Equity In Every Drop - A Waterkeeper Alliance Podcast

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May 2026

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About the show

Hosted by Thomas Hynes, Waterkeeper Alliance This podcast brings together the diverse voices, experiences, and perspectives of Waterkeeper groups around the world, alongside impacted communities and leading experts. Through meaningful conversations, Equity in Every Drop explores the critical issues threatening our waters—and the actions and solutions needed to protect everyone’s right to clean water. Across its first four seasons, the series has tackled some of the most urgent challenges facing our waterways—from climate change and water scarcity to factory farms and industrial agriculture, plastic pollution, toxic chemicals, and the degradation of wetlands. Along the way, it has highlighted the real-world impacts on communities, as well as the advocates, scientists, and changemakers working to drive progress at local, national, and global levels. Season 5 builds on this foundation, revealing how water advocacy is constantly evolving. As new threats emerge, Waterkeepers adapt on the ground—responding to shifting realities, protecting their communities, and continuing the fight for clean water. Whether you're a seasoned advocate or new to the movement, join us to listen, learn, and help amplify the demand for equity in every drop. To learn about our global water movement and how to get involved, visit waterkeeper.org.

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32 recent

May 28, 2026Episode 333 min

Clean Water Is Bipartisan

How do you build bipartisan alliances in a deeply divided political landscape? You meet people where they are—even if that means sitting on a truck tailgate drinking beer out of a cooler. In this episode of Equity in Every Drop, host Thomas Hynes sat down with Tonya Bonitatibus, the multi-talented Executive Director and Riverkeeper for Savannah Riverkeeper. With a 400-mile-long river system to protect spanning Georgia and South Carolina, Tonya discusses how her unique background—from marketing to biology labs and even competitive horseback riding—has equipped her to translate highly complex, nerdy science into a language that local communities can rally behind. From fighting industrial mercury contamination to taking on broken lock and dam infrastructure, Tonya sheds light on the reality of grassroots environmentalism in rural America.Memorable Quotes:"The thing that makes riverkeepers unique is that we actually truly work in rural communities... For those folks, it is just as much the land they stand on as it is the blood that runs through their veins. You've just gotta focus on what you're working on." — Tonya Bonitatibus"If you don't actually like people, this job is gonna eat you up. You can love the river to death, you can love the fish and the birds to death, but if you don't actually like people... you'll go mad." — Tonya BonitatibusKey Takeaways:The "ING" Secret: Why shifting from static language ("the river") to active language ("fishing") instantly triggers human connection and shared nostalgia.The Timber Alliance: Why working with local, conservative timber landowners is a vital, practical strategy for maintaining critical southern forests.Human Health vs. "Tree Hugging": The historic PR pivot from the 1970s where environmentalism was decoupled from public wellness, and why water advocates need to focus back on the dinner table issue of clean drinking water.

April 23, 2026Episode 240 min

Environmental Protection and Personal Safety

Millicent Olal Muchilwa is more than an activist; she is the North Basin Lake Victoria Waterkeeper in Kenya, a civic educator, a human rights defender standing at the intersection of ecological and historical land injustices, and a mother. While Lake Victoria serves as a lifeblood for millions, it has become a battleground for untreated industrial effluent, illegal sand harvesting, and a lack of governmental transparency.In this episode, Millicent discusses the "long haul" of environmental litigation and the danger of speaking truth to power in a region where dissent is often met with force. While her children provided the final spark that pulled her back into the front lines, it is Millicent’s decades of community organizing and legal due process that are turning local challenges into systemic opportunities for restoration.

March 19, 2026Episode 137 min

Guarding Against Burnout and Fatigue

Justinn Overton of Coosa Riverkeeper joins to discuss how growing up outdoors in Alabama on Logan Martin Lake and the Coosa River shaped her love for waterways and led her into advocacy and Waterkeeper work, beginning with volunteering for Black Warrior Riverkeeper in exchange for concert tickets. She describes the challenge of protecting rivers across 12 Alabama counties with limited funding and staff, and the emotional toll of slow progress, regulatory capture, and issues like PFAS, PCBs, coal ash, and a proposed graphite mine near her rural community. Overton shares burnout tools including reframing “I have to” into “I get to,” setting boundaries to be accessible but not always available, relying on therapy and Waterkeeper peers, staying connected to nature, visiting other Waterkeepers with her team, and finding “joy” after her mother Joy’s death by enjoying the river she protects.

March 18, 20260 min

Equity in Every Drop – Season 5 Trailer

In the fifth season of Equity in Every Drop, we continue our journey alongside Waterkeepers across the globe—bringing you closer to the people working every day to defend our most vital resource.This season, we explore the ever-changing nature of water advocacy. From emerging threats to new opportunities, these stories reveal a movement that is constantly evolving—just like the rivers, lakes, and coastlines these advocates work to protect.There is no such thing as a typical day for a Waterkeeper. Through these episodes, we’ll uncover the many ways they respond to challenges on the ground, adapt to shifting environmental realities, and fight to safeguard clean water for their communities.Whether you’re a long-time environmental advocate or just beginning to learn about the movement, join us as we continue to amplify voices from around the world—and push forward the mission to protect everyone’s right to clean water.

February 19, 2026Episode 637 min

Swimming Urban Rivers

Host Thomas Hynes speaks with Laura Reinsborough of Ottawa Riverkeeper about the Ottawa River’s swimmability and watershed protection. Reinsborough outlines her background in environmental studies, founding an urban fruit tree nonprofit in Toronto, and leading Food for All New Brunswick. She describes the Ottawa River as a 1,200+ km river with a vast drainage basin, the largest tributary to the St. Lawrence within the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence freshwater system, and notes it runs through unceded Anishnabe Algonquin territory across Ontario and Quebec. Ottawa Riverkeeper began in 2001 in response to untreated sewage from combined sewer overflows across a fragmented watershed of over 300 municipalities. She reports that the City of Ottawa’s overflows have been reduced by over 90% through transparency, monitoring (including real-time public maps and email notifications), and major infrastructure, including a sewage storage tunnel completed in 2021. Despite improved water quality, public perception lags; a 2020 survey found most believed the river unsafe. Reinsborough says people do swim (herself included), and urban beaches test safe about 85% of the time, with results aggregated on Swim Guide and advice to wait 24–48 hours after heavy rain. She discusses the Swimmable Cities Alliance and swimming as human “rewilding.” Additional priorities include road salt, 85+ fish species, American eel decline due to 50+ dams, PFAS and microplastics, and nuclear waste concerns. She also describes River School (launched 2023 at River House), reaching about 4,000 students with hands-on watershed, biodiversity, and water-quality education, including a birchbark canoe module.

January 22, 2026Episode 539 min

Protecting Water During Wartime

In this episode of Equity in Every Drop, host Thomas welcomes Nabil Musa of Waterkeepers Iraq Kurdistan. Nabil’s unconventional background in the arts, rather than science, has uniquely positioned him to protect Iraq’s waterways through creativity and passion. Growing up by a river during the tumultuous Iran-Iraq war, Nabil found solace and developed a deep love for nature, which he now channels into his work. Nabil shares experiences from his childhood, the impact of ongoing conflict on the environment, and his creative initiatives, like making giant dragonfly lanterns to raise environmental awareness. He discusses moving to England, working with climate activists, and eventually returning to Iraq to find his beloved river destroyed. Despite numerous challenges, including armed conflict and environmental degradation, Nabil continues to fight for the restoration and protection of Iraq’s natural resources. The episode concludes with a heartfelt appeal for support to aid in his mission to revive Iraq’s rivers and biodiversity.

December 18, 2025Episode 426 min

Championing Environmental Integrity

In this episode of 'Equity in Every Drop,' host Thomas Hynes sits down with Dr. Rosalia Arteaga, a leading environmental advocate and education leader. The discussion covers Dr. Arteaga's distinguished career, including her roles as the former President and Vice President of Ecuador, and her involvement with Waterkeeper Alliance. Dr. Arteaga shares her early influences, her passion for integrating environmental stewardship with education, and her efforts in promoting conservation practices. They also discuss the importance of youth involvement, the potential of science and technology in environmental conservation, and the upcoming global Waterkeeper meeting in Quito, Ecuador. Dr. Arteaga also introduces her project to establish an Eco museum and library in Quito. This in-depth conversation offers valuable insights into the interconnectedness of education, government, and environmental work.

November 20, 2025Episode 328 min

Consider the Platypus

In this episode of Equity in Every Drop, host Thomas Hynes speaks with Dr. Michelle Ryan, senior lecturer in ecology and environmental science at Western Sydney University and the Hawkesbury Nepean Waterkeeper. Dr. Ryan shares her journey from an early fascination with freshwater turtles to her current focus on the ecological health of freshwater systems and the part the iconic platypus plays in this endeavor. She discusses the innovative use of environmental DNA to confirm platypus presence in urbanizing areas, the significant impacts of urban development on platypus habitats, and effective measures to mitigate these impacts. Additionally, Dr. Ryan highlights the resilience of the platypus and the importance of community and governmental collaboration in preserving waterway health. Join them as they explore the challenges and triumphs of protecting this enigmatic and fascinating species.

October 16, 2025Episode 227 min

Protecting Bangladesh’s Rivers

In this episode, host Thomas Hynes interviews Sharif Jamil, the Buriganga Riverkeeper and coordinator of Waterkeepers Bangladesh. Sharif, a global environmental leader, shares his journey from personal connection to Bangladesh's rivers to becoming an activist and leader in water protection. He discusses the challenges faced by rivers in Bangladesh, such as industrial pollution and urban encroachment, and celebrates the victories, including raising awareness and securing legal recognition for rivers. Sharif reflects on the value of being part of the Waterkeeper Alliance, emphasizing the strength of the network and the shared passion among waterkeepers worldwide.

September 18, 2025Episode 136 min

Waterkeepers Working Worldwide

In the first episode of Season 4 of 'Equity in Every Drop,' host Thomas Hynes is joined by Godfrey Kitimbo of Lake Kyoga Nile Waterkeeper in Uganda and Hartwell Carson, Clean Water Director for Mountain True and former French Broad Riverkeeper in Asheville, North Carolina. Recorded in Dakar, Senegal, where Godfrey and Hartwell were attending the Waterkeeper Alliance Africa Regional Summit, the discussion touched on their long-standing partnership and collaborative efforts in combating water pollution. They shared experiences such as raising funds for a patrol boat and building wells, as well as their future plans to extend water protection efforts across Uganda and surrounding countries. The episode highlights the importance of Waterkeeper alliances and the profound impact of international cooperation in environmental stewardship.