This Women’s History Month, I stand in a current of gratitude for the women whose work taught me that healthy watersheds and thriving communities rise together. Their leadership demonstrates that environmental progress works best when it includes everyone—where science, community, agencies, and stewardship align. It has been my honor to work alongside them to create green spaces and blooming hillsides across the county!
“When we uplift women and marginalized voices, we're not just adding their colors—we're repairing cracks and offering wisdom that has long been overlooked.”
Women like Ellen Johnck (Carquinez Recover the Waterfront Committee) have shown me that collaboration can drive real change. Through the Bay Planning Coalition, she united industry and environmental interests to secure investments in shoreline resilience, proving that inclusivity and shared purpose lead to lasting solutions.
Dr. Ann Riley (California Urban Streams Partnership) has inspired me to see natural solutions. Her work transforming Wildcat Creek from a concrete channel into a living system highlights that restoration is both an ecological and human effort. When waterways are restored, people are reconnected to their place.
Our women partners at Friends of Alhambra Creek and Friends of Pinole Creek Watershed embody grassroots leadership. From the Native Plant Trail to bringing steelhead back to local waters, they remind me that stewardship belongs to all. Small efforts, when multiplied across a community, create lasting change. Their work invites everyone to plant, measure, learn, and care together.
The Dutch Slough Restoration Project also carries this spirit. Women leaders like Diane Burgis and Patty Finfrock helped turn a complex vision into reality, reconnecting wetlands, habitat, and public access through partnerships and persistence. Their work stands as proof that large-scale restoration succeeds when diverse partners and perspectives are welcomed and aligned.
Katie Hart from the Water Quality Control Board exemplifies the importance of agency partnership. Her support has aligned funding with project implementation. She reminds me that good governance grounded in collaboration makes restoration possible.
I am humbled. Working alongside these women, I see a future where every creek, leaf, and ripple calls us to action. They have taught me that, as women, we bring a depth of care and boldness to the pursuit of creating resilient landscapes.
The Earth is a mosaic where each piece tells a story, bears a color, and has a pulse. When we uplift women and marginalized voices, we're not just adding their colors—we're repairing cracks and offering wisdom that has long been overlooked.
When more voices are welcomed, the river runs stronger—and so does our shared future.
