Organizing Director Bart Mihailovich, Hackensack Riverkeeper Captain Bill Sheehan, and Upper Missouri Waterkeeper Guy Alsentzer
Welcoming Back Our Waterkeepers
After four long years apart, we’re together again!
On Wednesday, we kicked off our 2022 Waterkeeper Alliance Global Conference in Washington, D.C. The lobby of the Capital Hilton saw a stream of Waterkeepers arriving from all over the world — old friends connecting after a long absence, some meeting for the very first time, everyone excited to be back in one place.
Over the next few days, Waterkeepers will learn about legislative issues here and abroad, share best practices for organizing and community engagement, strategize for advocacy campaigns, discuss issues of equity, and so much more through the over 50 workshops and roundtables. Capping the week off, we’ll recognize Waterkeepers of exceptional dedication at the Terry Backer Awards Banquet on Saturday night. We’ll continue to share the highlights as the week continues!
Shout out to our local hosts: Anacostia Riverkeeper, Waterkeepers Chesapeake, and Potomac Riverkeeper Network.
Spotlight
Francis Gray of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe joined us for a land acknowledgement ceremony to recognize the people who called the D.C. area home for thousands of years. Francis treated us to a beautiful song of welcoming in Algonquin, and spoke from the heart about the unceasing struggle to protect clean water and Mother Earth.
In The Air, On The Hill
On Tuesday, Upper Potomac Riverkeeper Brent Walls helped Waterkeepers take water monitoring to the next level with a special drones demonstration and onsite learning session. Most of Wednesday was spent on the Hill lobbying members of Congress around our ACT50 priorities, as part of Action Day alongside American Rivers and River Network. Marc Yaggi, Patience Burke, Chris Wilke, and Kate Hudson visited the offices of Senators Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, Cory Booker, Michael Bennet, John Hickenlooper, and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, as well as the offices of Representatives Lee Zeldin and Kat Cammack.
Organizer Patience Burke — alongside representatives from Suncoast Waterkeeper and Current Problems — met with representatives from Senator Rick Scott's office.
Upper Potomac Riverkeeper Brent Walls helped Waterkeepers take water monitoring to the next level with a special drones demonstration and onsite learning session.
