Athens News Matters

Athens News Matters: Upper Oconee Watershed Network

WUGA | By Chris Shupe,

Published April 23, 2021 at 1:45 PM EDT

Many of us may not think about the water quality of our local rivers and streams on a daily basis, but those at the Upper Oconee Watershed Network do. The Upper Oconee Watershed Network, also referred to as UOWN (U-OWN), formed in 2000 in response to concern over the impact the region’s rapid growth could have on streams and rivers, according to UOWN’s website. I sat down with Bruno Giri, UOWN’s education chair, on Earth Day (April 22nd), a day to celebrate and recognize environmental protections.

For more information on the Upper Oconee Watershed Network, visit their website at uown.org or follow them on Facebook.

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Chris Shupe

Chris Shupe began work at WUGA as a part time weekend announcer in 2010. At the time Shupe was focused on maintaining a thriving career in Real Estate, as well as balancing his time as a local entertainer. Shupe may be best known as The Athens King, a tribute to Elvis Presley, which often included an 8 piece show band! In 2012, Shupe joined WUGA full time as the station’s Morning Edition Host and Assistant Operations Director, and after 2 years of serving in that role Shupe was hired as Program Director for the station. As PD, Shupe spearheaded a return to more involvement in national conferences and continuing education opportunities through industry professional organizations like the Public Radio Program Director's Association, Public Media Development and Marketing Association, Morning Edition Grad School, the NAB, and the Public Media Journalists Association. This involvement led Shupe to undertake a comprehensive market study in 2015, the first such examination of local audience trends in more than 15 years.

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Devon Zwald

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