The River Radius Podcast

Sam Carter
  • 4.9 (114)
  • PLACES & TRAVEL
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

This is a river podcast, and a great story, boating, science, adventure and conservation podcast.

  1. Big Bend, the Rio Grande & a Border Wall

    APR 7

    Big Bend, the Rio Grande & a Border Wall

    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 RADIUS Website Runoff signup (episode newsletter) Instagram Facebook Apple Podcast Spotify Link Tree

    59 min
  2. Jess Lewis & The River Running Mindset

    MAR 17

    Jess Lewis & The River Running Mindset

    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 LewisWyld Heart Co.Wyld Heart Blog@wyldheartco   SPONSORS Valley Nissan@valley_nissan Down River EquipmentIG @downriverequipmentFB @Down River EquipmentRaftopia April 6-11, 2026In person sale April 11 THE RIVER RADIUS Website Runoff signup (episode newsletter) Instagram Facebook Apple Podcast Spotify Link Tree

    51 min
  3. Live with The Returning Rapids Project, at the America Outdoors Conference

    MAR 3

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

    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 GUESTSThe Returning Rapids Project Isabel Adler Davide Ipolito Mike DeHoffMedia about Returning RapidsA Ledge in the River: New feature documented by the Returning Rapids Project Mike Fiebig, American Rivers CONFERENCE HOST America Outdoors2027 Conference Watch this episode on the America Outdoors Youtube Channel SPONSORS Giveaway: "Raft the Last Wild River Sweepstakes" live March 9, 2026   OARS@oars_raftingStillwater & Cataract Canyon HikerCataract Canyon Whitewater Rafting AMERICAN RIVERS@americanrivers   THE RIVER RADIUS Website Runoff signup (episode newsletter) Instagram Facebook Apple Podcast Spotify Link Tree

    1h 21m
  4. National Paddling Film Festival 2026

    FEB 17

    National Paddling Film Festival 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

    42 min
  5. 3 Women 300 Miles, River Boarding the Grand Canyon

    FEB 10

    3 Women 300 Miles, River Boarding the Grand Canyon

    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

    1h 13m
  6. Ben Stookesberry, Exploratory Kayaking & Ecuador

    FEB 3

    Ben Stookesberry, Exploratory Kayaking & Ecuador

    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. GUESTS Ben Stookesberry @benstookesberry Bio @ Kokatat Bio @ Jackson Kayak Latest Film:  ¡Ay Chihuahua! Diego Robles:  @ecuskayaker   RESOURCES Ecuadorian Rivers Institute @ecuadorianrivers Steven Donzinger story Savages, book, by Joe Kane   PADDLERS TO FOLLOW @ecuskayaker (Diego) @williehenkel @wyatt_doyle @salmonsourcetosea @elizabeth.tobey @brookehess @oceansandmountains (Hailey) @pedroolivakaiak @riverratmountainkat @mayuwarmikayak @teepee_boys   SPONSORS Denver Area Nissan Dealers @nissanusa         THE RIVER RADIUS Website Runoff signup (episode newsletter) Instagram Facebook Apple Podcast Spotify Link Tree

    1h 3m
  7. Ed Roberson, Mountain & Prairie Podcast

    JAN 6

    Ed Roberson, Mountain & Prairie Podcast

    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

    1h 46m
  8. Albania's Vjosa River

    12/18/2025

    Albania's Vjosa River

    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

    33 min
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Trailer

4.9
out of 5
114 Ratings

About

This is a river podcast, and a great story, boating, science, adventure and conservation podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Sam Carter
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    133
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2018-2019, The River Radius LLC, The River Radius Podcast

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