESOURCESEcuadorian Rivers Institute@ecuadorianriversSteven Donzinger storySavages, book, by Joe Kane PADDLERS TO FOLLOW@ecuskayaker (Diego)@williehenkel@wyatt_doyle@salmonsourcetosea@elizabeth.tobey@brookehess@oceansandmountains (Hailey)@pedroolivakaiak@riverratmountainkat@mayuwarmikayak@teepee_boys SPONSORSDenver Area Nissan Dealers@nissanusa THE RIVER RADIUSWebsiteRunoff signup (episode newsletter)InstagramFacebookApple PodcastSpotifyLink Tree
    Más Menos
    1 h y 3 m
  • Ed Roberson, Mountain & Prairie Podcast

    Ed Roberson, Mountain & Prairie Podcast
    Jan 6 2026

    Podcasting is incredibly unique and fun work that has allowed me to meet so many rivers and river people. And podcasting is a job that I really just created for myself. Yes there are other podcasts and podcasters, but by nature of the work, we are all kind of hidden in quiet places behind microphones and editing screens, so finding a podcasting friend is so helpful. Ed Roberson has built the Mountain & Prairie Podcast and we have become colleagues and friends that can support each other when we have questions and challenges. For this episode, Ed and I decided to interview each other in a single episode and go deeper into our work, and publish it on both of our respective podcasts. Ed is a leading interviewer finding some of the most humble and impactful people of the American West and Ed is in the process of writing his own book. To start off 2026, here is an episode with two podcasters talking about our work, focus and plans for this coming season of episodes.

    GUESTS

    Ed Roberson

    Mountain & Prairie Podcast website

    On Apple

    On Spotify

    @mtnprairie


    SPONSORS

    Denver Area Nissan Dealers

    @nissanusa

    THE RIVER RADIUS

    Website

    Runoff signup (episode newsletter)

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Apple Podcast

    Spotify

    Link Tree
    Más Menos
    1 h y 46 m
  • Albania's Vjosa River

    Albania's Vjosa River
    Dec 18 2025

    The Vjosa River in Albania is one of the largest of the last free running rivers in Europe and recently it was protected with the new Vjosa Wild River National Park. The Vjosa sources from the mountains of Greece and flows north through Albania where it meets the Adriatic Sea. Eco Albania has led much of the work to create this National Park and our guest Dr Olsi Nika founded Eco Albania. Dr Nika tells us about this long and beautiful river in his home country, how people in Albania use this river, about life in Albania, and how they did the work to project this river.

    GUESTS

    Dr Olsi Nika

    RESOURCES

    Vjosa River

    Vjosa Wild River National Park

    Eco Albania

    Albania

    Balkan Peninsula

    Mediterranean Basin

    Rewinding Europe

    Video: Blue Heart - Eco Albania


    SPONSORS

    Denver Area Nissan Dealers

    Over It Raft Covers


    THE RIVER RADIUS

    Website

    Runoff signup (episode newsletter)

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Apple Podcast

    Spotify

    Link Tree
    Más Menos
    33 m