Dr. Rick Taylor is a professor of zoology and director of the fish collection in the Beaty Biodiversity Museum at the University of British Columbia. Rick graduated with a Ph.D. in zoology from UBC in 1989, chaired the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada from 2014 to 2018, and is an elected Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
In Rick’s forthcoming book, “Rivers Run Through Us: A Natural and Human History of Great Rivers of North America,” he profiles ten rivers that have profoundly influenced the course of human history and development on the continent.
What’s the thread that unites the 19th century Yukon gold rush, the first great school of American art, the turning point in the American Civil War, the California water wars of the last half-century, and the immigration crisis of the present moment? Rivers are central to each of these deeply human stories.
Tune in to learn more about this fascinating intersection between natural history and humankind!
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00:00 Intro
2:37 Why Rick wanted to write a book about rivers
4:44 What are the six major hydrological divides that split up North America?
8:03 The majestic flow of rivers
11:02 The tremendous political power of the water lobby
13:40 What is strange about the course that the Yukon River takes?
16:03 The massive Klondike Gold Rush in northwestern Canada
21:16 How California became an agricultural behemoth
25:27 How did a little, obscure fish become an icon in the California water wars?
31:20 The Rio Grande and the border crisis
33:46 In 1830, Mexico wanted to prevent Americans from entering their country
35:34 Many immigrants meet tragic ends trying to cross the Rio Grande
36:59 The incredible size and age of the Mississippi River
39:50 Why was control of the Mississippi so important in the American Civil War?
43:09 The Hudson is small but full of history
46:11 How the Hudson River School put American art on the map
49:13 What are the greatest ecological challenges facing our rivers?
55:37 "One final question"
58:40 Wrap-up
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Buy the book! Rivers Run Through Us: A Natural and Human History of Great Rivers of North America
Dr. Rick Taylor
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