Graeme Lee Rowlands

Born in Honduras and raised in California, Graeme Lee Rowlands moved to the Northwest to study at Quest University Canada in Squamish, British Columbia. There, he completed an interdisciplinary degree in Water Resource Sciences with a special focus on the Columbia River Basin and the Columbia River Treaty. His written work has since appeared in English and French in more than 50 publications including the Seattle Times, Maclean’s Magazine, and the official journal of the International Water Resources Association. He contributed to photographer Peter Marbach’s photo-essay book Healing the Big River: Salmon Dreams and the Columbia River Treaty as one of twelve feature essayists. Graeme has also traveled extensively throughout the watershed to learn directly from people and place. Most notably, in 2017 he followed the entire length of the Columbia from sea-to-source by bicycle and kayak while reading key texts and engaging with local residents and experts. He served as an organizer, advisor, moderator, and speaker for multiple international ‘One River - Ethics Matter’ Conferences.

As a staff person, contractor and/or volunteer, Graeme coordinates work on the Columbia River Treaty, salmon and ecosystem restoration, and related issues between:

• The Save Our wild Salmon Coalition’s Columbia River Treaty Project

• The Sierra Club’s Columbia River Team

• The Ethics & Treaty Project’s Columbia River Roundtable

• The U.S. NGO Caucus on the Columbia River Treaty

• The (Canadian) Upper Columbia Basin Environmental Collaborative

He also serves as Wildsight’s Director of Water and Climate, supporting water and climate change focused work across the organization including Columbia River Field School, Teach the Columbia and Youth Climate Corps programs. Graeme has also occasionally worked as a freelance writer covering issues at the confluence of environment, economy, culture, and politics in the Columbia River Basin and beyond. Driven by profound gratitude for the time he has spent here, Graeme is committed to creating opportunities for other people — especially young people — to become passionate about and engage with the watershed, just as he has been so fortunate to do.

Today, Graeme is based on Ktunaxa and Secwépemc homeland in the town of Golden, British Columbia. Most days, he spends time on the banks of the Columbia River as it flows past, out of the Columbia Wetlands and towards the Kinbasket Reservoir. He enjoys traveling to visit other parts of the watershed whenever possible.

Contact:

gleerowlands at gmail dot com