Cahaba Riverkeeper hosted the Gulf and South Atlantic Regional Waterkeepers Summit in the Magic City from April 25-28! The summit included Waterkeepers from Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, South and North Carolina, and Virginia, as well as other speakers from outside our region. Our panels focused on topics crucial to our work such as JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) principles, climate concerns, clean water advocacy, and GIS mapping. Among the speakers was our board member, Dr.Danielle Larkin, who served as the keynote speaker at the opening reception. She discussed the intersectionality between environmental justice, health care, and identity. With many groups visiting from outside of historical Birmingham, she shared the story of her grandfather, Arthur Shores, a prominent Civil Rights attorney who worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. On Thursday, we took a group out to the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge to discuss the mine reclamation project and tour the Cahaba River watershed.
Thank you again to all participating Waterkeepers and staff in attendance. It was an incredible experience!