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Mountain Creeks to Metro Canals 2020 Management Symposium2020 River Management Symposium

Keynote Speakers

 

 

James Foster

President, Chief Executive Officer
Anacostia Watershed Society

Environmental Resource Management, Pennsylvania State University
As President of AWS, Jim is responsible for implementing the organization’s strategic plan, articulating our vision for a swimmable and fishable Anacostia River, securing resources, and building and leading the AWS staff in fulfilling our mission to clean the water, restore the shore, and honor the heritage of the Anacostia River. Jim has a broad range of experience in environmental restoration and management efforts up and down the East Coast, all focused on water. Jim and his family live just steps from the Chesapeake Bay, where he’s found on his rare off duty hours.

Dennis L. Chestnut

Dennis Chestnut is a native of Washingtonian, DC, a lifetime resident of Ward 7. He is a master carpenter and vocational educator by profession, the carpentry internship instructor at the Academy of Construction and Design at IDEA Public Charter High School. Growing up in the far-northeast section of Washington, DC, Dennis became connected to the many green spaces, parks, streams, and the Anacostia River, where he learned to swim as a child.  He became a lover of the outdoors, has a passion for conservation and the environment, and has advised many community, business and government leaders on civic ecology and civic engagement issues.  In 2007, Dennis founded Groundwork Anacostia River DC, and led the organization as its Executive Director until his retirement in 2017. One of Groundwork’s signature program is managing its Bandalong Litter Trap program, which has removed (literally) tons of trash and debris from the Anacostia River.  Read more about Dennis here.

 

Dr. James Thorp
Senior Scientist in the Kansas Biological Survey
Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas

Before arriving at KU in 2001, Jim was a Dean of Science at Clarkson University, Department Chair at the University of Louisville, Field Station Director at Fordham University, visiting professor at Cornell, and research scientist at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. His Masters and Ph.D. were earned through North Carolina State for research in marine and freshwater ecology. Jim is primarily known for fundamental and applied research in river ecology, but he has also worked in ephemeral wetlands, alluvial swamps, and reservoirs using funding primarily from NSF and EPA. Although perhaps best known for research in community ecology (especially food webs), his published studies have extended from behavioral to macrosystem research. He is currently funded by NSF for two macrosystem projects, one on ecological and genetic communication among playa communities in the U.S. Great Plains and the other on the ecology of temperate steppe rivers in the USA and Mongolia. Jim has authored and edited 10 books on aquatic ecology and freshwater invertebrates from around the world and has another 4 in development. 

 

Dr. Richard SmardonDr. Richard Smardon
SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus

Richard has taught landscape archtecture, environmental studies, and environmental science courses at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry for 36.5 years. He has a PhD in Environmental Planning from UC Berkeley and MLA and BS degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He has co-written seven books including “Revitalizing Urban Waterway Communities: Streams of Environmental Justice “ published by Earthscan/Routledge in 2018. For writing this this book he toured river revitalization projects throughout the US and was the facilitator for the Onondaga Creek Revitalization Plan  from 2005 to 2008.