diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_r.yaml b/.github/workflows/test_r.yaml
index 4eb5990..3418617 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_r.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_r.yaml
@@ -28,14 +28,11 @@ jobs:
             python-version: "3.9"
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
-         
-      - name: Install/set-up conda
-        uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v3
+
+      - name: setup python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
         with:
-          auto-update-conda: true
-          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-          auto-activate-base: true
-          activate-environment: ""
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.config.python }}
 
       - name: Set up R
         uses: r-lib/actions/setup-r@v2
@@ -45,22 +42,25 @@ jobs:
       #- uses: r-lib/actions/setup-renv@v2
       
       - uses: r-lib/actions/setup-pandoc@v2
-            
-      - name: Install testing pkgs
-        run: |
-          conda install pytest
-          conda install geopandas>=0.10.2, <0.13 
-          conda install numpy<2.0
-          conda install pandas<2.0
-          conda install pint>=0.18
-          conda install dataretrieval>=1.0, <1.0.5
-          conda install requests
       
-      - name: Run env using R reticulate
+      - name: R depends
+        shell: Rscript {0}
         run: |
           install.packages(c("knitr", "rmarkdown", "reticulate"))
-          reticulate::import("harmonize_wq")
+        
+      - name: setup r-reticulate venv
         shell: Rscript {0}
+        run: |
+          library(reticulate)
+
+          path_to_venv <- virtualenv_create(
+            envname = "r-reticulate",
+            python = Sys.which("python"), # placed on PATH by the setup-python action
+            packages = c(
+              "pytest", "numpy<2.0", "pandas<2.0", "geopandas>=0.10.2, <0.13", "pint>=0.18",
+              "dataretrieval>=1.0, <1.0.5", "requests"
+            )
+          )
         
       - name: Render-rmd
         run: |