Videos and Webinars
Below you can find conservation and working lands videos and webinars developed by our partners. These webinars are meant for a wide range of audiences — from technical experts and practitioners to landowners and the public.
The Adaptation Workbook - Building Your Climate Adaptation Plan
A collaboration between the Climate Learning Network and the Climate Science Initiative, this webinar provides an overview of the Adaptation Workbook, an online, interactive, and practical workbook that helps land managers develop their own custom built climate change adaptation plans (www.adaptationworkbook.org).
The eDNAtlas and Archive for aquatic taxa in Western North America
The ease, efficiency, and sensitivity of environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling of species in aquatic environments is leading to an explosion in its use across North America.
"Cold Water and Hardtack" Episode 308 | Tennessee Uncharted
Host Erick Baker and the Tennessee Uncharted crew take us on an adventure that looks to the future of water health and species diversity in Tennessee and pays tribute to the past in a Civil War reenactment.
We take care of our Natural Resources in Haywood County NC
Our locals and visitors alike take pride in the quality of the water here in Haywood County NC. The agriculture, flora/fauna, wildlife, breweries and more all rely on the quality of our water. Haywood County holds something very precious and rare - water that comes directly from our mountains and nowhere else. We are the only county east of the Mississippi River with headwaters that originate within our county lines. The activity of our community impacts other regions downstream and as award winning author Wendell Berry once said, “Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you.” I feel it is our responsibility and duty to safeguard our waterways.
"Riparian" Episode 309 | Tennessee Uncharted
With 2016’s devastating wildfires and learning about riparian zones feeding Tennessee’s waterways, host Erick Baker discovers that sometimes it takes science to restore faith in our ability to take care of our fair state.
Haywood Waterways Kids in the Creek
Kids in the Creek was created by the Tennessee Valley Authority and brought to Haywood County in 1997. The purpose is to expose 8th grade students to hands-on activities that raise awareness of the importance of clean water and the issues that could degrade water quality. The students rotate among four stations: the EnviroScape watershed model, water chemistry, fish, and benthic macroinvertebrates. At the fish station, the students collect data for a classroom exercise that ties everything together.
Haywood Waterways Watershed Restoration 2015
A look into restoration efforts in Haywood County, NC from the Haywood Waterways Association.
Saving Southern Appalachian Brook Trout
The Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute (TNACI) is working with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and other partners to save wild populations of Southern Appalachian Brook Trout. This species is Tennessee's only native trout species.
TN Wild Side - Green Salamander
The Wild Side of Tennessee is full of little creatures that blend into their surroundings, unseen by most. Yet they play very important roles in keeping the balance of nature just right. In this case, we're talking about the green salamander, an animal that makes its home in just a few select places. High on the Cumberland Plateau, deep in the woods, nestled back in the narrow cracks of ages-old rock outcrops is where you'll find this tiny creature. While the green salamander is known for its shyness, Wild Side Guide Alan Griggs shows us how one biology student is discovering just how fascinating it really is.
TN Wild Side - Conservation Fisheries...Saving Our Fish
Over the years we've encountered some very special people and organizations dedicated to preserving the Wild Side of our great state. All have the common goal of ensuring a more certain future for wildlife and their habitat. That's why we like to tell you about the good work being done by groups like Conservation Fisheries Incorporated. C-F-I is dedicated to preserving the biodiversity of our rivers and streams, often working to save small fish eliminated or badly harmed by pollution or habitat destruction. Wild Side Guide Alan Griggs tells the story of Pat Rakes and J.R. Shute, two University of Tennessee students who took their passion for our natural waters to a new level, in the process creating a better world for us all.
TN Wild Side - Hiwassee Land Preservation
These days, there are a lot more people trying to live on the same amount of land. That's certainly the case here in Tennessee, where our population is growing faster than the national average. Right now over 6 million people live in our state, a number expected to grow to over 7 million within the next 15 years. Which means the struggle to balance development and preservation is only going to get harder. That's why it's becoming even more important that all of us get involved in helping protect biologically, historically, and visually significant parts of our state. Wild Side Guide Craig Owensby takes us to one such place along the Tennessee River north of Chattanooga, where the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, The Land Trust for Tennessee, and community volunteers worked together to protect a Tennessee treasure.
TN Wild Side - Sequatchie Caddisfly
Anglers refer to it as "stick bait," most people don't see it, and biologists believe its future is very uncertain. The Sequatchie Caddisfly is one of those small, amazing animals that might be an afterthought to many. In truth, it plays a critical role in the ongoing health of the entire Sequatchie Valley, one of Tennessee's most beautiful natural areas. As humans have intruded into its world, the Sequatchie Caddisfly has lost most of its population and living area. Today, it's confined to a small corner of its original habitat. That's where we find Wild Side Guide Alan Griggs exploring the unusual relationship of a cave, a spring, and a tiny animal that lives there.
TN Wild Side - Brook Trout Restoration
The Southern Appalachian Brook Trout is small... so small in fact that a trophy fish is only nine inches long. This beautiful fish, vibrant with shimmery, bright colors is considered a prize catch, largely because the brook trout is a rare and elusive resident of Tennessee waters. It's the only trout native to our state and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and others are trying to make sure it doesn't disappear. Wild Side Guide Alan Griggs takes us to the Cherokee National Forest near Tellico Plains, where some young brook trout are returning home after nearly being wiped out in their mountain habitat.
TN Wild Side - The Pristine Crayfish
The clear streams and thick forests of Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau are home to some of the most unique and diverse wildlife in North America. It's also home to an eighty-year old state park that still attracts a million visitors a year… Fall Creek Falls. Everyone knows about the beauty of the falls, but just as interesting is the animal kingdom found beneath the waters in and near the park… including a rare and elusive crayfish with a colorful name. The Pristine Crayfish might be shy and reclusive but it helps hold the entire Plateau ecosystem together. Wild Side Guide Alan Griggs shows us how researchers are using the crayfish today to plan for tomorrow.
TN Wild Side - Valley Flame Crayfish
It’s believed more species of this little critter are found in Tennessee than any other state. While most of them live in our numerous streams and rivers, some are more at home away from those areas, in moist lands near water…even underground. That’s one reason why the crayfish is such an interesting, unique, and beautiful animal. Crayfish diversity brings researchers here from all over the world to study their habitat and life habits. But Wild Side Guide Alan Griggs found two men who don't have to travel far to follow their lives’ passion, learning as much as they can about crayfish while getting shoulder deep in mud and muck.
TN Wild Side - Salamander Survey
They're slithery and slimy and so shy we rarely see them. But to those who know about them they are beautiful sights. That's because salamanders are an indicator of just how healthy their home is. Since their home is the woods and water, that's just about everywhere. In this case, we mean the Bear Hollow Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Franklin County. That's where you'll find Barking Frog Swamp, some hard-working Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency biologists, a slew of salamanders, and Wild Side Guide Alan Griggs, all trying to learn more about these often overlooked creatures.
TN Wild Side - Buffalo Run
We've all seen the pictures and heard the thrilling stories of the great buffalo stampedes of the old West. Those involved the massive, furry, four-legged critters that once dominated the Great Plains. But the Buffalo we're talking about today swim in Tellico Reservoir except for a few days in early April each year. That's when thousands of buffalo fish make their spawning runs into nearby Citico Creek. The dark-colored fish quickly turn the creek into a frenzy of splashing water. The fishing's not bad either, as Wild Side Guide Alan Griggs shows us.
TN Wild Side - Duck River Cleanup
The Duck River is one of the most beautiful and aquatically diverse streams in North America. As it meanders through Middle Tennessee it's used for fishing, boating, and even as a source for drinking water. That's why it's important to keep the Duck clear of trash and natural debris. It's not easy. Uncaring people can easily pollute rivers like the Duck with discarded tires, old boats, and even a shopping cart or two. But thankfully there are volunteers like the ones we met near Columbia, Tennessee whose love for the river includes getting down and dirty. Wild Side Guide Janet Ivey tells us more.
Southern Salvelinus - Brook Trout Below the Mason-Dixon
Southern Appalachian Brook Trout are a geographically isolated strain of Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) that are facing a realistic possibility of disappearing. They are a valuable indicator species and the decline in brook trout populations is a reflection of the degradation of our beautiful streams. They are the only native trout (technically a char) to the Eastern United States. Because of the introduction of invasive Rainbow Trout (from the Western US) through state fish stocking programs, they are being out competed and brook trout populations are being even further reduced. Video by BlueBlood.
Fishy Fragments
These clips are a short snapshot into the many hours of footage captured below the rivers. A longer documentary will be compiled in 2016 including brook trout, stone nest building, colorful darters, and many other interesting species and behaviors. Video by Eric Malone.
