After forty years of environmental advocacy, 86-year-old activist Brenda Adelman is officially retiring as her nonprofit, the Russian River Watershed Protection Committee, prepares to fold this May.
The Press Democrat reports Adelman is credited with leading the charge to stop Santa Rosa from using the river as a wastewater disposal site, a victory that transformed the health of the 1,500-square-mile watershed.
Local leaders, including Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, praised her “impeccable reputation” and consistent voice for wildlife and water quality. While Adelman is currently sorting through 140 boxes of archives, she expressed confidence that a new generation of “watchdogs” will step up to protect the river.
For now, the sounds of summer at the Russian River serve as a living tribute to her life’s work.
