Fall-ing for Clean Water
The weather may be cooling down, but things are the Coalition are heating up.
We’ve had a packed calendar this fall. In October, we went on a water quality testing trip with Arundel Rivers Federation (ARF) on the South River. Choose Clean Water staff used secchi disks and took water samples to determine visibility and algae levels in the South River. We also rode around to various testing sites down the river. Thanks again to Elle Bassett and Rachel Beall from ARF for showing us what an average day of research and conservation looks like on the Chesapeake Bay!
Later in the month, we met in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia for our annual State Leads retreat. We were lucky to have our amazing West Virginia State Lead, Maria Russo of West Virginia Rivers Coalition, act as our very own tour guide. We hiked two miles of the Appalachian trail, learned about Harpers Ferry’s deep history, and sat down to discuss what protecting clean water looks like in West Virginia. It was wonderful getting to catch up in-person with our State Leads. We are beyond grateful for such a hard-working team of leaders across the watershed.
In November, some of our staff went back to West Virginia for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Forum in Shepherdstown. Drew and Leeanna presented: “Work Hard, Laugh Harder: Levity in Communications” at the forum, too! They had a great time talking about why it’s important we focus on the good during a challenging and complicated time in the environmental world. And yes, they even talked about Dewey.
A few weeks later, we gathered in (believe it or not) Shepherdstown, West Virginia for our West Virginia Member Meeting. Members from all across the state (some folks come from five hours away!) met for a jam-packed day of discussion on emerging data centers, Project Middleway, and updates from members present in the room. To say our West Virginia members’ dedication and hard work is impressive would be an understatement. Another job well done by Maria Russo for facilitating this meeting!
Last, but certainly not least, the Communications Workgroup gathered in Washington, D.C. for an in-person Workgroup Meeting. Over 30 individuals mt at the National Advocacy Center for a fun day of communications brainstorming. We covered topics like AI ethics, how to practice non-partisan language in our comms, and rotating workgroups on the different facets of communications. Big thanks to Marco Sanchez of Piedmont Environmental Council and Melissa Diemand of Potomac Conservancy for their outstanding work as the Communications Workgroup Co-Chairs!
Looking back on these milestones, none of these events would’ve been possible without the hard work and dedication of our Coalition members. The year may be ending soon, but our work for clean water sure isn’t!
