Creators and Guests
Host
Thomas Hynes
Thomas Hynes is the Communications and Marketing Manager for Waterkeeper Alliance. In addition to podcast hosting and production duties, he manages and writes all sorts of editorial content for the organization, including blogs, feature articles, advocacy alerts, email campaigns, social media content, and more. Thomas grew up on the Long Island Sound in Connecticut and now makes his home two blocks from the East River in Brooklyn, New York. He primarily commutes across the river to the Waterkeeper Alliance office via ferry boat. Thomas was drawn to environmental work in order to take an active role in the fight against climate change and help bring justice to the rotten polluters who seek to ruin our shared resources. Before working at Waterkeeper Alliance, Thomas wrote a nonfiction book about the history of wildlife in New York City. "Wild City" also highlights the power and success of the Clean Water Act, and other environmental regulations, in leading an unlikely ecological turnaround. In his spare time, Thomas photographs the many tugboats traversing the city’s various waterways. Thomas lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their son. They can be found most weekends walking or biking along the East River.
Appears in
10
episodes
Guest
Brandon Jones
Protecting the Catawba-Wateree River basin is more than a job to Catawba Riverkeeper Brandon Jones. As Riverkeeper, he focuses on threats to clean water, including monitoring and addressing coal ash issues & permitted pollution discharges, stormwater runoff, concentrated animal feeding operations, and preventing waterborne diseases. Jones received his M.S. in Earth Science from UNC Charlotte; his studies focused on hydrology, specifically water chemistry. He completed his undergraduate education at UNC Chapel Hill, graduating with a B.A. in Economics & a minor in Environmental Science. That’s where he found his calling in environmental protection. “I took an environmental law course as an undergraduate at Chapel Hill, which was my first introduction to environmental protection. After that class, I knew I wanted to work protecting water.” Jones joined the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation in 2017 as its director of technical programs before being promoted to Riverkeeper in November 2018. As Riverkeeper, Brandon is CRF’s chief scientist and advocate and is responsible for coordinating the organization’s testing, sampling, research, and legislative initiatives. He is also the primary contact for all citizen concerns. Jones is a Gaston County native who’s committed to the environment both inside and outside the office. He spends his free time on the water as an avid whitewater paddler and river guide, and on the trails playing disc golf.
Appears in
1
episode
Guest
Casuarina McKinney-Lambert
Casuarina is the Executive Director of the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF). Born and raised in Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera, Bahamas, she has a strong passion for protecting the marine environment and sustaining the communities that depend on our waters. She completed the International Baccalaureate at the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales and graduated with a degree in Marine Biology and Environmental Policy from Duke University. Casuarina studied mangrove creeks and wetlands throughout The Bahamas, and taught science and coordinated student research at the Cape Eleuthera Island School before joining BREEF. Casuarina was a founding board member of the One Eleuthera Foundation and the Bahamas Protected Areas Fund, and she is a member of the National Biodiversity Committee, the National Climate Change Committee, and the Fisheries Advisory Board. Casuarina has served on several Town Planning urban development boards and is a member of the Bahamas SDG Technical Committee for Environmental Sustainability. Casuarina has represented The Bahamas at numerous regional and international conferences. While happy on land, Casuarina is most at home underwater. She is a Divemaster and an avid sailor with a history of exploring the most remote and pristine islands and reefs in very small boats.
Appears in
1
episode
Guest
Daniel Estrin
Daniel E. Estrin serves as Waterkeeper Alliance’s General Counsel and Legal Director, a role he assumed in January 2016 after representing the organization as outside counsel for many years in numerous lawsuits against polluters and government agencies. In these roles, Daniel oversees all of the Alliance’s respective internal and external legal work. Daniel was born in New York City and grew up in the Hudson Valley. He has lived almost all of his life within a few miles of the Hudson River estuary, and insists that its waters flow in his veins. With over 30 years of litigation and environmental law experience, Daniel has spent the majority of his legal career working to protect waterways, ecosystems, and communities from pollution. Before moving in-house at Waterkeeper Alliance, Daniel spent a decade as a clinical law professor at Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, where he continues to teach doctrinal courses as an Adjunct Professor of Law. Before that, Daniel was Special Counsel to a public interest law firm and worked in private practice. He is admitted to practice before all New York State courts, as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Sixth and Eleventh Circuits, and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Daniel lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut with his family, including Oli, their precocious budgie. In his spare time he enjoys live music, hiking, swimming, paddling, cooking, and visiting national parks across the country.
Appears in
1
episode
Guest
Daryl Vigil
T. Daryl Vigil (he/him), Jicarilla Apache (enrolled), Jemez Pueblo, and Zia Pueblo, currently the Co-Facilitator for the Water & Tribes Initiative, currently serves on the State of New Mexico’s Water Task Force and on New Mexico’s Fifty (50) Year Water Plan planning committee, former Water Administrator for the Jicarilla Apache Nation, former Chairman of the Ten Tribes Partnership of the Colorado River, former Spokesperson Ten Tribes Partnership, former Interim Executive Director Ten Tribes Partnership, former trustee and Secretary Treasurer of the Colorado River Water Users Association, former President of the Jicarilla Apache Nation’s gaming enterprise which included management of the Nation’s hospitality businesses, former working Chairman of the Board for the Jicarilla Apache Tribal Utility Authority.
Appears in
1
episode
Guest
Dr. Michael A. Mallin
Dr. Michael A. Mallin is a Research Professor at the Center for Marine Sciences at University of North Carolina Wilmington and the author of River Ecology. Science and Management for a Changing World from Oxford Press.. He has worked on the issue of CAFOs since the 1990s.
Appears in
1
episode
Guest
Jamie Berger
Jamie Berger is a writer and documentary filmmaker born and raised in North Carolina. Her writing has been featured in Vox, The Guardian, USA Today, NowThis, The News & Observer, and more. Throughout her career, she has used writing and visual storytelling to draw attention to issues ranging from environmental racism to the climate crisis to other injustices wrought against people, animals, and the planet.
Appears in
1
episode
Guest
John Weisheit
John Weisheit is an environmental activist and river guide in Moab, Utah. John is the Conservation Director of Living Rivers and the Colorado Riverkeeper, a guardian of one of the world's most important and imperiled waterways.
Appears in
1
episode
Guest
Kemp Burdette
Kemp Burdette is the Cape Fear Riverkeeper and works to protect and improve the water quality of the Lower Cape Fear River in North Carolina. He is a Wilmington native who grew up exploring the waterways and swamps that make the area so special. Kemp has lived and traveled around the world as a US Navy search and rescue swimmer, a Fulbright Scholar, and a Peace Corps volunteer.
Appears in
1
episode
Guest
Larry Baldwin
Larry Baldwin serves as Waterkeeper Alliance’s Pure Farms, Pure Waters (PFPW) Coordinator in North Carolina. He works with the 15 licensed Waterkeeper Alliance groups in North Carolina in their efforts to reform the current polluting practices of the industrial meat producing facilities, known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs.
Appears in
1
episode
Producer
Lori Harrison
Lori Harrison is the Communications and Marketing Director for Waterkeeper Alliance. She oversees multi-faceted communications and marketing activities to advance the organization’s mission of protecting our right to clean water in communities around the world. With 25 years of experience in strategic water communications and mission-based work, Lori is an award-winning writer and content creator. Her expertise lies in translating complex concepts into relatable ideas, fostering engagement, and promoting sustainable practices and solutions. Her work not only aims to protect clean water, public health, and the environment but also focuses on "connecting the disconnect" between people and this essential resource. Before joining Waterkeeper Alliance, Lori had a background in corporate marketing for professional sports and held various communications and creative positions with a non-profit educational organization for global water professionals. Notable achievements include creating the WATER'S WORTH IT® grassroots awareness campaign and writing the award-winning children's book, “Why Water's Worth It,” designed to educate and inspire the next generation of water protectors. Lori lives in Virginia with her husband and their two children.
Appears in
10
episodes
Guest
Marc Yaggi
Marc Yaggi is the Chief Executive Officer of Waterkeeper Alliance, serving as a leading voice for a global movement dedicated to securing clean, healthy, and abundant water for all people and the planet. Recognizing the profound impact the climate crisis has on water quality and availability, Marc is committed to addressing the paramount issue of climate change. Under Marc’s leadership, Waterkeeper Alliance has amassed significant legal and advocacy victories, including stopping dirty fossil fuel projects, securing rules to prevent industrial agriculture slaughterhouse pollution, holding coal-fired power plants accountable for pollution, protecting coastal wetland forests, eliminating regulatory loopholes for pesticides, and securing human health protections from mercury pollution. Before assuming the role of CEO, Marc served as a Senior Attorney and Watershed Program Director for Riverkeeper, Inc., where he played a pivotal role in safeguarding the 2,000-square mile watershed that serves as New York City’s drinking water supply. His previous experience as a Staff Attorney with the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C., further solidified his expertise in environmental law and advocacy. A graduate in Administration of Justice from The Pennsylvania State University, Marc holds a J.D. and an LL.M in Environmental Law from the Pace University School of Law. He resides in New York with his wife and two children, sharing a love for water-related activities that reflect his commitment to safeguarding this precious resource for generations to come.
Appears in
1
episode
Guest
Mbacké Seck
Mbacké Seck is a Waterkeeper Warrior. Imagine a pristine crescent-shaped beach on a sparkling bay. A place so rich in marine life, that it was revered by the fishermen who relied on it for their livelihoods. A magical playground for the village children to explore. In the 1960s, this place was Hann Bay. But decades of industrial pollution… Slaughterhouse dumping…and other acts of environmental injustice have sickened its residents, impoverished its fishing communities…and fouled its beaches. Some saw it as a lost cause, but Mbacke Seck recalled the idyllic bayside community of his youth…and resolved to revive it. As Africa’s first Waterkeeper, Mbacke has been the bay’s most ferocious defender, leading the fight against pollution. His leadership has produced remarkable results, including a 68 million dollar clean up commitment from the State of Senegal, the French Development Agency, and the European Investment Bank. Today, Hann Bay has been transformed. And the people of its villages can once again fish…swim…and enjoy this magnificent waterway. That’s because one man stood up for his community’s right to clean water, and never backed down.
Appears in
1
episode
Guest
Rashema Ingraham
Rashema T. Ingraham is the Bimini Coastal Waterkeeper and Executive Director of Waterkeepers Bahamas. As a real-deal Grand Bahamian, and descendant of a fisherman from Bimini, she is a vocal ambassador for the environment. It was her late grandfather who opened her eyes to the waterworld and nature at large, taking her into his self-made canoes when she was much younger to catch fish and conch for the night’s enjoyment. Rashema is a certified paralegal who has legal experience working closely on environmental litigation matters. She is the co-founder of GB Envirobins, a non-profit community-service company that places trash receptacles along the main streets on Grand Bahama Island to encourage a trash-free environment. She is a trained leadership facilitator and incorporates leadership training into a vibrant environmental youth program with Save The Bays. As the Executive Director of Waterkeepers Bahamas, she focuses on education and citizen action for clean water use, making presentations to schools, churches, and youth groups. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism Management from the College of The Bahamas (now University of The Bahamas), and understands the value our natural resources have in maximizing the island’s tourism product.
Appears in
1
episode
Guest
Reverend Dr. Gerald L. Durley
Reverend Dr. Gerald L. Durley is an esteemed civil rights and environmental justice advocate, educator, psychologist, and speaker. In the 1960s, he was recruited to play basketball for Tennessee State University where he became a student leader in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. Upon earning a degree in psychology, Rev. Dr. Durley became one of the first U.S. Peace Corp volunteers to serve in Nigeria. He has completed a Master of Science degree in Community Mental Health/Psychology at Northern Illinois University, a doctorate degree in Urban Education and Psychology at University of Massachusetts, and a Master of Divinity at Howard University School of Divinity. Highlights of Rev. Dr. Durley’s storied career include the development of interdisciplinary study programs for Historically Black Colleges and Universities for the U.S. Department of Education, serving as Dean for Clark College, and as a program administrator at Morehouse School of Medicine. He was a pulpit associate at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. and the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA. He retired as Pastor of Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta after 25 years of service, and is currently the Pastor Emeritus. It was while serving as Pastor that he became intensely involved in the intersection of climate change, global warming, and environmental justice. Rev. Dr. Durley now combines the disciplines of faith and science with the lessons learned as a civil and human rights advocate. He believes that God created a perfect ecologically balanced world for humans to care for, but we are destroying it at an alarming rate. He asserts that for the environment to be saved, the educational, scientific, business, political, and faith communities must seek common solutions. He has been married for almost 50 years to his wife, Muriel. They have two children an four grandchildren. His autobiography, I Am Amazed, is available at Amazon.
Appears in
1
episode
Guest
Richard Webster
Richard Webster is an attorney with over 20 years of experience concentrating in environmental litigation, in addition to 10 years of experience as an environmental consultant and expert. He has litigated in federal courts around the country, as well as state courts in New York and New Jersey. He has represented numerous environmental groups and municipalities on a wide variety of issues, including nuclear power plants, pollution from a variety of industries, including coal plants and gas extraction, worker safety, and land use. He is also a member of New York’s Decommissioning Oversight Board that oversees the decommissioning of Indian Point. Richard has had considerable experience representing environmental groups on water and other issues. He pioneered the use of litigation regarding coal ash and fracking to both clean up water and reduce climate change impacts. He also litigated the relicensing of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant and an environmental justice issue regarding the Indian Point relicensing. Richard prides himself on being able to place his clients in a strong position in litigation and then finding creative solutions to solve the client’s problem. Before becoming an attorney, Richard was an expert hydrologist and environmental scientist. Richard received his J.D. in 2002 from Columbia University Law School, where he was the Articles Editor of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law, a Kent Scholar, and a Harlan Fisk Stone Scholar. He earned a Master’s Degree in 1989 from London University in Engineering Hydrology and a B.A. in Physics from Oxford University in England.
Appears in
1
episode
Guest
Victoria Leung
Victoria joined Riverkeeper as an Staff Attorney in June 2019 after completing a fellowship at PennFuture, an environmental advocacy organization focused on Pennsylvania. Victoria earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2018. During law school, she held clerkships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Western District of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh, PA and the Department of Justice – Environmental Enforcement Section in Washington, D.C. In addition, she served as the Managing Production Editor of the Michigan Journal of Environmental and Administrative Law. Prior to law school, Victoria received her B.A. in History and Philosophy and B.S. in Psychology, magna cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh. She also served as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Legal Assistance of Western NY in Rochester, NY.
Appears in
1
episode