FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The 10th Annual Watershed Leadership Conference will be held at Beckwith Camp and Conference Center March 14-16.

The conference is organized by the Alabama Rivers Alliance, a nonprofit environmental group based in Birmingham. Its Web site states that the ARA “has been uniting Alabama’s citizens to protect our right to clean, healthy water for more than a decade.”

According to Cindy Lowry, executive director of the alliance, the conference is held in different parts of the state each year to attract different groups and make it easier for local citizens to attend.

“We expect to have over 100 attendees representing concerned citizens, environmental and conservation groups, business professionals and government agencies from all across the state and region,” Lowry said in a recent interview with the Fairhope Courier. 

A sample of groups represented, she said, will be Gulf Restoration Network, Southern Environmental Law Center, Wolf Bay Watershed Watch, Weeks Bay Foundation, Black Warrior Riverkeeper and Alabama Water Watch.

“We even have two special presenters attending from Mexico, who are representing Global Water Watch, Vera Cruz,” she said.

Previous conferences have been held all across the state at places such as Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Ala., Wheeler State Park in Decatur and the Alabama 4H Center near Clanton.

“By the end of the conference, we would like each participant to feel inspired and empowered to go back home and join in our efforts to protect Alabama’s magnificent waterways or, if they are already a part of the watershed protection movement, to feel rejuvenated to continue the work they are already doing with new ideas and new friends,” Lowry said with regard to the aim of the 10th annual event. “We also want people to have fun, meet each other and learn about current environmental issues.”

Lowry said that regardless of an individual’s knowledge or participation in the environmental protection arena, the conference would provide them with updated information on the latest issues important to everyone who drinks, swims in, fishes in, or otherwise relies on water for its many important uses. 

“The variety of topics covered provides something for every interest ranging from the teacher to scientist, to the lawyer,” she said. “If you care about water and the environment, which we all should, you will benefit from this conference. 

Lowry said that if someone could only come for a few hours, they should come Saturday afternoon when they could attend two sessions in just a few hours.