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In this episode of Take Me to the River, Dr. Siwan Lovett sits down with renowned fluvial geomorphologist Professor Kirstie Fryirs—co-developer of the globally adopted River Styles Framework—to explore how rivers are shaped, damaged, and healed.

This jam-packed episode breaks down the science of river restoration through the lens of fluvial geomorphology. But what is geomorphology? As Kirstie explains, it’s all about understanding how rivers take shape — how water, mud, plants, and even animals like carp and platypus help form the way a river looks and behaves.

To make sense of this, Kirstie co-developed the River Styles Framework, a way of identifying different types of rivers, understanding their condition, and working out how they might recover. It’s now used all over the world to help river managers speak the same language when deciding how to care for waterways.

Kirstie challenges conventional thinking about river restoration, emphasising that knowing when NOT to intervene is just as important as knowing when to act. Through the concept of "recovery potential," she explains how each river must be treated individually with realistic expectations. In a world where rivers cannot return to pre-colonisation conditions, she shows us how to let rivers self-heal when possible.

A pioneer for women in the waterway industry, Kirstie became the second female professor of geomorphology in Australia. She shares her remarkable career journey from studying post-colonisation river disturbance in the Bega catchment to researching heavy metal contamination in Antarctica where she experienced true silence. She discusses her innovative teaching approaches and the advice that shaped her leadership style.

From icy Antarctic stations to the wild beauty of Tasmania's Franklin River, Kirstie's passion for rivers is infectious and you can hear it in every moment of this conversation. Whether you're a conservationist, scientist, or simply someone who loves waterways, this episode offers invaluable insight into river recovery — and the experience of being a pioneering woman in environmental science.

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Take Me to the River is an Australian River Restoration Centre podcast production, hosted by Dr. Siwan Lovett and produced by Chris Walsh and Jimmy Hooper, with support from the rest of the ARRC Team. ✨
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We acknowledge and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the country on which we work, learn, and live. We respect and learn from Elders past, present and emerging, valuing their knowledge, insights and connections to the waterways we love and care for. 🖤💛...