Jimmy Orth
Executive Director, St. Johns Riverkeeper
What drew you to a career in protecting Northeast Florida’s greatest natural asset, the St. Johns River?
I was born and raised in Jacksonville and spent a lot of time in and around the river when I was growing up. Despite how much I enjoyed the river, I wasn’t always interested in environmental stewardship. It wasn’t until my senior year at FSU that my passion for protecting our river and our environment started to take root thanks to an eco-conscious girlfriend and a 20th anniversary Earth Day celebration I attended in 1990. When I graduated, I moved back to Jacksonville, attended a Sierra Club meeting, was quickly recruited to fill a volunteer coordinator position, and eventually became chair of the group.
After my volunteer work essentially became an unpaid second full-time job, my ex-wife convinced me to go back to graduate school to pursue a nonprofit career. I reluctantly took her advice and enrolled at UNF. I wanted to work in environmental advocacy, but upon graduating with my master’s degree in public administration, not many paid environmental nonprofit jobs existed in Jacksonville. However, the relatively new St. Johns Riverkeeper organization was interested in expanding by hiring its first executive director. I took a chance on a fledgling organization with limited resources, they took a chance on me (someone without a lot of professional nonprofit experience), and I have now been with St. Johns Riverkeeper for over 20 years.
What were your most rewarding accomplishments?
Let me preface my response by saying these accomplishments only occurred because of the help, support, and involvement of numerous talented people and partners.
When I was volunteering with the Sierra Club, I helped start a local chapter of what was then called Inner City Outings. We took kids on outings to fish, camp, hike, and explore Northeast Florida’s natural areas. These were kids who would otherwise never have had the opportunity to experience the outdoors. We continue to provide these opportunities at Riverkeeper through our education boat trips and field trips. It doesn’t get any better than seeing a kid’s face light up when they see a dolphin in the river for the first time!
Several other rewarding accomplishments include Riverkeeper’s first documentary film, The Green Monster, that we produced to raise awareness about the threat of algae blooms in the river. It was a big deal for us at the time and helped elevate our profile in the community. I also believe the film helped serve as a catalyst for the reduction of nutrient pollution that was being discharged into the river.
We are really just getting started, but I am also excited about the ongoing work we currently are doing with LISC Jacksonville as part of the Resilient Ribault project. This multi-year initiative was launched to address quality of life issues and create healthy, resilient neighborhoods and waterways in the Ribault River area of Jacksonville. We hope this can serve as a model that can eventually be applied in other areas of the watershed.
What were your biggest obstacles?
This work is not easy. You are always fighting an uphill battle. Your opposition usually has more resources and influence. Politics, not science, often drives decisions, resulting in bad or weak policies. The legal process and rules tend to favor the regulatory agencies, the polluters, and developers. Population growth and poorly planned development results in the permanent loss of habitat and green spaces, year after year. A lack of political will and apathy have also been major obstacles at times over the years. That is why it is so important to remain diligent and have an advocacy organization like St. Johns Riverkeeper that is guided by the science working day in and day out for what is best for the St. Johns River and our communities.
Looking back, what advice do you have for environmental advocates?
Persistence, passion, perseverance, and partnerships are keys to success. So many of the environmental challenges we face can take years to address and resolve, and you certainly don’t always prevail. You have to be willing to hang in there for the long-haul and be prepared for disappointment at times. But, by joining with others to build a strong, engaged, and diverse coalition of fellow advocates and organizations, you can succeed. I also think it is important to not let your passion get the best of you. We have to avoid being strident and sensational and strive not to alienate others. Polling data shows that a sizable majority of people support protecting our environment and waterways and addressing climate change. We just have to appeal to our shared values and empower them to get involved and use their voices.
As the St. Johns Riverkeeper celebrates its 25th anniversary, what is your vision for the future of the St. Johns and the St. Johns Riverkeeper?
My vision is for the St. Johns River to be fishable and swimmable, consistently meeting water quality standards and designated uses. We should be able to swim in our river and its tributaries and catch and eat the fish and shellfish without concern for our health. In the future, I would like to see our communities develop a strong water ethic and culture of conservation, where we live within a sustainable supply of water and ardently respect and protect the natural habitats and wildlife that support the health of the river and its watershed. I see St. Johns Riverkeeper being an important part of that transformation as we continue to build a diverse people-powered movement of concerned citizens and organizations speaking up for our environment and our rights to a clean and healthy river. Next year, as part of our anniversary celebrations, we plan to roll out a more detailed vision and roadmap for the next 25 years.
What do you love about Jacksonville?
I love all the water that surrounds us and the people who live here. This is why I love my job, too. I have been able to meet so many amazing people who love the St. Johns and are doing really interesting and important work in Jax. I think Jacksonville’s best days are ahead of it, and I hope that goes for our incredible river too.
In 2025, the St. Johns Riverkeeper will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a special luncheon in downtown Jacksonville on March 26, 2025 at the DoubleTree Hotel.
