Support Your Local Minnow

For many species, the arrival of humans to the neighborhood is usually a portent of bad things to come. The alterations we make to our environment often wreak havoc on the other animals that share those wild spaces with us.

No matter how you slice it, ours is the dominant species on the planet when it comes to shaping the world around us to suit our wants and desires. But that power also can be wielded to enact positive change, and when humans — especially an entire community of them — rally to a species' defense, their impact can be potent.

In this episode, you'll learn about one small Tennessee community's response to learning about the plight of a critically endangered minnow living on a nearby ridge. Like all good neighbors, they came together in defense of this hard luck fish, and the story of how and why that came to happen is the subject of this discussion.

Learn more about the Laurel Dace and the Aquarium's efforts to save it here: https://tnaqua.org/join-give/race-for-the-laurel-dace/

Episode Cast

Casey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist
Helaina Gomez, watershed conservation coordinator
Stephania Motes, former city manager of Spring City, Tennessee

The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.

Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.

Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.

Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Episoder(80)

Telling BIG Fish Stories

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A Six-Story Celebration

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9 Sep 1h 5min

How the Heckin' HECK Do You Find Endangered Fish?

By their very nature, endangered animals are a difficult target for scientists to research. They tend to be few in number — naturally — and the populations that exist have sometimes survived purely th...

28 Aug 1h 10min

Season 2 Finale: A Jolly Good Fellowship

Being selected for an internship or fellowship is a career milestone for many students and recent graduates, but it can also be a bit of a double-edged sword. Ideally, these programs are a chance to b...

30 Jul 56min

Grand Moth Talkin'

Despite outnumbering them (in species diversity) by a factor of almost ten to one, moths are the quintessential under-appreciated insect. To most people, they're an almost-spooky nocturnal curiosity a...

22 Jul 43min

A Quick Drop-in with Oscar the Sea Turtle

In the Aquarium gift shop years ago, there was once a sea turtle stuffed animal for sale that looked a little ... different. He didn't have all of his flippers, and his shell was missing a notch. This...

15 Jul 34min

A First-class Freshwater Filmmaker (feat. Jeremy Monroe)

When most people think about wildlife and nature documentaries, there are places that naturally spring to mind: the Great Barrier Reef, the Amazon Rainforest, the African Serengeti. What most people d...

1 Jul 1h 4min

Surprise, It's a Baby Lemur!

There’s no point in arguing that the arrival of a baby animal at an aquarium or zoo isn’t cause for celebration. Many, MANY new generations of animals have been born at the Tennessee Aquarium in our 3...

17 Jun 56min