Clean water activist to present Chehalis River canoe trip

Expedition paddler and wetland biologist Lee First will recount her five-day canoe journey on the Chehalis River during a presentation hosted by the Grays Harbor Audubon Society on Dec. 1 at 1:30 p.m. at the Hoquiam Library’s meeting room.

First is a local advocate for clean water and the first Twin Harbors Waterkeeper. The Waterkeeper movement was started by fishermen on New York’s Hudson River in 1966 to address the impact of industrial pollution on their livelihood. Today there are over 350 Waterkeepers around the world, about 200 in the U.S. First was a Waterkeeper in northern Puget Sound and Spokane for 13 years before coming to the Harbor. She made the canoe trip from the headwaters of the Chehalis above Pe Ell to the harbor in May.

Attendees can enter the library from the rear of the building on the ground floor. Refreshments will be served. More information about Waterkeepers can be found at Waterkeeper.org.

Clean water activist to present Chehalis River canoe trip