River Town Podcast

Join host Tina Casagrand Foss, the founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of The New Territory magazine, on a magical Disneyland log ride down the Missouri River. Along the way, we’ll get to see how the mighty waterway shapes the people and places it flows through.

Episode One: A Flood Monster, Music and a Pretzel Boat

In the very first episode of River Town, we’re exploring how the Missouri River of today inspires artists -- from folk musicians, to watercolor painters with a penchant for pretzel paddle boating, to writers recounting their childhood “flood monster” memories. We want to know . . . no shame for this pun . . . How does the Missouri River help artists find their flow?.

By Kiana Fernandes, Tina Casagrand Foss, Kaylin Hellyer, Abigail Keel, Abby Lee, Ailing Li, Ellie Lin, Jessica Vaughn Martin, Olivia Mizelle, Tadeo Ruiz

Episode Two: Pedal, or Paddle?

In this episode, we’re having some fun. We’ll meet people who choose to spend their time sweating on the river. Our producers spent this past autumn meeting casual trail users, dry-land athletes and big river paddlers who enjoy actually getting their feet wet.

By Kiana Fernandes, Tina Casagrand Foss, Kaylin Hellyer, Abigail Keel, Abby Lee, Ailing Li, Ellie Lin, Jessica Vaughn Martin, Olivia Mizelle, Tadeo Ruiz

Episode Three: Protecting Our Water

In this episode of River Town, we’re going to meet River Town’s youngest upstanding citizens, learn what people are doing to protect our waterways from pollution, and what’s happening in Missouri water policy right now.

By Kiana Fernandes, Tina Casagrand Foss, Kaylin Hellyer, Abigail Keel, Abby Lee, Ailing Li, Ellie Lin, Jessica Vaughn Martin, Olivia Mizelle, Tadeo Ruiz

Episode Four: A River Blessing

Water is life. It gets us places. Connects us to each other. It holds history and tradition. It keeps all these things, and us, alive. History, and modern stories, show us this. For this episode, we explored these connections by documenting modern Indigenous relationships to the Missouri River and other sacred waters, caught a boat ride with historian and author Greg Olson, and observed a water blessing at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.

By Kiana Fernandes, Tina Casagrand Foss, Kaylin Hellyer, Abigail Keel, Abby Lee, Ailing Li, Ellie Lin, Jessica Vaughn Martin, Olivia Mizelle, Tadeo Ruiz

Episode Five: Take Me to the River

In the final episode of season one, we’re turning things over to River Town Producer Tadeo Ruiz. Tadeo is pretty new to Missouri – via Mexico City - and he’s been surprised to learn about how much people here love the river. But during his reporting for River Town, he started to feel connected with one Missouri River town in particular… Rocheport. Follow him along his journey as he gets to know the river and the people who love it.

By Kiana Fernandes, Tina Casagrand Foss, Kaylin Hellyer, Abigail Keel, Abby Lee, Ailing Li, Ellie Lin, Jessica Vaughn Martin, Olivia Mizelle, Tadeo Ruiz