STAFF
Myra A. Crawford, PhD, MFA, MPH, founded the Cahaba Riverkeeper and has served as Executive Director and Riverkeeper since 2009. She has applied her scientific training to serve the Cahaba and the issues that beset its health.
Dr. Crawford retired as Clinical Research Professor and Director of the Research Division and the Human Energetics Assessment Laboratory in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham. For twenty years, she conducted behavioral research in substance abuse and other health risky behaviors. She also spearheaded creation of the Alabama Practice Based Research Network (APBRN), a consortium of primary care physicians conducting clinic-based research in many Alabama counties who collect and study research data on tobacco cessation and obesity reduction protocols.
Dr. Crawford, who has a profound connection with the land in its natural state, has lived on ten acres near the Cahaba River in a passive solar home for more than forty years. She is a mother of two daughters and a son. Her son is an environmental scientist who devotes significant hours to monitoring the waters of the Cahaba River. She was a member of the advisory council of the Black Warrior Riverkeeper and a founding member of the board of the Green Resource Center for Alabama.
Dr. Crawford holds degrees from Samford University (BA, English), the University of Alabama (MA, communications), the University of Iowa (MFA, Writers Workshop), and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (MPH, health behavior; and PhD, health services administration). She has worked as a newspaper and magazine journalist and as a technical writer and editor. She has published more than a hundred scientific and commercial articles, as well as works of fiction. She has traveled extensively in China, Tibet, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Central Europe, and Central and South America.
David Butler was named the Riverkeeper in 2015 and Staff Attorney in 2018, after serving as both a volunteer and Board member.
David brings over 15 years of experience leading canoe and kayak trips along the Cahaba River, where he observed many of the problems threatening the river today. One of the most frequent questions he fields in his role as a guide is whether the river is safe to swim, and his work as Riverkeeper allows him to play a role in answering that question directly.
“As a recreational user of the Cahaba, I felt obligated to do something to help. I started to look for opportunities to volunteer my time and talents, and was attracted to the Waterkeeper movement because while independent, at each organization’s core is a desire to document through scientific research and data collection the present state of the watershed they serve.”
David studied finance at the University of Kentucky, before moving on to work in the financial research industry in New York. After six years, David returned to the south and enrolled at the University of Alabama where he earned a Journalism degree. While studying in Tuscaloosa, David started working part-time at the former Alabama Small Boats shop and reignited his passion for rivers. In 2018, David earned his J.D. from the Birmingham School of Law and was admitted to the state bar later that year.
As the staff Riverkeeper, David’s responsibilities include: overseeing the successful Swim Guide program, organizing river cleanups, responding to pollution complaints, managing our intensive data collection efforts, speaking to concerned citizen and civic groups, as well as a host of other duties.
David lives in Vestavia just off Little Shades Creek with his wife (Susan), two children (Jacob, 15 and Allison, 4) and their rambunctious Dalmatian Lucy.
To learn more about David, and his work on the river, check the links below:
Shelby County Reporter – PROFILE: Cahaba Riverkeeper Protects River’s Future (February 28, 2018)
AL.com – What’s The Penalty for Killing a Creek? (July 21, 2017)
Vestavia Voice – Taming the Flow (June 23, 2017)
Village Living – Monitoring the Cahaba (May 23, 2017)
Kentucky New Era – Hoptown Native Watches Over River (December 14, 2016)
Tuscaloosa News – Canoe the Cahaba (July 5, 2014)
Anne Chamberlain graduated from The University of Alabama in 2021 with a degree in Human Environmental Sciences with a focus on Health Education and Promotion. She served with AmeriCorps VISTA and was hosted by Cahaba Riverkeeper which eventually led her to take a staff position as Outreach and Development Coordinator. Though Anne is new to Birmingham, lakes and rivers have always been a staple in her life as a native Alabamian and then as a Public Health student. Anne’s goals are to continue learning about the relationship between community and environmental health and how Cahaba Riverkeeper can continue to serve the community sustainably.
Her responsibilities include the development of AmeriCorps and Cahaba Riverkeeper programming, such as the Swim Guide School STEM program, as well as outreach efforts through media channels and events to better connect with our members and partners.
Anne Chamberlain, Outreach & Development Coordinator – achamberlain@cahabariverkeeper.org
Nicole Tran graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Alabama in 2022. She started as a Swim Guide field intern in the summer of 2021 where she assisted the Cahaba Riverkeeper team with collecting E.Coli, eDNA, microplastics, and overall water quality samples. Having enjoyed her time as an intern, she returned to Cahaba Riverkeeper as an AmeriCorps VISTA through UAB.
Throughout her academic career, Nicole has taken an interest in protecting our waterways and environmental health. As a Birmingham native, the Cahaba River has always been within her reach, and working with Cahaba Riverkeeper has strengthened her connection with the river and everything it has to offer. She believes that water is one of the most important aspects of life and that it is extremely important to protect our waterways, not only for drinking but also for the aesthetic, recreational, and biological purposes our rivers, streams, and lakes provide.
After 2 years of AmeriCorps service, Nicole joins Cahaba Riverkeeper staff as Programs Coordinator. Her responsibilities include organizing and managing the Swim Guide program, GIS and data management, and other outreach activities such as volunteer opportunities.
Nicole Tran, Programs and Swim Guide Coordinator – ntran@cahabariverkeeper.org
AMERICORPS
Evie Moellering is a Birmingham native who grew up on the Cahaba River and has always enjoyed the recreational and educational aspects of the Cahaba. She attended Auburn University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science in May of 2024. She is an outdoor enthusiast, particularly in kayaking, Ultimate Frisbee, and hiking adventures!
Evie began her time with the Cahaba Riverkeeper in 2021 as a Swim Guide intern and loved the experience it gave her through water quality testing and community engagement. She went on to work with the Alabama Water Watch group while earning her undergraduate degree in Auburn, AL, furthering her appreciation for protecting our rivers and watersheds.
Evie is now serving with AmeriCorps VISTA through UAB and is the Cahaba Riverkeeper Education Outreach Coordinator. She will be responsible for the Environmental Leadership Program, as well as outreach to the community through social media and volunteer programs.
Evie Moellering, Education Outreach Coordinator – emoellering@cahabariverkeeper.org