Celebrating Successes & Flowing Forward: Brandywine-Christina Watershed Conference
Join us for a one-day conference celebrating the William Penn Foundation’s Delaware River Watershed Initiative (DRWI). This conference will highlight the work of the DRWI partners to improve the quality of the Brandywine-Christina watershed, the complementary project work by peer organizations, and collaborative strategies for the betterment of the watershed.
As one of the most historic small watersheds in the nation, the Brandywine-Christina supplies drinking water to over a half million people in Delaware and Pennsylvania and supports $1.6 billion in annual economic activity and over 100,000 jobs.
This event will be held at the Mendenhall Inn in Chadds Ford, PA and is free with advance registration. National and regional experts, watershed stakeholders and the public are encouraged to attend.
Conference Agenda:
8:30 a.m. — Registration/Breakfast
9:00 a.m. — Welcome
Grant DeCosta, Director of Community Services, Brandywine Conservancy
9:10 a.m. — The Delaware River Watershed Initiative (DRWI)
Grant DeCosta, Cluster Coordinator, Brandywine Conservancy
David Shields, Cluster Coordinator, Brandywine Conservancy (Retired)
9:30 a.m. — Celebrating Successes: Brandywine-Christina Cluster Highlights
Moderator: David Shields, Cluster Coordinator, Brandywine Conservancy (Retired)
- Brandywine-Christina Cluster Highlights – Jim Jordan, Executive Director, Brandywine Red Clay Alliance
- Honey Brook Successes through Collaboration – John Goodall, Senior Outreach Associate, Brandywine Conservancy
- Accelerated Outcomes Through Aggregated Watershed Restoration Work in the Red Clay and White Clay Headwaters – Matt Ehrhart, Director of Watershed Restoration, Stroud Water Research Center
- The Continuum of Conservation – Rick Tralies, Senior Director of Planning, Natural Lands
- Stream Restoration and Municipal Strategies – Brian Winslow, Watershed Conservation Director, Brandywine Red Clay Alliance
11:00 a.m. — BREAK
11:15 a.m. — Currents: Collaborative Work in the Watershed
Moderator: Robert Struble, Watershed Conservation Director, Brandywine Red Clay Alliance (Retired)
- White Clay State of the Watershed – Andrew Homsey, Geospatial Services Manager, University of Delaware Water Resources Center
- Watersheds 2045 and Beyond – Seung Ah Byun, Executive Director, Chester County Water Resources Authority
- Christina-Brandywine River Restoration Remediation Resilience (CBR4) – Marian Young, President, Brightfields, Inc.
- Celebrating Our Successes – Bryan Lennon, Assistant Water Division Director, City of Wilmington
12:30 p.m. — Lunch/Keynote
History of the Christina Basin Task Force – Gerald Joseph McAdams Kauffman, Jr., Director, University of Delaware Water Resources Center
1:30 p.m. — Passing the Baton and Moving Forward
Moderator: Martha Narvaez, Associate Director, University of Delaware Water Resources Center
- Drinking Water and the Potential Threats and Opportunities in the Watershed – Michael Bard, Communications and Community Relations Manager, Veolia North America
- What’s in the Middle of Watershed Strategies – James Logan, City Manager, City of Coatesville
- Next Steps for Protecting and Restoring Water Quality and Stream Health in the Brandywine-Christina Watershed – John Jackson, Senior Research Scientist, Stroud Water Research Center
- Recreational Benefits and Resources in the Watershed – Ed O’Donnell, Co-Chair, White Clay Wild & Scenic Management Committee and White Clay Fly Fishers
- Brandywine Flood Study – Grant DeCosta, Director of Community Services, Brandywine Conservancy
2:45 p.m. — Wrap Up
Grant DeCosta, Director of Community Services, Brandywine Conservancy
3:00 p.m. — Adjourn
The conference is hosted by the Brandywine-Christina Partners, a partnership of six nonprofit organizations, funded by the William Penn Foundation through the Delaware River Watershed Initiative (DRWI). The Brandywine-Christina Partners are comprised of the Brandywine Conservancy, Brandywine Red Clay Alliance, Natural Lands, The Nature Conservancy, Stroud Water Resources Center, and the University of Delaware Water Resources Center.
