Who Is Waterkeeper: Dr. Catie Alves, South County Coastkeeper
By: Thomas Hynes
Dr. Catie Alves is the South County Coastkeeper in Rhode Island. Some of Rhode Island’s most ecologically important and vital habitats exist on Rhode Island’s South County Coast, including nine salt ponds and Little Narragansett Bay at the mouth of the Pawcatuck River and the Connecticut border. These ponds and Little Narragansett Bay are unique in their history and ecological diversity and play an integral part in the ecosystem that includes Narragansett Bay proper and its tributaries. The jurisdiction also covers the town of Narragansett, where Catie grew up as a kid.
“I have often considered myself a mermaid – more at ease underwater than on land,” says Catie. “I think that comes from growing up exploring the beaches, salt marshes and rivers between my mom’s house in Narragansett and my Gram’s in Westerly, RI. School field trips and summer camps also fueled my fascination with the natural world.”
One field trip, in particular, resonated with Dr Alves. In the sixth grade, she and her class joined Save the Bay, the parent organization for South County Coastkeeper, Narragansett Baykeeper, and Narragansett Bay Riverkeeper.
“I remember that field trip so distinctly,” says Catie. “We went to the salt marsh in Narragansett– my favorite place to be. And there was little 6th grade Catie being introduced to science by women scientists. Going and doing hands-on work.”
However, Catie’s path from 6th grade student to South County Coastkeeper was by no means a straight line. Nor did it all take place in Rhode Island. Catie showed an aptitude for biology in high school. She pursued it further at Connecticut College and later when obtaining her Ph.D in ecology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She traveled to Belize and studied fisheries. She enjoyed the work but yearned for more of a community connection.
After nearly a decade away from home, Catie and her partner moved back to Rhode Island in 2018. She completed her doctorate in 2020. While plotting her next professional move, Catie and her partner welcomed a baby girl in the summer of 2022. Being a mom was always a dream of Catie’s, but, like many mothers, she suffered from postpartum depression. As Catie adjusted to this new facet of her identity as both a mother and a scientist, the South County Coastkeeper position at her beloved Save the Bay became available.
“Community has always been really big to me. It’s a huge source of identity, peace and connection. I pursued my PhD because I wanted to be a scientist who worked at the intersection of conservation, policy and community-based work,” says Catie. “When the job opened, I thought maybe this is the opportunity to bridge the gap between people and nature and policy. I made the pivot from research to environmental advocacy and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Catie took the position only six months after the birth of her daughter. It was the opportunity of a lifetime but it was not without challenges. Not only did she have to learn the ins and outs of the job, she also had to navigate pumping breast milk at work (sometimes in the field!), constantly advocate for herself as a mom, and juggle daycare drop-offs and scheduling. The multi-tasking, long hours, and physical endurance of parenting sounds a bit like being a Waterkeeper. In a way, Catie is not just a mother to her daughter, she is also the caregiver for her home watershed.
Though she’s only been on the job for a little over two years, Catie has already accomplished many great things in this role. She co-authored a letter, co-signed by eight organizations, urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to list Bradford Printing & Finishing as a Superfund Site. She has mentored undergraduate interns on their senior theses on water quality data and community outreach strategies. Catie has helped increase engagement with the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council to launch a watershed-wide research and advocacy network of technical advisors. She is also supporting a long-running project that predates her tenure as Coastkeeper to restore fish passage along the Pawcatuck River. Removing the last of these legacy mill dams that currently obstruct fish passage will mitigate floods, promote resilience and allow the river (and the fish!) to exist the way nature intended. But none of this happens overnight.
“This is millions of dollars and decades worth of work,” says Catie. “So we have one little win here and one little win there. But when you zoom out over the span of 20 years, you can see the progress. Every little step brings you a little bit closer. We are still moving forward and there are still people who care. As long as we are still working to improve our watersheds and improve our relationship with nature, that gives me some hope.”
Catie also draws inspiration from her fellow Waterkeepers. She felt an immediate connection at the 2023 North Atlantic Regional Summit in Hyannis, MA. One could say that feeling was further cemented at the Global Summit last year in Milwaukee, WI. Though, it might be more appropriate to say it was put in permanent ink, as Catie opted to get the iconic and legendary sturgeon tattoo on her forearm.
“The Movement has a lot of what I value in my work: community, connection, networks, and passion,” says Catie. “It feels like I am among my people – people who let their passion fuel their work while remaining grounded in their ideals. I felt like I could be myself, seen as myself, and embraced as myself.”
Want to learn more about Catie’s work? Visit savebay.org to support her commitment to clean water and follow her journey on Instagram at @coastkeeperri!