Clean Water Advocates is an online education program to equip and empower individuals, communities, and organizations to protect Virginia’s water quality. Specifically, Wild Virginia aims to equip these “Advocates” with fundamental knowledge of federal and state water protection laws, regulatory processes, and basic advocacy skills in order to influence environmental decisions and outcomes.
Additionally, Wild Virginia aims to develop a diverse, equitable, and inclusive education program that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and experiences. Wild Virginia seeks to embed environmental justice into the program through its curriculum, guest speakers, recruitment practices, and post-training opportunities and community partnerships. Wild Virginia will review these efforts on an annual basis, seeking feedback from program participants and outside experts.
Wild Virginia’s Clean Water Advocates program helps individuals, communities, and organizations to build critical advocacy skills, including:
- Understanding water-related environmental issues
- Reviewing regulatory and technical documents
- Writing and submitting public comments
- Writing letters to the editor
- Communicating with local representatives and public officials
- Tracking public notices of agency action
- Tracking legislation and/or regulations
- Participating in public hearings and citizen board meetings
Wild Virginia aims to train individuals from all backgrounds, experiences, and locations across the state of Virginia to become Clean Water Advocates. Our 2024 cohort application period is now closed.
Meet the Pilot Class 2023
Alice Frei is a retired veterinarian. During her veterinary career she owned a small practice in Houston and cared for dogs, cats, exotics, and wildlife. After retirement she moved to Charlottesville, Virginia and became involved in environmental conservation. She presently volunteers for Rivanna Master Naturalist, Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards, Botanical Garden of the Piedmont, and Rivanna Conservation Alliance. Through RCA she developed keen interest in water conservation and health. She has continued monitoring Charlottesville area streams for cleanliness, bacteria, and macroscopic indicator species of water health.
Thomas Culligan grew up in a small coastal NJ town where he explored everything. He moved to Virginia in 2014 to attend Roanoke College and fell in love with the mountains. Even though he left VA after college, he couldn’t stay away too long and returned in 2020. He wants to be an informed citizen, ensure clean water as a human right, and preserve the natural beauty we have for future generations. When he’s not working at JMU, you can find him in the mountains with his dog, on a bike, or in the garden.
Gwyneth Homer grew up in southwestern Virginia, and learned about the importance of being a community-member, on a human and ecosystem scale. From an early age, she valued justice, and was engaged in civic action, writing letters or participating in marches. Today, she works in childcare, hoping to instill the values of justice, love, respect, and empathy by showing loving-kindness to the children. She continues to be involved in social and environmental justice work, especially fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline. In her spare time, she is usually outside tending to her garden or on a walk in the woods.
Stephanie is a mom and educator in Virginia who has a degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainability. She is passionate about conserving our environment and has sought out ways to help make a positive impact. Stephanie turned a small section of her yard into a certified Monarch Waystation and learned how to tag and release Monarch Butterflies. She leads a Sustainability Committee for her school district and has previously taught an after school environmental club. Stephanie loves to be outside when she can, especially on these beautiful Autumn days in Virginia. Her goal is to eventually work with an environmental non-profit to make more of a difference in preserving our planet.
Carolyn Schuyler is a former psychotherapist / EMDR Consultant and founder of Wildrock, a Crozet based nonprofit nature play and discovery center with the mission to promote nature play for health and happiness.
