Grantee Bios

Ibrahim Koroma Dumbuya

Protecting the Rokel River: Community Action for a Cleaner River Amid Mining in Magburaka

Luz Marina

Puescofest: Connecting Community

Hayden Miller

A Multidisciplinary Source-to-Sea Study of the Rappahannock River, one of America’s Most Threatened Waterways

Hayden Miller is an aquatic ecologist, filmmaker, and paddler. Originally from Massachusetts, he fell in love with the waterways of New England and stayed in the region to receive his B.A. in ecology from Dartmouth College. He is passionate about studying the social and ecological components of river systems on a broad scale. In 2023, he led a 2,400 kilometer source-to-sea expedition down Australia’s Murray River and documented the effects of dams on ecosystems and communities along the nation’s longest and most significant waterway. Following this experience, he realized the power that visual media has to tell the stories of rivers and people that rely on them. Since then, he has been working with Mapuche-Williche communities in Chile to document ongoing watershed protection work. Closer to home, he received a Hopkins Arts Integration Grant to record river flooding in Vermont through drone footage. Hayden is now based in Washington, D.C. where he works at National Geographic as part of the Perpetual Planet Expeditions program, which supports solutions-focused scientific expeditions. Through the Rivers For Change Source To Sea Grant, he looks forward to studying the Rappahannock River and is eager to work alongside the people in the area who know the river best.

Jack Hurty

Anadromous Advocacy for Idaho River Guides

Jack is a born and raised Idahoan, and a veteran guide on the Salmon River. He was raised on a steady diet of free flowing rivers and wilderness peaks, and has been in love with both ever since. He has a deep love and appreciation for what the river community has to offer, and feels strongly that as guides, we have a responsibility to fight for and protect the incredible ecosystems that we rely on. These feelings have driven him over the last several years to learn how to be a guide-advocate, complete a Masters of Public Policy, research the economic potential of dam removal for Idaho guides, and now to learn and contribute more as the Salmon/Steelhead Coordinator for IOGA. He is passionate about finding new solutions to conservation issues. In his spare time, he enjoys backcountry skiing, reading poetry to his dog, and of course fly fishing.

Vera Knook

Vera Knook is a Dutch hydraulic engineer turned river conservationist. In 2020, she founded a nonprofit organization, The River Collective, and in 2021 received a grant from National Geographic Society to lead a transdisciplinary river conservation camp on the Valbona River in Albania. She further evolved this concept, and last year mentored a team of students that organized their Students for Rivers Camp in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Vera organized the first Neretva Science Week for the Save the Blue Heart Campaign in 2022. Vera is one of the initiators of the Home River Bioblitz, a global citizen science project that creates a snapshot of river biodiversity, which celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2024. As a whitewater kayaker, Vera has experienced free-flowing rivers and their threats in Nepal, New Zealand, Chile, and across Europe. She lived in Peru for five years, where she contributes to the protection of the Marañón River and is planning an educational program to engage a cohort of Peruvian and international students from various disciplines. This Students for Rivers Camp will take place in August 2025, partly supported by a Source to Sea grant!

Marie Anière-Martínez

Call For Action: Los Glaciares National Park

Marie is the co-founder of Boana and a passionate advocate for water conservation in El Chaltén, Argentina. Her project, Call for Action: Establishing a Transparent and Accountable Water Governance Body in Los Glaciares National Park (UNESCO), addresses growing environmental challenges in this iconic region.

Marie’s initiative aims to create a transparent water governance framework that empowers local communities, prioritizes eco-centric rights, and integrates the source-to-sea approach for sustainable water management. By fostering collaboration between local and international stakeholders, she hopes to inspire innovative water practices grounded in transparency and accountability.

With a deep connection to Patagonia’s water landscapes and extensive experience in participatory conservation, Marie exemplifies the spirit of Rivers for Change’s mission to champion community-driven water stewardship.

Jeremy Anderson

NariNauka: Women’s Guide School on Ma Ganga

Jeremy Ann Anderson, an accomplished Whitewater River Guide with over 25 years of experience leading expeditions across the United States and internationally, is an inspiring environmental activist and outdoor specialist. Jeremy’s commitment to environmental stewardship and river advocacy led her to volunteer with Friends of the River, where she guides policy-maker trips and coordinates and teaches guide training. She is also a Level 4 American Canoe Association: Whitewater Rafting – Oar and Paddle Instructor and holds current certifications in Swiftwater Rescue and First Aid/CPR. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the United States Rafting Association and has played a vital role in the formation of the Youth Board of Directors. Additionally, she was a founding member of the Mama Bears, a Masters Women’s Raft Race Team.

With an extensive river log spanning well over 10,000 river miles, she brings her passion for rivers into her Ayurvedic practice, offering unique expedition retreats that connect people with the natural world. Jeremy’s unique blend of expertise in river guiding and Ayurveda promises an unforgettable and transformative experience for participants on her upcoming Ayurveda and Yoga; Trekking and Rafting Expedition in the Himalaya and the Ganga River in April 2024 as well as her Ayurveda and Writing Rafting Retreat on the Salmon River in Idaho in July 2024. Jeremy is excited to lead the first women’s guide training (NariNauka: Breaking Waves and Stereotypes) on the River Ganga in March 2024 alongside her business partner, Kelly Wiglesworth, and local outfitter Red Chilli Adventure. Her deep experience, dedication to river conservation, and commitment to education make her an invaluable leader for this upcoming adventure.

Nina Gordon-Kirsch

Home 2 Headwaters

Nina grew up in Berkeley and graduated from Berkeley High school. She earned her B.Sc. in Environmental Science at USC and then took off for Israel and Palestine where she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study plastic and hormone residues in the wastewater systems. She stayed on with her research team to earn her M.Sc. in Palestinian wastewater treatment and recycling. Upon returning to the U.S., Nina worked for Camp Tawonga, Outward Bound, REI, and multiple Bay Area high schools taking youth out into nature for transformative experiences.

Over the past ten years, Nina has become deeply immersed in CA water systems. Nina is an installer and educator for Greywater Action, leading workshops on how to install Laundry-to-Landscape residential greywater systems. She also used to work for the Regional Water Quality Control Board monitoring water quality for recycled water projects and worked for Walking Water helping people see water as a Being to be witnessed and listened to, as opposed to a resource to be manipulated. For the past seven years, she worked for the Urban School in SF teaching an experiential education class for high school seniors about CA water systems. https://www.home2headwaters.com/

Jess Wiegandt

Filmmaker-A River Called Home

Jess Wiegandt grew up on the James River, connecting with wildlife and the river from a young age. Both of her parents are paddlesports instructors and supported a childhood spent outside, learning about river ecology and Appalachian geology. Jess attended Brevard College and received a BA in Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education (WLEE) and a BA in English with a concentration in Journalism.

Driven to tell stories of impact, she is now an award-winning filmmaker pursuing her MFA in Environmental and Social Impact Filmmaking at American University. Her projects often focus on the health of rivers, and she recently completed a project aired on PBS on the Patuxent River. She is excited to continue working on stories that engage a wider audience with their watershed and local ecosystem. More about Jess and her work can be found at jesswiegandt.com.

Joe Klementovich

Joe tells stories where people and the environment come together.

He creates authentic photography for editorial and commercial clients in unique and difficult locations. Photographs from assignments in the sub-zero ravines of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington to the bug-infested mangrove islands of the Florida Everglades fly fishing for tarpon have appeared in print nationally. His work has been the cornerstone of large national ad campaigns for Mission Athlete and Voltaic Systems and Sterling Rope. His photojournalist background works well with commercial clients committed to real storytelling. His freelance career includes working with The New York Times, Boy’s Life Magazine, Fly Fisherman, and many others that place a premium on capturing real people, places, and the stories they tell.

Mountains, rivers, and oceans have always played an important part in his work. Joe’s connection and love of the outdoors has lead him to photography & video projects with New Hampshire Public Television on their “Windows to the Wild” television series, The Nature Conservancy, and Adventure Scientists in their work to explore, protect and promote our environment. “Being close to the mountains, forests, and oceans of New Hampshire has given me a constant source of inspiration and ever-changing backdrop for my photography”.

He migrated north to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to pursue rock and ice climbing after graduating with an engineering degree from The University of New Hampshire. Traveling on various climbing adventures with a small point-and-shoot camera got him hooked on creating better and better photography to tell the stories of each outing. It was during an 11-hour ascent of the Regular Route on Half Dome in Yosemite Valley that photography would overtake my interest in engineering.

You can look for him in the mountains, forests, rivers, and oceans searching for another story to tell or image to create.

Alyssa Winkelman

Alyssa is a 28 year old outdoorswoman. She has worked in the outdoor industry for the last ten years in a wide range of jobs that have allowed her to be outside as much as possible. She currently finds her work as a river guide, trailer builder and ski patroller.

Ari Kosel

Paddler/Chill Master

Ari is a 28 year old outdoor educator and river guide who fuels her adventures with laughter, curiosity and her trusty bottle of sriracha. She grew up on the rivers surrounding her hometown of Mt. Shasta and went through her first guide training on the Upper Sacramento back in 2008. Since then she’s continued to find joy and growth on rivers across the United States and internationally.

She has worked as a field instructor with the Northwest Outward Bound school and other outdoor ed programs since 2015 and graduated with her B.S. in Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems from UC Davis in 2014. Her background in agriculture is the source of her curiosity surrounding the Sacramento river’s vast network of stakeholders and users.

She is passionate about the intersection of recreation, environmental protection, education, and social justice in the outdoors.

You can read more about her project on our grant recipient project page and on Our Blog.

Jamie Trapp

Filmmaker/Cheese Connoisseur

Jamie is a 24 year old filmmaker raised on Midwestern cheese and thriving on the big, vast adventure opportunities in Alaska. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017 with a degree in Environmental Studies and Film Production, and has since taken those skills all over the world to tell stories and inspire action.

She has worked as a sea kayak guide in Alaska and Greenland; sharing nuggets of glacial geology and her affinity for the arctic. In 2018, Jamie in a team of 4 became the first to kayak and rock climb across the Bass Strait, from mainland Australia to Tasmania. Afterwards, she completed a thru hike of the Pacific Crest Trail and made a film, “Strait Up,” about the Bass Strait Expedition.

She feeds off of adventure, dirt, creativity, inspiring environmental ethics in people, and fun! It is her goal to connect people to each other and the land; to create welcoming environments for women, people of color, and all underrepresented groups.

You can read more about her project on our grant recipient project page and on Our Blog.

Chris Farris

Chris joined the United States Marine Corp in 1978. He sustained an injury during active duty and was introduced to kayaking at a local VA pool through Team River Runner. He was hooked!

Wanting more time on the water eventually lead him to several Rivers for Change community paddle events and racing in the Cal 100. Chris has since trained as a River Advocate with Friends of the River and is now the co-coordinator of the new Team River Runner Chapter on the American River in Lotus, CA. He is co-Chair and Facilitator for Team River Runner’s Diversity Committee and continues to help train blind and disabled Vets with a renewed focus on recruiting more Vets of Color.

You can read more about Chris’s project here.

LouAnne Harris

LouAnne’s love of the water began early on in Alaska where she spent much of her time growing up boating, fishing, and kayaking with her family.  After moving to New York for school she began working at Manhattan Kayak Company in 2010 teaching and guiding the kayak and SUP programs.  In 2015 she and Julieta Gismondi became the first two women to SUP the East Coast unsupported from NYC to Miami. Then, in 2019 she completed her first solo expedition as the first woman to paddle the entire length of the Mississippi River on a SUP, again unsupported.  LouAnne moved to Sausalito and joined the Sea Trek team in July 2020 as a Guide, Instructor, and Fitness Coach.

LouAnne was one of our first Fundraising Ambassadors, Paddling for a Purpose and raising money for Rivers for Change with her 2019 solo SUP Source to Sea down the length of the Mississippi River.

You can read some of the press she got along the way on our Blog and hear directly from her about her journey in our Source to Sea Stories Adventure Series.

Claire Dibble

Claire is a photographer, artist, and writer. Prior to embracing these labels, she defined herself primarily as a kayaker. Fuelled by a love of the outdoors and an adventurous spirit, she spends as much time exploring as possible. In my photographic work, she strives to highlight the ways we all are connected, to one another and to the planet at large. She is fascinated by the invisible threads that link people across boundaries, real or imagined. Her intent is to increase a sense of community on a local and global scale through environmental portraits, sincere listening, and collecting stories that humanize and show shared experiences. She’s originally from the broken coastline of Maine and is now based in the Canadian Rockies, close to the headwaters of the Columbia River.

In 2019 she paddled solo Source to Sea down the Columbia River in a homemade kayak. You can read more on her website or follow her beautiful photography on Instagram. Listen to her journey in our Source to Sea Stories Adventure Series, or read about her trip on the blog.

Hayley Stuart

Hayley is a whitewater kayaker, filmmaker, and environmentalist passionate about protecting our earth’s rivers. Hayley first dove into environmental documentary filmmaking while studying abroad in Bolivia and Chile through DU, and making two short documentaries about the impacts hydroelectric development in the two countries. Since then she has spoken about the impacts of mega hydro at the Sun Valley TEDx conference in 2017, and her documentary “Hunger For Tomorrow” is used in university Hydrology curriculums at DU. She has worked with indigenous communities around Latin America including Pehuenche Mapuches, Incas, Aymaras, Uchupiamonas, Tacana, Moseten and Chimane, and Maya on the topic of hydroelectric development. Her current documentary project “Still River, Silent Jungle” focuses on protecting the headwaters of the Amazon in the Bolivian jungles from industrial project proposals. When she is not filming, Hayley teaches Spanish and whitewater kayaking at World Class Kayaking Academy: a traveling boarding high school for young adventurers.