There is no other estuary in the world with a network of rivers like the one that feeds Chesapeake Bay. Every square inch in the drainage basins of those rivers is connected directly to the Bay. The Chesapeake itself is a river, after all. It is the drowned valley of the Susquehanna, a 200-mile-long tidal river mouth. In this episode, John Page Williams provides a geography lesson of the Chesapeake's life blood--its rivers. If you liked this episode, please give us a thumbs up and share your comments, it really helps us to spread these seasonal stories to new listeners. TRANSCRIPT Subscribe to ..read more

Did you know it's likely that most members of every population of bald eagles on the East Coast visit the Chesapeake at some point in their lives? In this episode, John Page Williams shares information about bald eagles in the Bay, where you can them, and tips for identifying them, even if they are immature or too far away to distinguish their telltale white head. TRANSCRIPT Subscribe to Chesapeake Almanac, find us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our podcast page at https://www.cbf.org/ChesapeakeAlmanac. Chesapeake Almanac is provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Saving the B ..read more

Fossils put Bay time into perspective. Features of today's region were already recognizable when the Atlantic Ocean flooded the mouth of the Susquehanna River system 15,000 years ago. In this episode, John Page takes us back to the Bay during the Miocene Epoch and points out spots where fossils from that time can still be found, as well as resources for learning more TRANSCRIPT Subscribe to Chesapeake Almanac, find us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our podcast page at https://www.cbf.org/ChesapeakeAlmanac. Chesapeake Almanac is provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Saving th ..read more

In this episode, John Page introduces us to the Chesapeake's most abundant aquatic mammal and one of the few that are active in winter--muskrats. Curious how a warm-blooded mammal can live in an aquatic habitat in the dead of a Chesapeake winter? Learn that and more. TRANSCRIPT Subscribe to Chesapeake Almanac, find us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our podcast page at https://www.cbf.org/ChesapeakeAlmanac. Chesapeake Almanac is provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Saving the Bay through Education, Advocacy, Litigation, and Restoration. Find out more about our work to save t ..read more

When the cold fronts push into the Chesapeake region, you can expect to see (and hear) large flocks of tundra swans sweeping in after them. These are creatures of habit, or some may say tradition, flying more than 1,000 miles to the same wintering grounds each year. In this episode, John Page shares some of the reasons these birds select the Chesapeake, as well as what changing conditions in the Bay may mean for their future. TRANSCRIPT Subscribe to Chesapeake Almanac, find us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our podcast page at https://www.cbf.org/ChesapeakeAlmanac. Chesapeake Alma ..read more

We all know the iconic Chesapeake oyster. But studying less well known members of the Bay community is often a good window into understanding it better. Softshell clams, hard clams, brackish-water clams, hooked mussels, ribbed mussels, and the stout razor clam each have their own niche and specialty--and guidance for eating. In this episode, John Page shares the stories of the "other" Chesapeake mollusks--including one that can dig faster than you can! TRANSCRIPT Subscribe to Chesapeake Almanac, find us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our podcast page at https://www.cbf.org/Chesape ..read more

Sometimes it can be easy to forget that oysters share the basic processes of life with us--like eating. In this episode of "Chesapeake Almanac," John Page Williams explains the intricate system of how oysters eat and what makes them so plump in November and December (prime time for oyster stuffing and oyster stew!). TRANSCRIPT Subscribe to Chesapeake Almanac, find us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our podcast page at https://www.cbf.org/ChesapeakeAlmanac. Chesapeake Almanac is provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Saving the Bay through Education, Advocacy, Litigation, and R ..read more

Loons are as well loved in summer by people on North Country lakes as ospreys are by us here. But at this time of year, they descend on the Chesapeake Bay in the thousands. In this episode, John Page shares his personal introduction to the Chesapeake's fall loons and their extraordinary "banquets" of menhaden. TRANSCRIPT Subscribe to Chesapeake Almanac, find us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our podcast page at https://www.cbf.org/ChesapeakeAlmanac. Chesapeake Almanac is provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Saving the Bay through Education, Advocacy, Litigation, and Restora ..read more

In this episode of Chesapeake Almanac, John Page Williams introduces us to a group of microscopic plants that live in the Bay thrive over the fall and winter. Diatoms--microscopic algae--are stunningly abundant this time of year. In Edwardian England, those interested in natural history made a hobby of collecting diatoms, looking at them under a microscope and marveling at their complex shapes, which have been referred to as "intricately carved glass jewel boxes." But those intricate designs are more than stunning to look at. They play an important role in the organism's survival. Listen now a ..read more

Loons are as well loved in summer by people on North Country lakes as ospreys are by us here. But at this time of year, they descend on the Chesapeake Bay in the thousands. In this episode, John Page shares his personal introduction to the Chesapeake's fall loons and their extraordinary "banquets" of menhaden. TRANSCRIPT Subscribe to Chesapeake Almanac, find us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our podcast page at https://www.cbf.org/ChesapeakeAlmanac. Chesapeake Almanac is provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Saving the Bay through Education, Advocacy, Litigation, and Restora ..read more