Returning to the Source, Reconnecting as a Movement
By: Bart Mihailovich
From November 12 to 14, more than 100 Waterkeeper leaders from across the United States and Canada gathered in Pittsburgh for the 2025 North America Regional Summit. For a movement that protects the waters millions rely on every day, it was a meaningful reunion, full of energy, clarity, and renewed purpose.
The Summit opened with reflections from Waterkeeper Alliance CEO Marc Yaggi, who reminded everyone that the greatest threat to environmental defenders is isolation. “There are forces that want Waterkeepers to work alone and wear down. But that’s not who we are.” Marc urged the room to meet the moment with courage, curiosity, and connection, insisting that our shared purpose is stronger than any challenge we face.
Three Rivers Waterkeeper Executive Director Heather Hulton VanTassel welcomed us to Pittsburgh and grounded the gathering in the story of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers. Soon after, the room filled with one of the most moving moments of the week. Council representatives invited first-timers to stand, and dozens rose to introduce themselves and their watersheds. It was a vivid reminder that the movement is not just strong. It is growing, with a new generation stepping into leadership.
Throughout the Summit, Waterkeepers traded strategies, compared challenges, and built new partnerships in sessions that spanned every region and every kind of work: industrial pollution and enforcement; community partnerships and coalition-building; Board development and organizational structures; fundraising and operational sustainability; and advocacy tactics and policy wins; road salt impacts, PFAS, septic pollution, and emerging threats.
Conversations sprang up in hallways, over coffee, and late into the night. Waterkeepers were swapping lessons on enforcement, data collection, community organizing, and the realities of defending local waters. Even when the weather cancelled a microplastics field session, Waterkeepers simply brought their gear indoors and kept teaching. The spirit of the movement was unmistakable. Adapt, connect, keep going.
We enjoyed a special evening aboard the Gateway Clipper for a chilly dinner cruise through Pittsburgh’s three rivers. Wrapped up against the cold, Waterkeepers pointed out power plants, water treatment facilities, and the places where their own rivers felt reflected in the view. Being out on the water made everything clearer. This is why we do the work.
To close the Summit, Marc returned to his opening message by stressing that “forces outside these walls expect us to be isolated. They expect us to be discouraged. But we leave here stronger – connected by knowledge shared, lessons learned, and a renewed commitment to keep the fire alive.”
For me, this is the heart of it all. When Waterkeepers learn and plan together, whole watersheds benefit. When they share tools and strategies, enforcement becomes stronger and communities become safer. A connected movement does not just feel inspiring. It delivers cleaner, healthier water for millions of people. “This was the first Waterkeeper Alliance event I’ve been to and I’m so glad I made the effort,” added Melissa Paly, Great Bay Piscataqua Waterkeeper. “I really did learn a lot and feel much more connected to Waterkeeper Alliance and many fellow Waterkeepers. It’s quite a privilege to be part of this movement.”
That is the power of showing up for each other. And that is why this Summit mattered.
