Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is a resolute defender of the environment. Mr. Kennedy serves as founder and President of Waterkeeper Alliance, a global network of 200 grassroots environmental organizations. He is a professor at Pace University’s Environmental Litigation Clinic and co-host of Ring of Fire on Air America Radio. Mr. Kennedy is a graduate of Harvard University. He studied at the London School of Economics and received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. He is a licensed master falconer. Mr. Kennedy was named one of Time magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet” for his success leading the fight to restore the Hudson River.

Edward Burtynsky is one of Canada’s most respected photographers. His remarkable photographic depictions of global industrial landscapes are included in the collections of over fifty major museums around the world. Mr. Burtynsky’s distinctions include the TED Prize, The Outreach award at the Rencontres d’Arles, The Flying Elephant Fellowship, Applied Arts Magazine book award(s), and the Roloff Beny Book award. In 2006 he was awarded the title of Officer of the Order of Canada and holds four honorary doctorate degrees.

Mark Mattson is a prominent environmental lawyer whose love of water stems from his childhood summers swimming and fishing on Wolfe Island, near Kingston. Born into a family of lawyers in Southern Ontario, Mark grew up with a passion for fairness and individual rights. He pursued a career in law, but abandoned the corporate world shortly after graduation in order to dedicate his work to protecting the natural environment. As a prosecutor, first for government and then for the non-profit sector, Mark was part of groundbreaking private prosecutions and administrative cases against major industrial polluters.

After ten years in the courtroom, Mark began to devote more time to developing institutions that will restore and protect watersheds for generations to come. He founded Lake Ontario Waterkeeper in 2001 and remains the organization’s full-time Waterkeeper and President to this day.

Joseph Boyden is a novelist and short story writer who studied creative writing at York University and the University of New Orleans. Joseph writes about First Nations heritage and culture. His novels include Three Day Road (2005) and Through Black Spruce (2008). Joseph is the winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize, Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award, and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Joseph is a founder and President of Moose Riverkeeper.

Wade Davis is an ethnographer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker. He is currently Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society. Wade’s photography has been featured in 20 books and over 80 different magazine, journals, and newspapers. Wade had received numerous awards including the Golden Medal of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and the Explorers Medal. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1998. Wade’s newest book is called Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest.

Denise Donlon is a Canadian executive, television producer, television host, and program director. Her career began at MuchMusic as a host and producer; she became MuchMusic’s director of music programming, Vice President and General Manager. She has also worked for Sony Music Canada (President), CHUM (Board of Directors), and at CBC Radio (Executive Director). Denise was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Powerful Women, and is a board member of the Governor General’s Lifetime Achievement Performing Arts Awards. Denise was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2004. She has been a Trustee for Lake Ontario since 2007.

Gord Downie is the lead vocalist and driving creative force behind “Canada’s band”, The Tragically Hip, who have thrilled audiences around the world with their live performances for two decades. When not writing, recording and touring tirelessly with The Tragically Hip, Downie also enjoys a successful career as a solo artist. In the summer of 2001, he released Coke Machine Glow – an album accompanied by a book of poetry, of the same name. Coke Machine Glow garnered critical acclaim, paving the way for 2003′s Battle of the Nudes and 2010′s The Grand Bounce. Gord has been a tireless supporter and Trustee for Lake Ontario since 2006.

Kevin Lowe is a retired NHL defenseman, who played for the Edmonton Oiler and the New York Rangers. Kevin is currently the President of Hockey Operations for the Edmonton Oilers. As well as being a six-time Stanley Cup winner, Kevin was a five-time NHL all-star. Kevin sits on the board of directors of North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper and is an active Waterkeeper Alliance trustee.

Karen Percy Lowe is a Canadian alpine skier who won two bronze medals at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics near her hometown of Banff. Karen became a Member of the Order of Canada in 1988 and received an Olympic Champion award at The Tribute to the Champions in 1989. Karen is recognized in the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Karen is co-founder, chairperson, and president of North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper and is an active Waterkeeper Alliance trustee.