What would the Rondout Creek tell us if we listened? from the banks? from under the current? from the flow of people and creatures who have lived along, traveled through, and swam in the 63 miles of the creek for 10 years, 100 years, 10,000 years? 

Rondout Creek runs from the Catskills to the Hudson River through distinct environments—mountains, agriculture/towns, and tidal creek—and approximately 1/3 of the creek's water is diverted to flow into NYC's drinking water supply. The Rondout is significant ecologically and historically, and yet, there are few public access points and many forget it’s there.

"Rondout Radio" produced by Gretchen Burger and Sarah Cameron Sunde creates audio access points across four seasons: summer, fall, winter, spring. Gretchen and Sarah report on the creek–the water levels, temperature, smells, speed of the current–while standing in the creek. They talk with neighbors who live by the creek. They talk with community members who are taking care of the creek. And they listen to the creek from above and below the surface. 

In Episode 02, it's autumn on the Rondout (at Port Ben, Wawarsing) and Gretchen and Sarah talk with Sarah Underhill, a Rondout Creek resident, singer, songwriter and song collector, and long-time Hudson Valley water activist. You can listen to Sarah's music here.

Featured songs: 

"Living on the River" by Bill Rasmussin, performed by Sarah Underhill, from The Hudson River Song Book: A Musical Toolkit for Teaching on The River, Double D Productions

"Where Go The Boats", Sarah Underhill, Strange Sweethearts, 2010

"Manitou Bound", Sarah Underhill, Strange Sweethearts, 2010

"Swimming to the Other Side", Pat Humphries, 1992

Put on your headphones (to hear the water more deeply) and tune in. 

Gretchen Burger and Sarah Cameron Sunde are interdisciplinary artists who live in Kerhonkson and share studio space in Ellenville, within the town of Warwarsing, Ulster County, NY. Over the past five years, they have been engaged in questions of belonging in their community: Who belongs and why? And what creates points of connection—to each other, to the land and water where we live, to the values we share, and the value we make together. A series of community listening and conversation projects have emerged from these questions. Their shared work takes many forms: conceptual, audio, video, performance, social practice, and public intervention. Learn more about their collaborations here:www.325main.com.