Our Riverkeeper

Meredith Brown grew up in North Bay and spent her summers on the headwaters of the Mattawa River. From an early age she enjoyed exploring waterways by canoe, kayak and windsurfer. Her natural curiosity for water, rivers and ecology led her to study biology and environmental engineering at Queen’s University and the University of Guelph. While learning about hydrology, geomorphology, ecology and wetland design, she became involved in a municipal development project. This piqued her interest in environmental planning and policy.

Her desire to learn more about rivers and how to protect and restore drew her to Simon Fraser University. There she studied with Robert Newbury, a world-renowned river engineer and stream restoration specialist. She earned a Master’s in Resource and Environmental Management and discovered the interdisciplinary world of watershed management.

While in Vancouver, Meredith worked primarily in the field of watershed restoration for a small not-for-profit consulting company with a mandate to restore fish habitat in British Columbia’s rivers. She performed watershed assessments, designed and implemented numerous restoration projects, wrote watershed management plans, performed ecological risk assessments, participated in water use planning for a number of rivers in BC, developed partnerships and wrote a feasibility study to daylight an urban stream in Vancouver.

Her experience also includes working with multiple levels of government on issues such as dam removal and determining in-stream flow targets on regulated rivers.

Meredith has a life-long love of outdoor activities on a year-round basis, ranging from canoe tripping to backcountry skiing. Since moving from the powder days in BC’s backcountry, she now explores the forests of Ontario and Quebec throughout the winter on her skinny skis.

As Riverkeeper, Meredith enjoys the science-based advocacy work and the grass-roots stewardship that both play an important role to preserve the ecological integrity of the Ottawa River. She enjoys meeting and working with individuals and organizations working to protect and promote the Ottawa River.

Meredith, her husband Ronnie, and her children Lily and Charlie live in Wakefield Quebec, overlooking the Gatineau River. They have a short portage to the river where there is a beautiful back eddy; perfect for swimming and launching their canoe.

To read more about our Riverkeeper in The Ottawa Citizen, click here.