Post-Katrina
New Orleans
was the site for the 2007 conference and was
chosen to help our Louisiana
programs, to support the local economy, and to
highlight the importance of the protective
features of wetlands. We capitalized on the
opportunity by recognizing Hurricane Katrina’s
first responders and the special efforts made
by three Waterkeeper organizations in
Louisiana:
the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper,
the Louisiana Bayoukeeper, and the Lower
Mississippi Riverkeeper. We hosted a
restoration project and cypress press
conference in City Park in
Bayou St. John emphasizing the
importance of a healthy natural environment to
protect the community.
The 2007 conference was held at the
University of Tulane, and Waterkeepers were
energized by keynote speeches by former NJ
Commissioner and current EPA Administrator Lisa
Jackson, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Waterkeeper
Alliance Trustees Paul Polizzotto and Glenn
Rink, Waterkeeper Alliance Board member and
former NY/NJ Baykeeper Andy Willner, Professor
Oliver Houck, and Father Nguyen Vien.
Waterkeepers from India,
China,
Senegal,
Bolivia,
Colombia,
Mexico,
Australia, and
Canada
came together to build relations with more than
200 other Waterkeepers and clean
water professionals. The following Waterkeeper
quote in response to the 2007 conference
reflects its value:
I would like to take this
opportunity to express my appreciation for such
a wonderful and productive event. The
conference was simply extraordinary! I
learned many valuable lessons that I am sure I
could not have gained from even the best
universities. It was an unforgettable
experience, in one of the most pertinent cities
in the US. Your
effort and work should be recognized and
praised by many people. Congratulations! I can’t
tell you how grateful I am, for having this
valuable opportunity and for the experience of
being part of Waterkeeper Alliance. I feel
so proud.
Sincerely,
LUIS OVELIO LUGO
“A committed WATERKEEPER for
ever"
(Meta RIVERKEEPER,
COLOMBIA)
