The Hamptons

The Peconic Baykeeper, Inc. (PBK) is pleased to announce the hiring of Brady J. Wilkins to serve as the organization’s Baykeeper. The Baykeeper position is essential to the fulfillment of PBK’s mission of clean water advocacy. Brady brings with him a lifetime of experience on Long Island’s waters. Having grown up on the South Shore of Suffolk County, he embodies the passion for swimmable, drinkable and fishable waters that the Baykeeper position demands.

Brady Wilkins holds a license as a United States Coast Guard Merchant Marine Officer, Master of Inland Waters, and previously served as captain and crew aboard passenger ferries and excursion vessels upon the Great South Bay and Puget Sound. Brady is also a New York State Licensed Educator with a Master’s degree in Childhood Education and has taught general education, special education and science in several districts throughout Suffolk County. His background as an educator together with his experience on the water make him an ideal fit for Peconic Baykeeper’s advocacy, outreach and education efforts. “I can’t wait to meet community members, get out on the water and into classrooms and help increase awareness of the many issues that are unfortunately impacting the health of our bays, streams and rivers ” said Mr. Wilkins. PBK Chair, Brendan J. McCurdy, said the Board of Directors is thrilled to have found such an outstanding individual to assume the role of Baykeeper. He remarked “Brady’s intimate knowledge of local waters, his maritime licenses and experience, his passion for our mission, and his background as a teacher make him the ideal person to come on board and take the helm.” Marc Yaggi, Executive Director of Waterkeeper Alliance, said, “We welcome Brady Wilkins to Peconic Baykeeper and to the collection of more than 200 Waterkeepers around the globe. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with the Peconic Baykeeper organization.”

The Peconic Baykeeper is a sanctioned member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance. Founded in 1997, it is the only independent, not-for-profit advocate solely dedicated to the protection and improvement of the aquatic ecosystems of the Peconic and South Shore estuaries of Long Island. Its clean water mission is advanced through advocacy, conservation and management initiatives, public education, research, monitoring and participation in the public environmental review of projects and activities that may adversely impact the ecological health of the region’s estuarine waters. The organization is committed to ensuring that all Long Islanders have access to swimmable, fishable and drinkable waters. peconicbaykeeper.org