We give a damn.
Born from a partnership between Woodwell Climate Research Center and Fishpond, Science on the Fly unites scientists, industry leaders, and passionate anglers to turn a shared love for rivers into actionable climate science. From Arctic headwaters to the American West to the Amazon, our team guides a global network of community samplers collecting the critical, long-term water chemistry data needed to protect watersheds and influence environmental policy worldwide. We strive for cold water, clean rivers, healthy watersheds, abundant fish, and a bright future. We follow our passion, and we give a damn.
Founders
Max Holmes, PhD.
Max is President and CEO of Woodwell Climate Research Center. He studies rivers around the world, leading the Arctic Great Rivers Observatory, the Global Rivers Observatory, and the Cape Cod Rivers Observatory. His work is featured in a recently published award-winning book, The Big Thaw, and in 2015 Max was elected to the Explorers Club as a National Fellow. Max is also a life-long angler, and he’s thrilled to be bringing his scientific and fly- fishing passions together with Science on the Fly. He lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with his wife Gabby, son Nate, daughter Sophie, and dog Oopus.
John Land Le Coq
John Land Le Coq is the founder and CEO of Fishpond, a Colorado based fly fishing/outdoor recreation company, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Woods Hole, MA. As a certified B Corporation, Fishpond builds premium products and uses their profits and industry voice to leverage the support of water, species, and habitat conversation efforts. Johnny is also the founding partner of Case Logic, Inc and has been an active advertising and commercial photographer shooting branding image campaigns for leading companies around the world. He lives on a working ranch on the western slope of Colorado where he works to shape the future of Fishpond and to protect the habitat and species with whom we share this planet. He has two beautiful daughters, and his dog Playa, whom he adopted from the beach in Mexico.
Staff
Allie Cunningham
Allie is the Director of Science on the Fly. She was introduced to Science on the Fly while working at Telluride Angler and became the first citizen scientists for the Science on the Fly program, leading the charge of sampling the San Miguel River. Allie is excited to connect her passion for fly fishing, science and the community when it comes to protecting watersheds and the environment. She is an experienced angler and outdoorswoman herself. Allie previously worked in water quality monitoring around mine tailing reclamation sites, river restoration projects, as well as teaching and guiding fly fishing. Allie is originally from Marion, Massachusetts and loves any chance she can be by water- whether it be fly fishing high alpine creeks or sailing on Buzzards Bay.
Dr. Zhongqi Chen
Dr. Zhongqi Chen is a Research Scientist and Science Lead for Science on the Fly. He earned his Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of British Columbia, where he focused his research on thermal adaptation in iconic salmonids like Fraser River sockeye and Columbia River Basin redband trout. Today, he studies how cold-water fish populations respond to warming waters and habitat degradation and translates community science water samples into large-scale monitoring data to protect vulnerable rivers. Zhongqi is an avid fly fisher who loves combining his scientific curiosity with time on the water, whether studying fish in the lab or casting for native trout in remote desert streams. He currently lives in British Columbia with his family.
Anya Suslova
Anya is a Research Assistant at the Woodwell Climate Research Center. She helps to collect and analyze river water samples from around the world, to share the stories that rivers tell about their unique watersheds. Anya has a special love and respect for rivers.She grew up in Siberian Arctic and spent many months on the Lena river with her dad, a river boat captain and avid fisherman. Anya enjoys being outside and feels lucky that she travels to amazing places for work, with a mission to learn about them and to protect them. She recently learned how to fly fish and got hooked on it. She lives on Cape Cod, MA, with her husband, dog, cat and chickens.
Greg Fiske
Greg is a senior geospatial analyst at the Woodwell Climate Research Center. A cartographer, and a huge map advocate, he has been working with river related spatial data for over two decades. Greg learned how to fish as a child from his grandfather in the small brooks and streams of New Hampshire. Currently, he lives on Cape Cod with his family and has a custom made fly rod holder on his bicycle.
Abra Atwood
Abra is a postdoctoral researcher at Woodwell Climate Research Center. Her research has focused broadly on how disturbances, such as fire, deforestation or tectonic uplift, affect groundwater and river chemistry and flow. She has worked on research projects around the world, from the Nepal Himalaya to the Peruvian Amazon to the North Slope of Alaska as well as the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles. She is always finding water filters in the pockets of every jacket she owns. She grew up with a flyfishing dad in central Vermont, but has mostly fished on the lakes and rivers of Ontario and Alaska from a canoe. She lives mostly in Los Angeles, CA, but has previously called Alaska home and hopes to soon again!
Advisors
Andrea Norton
Andrea is research assistant at Woodwell Climate Research Center. She examines patterns in temperature and nutrients to assess the response of watersheds to climate change. She has deep expertise in aquatic ecology, biochemistry, water conservation, and science outreach and education. Her work is motivated by a love for outdoor spaces, particularly aquatic ones, and the knowledge that human impacts are damaging the health of these ecosystems. When she is not working she can be found reading, hiking, or ice skating.
Joe Mangiafico
Joe Mangiafico started volunteering for Science on the Fly in 2019. With a background in fisheries biology and a passion for fly fishing, he has been eager to participate with Science on the Fly on home waters and abroad. Joe is a full time knife maker and designer, and loves that he can incorporate fly fishing and conservation into his custom work.
Stash Wislocki
Stash Wislocki has been working in film and television for over two decades. Some of his credits include HBO, NBC, Felt Soul Media and ESPN. He has directed several shorts and feature films, which have screened at festivals, on television and in theaters around the world. Before he became a semi-functional adult he worked as fly-fishing guide in Southwest Colorado where he could be found in his VW van next to his favorite fishing holes telling, not always truthful, tales of greatness to his clients. Hopefully in the future, if he works hard and really applies himself, Stash can go back to being a guide and living in his VW again. Stash lives in Telluride, CO and has collaborated on several projects with the WHRC and Science on the Fly.
Stephen Rockwood
Stephen is a graphic designer at Patagonia, and is based in Ojai, CA. He enjoys helping elevate the voices of environmental grassroots organizations, supporting the public lands and waters on which he recreates, and taking time to simplify and enjoy the present.
Jack Reis
Jack Reis is the Director of Marketing at Fishpond and an avid supporter of conservation work around the globe. Jack has previously worked with water conservation and public lands groups to develop new partnerships and connect with elected officials to advocate for responsible environmental policy. After an early career as a strategy consultant, he spent time as a fly fishing guide in his adopted home of Colorado. He lives in Denver and enjoys any adventure that involves chasing new species in far-flung destinations.
The Global Volunteer & Partner Network
Coming Soon! We’re excited to show off our community scientists and regional partners!