Tips from citizens alerting us to problems in communities all along the Hudson play a vital role in Riverkeeper's work. To report a polluter, please call:

Our Mascot

1-800-21-RIVER ext 247

or email:

watchdog@riverkeeper.org.

THERE ARE NO TRAININGS SCHEDULED PLEASE CHECK BACK IN THE FUTURE FOR WATCHDOG TRAININGS

Read about the Watchdogs "Our Eyes and Ears of the River"


A Watchdog's Guide: Tools to assist our volunteer Watchdogs

The Watchdog Program fulfills the Riverkeeper mission by creating a more educated and informed force of activists on the Hudson River and its tributaries. Our goals are to enlist citizen volunteers to act as volunteer representatives of Riverkeeper in their communities, to empower them with the tools and knowledge necessary to bring an end to persistent pollution sources, and to deploy them as our eyes and ears on their specific waterways. Watchdogs will ultimately enable us to monitor every tributary and river segment as each will be responsible for his or her own waterway. Once constrained by a lack of internal resources, Riverkeeper will soon be in the position to become an agent for change in areas of persistent concern. These areas include remote tributaries, low-income and minority communities, and neglected segments of the Hudson itself. Watchdogs will serve as volunteer representatives of Riverkeeper in their communities.

Once volunteers become Watchdogs, we will work with the them to address pollution threats to their waterways from specific or unascertained polluters, employing all the tools of environmental advocacy including litigation. Such shared tasks will include investigations, evidence compilation, follow-up monitoring, assistance with litigation, public advocacy, and fundraising. Several of our more experienced watchdogs will be able to act more autonomously as stewards for their particular cases. Most cases generated by watchdogs will be handled by our staff of powerhouse attorneys or the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic at Pace University School of Law in White Plains. Our on-going alliance with the Clinic and its 10 law students provides us substantial us pro-bono legal services each semester. Cases not handled internally due to resource constraints or the weakness of the case will be referred to state and federal government agencies for enforcement.

There is no prototypical Watchdog. The range of existing river advocates is broad and reflects all educational levels, cultural backgrounds, political affiliations, income brackets, employment fields, and degrees of environmental passion. Watchdogs can also be existing partner organizations and school groups with dedicated teachers. The program embraces all types of people and asks that volunteers be diligent and trustworthy representatives of the organization.

The requirements to become a Riverkeeper Watchdog are complete the one day training program, a willingness and passion to protect our water resources, and to adhere to the basic principles of Riverkeeper.