Going With the Flow: Dany Davis, Catskill Streams, and the Long Way Home
After nearly 30 years wading Catskill streams, Dany Davis has learned that rivers don't just carry water — they carry time, memory, and if you're paying close enough attention, a few life lessons too. Now retiring as Stream Studies Coordinator for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, Dany is heading home to Alaska, and he sat down with us to reflect on what the streams gave back.
On the banks of Warner Creek in Chichester, the conversation turns to geology, glaciers, and the surprisingly personal lessons a river can teach you. We trace the story of the Catskills from ancient Devonian forests to the last ice age to today's turbidity monitoring network. Dany also reflects on a life shaped by curiosity, transition, and the concept of connectivity that runs through both rivers and human community.
In this episode:
- How streams literally carved the Catskill Mountains
- The 380-million-year-old river sand beneath your feet
- Why Stony Clove Creek became the focus of New York City's water quality research
- What turbidity has to do with glacial legacy sediment
- Dany's personal journey through gender transition — and finding equilibrium
- What yellow birch trees mean to a retiring geologist
- The "Rondout to Resurrection" road trip through seven river basins on the way home to Alaska
Want to dial in to your own neighborhood stream? Head over to the USGS Water Dashboard for real time data!
