Winters in the Connecticut River watershed are evolving as our climate continues to change. Join the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) and guest speakers Matt Devine and Jamie Shanley for an hour-long LiveStream webinar, “Understanding our Winter Watershed.” During this LiveStream, we will endeavor to take a deeper look below our winter river’s surface and at our watershed’s holistic dynamics. We will learn about the shifts in the river's ecology throughout the colder, winter months, while also examining how climate change and changes in snowpack are impacting our  watershed. Finally, CRC's Lab and Monitoring Coordinator, Melissa Langley, will help us anchor into CRC water quality and chloride monitoring program efforts.

Whether you’re a paddler, angler, scientist, student, winter lover, or simply curious about the natural world, this LiveStream webinar offers a fresh look at winter as an active and essential season for our rivers that can tell us a lot about change. 

Speakers:

Jamie Shanley - Research Hydrologist, United States Geologic Survey New England 

James Shanley has been working as a Research Hydrologist and Biogeochemist at the U.S. Geological Survey. From 1985 to 1991, Jamie researched acid rain at both the Atlanta and Boston USGS offices.  Presently, Jamie is the Principal Investigator at Sleepers River Research Watershed in Danville, Vermont, a long-term outdoor laboratory for forest hydrology and biogeochemistry. Jamie has been conducting research in the headwaters of the Connecticut River for three decades, including extensive work on winter melt events and their implications for water quality. He has facilitated other short-term projects in Puerto Rico, Alaska, and Germany. Jamie has a B.S. Environmental Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a M.S. Environmental Science from University of Virginia, and a Ph.D. Geology and Geophysics from the University of Wyoming. 

Matt Devine - Fisheries Biologist, CT DEEP Fisheries Division

Matt Devine is a Fisheries Biologist with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. His work in the Coldwater Program centers around habitat restoration, enhancing wild trout populations, developing public access, and community outreach. Matt is also a PhD candidate in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where his research focuses on the population dynamics and restoration ecology of river herring.

Melissa Langley - Lab and Monitoring Coordinator, Connecticut River Conservancy

Melissa Langley is CRC’s Lab and Monitoring Coordinator where she coordinates all the lab work and volunteer monitors for seasonal water quality monitoring programs assessing bacteria, nutrients, and cyanobacteria. Melissa has a range of experience in water quality lab work, salt marsh restoration, grant writing, and permitting. She holds a M.S. in Environmental Conservation from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst, where she studied the successes and shortcomings of tidal restoration projects in salt marshes on Cape Cod. 

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About LiveStream: CRC brings your rivers to you! Join CRC staff and partners for a series of live lunchtime presentations, on select Wednesdays from Noon-1pm. You get to learn more about the rivers you love, ask questions, and interact with a river-loving community all from the comfort and safety of your home (or wherever you may be). LiveStream will be hosted via Zoom. Please register for each presentation to receive meeting information. 

See past, present and future events in our LiveStream playlist on YouTube. Check out CRC's Events Calendar to learn about other upcoming events.

Photo credit to David Kotz.