2025 Program: Life in the Watershed

The rivers and streams that crisscross Bedford—including the pristine Mianus River running through the Bedford Village Historic District—and the lands around them, are brimming with life. Some of it is visible to the naked eye, yet mysteries abound both above and below the ground. Come learn all about the distinctive ecology of Bedford, in the company of friends and neighbors.

Each program will be moderated by “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent David Pogue, seven-time Emmy winner, five-time TED speaker, host of 20 “NOVA”science specials on PBS, creator of the CBS News podcast “Unsung Science.”

Thursday, April 24, 2025: Wildlife

Your Bedford backyard is a dynamic ecosystem filled with biological intrigue. Learn from experts about the changing world of mammals—including bears, bobcats, coyotes, opossums, skunks, otters, and muskrats that populate our local area—along with creatures such as snakes, frogs, turtles and salamanders that play a vital role. Learn more.

Speakers:

• Dr. Scott Loarie, Executive Director, iNaturalist

• Budd Veverka, Director of Land Management, Mianus River Gorge

It’s a miracle most of us take for granted: we turn on our kitchen taps and drinkable water comes out. Whether you draw from a well or a centralized system, you rely on the ground waters and a wondrous network of underground caverns, rock ledges and sandy pits that live deep beneath the surface of Bedford’s earth. This subterranean and above-the-surface exploration will forever expand your understanding of a world your life depends on. Learn more.

Speakers:

• Marc Yaggi, Chief Executive Officer, Waterkeeper Alliance

• Laura DeMott, Geologist, New York Water Science Center

• Rod Christie, Executive Director, Mianus River Gorge

This session will focus on the retooling of landscape architecture and property management in the face of the uncertainty of climate change and other changing conditions. Learn more.

Speakers:

• Kate Orff, Founder of SCAPE

• Murray Fisher, Plan It Wild

• Dr. Chris Nagy, Director of Research and Education, Mianus River Gorge