Who Is Waterkeeper? - Waterkeeper

Who Is Waterkeeper?

Who Is Waterkeeper is a monthly blog series that spotlights and celebrates the collective voices of our global water movement. Each profile features an interview with a different Waterkeeper, amplifying their impact, mission, and work to protect clean water in communities around the world.

Who Is Waterkeeper: Megh Ale, Karnali River Waterkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Megh Ale first saw the Karnali River in 1991. He hiked a full two days to get there, and it was well worth the effort. The waters were turquoise blue and...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Xiaojing Wei, Upper Yellow River Waterkeeper


Xiaojing Wei is the Upper Yellow River Waterkeeper in China. From a very young age, growing up in Henan Province, she was always interested in nature....

Who Is Waterkeeper: Sean Dixon, Puget Soundkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • Blog | News

Sean Dixon of Puget Soundkeeper grew up on the other side of the country in Buffalo, NY. Obsessed with fish, he learned to scuba dive as a teenager. He...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Nabil Musa, Waterkeepers Iraq-Kurdistan


Nabil Musa grew up in Iraq, but was forced to leave the country in 1996 due to the country’s ongoing military conflict. His childhood was also marred...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Patricio Chambers, Guayllabamba Waterkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Patricio Chambers has been the Guayllabamba Waterkeeper in Ecuador since 2018. He learned the value of caring for nature from his father, Rafael Chambers,...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Theo Thomas, London Waterkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

The city of London was founded nearly 2,000 years ago by the Romans, who initially called it Londinium. Since that time, London has established itself...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Liliana Guerrero, Bocas de Ceniza Waterkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Liliana Guerrero has been the Bocas de Ceniza Waterkeeper since 2010. She had been living in Cartagena, Colombia, working as a law professor. A colleague...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Jim Moir, Indian Riverkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Jim Moir has been Indian Riverkeeper in Florida since 2022, though the organization has been around since 2000. Jim is technically the fifth Indian Riverkeeper,...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Amanda Reichelt-Brushett, Richmond Riverkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Richmond Riverkeeper is one of the newest Waterkeeper groups in the movement. Their official membership only went live in December of 2023. But the impetus...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Nelson Brooke, Black Warrior Riverkeeper


Nelson Brooke joined Black Warrior Riverkeeper in Alabama when a friend from elementary school asked if he could help run the nascent organization for...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Bruce Reznik, Los Angeles Waterkeeper


Los Angeles Waterkeeper Bruce Reznik grew up in a quiet, residential area of Los Angeles County. As a kid, he can remember seeing signs pointing out the...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Bunleap Leang, Lower Sesan River Waterkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Bunleap Leang is the Lower Sesan River Waterkeeper in Cambodia. The Lower Sesan River runs for roughly 225 kilometers, or about 140 miles, and is a sanctuary...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Alice Volpitta, Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Alice Volpitta can trace her love for water back to when she grew up in Maryland crabbing and fishing with her dad on the tributaries of the Chesapeake...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Angie Rosser, West Virginia Headwaters Waterkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Angie Rosser is the West Virginia Headwaters Waterkeeper and also the Executive Director of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition. She grew up in Ohio and...

Jerry White Jr, Spokane Riverkeeper

Who Is Waterkeeper: Jerry White Jr, Spokane Riverkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Spokane Riverkeeper, Jerry White Jr, says his love of the water goes way back. He describes his mother and grandfather. specifically, as ‘river people’...

Julie Silverman, Lake Champlain Lakekeeper

Who Is Waterkeeper: Julie Silverman, Lake Champlain Lakekeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Throughout the world, large bodies of water contain within them a bit of mythology. Humans can’t breathe under water. We can’t see or ever truly...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Cheryl Nenn, Milwaukee Riverkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

The city of Milwaukee is home to the confluence of three rivers: the Menomonee River, the Kinnickinnic River, and the aptly named Milwaukee River. The...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Anna D’Apolito, Lake Atitlán Waterkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Lake Atitlán is a historically significant body of water that is also known for its beauty and volcanic activity. It enjoys UNESCO designation and is...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Heather Smith, Grand Traverse Baykeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Grand Traverse Bay sits at the northern end of Michigan’s lower peninsula. The embayment is known for its pristine blue waters that look almost turquoise...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Rashema Ingraham, Bimini Coastal Waterkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Bimini is the westernmost region of The Bahamas. This chain of small islands is only about 50 miles west of Miami and is home to the famed Bimini Road,...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Gidon Bromberg, Jordan River Waterkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

The Jordan River runs for about 100 kilometers, from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, serving as a border between Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians....

Peconic Baykeeper

Who Is Waterkeeper: Pete Topping, Peconic Baykeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

If New York’s Long Island is shaped like a fish, then the Peconic Bay and estuary are the space between the tail fins. The waterbody separates the north...

John Peach

Who Is Waterkeeper: John Peach, Upper St Lawrence Riverkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

The St. Lawrence River is an international border, with Ontario, Canada on one side, and the U.S. state of New York on the other. It connects Lake Ontario,...

Melinda Booth

Who Is Waterkeeper: Melinda Booth, Yuba River Waterkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

The Yuba River runs for about a hundred miles from its origins in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Lake Tahoe in Northern California downhill to the Sacramento...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Ted Evgeniadis, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

The Susquehanna River is the longest river on the east coast of the United States. It runs for nearly 500 miles from Cooperstown, NY through the state...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Emily Sutton, Haw Riverkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Emily Sutton didn’t know what being a Waterkeeper entailed until she started working as one. Suffice to say, it was an immediate fit. After graduating...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Damon Mullis, Ogeechee Riverkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Damon Mullis is the Ogeechee Riverkeeper in Georgia. He grew up spending a lot of time hunting, fishing, and recreating outdoors. At Georgia Southern University,...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Margarita Diaz, Tijuana Waterkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Margarita Diaz grew up near the beach and has always had a connection with water. So it makes sense that the first thing she did when she moved to Tijuana...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Laura Reinsborough, Ottawa Riverkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

The Ottawa River is nearly 800 miles long. For most of its length, it serves as the border between the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. The river...

Who Is Waterkeeper: Matt O’Malley, San Diego Coastkeeper

  • By: Thomas Hynes
  • News

Matt O’Malley is the San Diego Coastkeeper, though he grew up on the other side of the country in a highly urbanized area of New Jersey. He can remember...