What happens upstream doesn’t stay upstream. We sit down with ecology director Kayleigh Henry to unpack a year-and-a-half fight to protect the Black Run headwaters beside one of the Pine Barrens’ most loved preserves—and how a youth-powered movement helped to make it happen.

Together we trace the arc from first community hikes to packed council meetings, a 50,000-strong petition, and a pivotal Pinelands Commission decision to designate 2,400 acres as forest area. We explain how township master plans shape what can be built, why this technical step matters, and how aligning zoning with science gives communities real leverage.

We also explore a parallel front at Watchung Ridge in North Jersey, where public comment has been curtailed and organizers face a more closed process.to convert momentum into a permanent land acquisition.
If you care about conservation, clean water, headwater forests, or how local advocacy actually changes policy, you will get something from this discussion

yWhat happens when rain has nowhere to go? As climate patterns shift and development spreads across the landscape, our relationship with rainwater has become increasingly complex and problematic. Matthew Laconey, bio-environmental engineer with Rutgers University's Water Resources Program, takes us deep into the world of green stormwater infrastructure and why it matters to every community.

When rainwater hits impervious surfaces like parking lots and rooftops instead of natural areas, it creates a cascade of environmental problems. This runoff carries pollutants directly into streams, causes flooding by overwhelming waterways, and fails to replenish groundwater supplies that feed our aquifers. Green infrastructure works by creating natural buffers that capture, slow, and filter this water before it reaches waterways.

Throughout New Jersey, municipalities must navigate complex stormwater regulations through MS4 permits that establish baseline standards for water management. Laconey explains how climate change has forced regulators to update rainfall design standards, requiring newer developments to handle larger storms than historically necessary. The Rutgers team has implemented hundreds of green infrastructure projects statewide, from municipal installations to simple rain gardens at schools and homes.

For listeners wondering how to make a difference, Laconey offers practical guidance for installing residential rain gardens, emphasizing that "every drop counts" in our collective effort to manage stormwater sustainably. He points out that developments built before 1984 typically lack proper stormwater controls, highlighting the need to address existing infrastructure, not just new construction. By thinking differently about our relationship with rainfall, we can transform environmental challenges into opportunities for cleaner water, reduced flooding, and more resilient communities.

Ready to make a difference in your yard or community? Explore the rain garden manuals and resources available through the Rutgers Water Resources Program website, and join the movement to make water management more sustainable, one drop at a time.

With our guest Natalie Stone, we explore the deep roots of Sicilians and Italian Americans in the area , what it means to be a piney, and the cultural traditions that bind us all together.. The Pine Barrens complex web of culture, food, politics and history make the place of emblematic of America's cultural saga as the past mingles with the voices of today.